The Duke Blue Devils (7-2, 6-1 ACC) pose a difficult challenge for No. 7 Miami (8-1, 6-0 ACC) this weekend, starting with its rushing attack behind Nate Sheppard.

However, this is another game that Miami needs to win to have a chance of locking in their ACC Championship Game hopes while dealing with other things that can push them toward the future if they want to compete for a National Championship again this year.

Not only do the Hurricanes have to make sure they get these few things done; but the little details that are holding them back can also be the biggest things that help them win against Duke.

Here are a few storylines heading into this game that are worth pointing out:

The pass rush and Damon Wilson II

Ever since the Clemson game, Miami's pass rush has been nonexistent. Granted, it also doesn't help that the ball is coming out at an alarming rate against the Hurricanes, making it nearly impossible to touch the quarterback, but that has to be an area that has seen improvement.

It is also time for Damon Wilson to have another monster game after being ice cold since the bye week. Wilson is the main focus of the pass rush, with Marquise Lightfoot holding up his end of the stick. However, all over the left side between Wilson and Armondo Blount has been lackluster this year.

Blount is more of a DT than a DE, and we'll see him move to that next season, but Wilson was the premier talent the Canes got from the SEC, and we expected SEC-level production.

Running Game For Miami

Miami's rushing attack has been affected by the offensive line struggles and by the players who are lining up the backfield. Mark Fletcher Jr. leads this group with an injury and continues to be a hard task to tackle. Moreover, with all the snaps he is getting, that shift should be going to freshman running back Javian Mallory.

He finds holes that are not there and makes something out of nothing most of the time. Girard Pringle Jr. has done nothing, due to him not being on the field, and Jordan Lyle can be hit or miss depending on what the game has to offer.

Against Duke, there needs to be an effort to get back to the running game that guided them through the College Football Playoff last season.

Darian Mensah Back on Track for the Heisman Against His Former Team

All hope for Mensah's Heisman case almost went out the window against Notre Dame, then he turned it around in the second half, lighting up on the best defenses in the country.

Mensah still leads the country in QBR, is second in touchdown passes (28), has only thrown two interceptions, and is almost at the 3000 yard mark. Against Duke, he could explode against his former team for 300-plus yards and three or more touchdowns.

There aren't really any emotions Mensah showed throughout the week, which shows that this is bothering him. He did it last season when he played at Tulane. This is just another case of that.

His Heisman case is still there, and showing that this Miami offense can still move well without Malachi Toney is the biggest indicator of why he can still win the award.