David Cutcliffe entered a quiet locker room. No one moved. No one said a word. It was a team in stunned silence.

Usually, the Duke coach has words already prepared for these moments after a tough loss, but given the context — the dramatic comeback, the miraculous Miami kick return, the endless review and perplexing officiating — there was no standard speech this time.

“There were no appropriate words for what had happened,” Cutcliffe said Sunday.

The ACC offered a few, agreeing that officials blew the call on the last play of the game, in which Miami lateraled eight times, was flagged for a block in the back, saw the flag picked up and had the touchdown stand. The officiating crew, complete with replay official, will be suspended for two games, but less than 24 hours later, it was of little consolation to Duke.

“I talked with the team and mentioned the release,” Cutcliffe said. “It’s really just minimal in effect. It was a tremendous comeback that just went to waste.”

Cutcliffe was frustrated. He said he’d called people he knew with the NCAA, hoping for a way to protest the outcome, change the result. He said “a multitude” of other coaches had called him to commiserate. He said he hurt badly for his players.

“I’m venting a little bit,” Cutcliffe conceded.

But here’s the reality for Duke: It lost the game, and that isn’t changing. The Blue Devils are 6-2 with the biggest game of its season looming on Saturday at North Carolina. Their Coastal hopes remain intact, but only if they can put what transpired against Miami behind them.

That process started with a lifting session Sunday, and Cutcliffe said he was encouraged by what he saw.

“They had a great spirit and they’re ready to go to work,” he said. “And it wasn’t just pretend. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the room.”

Cutcliffe said he talked with captains Matt Skura and Jeremy Cash, along with injured senior Kelby Brown, who assured him they’d have command of the locker room. Cutcliffe said he hopes his team is ready to turn the page — not in a chip-on-its-shoulder way, but with the same methodical approach it’s had all season.

“They know how to work,” he said. “The big thing is not rah-rah. We’re hunting quality reps, quality work. And I believe we’ll get that.”

It’s still an odd balance. Cutcliffe said he hopes Duke officials will continue to follow up with the NCAA, but he wants to move forward. He said he understands complaints from Miami coach Larry Scott, too. The Hurricanes were flagged for 23 penalties — an ACC record — including a bevy of pass-interference calls on Duke’s final drive. Moreover, Thomas Sirk appeared not to cross the goal line on the go-ahead touchdown for the Blue Devils.

There will always be controversy and argued calls, Cutcliffe concedes, but this situation is unique. The flags were judgement calls, he said, and had Sirk’s TD been overturned, Duke might’ve scored a few seconds later, negating the kickoff altogether.

What happened to Duke, however, was unique. Reversing the call, overturning the score — it wouldn’t require answering any “what if” questions, Cutcliffe said. It’s something that could be done without reverse engineering the game.

And so it’s tough to let go, even if that’s the one thing Duke needs most to do.

“We didn’t play perfectly. We should’ve been able to handle the game ourselves without having to depend on officials or replay, and I’ve told our squad that,” Cutcliffe said. “What instant replay is in place for is to get it right, and we did not get it right. I hurt badly for our players.”