By The Numbers: Going Deep

If the Internet has accomplished anything it has made the world a bit smaller and brought people from all over the world together in ways never before possible. The beauty of that is that blogs like Canespace have gone global in a very intersting and impressive way.

If you read Canespace then you realize that not only do we have a million different perspectives and opinions but that we have bloggers from all over the world who read and contribute to the blog. Some bloggers ask really good questions while others do the serious research to provide them the answers.

Last week someone on the blog asked this question: "I wonder how many offenses have had their best day of the season in 2013 when facing the University of Miami defense?" Then, a few days later I got an email from a Canespacer who lives half way around the world in Germany.

As it turns out some guy in Germany named Markus who goes by the blog name of VfBCane had been reading Canespace for years without ever really commenting or contributing when that question sudenly changed all of that.  He said the question perked his interest so much that he decide to go deep, do the research and send his findings to me for a blog article. 

Now Markus made a nice little graph or chart to go along with his findings and observations but unfortunately I could not get it to copy and paste to the blog in a format that would work so instead I will have to give it to you in bullet format. Still his findings and conclusions are both revealing and impressive and shows just what can happen when you go "By The Numbers".

Findings:

Criteria: Miami's 2013 opponents offensive performance against the UM defense was evaluated in four areas: points scored, total yards gained, rushing yards and passing yards.

• There were three games where it could be argued that the UM defense had an overall good performance in all four categories (Points, Yards, Rush, Pass): FAU, GT and FSU. These teams were all held under season averages in all four categories by the Canes. However, UM still gave up 30 points and 401 yards to GT and 41 points and 517 yards to FSU, so I guess "good" is relative.

• I ranked the other teams' performance based on the 12 game regular season. The rank means their performance against Miami compared to the other games on the respective team's schedule (e.g. rank of 2 for Virginia in "Rushing Yards" means the Cavs had their second best rushing yardage all season against UM.

• While only one opponent in the first eight games had a Top 3 rushing day against Miami, it happened in each of final 4 games.

• Four teams (UF, Wake, VT, Pitt) had a Top 3 passing game and five teams (Savannah State, VT, Duke, UVA, Pitt) had a Top 3 rushing game against Miami.

• Four of our 12 opponents had a Top 3 scoring day against The U.

• Seven of our 12 opponents had total yardage in the Top 3 against The U.

• On average our opponents scored almost exactly their season average against us (26.6 vs. 26.0 points).

• On average our opponents had 46.8 more yards against The U than their season average (416.1 vs. 369.3 yards), of those 30.8 came on the ground and 15.5 in the passing game.

Conclusions:

• While defense against the rush was a bit more of a problem than against the passing game, neither aspect really deserves the label "better".

• When there were bright spots, it never looked good for two games in a row. Inconsistency plagued the defense all season long.

• However, rushing defense got a lot worse after the FSU game, affecting the overall defensive performance.

• As there weren't any major injuries on defense during that stretch of the season, this indicates that coaching (both game preparation and player development) is an issue.

• Conversely, UNC and Wake had a Top 3 passing day, but only their 8th best rushing performance.

• Surprisingly, our D fared better against FSU than most of their other opponents did.

• Only two teams had both a Top 3 rushing day and a Top 3 passing day against The U.

Related articles

By The Numbers: A New Series On Canespace

Beaver Knows Bass

Road Trip!

Canes Kick The Stuffing Out Of Pitt

Comments

[fmcane]

Canes baby!!

[TJL]

DOS

[AfriCane]

Tree

[j.w.]

4

[Sebas13]

Guys Cook siging the FA IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!! The trio all siging is even bigger !!!! Golden has the Midas touch !!!

[Old Skool]

Wow good stuff Markus. We ain't gonna get this anywhere else.

[UMike]

Cook also signed the same papers with FSU..so while it is big news..it doesnt really mean anything.

[UMike]

Al Golden ‏@GoldenAl 24 Oct

Among Top 25 teams, highest Grad Success Rate. 1. #Stanford 2. #Miami 3. #NIU 4. #UCF 5. #UCLA.

[UMike]

Ms Miyayo ‏@MsMiyayo305
#Canes fans relax, @VMJacksonJr wsnt talking abt him committing. Wldve committed a while ago, but hard 2 do when he dsnt hear from D'onofrio

Someone asked Jackson when he was gonna commit to The U and he said "Ask D'onofrio

[UMike]

Dalvin Cook made a recruiting tussle between Miami and Florida State a lot more interesting.

Cook, rated as the No. 2 running back in the country by 247Sports, joined his Miami Central High teammates Joseph Yearby and Trevor Darling on Wednesday in signing financial aid agreements with the Hurricanes.

Cook also signed the same papers with Florida State.

Cook announced his commitment to Florida last April, but the Gators’ 4-8 finish and dismissal of offensive coordinaor Brent Pease let the Hurricanes and Seminoles into the picture.

Yearby and Darling previously pledged to UM.

The signing of financial aid papers does not guarantee any of the players will play for the Hurricanes (or in Cook’s case, the Seminoles).

Unlike a National Letter of Intent, a financial aid agreement is non-binding. It only guarantees the school must offer them a scholarship — which in this case, the schools certainly would have done regardless.

Players are not prohibited from signing a financial aid agreement with a different school.

It does have plenty of benefit to the school, which may have unlimited contact with a player, and may publicly discuss (read: promote their successful recruitment of) said player.

Beginning in October, the NCAA allowed all Division I schools to sign student-athletes to financial aid agreements. The system has been mostly used by football players who plan to enroll in January, as Cook, Darling and Yearby plan to do.

- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/caneswatch/2013/12/04/miami-central-standouts-dalvin-cook-joseph-yearby-trevor-darling-sign-um-financial-aid-papers/#sthash.gApW6d6g.dpuf

[laquinton]

Very great post 86

[Ohio_Cane]

That is WEAK if Carrol's tweet was for FAA papers.

He can speak publicly, why not say his name??

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | December 04, 2013 at 06:18 PM

[raizecane]

DA to announce tomorrow on Winston case…...

[Ohio_Cane]

Kyle Pumariega ‏@KylePuma 3m
Hearing from a rock solid source.... Cook is a Hurricane.

[Meast]

Cook also signed the same papers with FSU..so while it is big news..it doesnt really mean anything.

Posted by: UMike | December 04, 2013 at 06:44 PM

It's important for the Hurricanes. It allows unlimited contact with him and we can talk to him as much as possible. Lets us make a late push for him. Had he not signed one, Al Golden probably doesn't get a shot at another in-home visit again. So it does mean something. Its a chance at least.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings

Miami is not a top 25 team. So now not only do they lie about their ranking, it's just promoting the academics as well as misdirecting from the failure of the team to have a decent season this year. Golden is feeling the pressure obviously to sink that low or to be so sloppy with who's running his Twitter.

And before anybody points out the date of the Tweet, here's the weekly rankings from October 24;

http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings/_/week/13

Still not a top 25 team. As a last face saving measure before the three blowout loss streak kicked them from the rankings, this is about as weak as you can get at grasping for relevancy.

[SOUP]

Cook also signed the same papers with FSU..so while it is big news..it doesnt really mean anything.

Posted by: UMike | December 04, 2013 at 06:44 PM

Leave to UMike to ruin the party.

U are the kind of guy who wins the lotto only to complain that now U have to pay taxes on it.

Sometimes I feel sad for U, my friend.

[RCCF]

Bwahahahahaha SOUP this:

Leave to UMike to ruin the party.

U are the kind of guy who wins the lotto only to complain that now U have to pay taxes on it.

Sometimes I feel sad for U, my friend.

Deserves a Like Button and UMike I don't really see U downbeat tht much but sorry man SOUP made a funny…

RCCF12%

[RCCF]

Oh yeah U guys… Is there a cap on the amount of Coaches a Team can have? How Close are we to that number? Chances Ex-Canes join the staff?

RCCF12%

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Well, the financial aide agreement means more for UM because their coach isn't busy preparing to try and win the ACC for a shot at the national title like FSU's is. He has a lot more free time on his hands, you could almost say;

They're untied.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oShTJ90fC34

[RCCF]

Like Button for OGV welcome back buddy and a U were correct to U. Swoosh Swoosh from the 12%er himself RCCF. U and SOUP WILL Ride the 12% Bus next season Guaranteed. Vault It...

[Go Canes]

I have a feeling the guy posting before me has been drinking.

Lots of great things happening.

[SOUP]

LB...What you sent me via email is really GOOD stuff! I am working on your blog for Friday around noon. I will email you.

Your recent research, comments and email have been and are MUCH appreciated. If everybody here was as motivated as U and Markus, UMike, Rock and Ohio are then we would be BLASTING all of the other blogs out of the water!

[SOUP]

U and SOUP WILL Ride the 12% Bus next season Guaranteed..

Posted by: RCCF | December 04, 2013 at 08:32 PM

U got me man. I am saying it now:

1. I got nothing to lose.
2. I hate losing anyway.
3. We ain't gonna lose a damn game next year.

PUT ME ON DA FRIGGIN 12% BUS!

U gonna have to kick me off and that will NOT be easy.

[UpNorthCane27]

SOUP A 12%er say it aint so!!!!!!!! Lets go! CANES!!! You have the boss man soup on the bus

[SOUP]

You have the boss man soup on the bus!

Posted by: UpNorthCane | December 04, 2013 at 08:55 PM

OK, I ain't just "on the bus", I am waving the damn flags outta da bus, I am filling da bus with gas, I am loading that B with beer and Keoki's rum punch. Iwill clean the winshield, rotate the tires and add the oil treatment.

WE MAY HAVE TO DRIVE THE DAMN THING INTO THE GROUND BUT UNTIL WE RUN OFF THE ROAD AND FLIP IT OVA LET'S GET THIS BUS MOVIN...FAST!!!

[Montreal-Cane]

Miami has been a top 25 team most of the season and might be even ranked at no. 25 next monday and if they win their bowl game.
In most of the polls the Canes are on the edge of the 25th spot with many votes...Just sayin...

Basketball tonight Miami VS Nebraska...It will be hard to win the game without a very efficient PG...OGV what do you think?

[Montreal-Cane]

Very interesting article SOUP. And don't think for a minute that i would dare to ruin the party going on...I will enjoy the recruiting season and the Holiday season for sure. Fear the tie we are loading the train for full speed ahead...

[TonyCane]

Fantastic move if Golden landed Cook.

Call me greedy, but now I say we flip Sony Michel as well.

[RCCF]

Way2Go…. I Am DEFINITELY Putting It on My Personal Agenda to get to a game in 2014..

RCCF12%

[CalgaryCane]

What happened to my 5 !!!!! For 5th place?

[dj moonbat]

Call me greedy, but now I say we flip Sony Michel as well.

Posted by: TonyCane | December 04, 2013 at 09:20 PM

We can run the Wishbone!

[Canesteeler]

Very informative article.

[SOUP]

I Am DEFINITELY Putting It on My Personal Agenda to get to a game in 2014..

Posted by: RCCF | December 04, 2013 at 09:23 PM

If U show up I will buy your ticket, pay your parking, take U to the game and have U share our tailgate with NO cost to U.

Can U say no?

[SOUP]

Very informative article.

Posted by: Canesteeler | December 04, 2013 at 09:49 PM

Just like the PBP, the SS or the MH right?

LMAO

[The Dude]

Man SOUP is on the bus and its not even out of the shop yet. He must not have seen the injuries we sustained on the bus when it rolled for three straight weeks earlier this year. Once my leg heals, and I stop bleeding internally, I'll see about getting a bus ticket.

[Montreal-Cane]

13 points for the Canes BB team...the fewest since they joined the ACC.

[SOUP]

Dude...Here it is: I have three more seasons left in me and approved by the wife. But if we do not get it done before 2017 I am done.

[Montreal-Cane]

20 points in the first 30 min. hmmmmmm

[The Dude]

Understood my man. Let's make this a crazy 3 more years then.

[The Dude]

I gotta make it a plan to get out to Miami in under three years.

[raizecane]

If U show up I will buy your ticket, pay your parking, take U to the game and have U share our tailgate with NO cost to U.

Can U say no?

Posted by: SOUP | December 04, 2013 at 10:18 PM

***************

RCCF - I have seen him do this many times….it can be done.

[Terrance Sullivan]

I am definitely on the 12 percent bus we going all the way next season. But first things first we need to finish this season off with a win in our bowl game and end some droughts and go into next season Full Speed Ahead! Long night for our basketball team. We will get em next game.

[Montreal-Cane]

Terrance it was painful to Watch but Watch out for next year.

[Ohio_Cane]

Pete Ariz:

The Work 12-4
**Although Dalvin Cook signing his financial aid agreement papers along with Joseph Yearby and Trevor Darling does not guarantee anything, it is a power move by the ‘Canes coaching staff. The coaching staff can now have unlimited contact with Cook and Al Golden can do a few more in-home visits if he wishes. I’m told that the coaching staff sees this as an opportunity to make a statement. They believe that Dalvin Cook has such a huge pull down here with other recruits (not just this class) that pairing him with Joe Yearby (another local legend) would take local recruiting to another level over the next few years. Miami getting 3 kids from Booker T. Washington and 3 from Miami Central in a year they might be the top two high school teams in the country would me monumental. I’m also told that James Coley felt very good after meeting with Cook. Cook signed an agreement with FSU as well.

**Speaking of Coley, he flew out to California last night to visit prized QB recruit Brad Kaaya. Brad and his mother both told me the meeting went extremely well and Kaaya issued this statement: “In-home visit with Coley went very good. All of mine and my parents’ questions were answered. We addressed all areas. Coach enjoyed my mom’s cooking too.”

I will have a full interview with him later this week.

**In an interesting turn of events, it looks like Miami has thrown their hat back into the ring for Ermon Lane. A Homestead coach told me tonight that Miami has started to call him again recently about Lane. I asked him if he thought Miami is back in it for his player and he said, “Yeah now that Cook is involved.” It’s obvious that Cook and Lane have built a bond through being UF commits, so this could get very interesting.

**Braxton Berrios will be receiving his in-home with Al Golden tomorrow night. Berrios told me tonight that he has been texting with Johnnie Dixon lately and that he feels like the ‘Canes are in good position to land Dixon’s commitment this weekend. It’s encouraging that the Palm Beach product is in contact with his potential future QB (Kaaya) and one of his position mates.

**Miami was in Atlanta today visiting Chris Herndon. He could have an increased level of importance in this class if Derrick Griffin does not qualify.

**There is talk that Ryheem Lockley has done enough to qualify for January after a semester at Prep school. This would be sort of an unexpected boost to the class.

**There was a rumor posted today that Sony Michel was on a visit to Miami, but I looked into that and it is not true. Michel was in school and at practice.

[Ohio_Cane]

^^^ This is Golden with NO NCAA cloud.

[dj moonbat]

So is the recruiting strategy to snag most of the best WRs and RBs in the state and convert half of them to DBs?

[Ohio_Cane]

No

[Terrance Sullivan]

Montreal-Cane Yes Sir It was rough. but this team will continue to get better. Its in the jelling process.

[SOUP]

SMILE