Answer The Question (Part III)

In this three part series we have been focusing on what Miami needs to do to beat Clemson, win the ACC and compete for a National Championship Title.

Others have tried to copy this great idea (I know you are reading this and you know who you are) with a slight twist because it was, in fact, such a great idea.

In Part I of the series we answered the obvious question: How does Miami stack up talent wise versus teams like Clemson and the other playoff teams like Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. Most knowledgeable college football fans already knew the obvious when we told you that Miami trails these teams in recruiting over the last 3-5 years by a significant margin.

Head coach Mark Richt recruited very well last year, is killing it this year with his #Storm18 class and still has a long way to go to make up the talent gap that has been created over the past five years. We wish him luck and success.

The top four teams average 10 five star and 44 four star players per team.

Miami has just 2 five stars and 24 four star players on their current roster. 

In Part II of the series we looked at the most glaring and obvious issues on the current team: Offensive woes that resulted from poor execution, poor QB play, poor play calling and game planning and key injuries that impacted the team during the season. At times it looked like a complete cluster *&%$.

All of these factors created the perfect storm (pun intended) for the 2017 UM offense that at times looked unstoppable (Notre Dame)and at other times could not get out of their own way (Pitt, Clemson, Wisconsin and others).

To be clear Miami trailed Clemson in every offensive category that counts: Scoring  (Clemson #21, Miami #57, Total Offense (#31, #58), Rushing Offense (#33, #73) and Passing Offense (#50, #52).

In Part III of the series we are going to look at a few more statistical categories where the Hurricanes must improve if they are going to win something more than the weak Coastal Division of the ACC and compete with the Big Boys.

These categories are:

Third Down Conversions - Offense: Clemson #10, Miami #123

First Downs - Gained: Clemson #12, Miami #89

First Downs - Allowed: Clemson #11, Miami #68

Time of Possession: Clemson #44, Miami #119

It doesn't take a rocket scientist, an MIT grad, the GEICO Gecko or our own prominent resident statistician TonyCane to do the math and figure out what went wrong with the Miami Hurricanes in 2017.

On offense the Hurricanes could not get a first down to save their lives and had way too many three-and-outs. This usually resulted in poor field position, too many punts (with a poor punter to boot, pun intended) and often times put too much pressure put on the young, aggressive and at times worn out defense.

On defense the Hurricanes could not get off the field on third down, gave up way too many first downs overall and too many conversions on third down even when the defense had other teams in third and long. In fact there were times during the season when fans would use this statement as a punchline: "The other team has us just where they want us, in third and long!"

Solution: Next year the Hurricanes must convert 45% or more on third downs on offense. They also must get off the field on defense on third and 7 yards or more. Or 11 yards or more. Or 17 yards or more. Or, well, you get my drift.

Comments

[BEERicane]

I don’t know WW, Hornibrook completes over 60% of his passes on the year. According to most on here, if Rosier does that we are playing tomorrow.

[WWIN]

Posted by: BEERicane | January 07, 2018 at 03:41 PM

Yeah the Wisconsin QB

[BEERicane]

Tyrod just KTFO

[Go Canes!!]

Still nothing official on the DTs?

Hopefully that’s a good thing.

[BEERicane]

WW, would agree but they are playing a team with a QB even worse than Bortles

[WWIN]

If Jags were the Canes... Bills would have more than 3

[BEERicane]

Jags are the Canes. Bortles is Rosier.

[TruCane81]

The only logical reason I can see for the constant use of cover 3 that we struggled with so bad in passing situations was to leave Jaquan free to help in the run game.. Our cover 2 press was suffocating and we did not run it nearly enough in long 3rd down situations. Jaquan's heroics along with the d line helped make us very effective against most running backs. Quarterbacks ran for yards a couple games, but we mostly checked that too.

The Achilles heel of our talented defense was quick passing to the slots and tight ends. I still for the life of me can't figure why Diaz wouldn't use more nickel and press the slot and te. Instead left our worst cover linebacker guarding the wide side of the field against slot receivers. I know pressing would create run lanes sometimes but it would have resulted in much more consistent defensive performance.
Our cover one was great sometimes and iffy sometimes, but served us well in many situations. I still don't like Diaz's blitz timing. Teams were terrified of our d line and used the strategy to hurt us that would have really helped our offense. Blitzing the three step drop is madness, plain and simple. We did it ALOT.
We don't have to press outside receivers a lot because they did not hurt us much short. We were dead men walking to west coast concepts. Wish our oc would use them more.

Great article, Soup.

I wish all the Spacers a safe and happy 2018.

[His Royal Dudeness]

Honestly though Brevin could be ahead of him in the backfield if Mallory is just as good.

[His Royal Dudeness]

Posted by: Herbieibis | January 07, 2018 at 11:25 AM

Wildcat, goal line, punt, kick return just to name all the situations he will see the field. Not sure if theyll do anything else or new.

[1mg of Epi]

1mg...don’t forget its about to be WrestleMania season!

Posted by: TonyCane | January 07, 2018 at 09:44

Yea and Australian Dick Wrestling season is right around the corner

[WWIN]

CMR on his in-house recruiting game!

[Herbieibis]

I really don’t get FB deal. How many times did we even use one. That being said i’m All for giving the ball to a FB when we have third and less than 2 yards, which again they probably won’t do. Can’t see wasting a ship on a guy, who may be on the field for 4 or 5 plays a game. They can get any stiff to from the scout team to be a lead blocker that many times a game.

[Herbieibis]

Play calling, better throwing qb and a bigger back, should solve some of our offensive woes and being more aggressive defensively by ditching that soft ass zone defense should help us get off the field. Flipping the field is another area where we sucked. Feagles finally punted the ball good against Whisky. To many shanks and thirty something yard punts.
Like I said before Clemson wasn’t no offensive juggernaut but they were consistent. We need to find at least a couple All ACC type O-Linemen.

[His Royal Dudeness]

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | January 07, 2018 at 09:29 AM

We need at least 2 real games in the Spring.

[His Royal Dudeness]

Posted by: Go Canes!! | January 07, 2018 at 09:11 AM

I think you are being overly optimistic.

[Go Canes!!]

Saturdays /\/\

[Go Canes!!]

Saturday’s without college football sucks.

That is all.

[TonyCane]

1mg...don’t forget its about to be WrestleMania season!

[1mg of Epi]

the playoffs just before Summer. Im done with this 7 to 8 months off. Each semester is 15 weeks, we go every other week with a winter break giving us about 14 to 15 games. 7 to 8 months is complete BS.

Posted by: His Royal Dudeness | January 07, 2018 at 02:50 AM

I couldn’t agree more. CFB season ends, and what’s left? NFL? Meh. Basket/Baseball? F no.

[Go Canes!!]

Think Ford and Bethel will slide in nicely at DT. After that there are serious questions.

Wish our scout team terror was more reliable. Any production from him is a coin flip st this point.

[CoCane]

Sr St. Louis
Jr Brown
So Herbert
Fr Hillary
Fr Campbell

We'll be ok at tackle. Development pending... Lol

[BEERicane]

We'll be deep at G and C, not gonna happen at T.

Posted by: His Royal Dudeness | January 07, 2018 at 12:56 AM

We deep with that D (defense) in the Vs (victories).

[His Royal Dudeness]

Lets do some real talk about CF. We need CF in the Fall & Spring. Every 2 weeks with the playoffs just before Summer. Im done with this 7 to 8 months off. Each semester is 15 weeks, we go every other week with a winter break giving us about 14 to 15 games. 7 to 8 months is complete BS.

[His Royal Dudeness]

Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | January 07, 2018 at 12:49 AM

We'll be deep at G and C, not gonna happen at T.

[Terrance Sullivan]

True and also who will be the key reserves on the OL. Need to be 8 deep

[CoCane]

Who will start on the OL with St. Louis, Donaldson and Gauthier is the biggest key to next year. Everything starts in the trenches...

[His Royal Dudeness]

Recruiting, schedule, 10th coach... anything but Kaaya/Rosier.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Lol hahaha man I love this blog. Canespace is Fantastic!

[WWIN]

Soup to answer your question...

When we get competition at each position that will squarely put us where we need to be!

For instance... At QB... we'll have FOUR QB's fighting to start... Rosier, Perry, Weldon, and Williams. At RB... Homer, Deejay, Lingard, and Davis

[Terrance Sullivan]

Boom. Outstanding work 86.

[WWIN]

First!