Happy Monday, errrrrrrrrrrrbody. Hope your weeks have gotten off to a good start.
It’s Monday. And it’s a victory Monday at that. The best kinds of Mondays. And without further ado, let’s see what Miami Hurricanes-related nuggets are floating around in my brain.
1) I am both thrilled with the win over Pitt while also a bit worried after the fact.
Miami absolutely clubbed a very good Pitt defense, or at least a defense that had been pretty darned good coming into the game. The national leader in rush defense, the Panthers made life a bit challenging for Miami’s run game, as the Hurricanes ran for just over three yards a pop (39 for 119). Not amazing, but not awful.
But the Hurricanes’ passing attack was a wagon as usual, with Mensah going for 387 and four scores and Toney setting a school record with 16 catches for 194 yards and three scores. Pretty nifty against a good group. If the offensive line can protect, the Hurricanes are going to put up substantial points on any, and I mean any, team in the country. The protection part remains to be seen against better competition though.
Miami 52, Pittsburgh 14 in the fourth quarter is always an elite accomplishment, and Miami, when it’s on, is the best team in the sport.
2) Quickly to the concerned part, Miami’s pass rush and pass defense are giving me a bit of pause.
Pitt averaged 6.6 yards per play with a backup quarterback, and Florida State last week averaged 6.9. Yes, it’s certainly true that Xavier Lucas was coming back after an extended time off against FSU, and Miami’s defense did hold the Panthers’ offense to just 7 points in the first half with four three-and-outs to start the game. And some of those yards against Pitt came on a Hail Mary catch and a 49-yard touchdown with reserves in the game.
But they are still plays that need to be made by whoever is in there and whatever the situation is. Miami’s secondary has been absolute buns in jump ball situations this year, with Bryce Fitzgerald’s hand strength perhaps behind the only saving grace.
The Hurricanes’ pass rush has also left something to be desired the last two weeks as well. Yeah, Miami ran 76 plays to Pitt’s 61, but I still don’t like Pitt getting more QB pressures, sacks, and tackles for loss than Miami got, and JJ Dunnigan got one of the Canes’ sacks.
Bottom line: I am worried about this defense’s ability to stop teams when the rush doesn’t get home and the coverage has to stick for extended periods. Against a team with a capable offensive line like Notre Dame or even Virginia Tech, that gives me some degree of concern.
Some might think I’m being too hard on them, but like Cam, I demand excellence now, and I’m going to be a tougher evaluator than I used to be.
3) It SOUNDS like Miami was able to get through the Pitt win without any kind of notable injury.
Mario Cristobal went on the Joe Rose Show today for his weekly radio hit, and that at least didn’t come up. Fingers crossed for the Wednesday UNC injury report, but if the Canes indeed made it through another week without a significant injury, that feels like another win in a banged-up season.
4) And on to North Carolina we go.
This has to be the year they finally blow the doors off these guys. The Tar Heels just got Fran Brown’d on Saturday there by the Orange, losing 31-30 on an overtime two-point conversion. I know the Irish got a bit of a fight from UNC last month there, but his HAS to be where Miami finally flushes the funk that they’ve had in Chapel Hill with a dominant performance.
I’ve been to Chapel Hill thrice. They lost thrice, with two of them being blowouts. Forget the game being at night. Forget the underdog mentality of the Tar Heels. Forget about the venue. This is where Miami puts stakes through hearts of old ghosts on their way to being a dominant force in the sport.
Miami 47, North Carolina 21.