ANALYSIS: 5 keys for Miami Hurricanes off bye weekend
With Miami resting up on its bye weekend, here are five keys for the team with Georgia Tech the first ACC test a week from today:
5. The work is the work
It’s easy for a team to sort of relax on a bye weekend off a 4-0 start. But Mario Cristobal’s mantra is to work, work, work and then work some more. There’s no room for complacency or feeling good about yourself in this program anymore. Remember in past years how Miami would come out and play pretty stagnant football off a bye weekend? We’re going to find out real quickly off the bye if Miami continues to fire on all cylinders on offense and if the defense is still swarming to the football and looking like one of the nation’s top run-stopping units when Georgia Tech comes to Hard Rock Stadium Oct. 7. If this team has put in the work and not simply felt good about itself over these days off, it’ll show on the field. A week from today will tell us a lot more about the new Miami culture and players buying into it.
4. Make special teams a weapon
Has special teams been okay so far? Yes. Has it been dominant? Not so much. Now, part of that is not having many punts with a really good offense, so we haven’t seen a ton of Dylan Joyce (averages 42.6 yards on seven attempts). And yes kicker Andy Borregales has been fine with seven of eight makes including a long of 50 (also missed an extra point). His kickoffs are usually in the end zone. You know there’s going to be a game or two that will come down to this area, and there have been miscues with a blocked punt and muffed punt return. Yes the return game got a big KOR for a TD from Brashard Smith but the punt returns haven’t gotten on track. So consistency and breaking some punt returns are going to go a long way toward helping this area. A blocked kick/punt could also get dialed up at some point, right? This can’t be an area that is just so-so. Miami’s not really quite at the point where it is going to beat the best teams on just offense and defense – special teams has to do its part as well.
3. Put in some wrinkles
Miami is about to enter a very tough portion of its schedule, and it’ll feel like there’s no room to breathe week to week preparing for top 20 North Carolina Oct. 14 followed by Clemson Oct. 21 and then at NC State Nov. 4 with the ACC’s top team FSU following on the road Nov. 11 and then high-scoring Louisville at home Nov. 18. So this bye weekend was a time for self-evaluation, figuring out how opponents are going to attack based on that, and then putting in some new wrinkles to counter it. What changes are made vs. just assuming everything is just fine based on the 4-0 start could be key to this team winding up in the ACC title game or watching from home.
2. Improve pass defense
There is no more important area on the team to improve off these first four games than the pass defense. Miami’s offense has really clicked on all cylinders, showing aptitude for putting up big chunks of yards in the run and pass game. The run defense ranks No. 2 in the nation. But the passing defense is No. 66, and only one team UM’s faced has a decent passing attack (Texas A&M). Five of the final eight opponents rank in the nation’s top 40 in passing yards per game. So Lance Guidry has to figure out a way to keep the run stopping while also helping improve the pass defense.
1. Get healthy and stay healthy
Nobody remaining on the schedule appears unbeatable, as two-loss Clemson probably could have upended FSU last weekend if the Tigers didn’t miss a chip-shot field goal in the final minutes. Miami may not have played the toughest competition so far, with the one signature win vs. a good Texas A&M team, but the Canes look really explosive on offense and good enough on defense … especially if Akheem Mesidor, Nyjalik Kelly and Branson Deen are back on the field after being banged up and missing the last couple of games, and with All-American safety Kam Kinchens trying to get back in action. So this bye weekend gave the team some much-needed rest, and while there may not be championship-level depth quite yet the top end talent is going to be good enough to compete with anyone. So yes, getting healthy and staying healthy is of paramount importance if Miami is going to put together a run to the ACC title game and perhaps the playoffs.
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