I know it is only Tuesday, but tomorrow I am headin’ down to Miami to watch the home opener and therefore decided to post this when I could. This, coupled with the fact that I am still awkward from Kanye's apology on Leno last night, should make this post one to laugh at when we look back at it on Sunday.
The ‘Canes take on Georgia Tech Thursday night in what will be a good barometer of how much progress has been made since last season.
Last year, Miami went in to Atlanta to play the Yellow Jackets after an emotional victory over Virginia Tech the week before.
Miami has used the Virginia Tech game to catapult in to the top 25 after being unranked.
People were pronouncing the ‘Canes as “back”.
The Yellow Jackets then drubbed the Hurricanes 41-23 in front of a Thursday night national TV audience in a game that was not as close as the final score might indicate (and the final score would indicate a blowout).
If the lead-up to last year’s game sounds familiar, it is because it is.
Miami comes in to this one after beating FSU in the young season’s best game and carrying a National Ranking.
Georgia Tech struggled last week against Clemson, and Miami has had 10 days to prepare for Georgia Tech’s unique (gimmick?) offense. Last season, the ‘Canes only had 5 days or so to put in a defensive gameplan.
Also working for the ‘Canes this year are two new hires. John Lovett was part of the defensive coaching staff at North Carolina last season, when the Heels beat the Jackets 28-7. Mark Whipple gives the ‘Canes the ability to win a shootout, which is a weapon they did not possess last season, when the offense routinely sputtered and was unable to prolong a drive when it needed to.
Miami will be watching tape of Tech playing LSU and UNC last season, as well as last week’s game, to show the players how to stop this offense. The long and short of it: play your assignment, tackle well, and create pressure through the middle.
This matchup is far more even this year, although I still give the Jackets a slight edge due to their dominance of the ‘Canes of late (in my four years as a student, Miami was 0-4 against these guys). Here are the breakdowns:
Quarterback: Jacory Harris looked like the next great Miami quarterback against FSU, standing up to enormous pressure which he is sure to see again next week and making plays in the clutch to win the game. Tech’s Josh Nesbitt is a great quarterback for his system, but struggled mightily throwing the ball last week when forced to (the name Kirby Freeman came to mind). If Miami can force Nesbitt to throw more than 15 times, than the ‘Canes will be in good position to win. EDGE: Miami
Running Back: Javarris James and Graig Cooper looked good for the ‘Canes. However, Jonathan Dwyer, Anthony Allen and Roddy Jones have looked great for the Jackets. Both teams are deep and use their backs in completely different ways. Dwyer is the best back in the game, and that is a good thing to be. Dwyerr also carries in the knowledge that last season the 'Canes made him look like Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson. EDGE: Tech
Receiver: Miami got a boatload of receivers involved last week, and Travis Benjamin is a game breaker. Tech has one star receiver in Demariyus Thomas, and he can be contained, as evidenced by Clemson last week, when his only big play was on a gimmick fake field goal. EDGE: Miami
QUESTION: How much is a boatload? I have always understood it to mean a big number, but what if it is a small boat? I guess for the purpose of this blog post, the boast is big enough to fit like 10 guys.
Offensive Line: Miami looked good last week, allowing only two sacks against a great pass rush. They will have their hands full with Tech’s Derrick Morgan, an elite pass rusher. Tech relies heavily on the cut block, a practice which many (me included) consider dirty. Cut blocking, for those unfamiliar, is the practice of diving at a defensive lineman’s knees in order to seal him off from the play. It is also known as “chop blocking”, which is illegal. Any Georgia Tech fan that reads this will say something along the lines of “if you can tackle below the waist you should be able to block there.” I would be interested to see what they say the next time one of THEIR defensive lineman gets his knee shredded by an offensive lineman who dove in to his knees while the defender had his eyes upfield, watching the flow of the play and beginning his pursuit (which is what you are SUPPOSED to do in football). It may be cheap, but it is effective for them. EDGE: Even
Defensive Line: Miami will get Eric Moncur back, which will help. The tackles will have to play better, particularly Marcus Forston, as middle pressure will take away the dive option and force Nesbitt in to mistakes, as Clemson proved last week. EDGE: Tech
Linebackers: Colin McCarthy looked good last week, and I have to assume that Sean Spence will have a bounce back game. Georgia Tech has a solid group, but Miami has too much talent. They look better tackling this year, and you can bet they have been watching tape of last year’s embarrassment all summer. EDGE: Miami
Secondary: This is Georgia Tech’s strength and Miami’s weakness. Luckily, this is the one game Miami can hide their struggles in pass coverage and rely on their corners and safeties to play the run. The defensive backs looked much more physical last week, but I am still skeptical of their ability to come up and thump. Tech’s Morgan Burnett is a star, and Miami’s Brandon Harris is moving in that direction. The ‘Canes are also boosted by the potential healthy returns of Vaughn Telemaque and Ryan Hill (or as you might know them at home, “Miami’s best reason to get Jared Campbell and Jo Jo Nicolas off of the field”). EDGE: Tech
Special Teams: Tech has a good return game lead by Jerrad Tarrant, who Jesse Palmer tried to compare to Devin Hester last week (yep, Jesse Palmer, resident genius). For Miami, Cooper and Benjamin are studs. Bosher might be the best kicker in the country overall. Miami’s kickoffs must be better, however. If the kick is going to be short and high, that is fine, but the coverage has got to make a quick tackle. If it is going to be squibbed…well, let’s just say it should NOT BE SQUIBBED! EDGE: Miami
Coaching: Whipple and Lovett will help, but Johnson embarrassed the Miami staff last season and will only be better this season. EDGE: Tech
So there you have it. It will be a close game, and I predict a shootout. Talk to me Thursday night around 11 to see who I think will win.
This Week’s Upset Alert: Oregon State over No. 17 Cincinnati. I have no idea if this would even really be considered an upset, but one team is ranked and one is not. Cincy has to visit Corvallis, where the Beavers are a tough out. Jacquizz Rogers is a stud for Oregon State, and while this game may be close, USC couldn’t even pull out a win in this building last season. Book it!
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