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The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: FAU Edition Plus Team Grades

What went right, what went wrong, and everything in between against Florida Atlantic.

By Jerry Steinberg
Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports

At times you had to wonder, was this Miami Vs FAU or Miami Vs FSU?

This was much too hard.

And the Hurricanes appeared fortunate this game wasn't even closer than how it ended up.

They got a lot of breaks.

Lots and lots and lots of work to be done between now and next weekend's game Vs Nebraska.

The particulars below.

The Good:

  • For starters, great atmosphere.

  • I maintain that AQM will be a big part of the puzzle before 2015 completes.

  • Opening series, 4th and 1 midfield.  Love going for it and getting it.  Led to a power run by Mark Walton for the game's opening score.
  • Joe Yearby's dominance on the 2nd drive of the first half and the first of the second was fun to watch. Best player on the field tonight.

  • Jamal Carter's cartoonishly violent hit when UM needed it most.

  • Good job by Chad Thomas creating pressure on Rayshawn Jenkins second half pick.  Need more of that.
  • Sensational 4Q power TD run by Walton getting in om 4th down to cap things.

The Bad:

  • Anytime anyone other than Miami runs through the smoke its an instant SMH, SMH!

  • Zone read/pop pass plays for Brad Kaaya, interesting but too risky.
  • It felt like this game meant more to FAU.  Point. Blank. Period.
  • Breaking a sweat,....a full fledged Al Golden middle of the summer sweat.... Vs FAU?
  • A bad missed holding on Calvin Heurtelou and a worse missed tackle in the secondary by Dallas Crawford (one of many) set up a huge FAU run in the first quarter.  But let's be honest, the tackling was terrible by nearly everyone who played on D.
  • Case in point......


The Ugly:

  • Enough already, let the season play out!

  • Another freaking weather delay?!!
  • Rashawn Scott's terrific 2nd Q juggling catch that was not even looked at upstairs after being ruled incorrectly as incomplete on the field.  This officiating staff was absolutely terrible. Why have IR and not use it?

Team Grades:

Offense -

grades

The O line still needs a lot of work.  Danny Isidora got beat bad on a 2nd Q sack.

The WR group had too many drops, particularly Herb Waters. Though he did end up with 100 yards receiving.

Thank goodness for Yearby.

Kaaya had some moments but wasn't quite as dominant as you'd want.

Defense -

grades

The general inability to generate anything resembling a pass rush is disconcerting.  Crawford's tackling is beyond alarming. Players looking confused pre-snap, no words for it.

FAU ran wild in the 1st 2 and a half quarters.  That doesn't bode well for the better teams on the schedule.

How exactly does Jason Driskel light up Miami more than Jeff did?

Turnovers were the saving grace.

Special Teams - 

grades

Michael Badgley connected on a 48 yard FG.  But he also missed a short one.  Coverage units were pretty solid.

Coaching -

grades

2nd straight week with a flea flicker Coach Coley?  Okay.   But thrice you get turnovers deep in the opponent's territory and the offense is rushed and/or conservative.   Not okay.

Do we have a red zone TE?

And just like Vs the Gamecocks last year in the Independence Bowl,  no one back deep t0 try and return a long last second end of half FG attempt?! #IronBowl

How Miami's D got pushed around the way they did......?

Lastly, 3rd downs remain a problem on both sides of the ball.

I know UM fans might disagree but this staff has had better days.