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Leading the Miami team in tackles is impressive, but doing it while being a true freshman, is out of this world. That is exactly what Shaquille Quarterman did this season, he finished tied for team lead with senior safety Jamal Carter tallying 79 tackles.
In terms of the bowl game, it will be important for Quarterman to do play his role. He averaged 6.5 tackles per game, and in games that Miami won, he averaged 6 tackles.
Quarterman’s play will be important, as his run stopping instincts will be put to the test against a well balanced West Virginia offense.
As balanced as the Mountaineers are, they definitely run the ball more often. They rushed the ball a total of 535 times this season, which is fairly high. Georgia Tech, a team known for running, ran the ball 560 times this season. Against the Yellow Jackets, he recorded 8 tackles, which is tied for his third highest of season.
This puts even more pressure on Quarterman to help in the run support. He along with Michael Pickney have been playing beyond their years this season, getting this defense to be ranked higher than it has in a long time.
This ought to be a good one, folks!