Know the opponent: Dana Holgorsen

As Miami prepares to try and win its first bowl game since before the Barack Obama presidency, let us take a look at the coach who is trying to prevent that from happening.

Entering the season, West Virginia head coach, Dana Holgorsen was considered to be on the hot seat after losing at least five games or more in four of his previous five seasons.

Now that the regular season has ended, it seems that his fortunes have changed. He managed to lead the Mountaineers to their ninth double digit win total in program history. In fact, this is only the sixth West Virginia team to reach that mark during the regular season.

His coaching has not gone unnoticed, he was recently given a five-year extension and he was named the American Football Coaches Association District 4 Regional Coach of the Year.

Before being hired at West Virginia, Holgorsen was a nationally recognized offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. In his only season there, he transformed the offensive unit, making them the No. 1 in total offense in the country, after being No. 61 the previous season.

This season the Mountaineers are ranked No. 12 in total offense, after having a balanced attack throughout the season. The offense has averaged 32.6 points per game, while the defense has only given up an average of 23.4 points per game.

Overall, this is a formidable opponent for the ‘Canes. Both offensively and defensively, West Virginia can cause havoc. Special teams could be considered their biggest weakness, which Miami can definitely exploit.