Game Preview: Miami Hurricanes Take on The Appalachian State Mountaineers in Boone, NC

At 1-1, The Appalachian State Mountaineers don’t have much to hang their hats on, but that doesn’t stop them from talking smack.

Many App State fans have taken to Twitter to voice their opinions about the game, and they haven’t been holding back.

Let that sink in.

If the Canes needed any more incentive to beat the Mountaineers, they have it in the form of hateful tweets by a team whose claim to fame was one blocked field goal against a terribly coached Michigan team.

Let’s pause from the bashing and break down this game.

Where To Watch

ESPN, 12 p.m. EST

When Miami Has The Ball

Coming into this season, Brad Kaaya had a lot of hype surrounding him. Through his first two games, he’s been handling the offense well, but he hasn’t been "amazing". One can argue that the FAU was one of his worst performances as a starter at Miami (17-31, 191 yards, 0 TDS, 2 INTS). Look for Brad to come into the App State game with a chip on his shoulder.

Against Tennessee, the Mountaineers gave up 127 rushing yards, but the Vols did carry the ball 43 times. UT’s run game is pretty limited to Jalen Hurd, with a sprinkle of Alvin Kamara. Miami has a trio of running backs that could cause headaches for App State’s defense.

Many analysts are saying that it’s UM’s talented backfield that will propel them to a victory. Mark Walton is coming off a great game against FAU, and if you’re a Hurricane fan, or opposing team, you have to believe that he’s looking to mimic the same numbers in Boone.

If the Hurricanes want to win they need to dominate the ground game. I really think this season, the team’s identity is the run game backed up by a great Quarterback who possesses the leadership skills you want in clutch situations.

When App State Has The Ball

App State will need to protect their quarterback. The Canes new 4-3 defense has been thriving. The team leads all FBS schools in sacks (10).

If App State wants to run the ball with RB Marcus Cox, they’ll need to think twice. The Canes currently are only allowing 34.5 rushing yards per game. The Canes won’t let up against the Mountaineers. Two games into the season, Miami’s defense has already built the chemistry you would want a team to have.

Crowd control is going to be something that App State thinks will help, but at it’s largest the crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium MAY reach 35,000. It’s nothing like playing in Tallahassee.

This offense mostly is riding on the fact that their team is 18-3 in their last 21 games, and they think they have home field advantage. Once again, Canes players have played in much larger venues, so I don’t see this phasing the defense.

Prediction

Miami 28 App State 14

Although App State fans think they have home field advantage, it’s almost child like to think that they are treating this like a Super Bowl (but hey, that shows you how much people respect The U). You can pack a place that’s the size of a large Texas high school football stadium, but you don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into. This defense is for real. Manny Diaz has given it an identity rooted in attacking the ball carrier and demolishing the quarterback. The run game is almost unstoppable for UM thanks to the fact that the Hurricanes have a gang of talented running backs who can have a breakout game at any moment. Oh, and don’t forget about Brad Kaaya. When he wants to go off, he will. Maybe... just maybe... It’s this game. All that being said, UM shouldn’t take this game lightly.