Film Review: LSU 33 - Miami 17

The Miami Hurricanes came out flat, and completely unprepared for the task at hand. The sign that a football team is well prepared is all in the execution- and Miami lacked execution greatly in all three phases of the game. Well coached teams win the battles of penalties, turnovers and the kicking game. Miami lost all three of those battles and lost the game with an embarrassing display.

The Offense

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

On offense, the offensive line looked out of shape and built like California Raisins more than athletes. Look at the build on one of the greats to play the game, Joe Thomas. Thomas is a big fella but he’s not fat by any means, he’s lean bulk. The Miami offensive line had bellies hanging over their jersey and looked almost immobile at times.

Late in the game Miami scores on power read that was executed quite poorly but resulted in a touchdown anyway. The back side offensive guard should be able to pull and wrap through the front side as Rosier’s lead blocker on power read. However, because Jones is beaten so badly by the nose tackle, the guard winds up having to help Jones and luckily Rosier scores.

Rosier is reading the overhang player. As the H-Back blocks out and the left tackle turns his man out, Rosier can decide and he’s almost forced to run it himself by the blocking scheme.

Below, you can see the back side guard being forced to help Jones rather than wrap and lead block for Rosier.

It’s almost as if these plays are what the coaching staff saw on TV but in no way seem to grasp the nuances of power read.

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The Defense

The Manny Diaz defense has often confused me. You can look back in the archives of my posts and try to figure out exactly what the guy is thinking because I surely can’t. The pressure from blitzes is great when you have film and know it’s a passing down, and when your back seven can defend the middle of the field consistently.

Pregame, I told you I was concerned with the middle of the field- especially crossing routes. Joe Burrow didn’t disappoint and while he might not have been a big-time playmaker he didn’t hurt his team like Malik Rosier did.

The first play we will dissect is the long touchdown run that broke the game open for LSU. The defense isn’t gap sound and the safety must be playing at 15 yards (so much for Miami being faster than their opponents) on 2nd and 15 from midfield.

Above, if the defensive tackles are both in the A-Gap the middle linebacker has to adjust to cheat to the B-Gap in order to not be an easy block by the offensive line. Here, he’s an easy block by staying over the center in a 00 technique because the offensive line’s path is down to backer as you can see below.

My adjustment is for the defensive tackle to line up in the A, but slant into the B gap in order to let the middle linebacker not have to play a gap and a half away. This protects him from the play side guard making an easy block as well.

The other missing piece was where was the safety? By the time the back crosses the line of scrimmage the safety is still 10 yards deep and not in the alley as run support.

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This is the day the music died sort of stuff. Remember that picture of two Gators blocking each other? Two Miami defenders are blocking an LSU offensive tackle who then blocks both defenders as the back runs right behind him. Excellent job by LSU, embarrassing by Miami.

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Kicking Game and Wrap Up

This is back to the drawing board week for the Miami coaching staff. The offense was abysmal and some how Cade Weldon wasn’t brought in to throw a single pass, N’Kosi Perry got suspended for who knows what, and Jarren Williams is so far behind he couldn’t play five snaps in a blowout loss, even with the new redshirt rules. Mark Richt is going full ride or die with Rosier and it’s already cost Miami a shot at the national title, hopefully it won’t be a shot at the ACC Coastal as well.

Oh and the kicking game is atrocious, time to hold tryouts for a new punter.