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A Positive Aspect From Saturday’s Game

It’s difficult to find anything good about a 42-17 loss. 

NCAA Football: Miami at Clemson Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

In their primetime matchup with Clemson on Saturday, Miami was thoroughly dominated on offense and defense. D’Eriq King and the ‘Canes offense ground to a halt after dismantling the defenses of Louisville and Florida State in weeks prior. Fingers can be pointed, blame can be dealt, but with 2 weeks to prepare for the matchup, much of the onus is on the coaching staff.

With that in mind, there’s one area of the team that added to their ongoing success in 2020: special teams. Miami blocked 3 of Clemson’s field goals on Saturday. Not 1, not 2, 3. Standout safety Bubba Bolden accounted for 2 of the blocks, earning him ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors for the second time in 2020.

Additionally, Jose Borregales made a 42-yard field goal look as easy as an extra point, and Lou Hedley was his normal, consistent self. Both players have made huge contributions for the ‘Canes in 2020, easily making them one of the best current kicking duos in college football.

Hedley punted 7 times for an average of 46.4 yards on Saturday. While his production was solid once again, hopefully, he won’t be used as much in future matchups. Despite the amount of punts, Miami’s coverage on them was sound, keeping Clemson to a single punt return that went for just 1 yard.

Ultimately, Saturday’s drubbing was a harsh wake-up call for the Hurricanes. Many were hoping to see a team go toe-to-toe with one of the best dynasties in college football. What the world saw, was a program hopefully on the right track, but with a long way to go.

More positively, Miami has come a long, long way in special teams. The wonderful talent added through the transfer portal gives coaches, players, and fans confidence in an area that plagued the team with lackluster execution before.