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Student of the Game Video Series: Miami vs. UVA

This game started with a BANG!!!! It ended more with a whimper. The Miami Hurricanes faced the University of Virginia and won the contest 19-14 after scoring on the second play of the game.

By Roman Marciante
Miami v Louisville Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Or-Or-Or. That was the open invitation for wide receiver competition this week. For good reason. The Miami Hurricane receivers were under performing especially against teams daring you to throw the ball on the outside avenue.

Mike Harley ended up with 10 catches, 170 yards and a touchdown. On the second play of the game he took a slant and go and obliterated the quarters coverage. You wanted to improve plays on the outside avenue? Harley was definitely occupying those lanes in Rolls Royce style.

But there are some roses not blooming on the Greentree. Miami’s first three red zone trips led to no touchdowns, six points and a blocked field goal. What was a rather successful metric for the Miami Hurricanes coming into the contest suddenly disappeared faster than your cheap friend when the check comes.

It was a combination of things blue within the red zone. On this play in particular, a double smash concept vs man one isn’t a bad call especially when you get the matchup you want but it isn’t revolutionary either.

There was a seemingly constant overreliance on an ineffective running game around touchdown’s doorstep especially early on in the game. Miami only amassed 30 yards rushing on 20 attempts in the first half. Easy recipe to back the quarterback up in third and long and here note the quarterback’s inability to identify which rusher is his on an empty look. Miami would settle for a field goal attempt.

Defense is keeping up its trend of giving up 10 yard plus plays. They are 97th out of 101 schools nationally with a staggering 104 plays given up. It didn’t take long for UVA to get a 10 plus yard play or for Amari head hunter Carter for that matter. The first play of the game shows a UVA running a post snap RPO for success.

You take only 14 points given up as a defensive coordinator all day, every day and twice on Sunday following a Hurricane win. But one sack, two tackles for loss and playing with a ton of cushion underneath is counter cultural to every Miami fan on the planet. The effectiveness is evident, the pushback will always remain.

This week’s Student of the Game has a mixed bag of good and bad and everything in between. Miami is 5-1 and that is a fantastic record essentially half way through the season. A bye week with the canes staff doing some self scouting needs to be on the docket. Popcorn and pencils are on ours. #BANG!!! #GOCANES