Miami’s Matchup With Clemson Sets the Stage for D’Eriq King’s Biggest Test Yet

Recently listed as a Heisman frontrunner, D’Eriq King is the quarterback of the future that Hurricane fans have desired for years. In two consecutive ESPN College Gameday matchups, Miami’s offense has been firing on all cylinders, hungry for more, “disappointed” by putting up 47-points on Louisville.

The complete revamp of the offensive system has resulted in an attack that the ACC is unfamiliar with. All except Clemson.

It’s been exactly 10 seasons since Miami defeated the Tigers—that victory coming for Miami on the road, with Randy Shannon as head coach. Since then, the teams have only faced-off twice, with Clemson outscoring the ‘Canes 96 to 3 between the meetings.

Despite a daunting opponent looming on the horizon, the current Miami team is arguably the best of the decade—easily the most exciting. We’ve often seen the Hurricanes with stellar defenses but paired with an offense that couldn’t match the production. They say “defense wins championships,” but it’s the offense that Miami needed in order to dominate.

Rhett Lashlee, D’Eriq King, and the offense as a whole has propelled Miami into College Football Playoff conversations, but they’ve yet to have a test like Clemson. King, while at Houston, played against the Oklahoma Sooners, but even their defense is nowhere near the likes of the Tiger’s. Given Miami’s failures against Clemson in recent years, the matchup on October 10th will show us how far the Hurricanes have truly come, and further prove or disprove King’s Heisman-candidacy.