Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Miami Hurricanes season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Miami Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 in ACC
Head Coach: Manny Diaz, 1st year
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIAMI OFFENSE
– There’s one big plus out of having the nation’s 104th best offense – you don’t lose a whole lot of early draft picks. The Hurricanes not only get back eight starters, but it’s adding a slew of talented transfers and it’s keeping a few good ones of its own. The O will try to open it up a bit more, but it needs the passing game to merely be effective, and the ground attack has to be stronger after averaging 191 yards per game.
– The quarterback situation is far more interesting than it probably should be. Tate Martell was the easy option. The Ohio State transfer was ruled eligible right away, he was going to swoop in and take the team by storm, and … he was just okay in spring ball.
Former star recruit N’Kosi Perry had his moments in spring ball, and so did redshirt freshman Jarren Williams. The one out of these two who ends up being the third stringer will probably have a chat with the transfer portal, but first, Martell has to look and play the part on a consistent basis in fall camp.
– The receiving corps went from a potential concern to absolutely loaded. Leading receiver Jeff Thomas was off to Illinois … right up until Mark Richt retired. Thomas reversed course, and now he’s back as the Hurricane main man. Also coming in is KJ Osborn, one of the MAC’s top targets as one of the stars of last year’s great Buffalo squad.
Second-leading receiver Lawrence Cager might have bolted for Georgia, but Mike Harley is back along with top tight end Brevin Jordan. Throw in star recruit Jeremiah Payton, and there’s no excuse for the passing game to not be a whole lot stronger – as long as the QB play is better.
– Leading rusher Travis Homer bolted early for the next level, but second-leading man DeeJay Dallas is back after averaging 5.7 yards per pop with six rushing scores. Former superstar Auburn prospect Asa Martin won’t be eligible to go until next year, but 6-0, 202-pound sophomore Lorenzo Lingard will play a bigger role after running for just 136 yards.
– Two starters are done on a line that was good in pass protection – for the most part – and had its moments for the ground game. 340-pound junior Navaughn Donaldson is a pounding guard, and Butler transfer Tommy Kennedy should be an instant fill-in at left tackle. As long as sophomore Corey Gaynor can handle the center gig in place of Tyler Gauthier, the line will be fine.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIAMI DEFENSE
– You think the Miami defense is going to take any sort of a step back? New head man Manny Diaz isn’t going to let anything slide for the nation’s best D at coming up with tackles for loss and best pass defense. Just enough talent is gone off of the nation’s fourth-best defense to be annoying, but …
– If the linebacking corps isn’t the best in college football, it’ll be in the photo finish. It only seems like the Cane corps was brought in when Howard Schnellenberger was the head coach – the experience and talent really are there to be special. With seniors Shaq Quarterman and Zach McCloud on the inside and Michael Pinkney and Romeo Finley flying around outside, it’ll be another season of living behind the line. Not like the linebacker situation needed any more help but getting UCLA’s Jaelan Phillips adds even more pop – if he can stay healthy.
– DE Joe Jackson is the one key early NFL loss on the defense, and Gerald Willis is done, and Gerald Willis is finished at tackle, but it will still be a good, athletic, aggressive line that won’t have any problems getting into the backfield. Junior Jonathan Garvin is the tackle for loss star at one end, Pat Bethel can make things happen from his tackle spot, and he’s getting some big help with Virginia Tech’s Trevon Hill coming in as a grad transfer on one end, and UCLA’s Chigozie Nnoruka coming in to help out in the interior.
– The secondary takes the biggest talent hit with safeties Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine gone along with corner Michael Jackson, but junior Trajan Bandy is back at one corner after tying for the team lead with three picks, and the safety situation got plenty of help with USC’s Bubba Bolden coming in. Part linebacker, part safety, 6-1, 215-pound Romeo Finley is a playmaker who came up with two picks.6
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP MIAMI PLAYERS
Best Miami Offensive Player
WR Jeff Thomas, Jr.
Now he just needs better quarterback play. The 5-10, 170-pounder out of East St. Louis was on his way to be the No. 1 target at Illinois, but took his talents back to Coral Gables after Manny Diaz got the gig.
Despite missing the final two games, he led the team with 35 catches for 563 yards and three scores and was fine as a punt returner, taking one for a score. If the Canes can find a steady quarterback, all of a sudden, Thomas should turn into a 50-catch guy with a whole lot more explosion.
2. WR Lawrence Cager. Sr.
3. TE Brevin Jordan, Soph.
4. RB DeeJay Dallas, Jr.
5. QB Tate Martell, Soph.
Best Miami Defensive Player
LB Shaq Quarterman, Sr.
It’s Year Four as a starter for the 6-1, 235-pound hitting machine in the middle of the Miami linebacking corps. He might not be a flash in the backfield, but he has 12 career sacks and 31 tackles for loss. He might not be a dangerous playmaker when the ball is in the air, but has broken up nine career passes. He can to it all, but he’s at his best when he’s holding up against the run.
His real worth is as the durable, tone-setting tough guy leader against the run, coming up with 249 tackles in his three seasons while turning into a bit more of a pass rusher last season.
2. LB Michael Pinckney, Sr.
3. CB Trajan Bandy, Jr.
4. DE Jonathan Garvin, Jr.
5. DT Pat Bethel, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Miami Offense
Stop being a negative turnover chain. Getting more out of the passing game – just a little bit of accuracy would be nice – is a must, but more on that in a moment.
The Canes not only had the second-worst offense in the ACC – averaging just 359 yards per game – but they couldn’t stop giving the ball away. Yeah, all the big plays and turnovers forces by the aggressive defense were great, but the O managed to give it up 26 times – one more turnover than takeaway – with two ore more in ten games.
The Canes had a thing for giving it up to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl debacle with five turnovers, and lost to Georgia Tech partly because of the three lose fumbles. The Canes turned it over 17 times in the six losses and nine times in the seven wins.
Biggest Key To The Miami Defense
Get tougher and nastier on the defensive front. All that speed, flash and talent have been great over the last two seasons, but the Canes have a problem against the more physical ground games that counterbalance the aggressiveness by sheer brute force.
If Miami doesn’t ever see that Wisconsin offensive line again, it’ll be too soon.
LSU only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but it pounded out 156 tough yards and two scores in the season-opening win.
North Carolina killed itself with turnovers, but it was able to crank up over five yards per carry, Boston College got nasty up front in its win, and the Georgia Tech option came up with 230 rushing yards in a 27-21 win.
And then there were the bowl games against the Badgers, getting hammered by Jonathan Taylor and company for 333 yards in the Pinstripe.
The chance to prove that this is a stronger, tougher D comes right away against Florida.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Tate Martell, Soph.
Or N’Kosi Perry. One of the two underwhelming hot shot former star recruits has to play up to the talent level and help carry an offense that never found a passing game groove over the last two seasons. It starts with merely being accurate.
The Cane quarterbacks – throw former starter Malik Rosier into that mix – failed to hit 50% of their passes six times last season and in nine of their last 16 games.
Martell is feisty, and he’s a baller, but he has to prove he can be steady and can keep the offense moving. If he’s just okay, Miami can still get to the ACC Championship. If he’s amazing, he gives the Canes a puncher’s chance to win it.
Key Game To The Miami Season
Virginia Tech, Oct. 5
In terms of setting the tone for the season and the Manny Diaz era, beating Florida on August 24th to start the season would be a really, really big deal. But to get to the ACC Championship for the second time in three seasons, beating Virginia Tech is a must.
Lose to the Hokies, and with Virginia up next and road games at Pitt and Florida State to follow, there’s little margin for error. Win, and considering the ACC schedule just isn’t all that bad, the Coastal should be there for the taking.
Miami has won two in a row over the Hokies and four of the last five.
– Miami Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Miami Fun Stats
– Turnovers Lost: Miami 26 – Opponents 25
– Field Goals: Opponents 19-of-27 – Miami 9-of-12
– Rushing Yards Per Attempt: Miami 5.2 – Opponents 3.54
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. MIAMI WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
One of the biggest keys to Miami’s success over the last two seasons has been a schedule full of teams it could beat.
There might have been a 41-8 domination over Notre Dame two years ago, and beating Virginia Tech and Virginia in 2018 was nice, but those games were at home.
Last season, the Canes were able overcome a mediocre offense and a brutal midseason power outage because there were more than enough winnable games to get by and at least go bowling.
Welcome to 2019.
There are still potential flaws, but the new energy and ideas under head coach Manny Diaz should bring about a big change.
There’s a talent coming in from the transfer pool, there’s experience and talent in the linebacking and receiving corps, and there are more options now to play around with.
The O line might have been mediocre, but it’s full of veterans. The secondary might have lost several key parts, but it’s full of talent.
As long as one of the quarterbacks steps up and shines, this could and should be a return to 2017, so …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 9
But that’s mostly because – once again – the schedule is more than manageable.
There might be an issue with Florida to start the season, but but that’s followed up by North Carolina, Bethune-Cookman and Central Michigan.
There’s a week off to prepare for Virginia Tech, Virginia and Georgia Tech at home, and the finishing kick of four road games in five dates isn’t all that bad considering there’s no Clemson or NC State to deal with from the Atlantic.
Figure the Canes lose to Florida to start the season, lose one of those four late road games – FSU is due to be better – and go 2-1 in that stretch of tough ACC home games.
It’ll all be good enough to potentially win the Coastal, and the team should be strong enough to overcome the flaws and hit the double-digit win mark – as long as it doesn’t face Wisconsin again in a bowl game.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Miami Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
