What Can Miami Build On From Victory Over Georgia Tech?
Upon review of Week 11, there was not a lot to nitpick when it comes to the Hurricanes, which is surprising considering there’s usually been at least one glaring issue in every match. Not against Georgia Tech.
Miami played a strong game offensively and defensively and looked to be in sync from the beginning. There weren’t many mental lapses, aside from one at the very end of the game that led to a Tech touchdown.
There’s a lot to build upon for the Canes after their performance against the Yellow Jackets, and they did a lot well for the first time relatively all year.
Will they be able to maintain the same consistency? Well, when the upcoming opponent is Clemson, likely not.
However, even despite the ugly losses that nobody even imagined could happen to the Hurricanes this season, they could challenge the Tigers in a multitude of ways, but only if they do what they did against the Yellow Jackets.
Here’s a review of the Hurricanes’ 35-14 win over Georgia Tech.
Offense
The Miami offense got into the best rhythm its had since Bethune-Cookman with the running game and the passing attack in large part due to the effort by Jacurri Brown.
Brown provided the offense with different looks than seen previously because of who Miami was rolling out at quarterback (more pro-style passers). The RPO game was at its best with Brown at the helm and that was apparent in the efficiency of the entire offense.
Brown found all of his success passing in the short-to-intermediate game. He went deep twice but was unable to connect. Brown completed all of his passes at the intermediate level (10-20 yards) for two touchdowns. He completed another eight passes behind the line of scrimmage. Brown’s athleticism has absolutely become a factor in the offense and will likely be relied on going forward.
Jaylan Knighton’s impact on the game was evident. Knighton is lightning in a bottle, but he just hasn’t created the electricity this year up until Georgia Tech. Knighton was the most impactful runner for Miami in relief of Henry Parrish Jr.'s absence. He totaled 118 yards and a touchdown, his first of the season.
The wide receivers were semi-active. There were only 19 passing attempts for Miami in the game, but there was no real need to force the passing attack when the run game was in rhythm. Jaleel Skinner, Will Mallory and Colbie Young were the touchdown recipients. Frank Ladson Jr. was the leader in yards with 42 and Brashard Smith was the leader in catches with four.
Defense
The Miami defense had a strong performance, especially in pass coverage. The Canes forced four interceptions and for the most part, forced inconsistent play by the quarterbacks. Miami defensive backs also generated five pass breakups in coverage.
There can’t be enough to say about the play of Kamren Kinchens, who’s been a shining star in a secondary that can be extremely inconsistent at times. Kinchens collected three of Miami's four interceptions. It was a huge day for Kinchens as he tied the school record for interceptions in a game and recorded the second-longest interception return in school history.
Tyrique Stevenson also logged himself an interception, redeeming himself after having his first attempt at an interception snagged by Kinchens.
The Hurricanes’ front seven was more impactful in the run game than the unit was rushing the passer. The Canes had nine tackles for a loss and two sacks coming from Mitchell Agude and Jahfari Harvey.
As many times as the Yellow Jackets threw it, the Canes should have generated more pressure up front. At times, the front let Zach Gibson and Zach Pyron sit in the pocket and complete throws. By the same token, the front seven was also forcing the same quarterbacks into making bad decisions, which resulted in four interceptions.
Miami will need to bring the same energy in run defense against Clemson, who is fourth in rush yards per game in the ACC. In the pass rush, the defensive staff needs to throw the best three or four pass rushers into the fold and keep the consistency up front.
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