Series:
The Miami Hurricanes conclude the 2024 season today vs Iowa State, however we take a look back at the creativity and innovative play design that led to the Canes having the #1 offense in the country.
While the greatness of Cam Ward can't be articulated into words, it was the combination of creative shot plays and setting defenses up over the course of the year from a play calling standpoint that made us unstoppable. The more a defense thought they knew what was coming, the more adjustments Coach Dawson would dial up at what felt like the perfect time.
We saw this Yo-Yo motion quick flat play to Jacolby George two times last year. Once vs Texas A&M and vs Boston College as exampled above. The play feasts on man coverage because it happens quickly so a defender cannot make up the space or has time to check off to another teammate.
This season vs VT in a critical redzone possession Coach Dawson Dials it up. The VT CB is still running inside by the time the ball is snapped and even the defender he tried to check too had no way to make up the ground on Horton.
So now in a critical call to take a two Touchdown lead vs WF coach Dawson baits the defenders with the Y0-Yo Motion play just to get them out of position.
Took advantage of the film studies and added a wrinkle to slip in Arroyo uncontested as 3 defenders took the eye candy.
The very next week vs Syracuse he changed the formation but basically ran the same play but just out of a trips bunch formation and instead of the Jacolby motion, he used fletcher out of the backfield to get yet again 3 defenders to commit just to slip Arroyo underneath. This is how you make things look new to a defense but we are running the same concept.
I have already broken down this play design at length here (https://www.canesinsight.com/articles/coach-dawsons-tempo-route-concepts-are-unstoppable.8718/) but Coach Dawson threw in a new wrinkle by switching the formation and personal. We usually dial this whip route with a Go ball to clear it all out for X underneath but now we switched it up vs WF.
This slight change up gave WF something they did not see on tape. Instead of isolating X on a S with cushion, we isolated a LB on Arroyo with cushion due to him lined up at the wing. (spoiler but this isn't the last time you will see 8 matched up on this LB with success)
Another play that I have already broken-down vs UL when we used Arroyo and X to widen out the 2 high safety's wit Sam Brown delaying the tempo on his Jerk route to hit the open space in the middle of the field. excellent play design that GT studied but got hot with the switch up and cost them a 76 yard touchdown, see below.
GT saw this on film they are dropping a deep 3rd corner expecting for Arroyo to run a corner route to split the middle of the field so the nickel is checking the S to take sam brown. This is here the SWITCH up comes into play.
The S makes the mistake of stepping up on Brown thinking Arroyo would be running into his Corner playing deep third, but this was Dawson's plan as he changed arroyo's route to a bang 8 post (very quick 7 steps vertically and ball is out) which led to a wide-open score.
This is not the only examples of Coach Dawson scheming up mismatches for Arroyo.
In the Wing formation we iso a LB just like the earlier example from WF on 8. With two post taking the DB's inside it was easy money for Ward.
Lined up in in the wing Isolated vs a LB again it was easy read for Ward as 10/10 Arroyo would beat a LB downfield.
While we may not have Cam Ward play another snap for Miami after today's Pop Tart bowl, we can rest assured that no matter who is under center for the canes in 2025 the offense will be innovative. #GoCanes
