Trench Warfare
Saturday’s game with UM and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg will display two limping teams who will do anything to just taste victory again. The Hokies and the Canes are 1-7 combined in the last 4 weeks. No doubt that the Hurricanes have been abysmal in many facets of the game, but the good news for them is that Virginia Tech has been just as dreadful. Something has to give here. Which team will be able to change the fortunes in Lane Stadium? When in doubt, look to the trenches for the answers. Specifically, Miami’s offensive line against Virginia Tech’s defensive line will be a matchup I look to that may help decide the outcome of this game.
Much has been made of Miami’s offensive line struggles, and rightfully so as the Hurricanes rank 75th in the nation with 23 sacks allowed on the year. However, the Hurricanes have been formidable in the run game, and it wouldn’t be right to glance over that. The Canes average 190 yards per game on the ground and 4.9 yards per attempt. Aside from Deejay Dallas getting the yips lately with the fumbling issues, the combo of Homer and Dallas is certainly one of the better 1-2 punches in the nation. Combine that with the emergence of Cam Davis and Perry’s ability to create with his legs, the Hurricanes should be able to churn out a lot of yards against Bud Foster’s defensive front.
On the other side, Virginia Tech’s defense has had one of their worst years in Bud Foster’s 32 years at Virginia Tech, ranking 105th in total defense. A lot of it has to do with lack of experience and slurry of injuries, but it is also just overall poor performance on top of that. The defensive front has been especially quiet. They only have 20 total sacks on the year which ranks in the bottom half of the country. They’ve also allowed 212 yards per game on the ground which puts them at 109th in the country in that department. Pittsburgh ran for a casual 492 yards on this Hokie defense. Just saying.
So, yes Coach Searels and the Miami O-line has had its fair share of struggles in 2018. But they’ve been good enough on the ground to turn out 5 yards per carry. Miami needs to center their gameplan on the running attack. Not only does that give the O-line more confidence, but it makes the job easier for N’kosi Perry, and it will open up the game for him. Bud Foster likes to throw some exotic pressures, so a consistent running game can alleviate some of that heat for Perry. My only wish is that CMR would diversify some of the looks in the run game, but we can only sit back and pray on that at this point. Travis Homer needs to continue to run with a purpose. I am interested to see how Dallas responds to his recent downfalls. He’s a confident and talented young man, and I expect the Canes to make a concerted effort to get him involved early and get him back on track. Cam Davis has shown he deserves more touches, and he certainly will on Saturday. The Canes have the horses in the backfield. Now, it’s on Gauthier, Donaldson and the gang to lead them to pay dirt. Virginia Tech may have a couple guys returning from injury on their defensive front, but there is no reason the Canes shouldn’t be able to pound the rock all night on the Hokies.
Mark Richt and Bud Foster are two of the more recognizable names in college football for the past 20 plus years. This 2018 season might be the worst for both parties. They’ll be looking across the field and scheming against each other all night hoping to get some of that sour taste out of their mouths. Who is going to leave the field in Blacksburg with another black eye in 2018?
Canes 28 Virginia Tech 27
Saturday’s game with UM and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg will display two limping teams who will do anything to just taste victory again. The Hokies and the Canes are 1-7 combined in the last 4 weeks. No doubt that the Hurricanes have been abysmal in many facets of the game, but the good news for them is that Virginia Tech has been just as dreadful. Something has to give here. Which team will be able to change the fortunes in Lane Stadium? When in doubt, look to the trenches for the answers. Specifically, Miami’s offensive line against Virginia Tech’s defensive line will be a matchup I look to that may help decide the outcome of this game.
Much has been made of Miami’s offensive line struggles, and rightfully so as the Hurricanes rank 75th in the nation with 23 sacks allowed on the year. However, the Hurricanes have been formidable in the run game, and it wouldn’t be right to glance over that. The Canes average 190 yards per game on the ground and 4.9 yards per attempt. Aside from Deejay Dallas getting the yips lately with the fumbling issues, the combo of Homer and Dallas is certainly one of the better 1-2 punches in the nation. Combine that with the emergence of Cam Davis and Perry’s ability to create with his legs, the Hurricanes should be able to churn out a lot of yards against Bud Foster’s defensive front.
On the other side, Virginia Tech’s defense has had one of their worst years in Bud Foster’s 32 years at Virginia Tech, ranking 105th in total defense. A lot of it has to do with lack of experience and slurry of injuries, but it is also just overall poor performance on top of that. The defensive front has been especially quiet. They only have 20 total sacks on the year which ranks in the bottom half of the country. They’ve also allowed 212 yards per game on the ground which puts them at 109th in the country in that department. Pittsburgh ran for a casual 492 yards on this Hokie defense. Just saying.
So, yes Coach Searels and the Miami O-line has had its fair share of struggles in 2018. But they’ve been good enough on the ground to turn out 5 yards per carry. Miami needs to center their gameplan on the running attack. Not only does that give the O-line more confidence, but it makes the job easier for N’kosi Perry, and it will open up the game for him. Bud Foster likes to throw some exotic pressures, so a consistent running game can alleviate some of that heat for Perry. My only wish is that CMR would diversify some of the looks in the run game, but we can only sit back and pray on that at this point. Travis Homer needs to continue to run with a purpose. I am interested to see how Dallas responds to his recent downfalls. He’s a confident and talented young man, and I expect the Canes to make a concerted effort to get him involved early and get him back on track. Cam Davis has shown he deserves more touches, and he certainly will on Saturday. The Canes have the horses in the backfield. Now, it’s on Gauthier, Donaldson and the gang to lead them to pay dirt. Virginia Tech may have a couple guys returning from injury on their defensive front, but there is no reason the Canes shouldn’t be able to pound the rock all night on the Hokies.
Mark Richt and Bud Foster are two of the more recognizable names in college football for the past 20 plus years. This 2018 season might be the worst for both parties. They’ll be looking across the field and scheming against each other all night hoping to get some of that sour taste out of their mouths. Who is going to leave the field in Blacksburg with another black eye in 2018?
Canes 28 Virginia Tech 27
