Miami returned to the home field after the Michigan State game and played an easier opponent in Central Connecticut State. It gave the team a chance to play some younger players, find out more about the QB battle, and reset for the conference slate upcoming. How did it look on film? Find out only at
Upon Further Review.
Restrepo does a launching, flying side block to spring Brashard on the kickoff and things were off from there. (Not pictured)
Couldn’t have asked for a better defensive look to run this pop pass. Slot defender, for reasons known only to him, jumps inside instead of upfield and forcing a cutback or bubble. S is way off the TE and it’s an easy edge. Van Dyke loves the free completion.
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This type of thing really shows us nothing of value, so I won’t go into detail on all plays. I’ll note that Miami pulled the H-back across the formation and wham blocked that edge defender several times in this game. They left the far defender free and when Jarrid got his downblock, this was free money. Like the play design, and my guess is you’ll see a wrinkle off this in the Virginia game because we ran this exact same play multiple times.
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Keyshawn is running the whip route, Harley the corner (this combination is called Smash and is my favorite). There is a ton of room towards the back-corner flag and Harley runs this route a little shallow or the throw was a little too much on a line. Luckily, that defender on Keyshawn didn’t sag on this one. TD. Love Smash.
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Delayed S-blitz with Bubba works next drive and forces throw-away. (Not pictured)
Doesn’t matter the competition, our punt return team cannot block. It’s scheme, we turn a defender loose on every return to get an extra guy on the gunner, but even then it’s a free rush to the returner. One blocker even in your screen and four CCSU players.
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Split backs, run a play-action pass as Cody Brown comes across TVD here and release the other RB across out of the backfield. The cross-buck action works and it’s an easy completion. Brashard takes it to the house. In my recruiting write-up of Smith you’ll remember me saying how I like lining him up in the backfield and releasing him into pass patterns. The Expected Points Added (EPA) of targeting WR’s lined up in the backfield on passing plays is over 50% than standard plays. Arroyo there on the edge blocks his man and makes this play able to get outside. Play Arroyo more, please.
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Almost certain that we missed a defensive check here. Jennings and Brooks shift to their left, but the Striker doesn’t **** left and they’re all bunched together. QB rolls the pocket here and Frierson is already outleveraged to the edge. Too easy out there as the QB completes this for 16.
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Kinchens jumped a hitch to a receiver that wasn’t his. The QB threw it high or it would’ve been a pick-6. Kinchens was jumping up-and-down because he saw it the whole way. (Not pictured)
Not the same play as earlier in the game, like I thought live. Bring the H across the formation and kick out the edge. Same as earlier, but this time you drop the RG across and release C/RT to the second level. Arroyo blocks a DE here. He will be a beast when he adds some weight and strength. Like the run-game diversity thus far.
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Read-option, hat-on-hat, move the guys out and it’s an easy TD for Cody Brown. (Not pictured)
Teaching tape on how to catch a football by 12. Ball is a little low and outside, but he snatches it. More natural hands than your typical RB/WR hybrid types have this early. He’s got Kadarius Toney upside. We see that dropped over-and-over the past few years and then you’re 3rd-and-6 instead of getting the 1st down.
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I am a big fan of wham and kick-out blocks in my running game. Arroyo comes across for the third time we run this kick-out block. You see one of the limitations of Jakai Clark as he is overpowered into the backfield playing head-up on the nose. Arroyo washes that DE inside and allows Harris to get the 1st as he had to bubble around the nose who was pushing Clark into backfield. Scaife got beaten across his face and that forced Harris to have to bounce.
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Nice blocking here by Scaife, who locks-out his defender. Not really sure why that LB is going to the QB first here, but he is. Harris goes right in that LB’ers gap. But what really made this play was a well-acted play fake by Garcia. Everyone has a role on every play. Execute to your best on every play and you’re contributing. TD.
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We bite so hard on play-action. Frierson truly did a circle trying to get back into his spot drop. Pass is completed right into where he left. Frierson continues to the LOS here. I can understand Jennings more because he has two-gaps and less of a zone responsibility here. This isn’t an RPO, it’s a play-action pass all the way. Look at how all of the OL is pass blocking. Read your keys, Frierson.
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Too easy on Ivey here. You can’t allow that WR to get across your face in this spot. Defense is single-high, so you’re scared of him getting outside and deep since you won’t have safety help, but first you have to protect cross your face in this spot. Move your feet and mirror. Ivey got impatient and tried to jump outside. Kinchens covered that slot slant route by himself and drove on it perfectly. Continue to believe in Kinchens with a big future.
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As odd as it sounds, I feel like both Garcia and TVD operate the Read-Option better than King does from an execution standpoint. TVD “rides” the RB here and forces the edge defender to stay or commit. Inside-Zone actually pops on this one. 1st down.
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The long TD from TVD to Rambo was an underthrow (really, down to the ½ yard line I guess). I always prefer an underthrow to an overthrow because you can’t catch an overthrow. An underthrow is often caught by the WR or gets a PI. A small percentage get intercepted. Like the touch and height displayed by the deep ball from TVD, but need to get it out there against better teams. (Not pictured)
Garcia rides the RB long enough to make the edge crash on the RB and then pulls it. The ability to ride the RB in the read-option is paramount to being successful on the play. Garcia does it the best of our current QB’s. At least the ones I’ve seen play.
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Miami runs split-zone on the goal-line, three defenders are on one side for CCSU and it’s a walk-in TD. (Not pictured)
Chase Smith learned quickly that taking on a blocker at this level is far different than in HS. He comes in far too high and exposes his chest. RB hits him in chest with a shoulder and easily moves him. QB completes it on Bolden. This is why young players need to play though. This is actual film of Chase Smith rushing the passer that coaches can show him how to take on a block here. Not just practice, but in a game things get live. Smith is still big and long enough to throw him off and retrace to pressure QB from behind.
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James Williams far too fast and explosive and long for a Division-1 LT. Easily threatens outside and then dips inside on this rush to pressure the QB. Their QB made a nice play to avoid the pressure and hits a WR in the chest. Who drops it.
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If Miami wants to become a better offense, they are going to need to exploit the college rules that allow for blocking downfield if the ball is caught behind the LOS. Mallory gets knocked on his backside after this (pick your head up and roll your hips, Will), but does enough to allow Donaldson time to get out there. Zion with the other key block here and Harris just outruns everyone to the end zone. Give Harris credit on this run, look at how he is patient and waits for his blocks to develop rather than just putting his head down and running straight ahead as fast as he can. This is an impressive play from Harris.
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When I first saw this play I was pretty frustrated with Brooks for blowing his assignment, but this is honestly a well-designed play for them. The RB comes over and fakes like he’s blocking and their LT gets his hands on Brooks who flows over like it’s going to be a screen to the RB. Only the RB stops like it’s a screen and then accelerates. Brooks sees it here, but the RB is already ahead of him and it’s completed. Sometimes you tip your cap to the offense for catching you.
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4th down and they go for it and James Williams reads it well. He drops a pick on a pass trying to be put in a tight window. I’ve always said Williams is a Striker. I still think he’s ultimately an overhang/big nickel/pass rusher/buzz flats type of Striker defender, but he impressed me with his instincts in this game as a Safety. (Not pictured)
Williams gets his pick a few plays later as the QB tries to throw it deep and Williams plays it perfectly. Insane range for a player his size. He tracks the ball in the air and makes the play.
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It’s a clean pocket, so that certainly helps, but this is an NFL throw. It’s Gun-3, so out of shotgun he drops back three steps, and when his back foot hits the ground he is throwing this ball to a spot as Restrepo comes out of his break. Restrepo is reliable and breaks more tackles than you’d expect. Really needs to play more.
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Quite a bit of ugly here. TVD is squatting and making himself shorter here. He takes his eyes off the routes and looks at the rush. Then he scrambles to his left, instead of that open area to his right. Zion missed a line call I believe. Cody Brown is trying to block with his face. Where are the intermediate routes or safety valve for the QB? All vertical routes on 1st & 10? No time whatsoever for the routes to work due to the protection breakdown. Not as much on TVD as I first thought.
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Six defenders line up on the LOS on 3rd & 17 and you’ve got six blockers. Line slides to the right, as it should. But that wide defender has an angle and it is hard for the RT to get all the way out there. I’d like to see Cody Brown identify that’s difficult to protect if that outside man comes and keep an eye on it. Instead he releases into a pass pattern to draw #44 with him. The sack was applied to Jarrid Williams, but you could’ve easily helped him here and prevented this.
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One of the reasons I root so hard for Nesta to have success is because of just how hard he plays. #9 misses a tackle here. The WR reverses field and was pretty shifty. #29 comes down and misses a tackle on the other sideline. Nesta runs this down on the 23-yard line to stop a 3rd down conversion on 3rd & 22.
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Canes run that cross kick-out block with their H again (sometimes he lines up as an F-TE, but I don’t want to get too technical in here). This time it’s Hodges and whew, he looks skinny. Cody Brown runs hard and always has that forward lean you want in a RB. (Not pictured)
Again, a clean pocket, but this is an excellent throw from Garcia. About 30-yards on a line, as he’s rolling to his right. Right in-stride to Restrepo. I also love the read, as he is going high-to-low here and doesn’t take the safe throw to the 40, but takes the chunk play downfield. These two QB’s have been too close to call thus far.
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You’ve all seen the Romello Brinson catch and don’t need me to break it down. Great catch. (Not pictured)
Gotta make this play when they don’t block you, 13. McCloud runs him down after QB spins out.
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Brooks reads the screen and buries the RB. Excellent play to stay home, pass off the TE who came through his zone, read the QB, attack the RB. (Not pictured)
Restrepo is waving off the punt return team and Ivey didn’t hear/see him. Restrepo thinks the ball hits Ivey, when it really hit a CCSU player. Either way, he picks it up and gets yelled at by the coaches. I think it was a smart play by Restrepo, but one of the coaches didn’t see it that way. (Not pictured)
The Garcia skinny post for a TD to Jacolby George was a nice throw. First time I watched it, I incorrectly diagnosed it as a bit underthrown. I thought the route was a vertical route and Garcia needed to let the WR run under it, but on a skinny post the route is running away as well as vertical and require a bit more of a line drive throw. (Not pictured)
Jacolby George out here blocking like his life depends on it. Look at him driving a S downfield. This is 25-yards downfield. Big running plays happen because your WR’s block downfield.
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#81 Brantley stood out in this game for me for his blocking. That kid is not at all afraid to stick his nose in there and hit somebody. Split-zone run with H-back kickout again and #81 blocked like his life was on it. You can also see where George starts on this play and ends with his blocking downfield. Just in front of the red circle here. Love seeing this effort from the young guys because, frankly, I don’t always see it from the upperclassmen.
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This pretty much does it for the interesting stuff, other than the best throw of the game by TVD on a seam to Wiggins, who drops what should've been a walk-in TD.
By the Numbers:
- Only three pressures allowed really shows the quality of defense they were going against.
- Jarrid Williams (sack)
- Cody Brown (sack)
- Cleveland Reed (sack, on only four snaps)
- Miami looked to get the ball out quick in this game (2.28 seconds for both QB’s)
- Garcia likes to challenge down the field more, with an Average Depth of Target (aDOT) of 9.6, while TVD was at 6.0.
- TVD was extremely accurate with an Adjusted Completion of 100% (his incompletion was a drop). It is, of course, easier to be accurate when you’re throwing shorter.
- TVD threw the ball past the LOS on five throws (4-5, 79 Yards, TD)
- TVD threw the ball behind the LOS on six throws (6-6, 191 Yards, 2 TD)
- Garcia is a gunslinger, as his QB rating went up with each distance (Behind LOS- 79.2, 0-9 Yards- 110.4, 10-19 Yards- 112.5, 20+ Yards- 143.8)
Overall:
- Coaching staff added diversity to the run game and took more shots down the field. I was happier with what I saw out of the offense as far as taking advantage of the rules and diversifying the run game.
- Defense blitzed less often, and James Williams made some plays on the back-end.
- Obviously an overmatched opponent, but seeing several young players get snaps was big for their development.
- Leonard Taylor definitely showed it’s an old-man position at DT, but got better as the game went along. He stayed in his gap better than the other DT’s tend to do, but didn’t show as much explosion and change-of-direction as I expected. Perhaps the added weight is taking time to adjust to.
- Thad Franklin looks like a player who could be a foundation RB. Moves easily for someone his size. Gotta figure out what the coaches want to see so he can get out there more often.
- Cody Brown looks like a guy who will fall forward and be a tough, physical runner. Miami has two guys who should be players at the P5 level.
- Issiah Walker only played a little bit, but was solid at LG.
- Xavier Restrepo has won me over. You have to find a place for him to get out there more.
- All of the young WR’s impressed in this one. Brinson, Brashard, George all scored and all look like players. Not sure we need to see Wiggins play again after another brutal drop and what the young WR’s put on tape.
- Arroyo should play more. Brantley caught my eye.
- Ryan Rodriguez played LT for seven snaps. Interesting.
- TVD won the day between Garcia and TVD slightly to me. Both looked like legitimate players, but do pretty different things.
- Will TVD do better vs. pressure now that he’s seen it live a bit more?
- Garcia improve his ball placement so he can operate an offense efficiently if chunk plays aren’t there?
- James Williams makes plays and needs to be out there. He is better than Gurvan Hall right now.
- Steed and Austin-Cave were your two best MLB’s in this game. Flagg had a rough time.
- Chase Smith has so much potential. Get him out there more.
- Elijah Roberts played well. He gets the ball carrier on the ground.
- Chantz Williams needs to be starting over McCloud. He just makes more plays.
- McCloud and Harvey need to have a battle royale for the other spot. McCloud normally gets the guy down, but is less dynamic. Harvey gets in position, but misses the play too often.
Real things come back on Thursday. It’ll be interesting to see if Miami looks better than against Michigan State.
