Syracuse writer says Orange will beat UM. Miami Herald writer thinks, nope.
Syracuse student writer Matthew Gutierrez of The Daily Orange asked me to answer some of his questions about today’s game, and I asked him some questions (below my answers). Here you go: Follow Gutierrez on Twitter at @MatthewGut21
Daily Orange: Even without star running back Mark Walton, Miami has scored efficiently, minimized turnovers and capitalized on red zone opportunities. What or who else offensively has keyed Miami's hot start?
Susan Miller Degnan: The Canes have been fueled by a couple of receivers who were quieter in the past (one of them virtually nonexistent) and have found their groove in 2017. Senior wideout Braxton Berrios leads the team with 326 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 24 receptions. His numbers this season either match or exceed his combined stats from the past two seasons. Berrios became the first Hurricane since Reggie Wayne in 2000 to record a touchdown catch in each of his first four games of the season. He also is sixth nationally and first in the ACC with his 17.1-yards-per-punt-return.
But let’s also not forget 6-4, 220-pound redshirt junior Darrell Langham, who had three catches since coming to UM in 2014 – before he became the hero the past two weeks in UM’s last-second victories against Florida State and Georgia Tech. Against FSU, Langham hauled in a 23-yard touchdown with six seconds left. Against the Yellow Jackets, he had a 28-yard catch on fourth-and-10 that set up the winning field goals with four seconds left.
As for the quarterback making it happen, first-year starter Malik Rosier,despite at times being inaccurate, has been clutch when it counts most. And he can run.
Daily Orange: UM defensive coordinator Manny Diaz called Syracuse "the fastest offense in the country." What are the defensive players saying about it, especially members of UM's dangerous defensive line, and how are they preparing?
Susan Miller Degnan: The Hurricanes defense knows what it’s up against. “Syracuse, they run about 900 plays a game,’’ said defensive end Trent Harris, who has five tackles for loss and leads the team with three-and-a-half sacks. “It’s going to take the whole D-line for this game, the pass rush. We’re just going to have to rely on each other.”
Diaz insists there’s no way to simulate Syracuse’s speed in practice, so he made sure the D went live against the best players on offense this week.
“They’ve got a good tempo,’’ understated tackle Pat Bethel. “They play hard. We just have to make sure we come out and play harder.’’
And this from safety Jaquan Johnson: “I believe we’re going to keep up with them. We’re working hard, we’re conditioned, we’re doing plays up-tempo, fast, and not taking breaks.’’
Daily Orange: Given how well Syracuse played against Clemson, how likely is another Syracuse upset? In other words, where is Miami vulnerable?
Susan Miller Degnan: Miami’s defense is most vulnerable in the back end, where Diaz said this week that the Hurricanes are five to six DBs shy of what they should have scholarship-wise. UM lost two cornerbacks and two safeties to the NFL this season. This week, current starting cornerback Dee Delaney is out with a knee injury, and current starting safety Sheldrick Redwine sat out last week with an “upper extremity’’ injury. The backups don’t have a ton of playing time, to say the least.
Miami’s offense is vulnerable in the depth at running back. With tailback Walton out, there’s one very talented back, Travis Homer, and pretty much total inexperience after that.
Daily Orange: Who is Miami's X-factor in this game and is there a player who doesn't get much of the spotlight whom fans should know about?
Susan Miller Degnan: The X-factor could be Homer, a sophomore who was superb in his first career start last week after Walton sustained a season-ending ankle injury at FSU. The sophomore rushed for 170 yards and a 27-yard touchdown on 20 carries and added an acrobatic 17-yard touchdown reception against a strong Georgia Tech defense. He is averaging 8.4 yards a carry this season and is extremely tough and physical for his 5-11, 195-pound frame. Homer also stars on special teams, but had to be removed from two of his four units once he became the starting tailback. Until last week, Homer was pretty much low on the limelight scale. Not anymore.
Daily Orange: How do you think the game will turn out?
Susan Miller Degnan: If Miami’s defense can get accustomed to the Orange’s offense before it’s too late, then the Canes win comfortably – unlike the past two squeakers. Vegas is talking a 17-point spread. I’m going with Miami.
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SMD: Was the Syracuse upset over Clemson a fluke, and what has Syracuse said this week about it?
Matthew Gutierrez: Saturday will be very telling. If Syracuse gets blown out against Miami, as Vegas predicts, then maybe it was a fluke. But that's unlikely. Syracuse players had off from practice both Sunday and Monday this week to celebrate and rest. By the time they had gotten back to practice, three-time captain and senior linebacker Zaire Franklin said they had put the win behind them and focused on Miami. Head coach Dino Babers has been low key about the upset. He did say this:
“Being able to lose the turnover battle and play a team like that and still find a way to win, I think just goes to show you how well we can play when everything's functioning together. Now, whether we play that well again, this week, back-to-back, it's tough to do. But that's the task."
SMD: Syracuse junior quarterback Eric Dungey has established himself as a leading playmaker in the ACC. What makes him so effective?
Matthew Gutierrez: Well, quite a bit. When he has been on the field over the past two-plus seasons, Syracuse has shown flashes of legitimate potency. He doesn't have a rocket like other leading QBs, but he is very accurate in SU's offense of short, high-percentage passes. His decision making is evolving. And he is dangerous on the run. Here's what Babers said about what's probably Dungey's best attribute.
"It's one of his most dangerous positions. He's so good throwing on the run out of the pocket that from a defensive standpoint, you almost have to say, 'Do we even want him to be able to do this? Do we tell our guys to do something to force him to throw from the pocket because he's that dynamic when he gets out of the pocket?' I wouldn't be surprised if some defense takes that philosophy."
SMD: Several impact Syracuse players hail from South Florida. How much of a driver will that be for them?
Matthew Gutierrez: It won't hurt. More than anything, it will probably give senior receiver Steve Ishmael an edge. He leads the country in catches (62 total, 8.9 per game) and ranks third in receiving yards per game (114.6). He's Dungey's No. 1 target and wants to put on a big performance in his hometown.
Another one of Dungey's targets is junior tight end Ravian Pierce, who is from Plantation, Fla. He ranks third on Syracuse in catches and has heated up, with 165 receiving yards over the past two games. A good number of family and friends will come out for those two.
SMD: Who is Syracuse's X-factor on Saturday?
Matthew Gutierrez: From a general viewpoint, it has got to be Miami's defense. Can the Hurricanes slow down the SU attack? Toledo touched up Miami for 30 points in a loss last month. The upshot: Syracuse runs a similar offense.
As for Syracuse, the X-factor is probably the run game. Against a big-time Clemson defense, Syracuse scored 27 points because it balanced its pass-heavy tendency with the establishment of the run. Save for the Clemson game, SU has struggled to run the ball effectively. This should tell you a little about SU's anemic ground game: Dungey leads the team in rushing and nobody's a close second. If SU can find balance Saturday, this game will be close.
SMD: How do you think the game will turn out?
Matthew Gutierrez: I caution getting overly excited after last week's win, but I don't think that was a fluke. Replicating that performance will be difficult, though I see Syracuse staying competitive against an excellent Miami team. Backed by its much-improved defense and a balanced offense, the Orange stuns Miami by three or four points.
This story was originally published October 21, 2017 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Syracuse writer says Orange will beat UM. Miami Herald writer thinks, nope.."