Hurricanes embracing challenge of facing USF’s ‘true dual-threat quarterback’ Byrum Brown
The Miami Hurricanes defense knows the biggest challenge that lies ahead of them this weekend.
When the No. 8 Hurricanes (3-0) travel to play the South Florida Bulls (2-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, all eyes will be on USF 6-3, 229-pound quarterback Byrum Brown, a dual-threat quarterback who perhaps is more dangerous with his feet than with his arm.
Through three games this season — wins against Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss plus a 42-16 loss at Alabama that was a one-score game midway through the fourth quarter — Brown has completed 47 of 84 pass attempts for 448 yards and two touchdowns. He has also run for 254 yards — the second most by a quarterback this season — and another two touchdowns on 46 carries.
“Any time a guy can run the football, it’s a little scary,” defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said. “When a quarterback is just a passer and he doesn’t run, I feel like you’ve got two more [defensive players] than they’ve got [position players], but when a quarterback can run, you have to get that last [player] involved in the run game and then you’re stretched a little bit thin in the passing game and pass defense. Running quarterbacks always give problems. The guy can extend plays with their legs and then he breaks a lot of tackles. You can see it in Alabama game — and Alabama’s got big people — and he ran through some of their tacklers. It’s gonna be a tall task. It all starts with stopping the run. You’ve gotta stop the run first and try to make it one dimensional and try to make them throw the ball and go from there.”
Guidry said it’s hard to simulate USF’s offensive attack, likening the Bulls’ offense to option football.
“You can have a plan, you try to make your scout team do it,” Guidry said, “but you can’t get rhythm and get the flow of it until you actually get in the game.”
Perhaps one edge the Hurricanes have is that they have faced a mobile quarterback of their own during practice in Cam Ward.
While Ward’s priority is being a pass-first quarterback, he is able to keep plays alive with his legs when the pocket breaks down, and Miami needs to rely on that experience while trying to maintain Brown on Saturday.
“It’s kind of Cam’s last thing is to run the football and pull it down,” Guidry said. “I think this guy, if he goes through his read progression and it’s not there, he’s gonna take off and run because he feels good about his running ability and he’s more like a running back so to say. They are different, but definitely Cam being able to be mobile in the pocket has helped us.”
Hurricanes players are embracing the challenge ahead.
“He stands out as really a true dual-threat quarterback,” linebacker Francisco Mauigoa said. “He can make plays on his feet, and he can also throw the ball very accurate. He’s sneaky fast, too. He’s a very talented kid, and we’re prepared for it, just making sure that we contain him and put him in a tough position.”
Added cornerback Daryl Porter Jr.: “We have to make sure we keep our eyes on our man. If he breaks the pocket, make sure we stay on our dudes wherever they go.”
But it’s not just Brown when it comes to USF’s run game. The Bulls have a rotation of three veteran running backs who are also able to make an impact on the ground. Graduate student Kelley Joiner has 30 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Graduate student Nay’Quan Wright, a former standout at Carol City, has 33 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns. And senior Ta’Ron Keith has 20 carries for 105 yards and three touchdowns.
Overall, USF ranks eighth nationally averaging 268.67 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have been dominant at stopping the run. They have given up an average of 65.67 yards on the ground per game — the 12th-best rate nationally.
Put another way. Miami has given up less rushing yards all season (197) than USF averages per game.
That will be put to the test on Saturday.
“We’ve done a pretty good job,” Mauigoa said. “There’s still room to improve on being able to play disciplined football and being able to read our keys before pre snap. Just being able to focus on the little details to get our game on the next step and and on the next level, to be able to play the run first and and react to the pass.”
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