Takeaways and tidbits from UM’s opener: Where Hurricanes are better and what needs work
Ten thoughts, notes and takeaways from the Miami Hurricanes’ season-opening 31-14 victory over UAB:
▪ You can count on one hand where this team appears to have appreciably improved, but most of those are enormously important: overall quarterback play, mobility at the QB position, the potency of the offensive scheme and the aptitude of the coordinator running it.
On Thursday, the QB mobility was the biggest difference from a year ago.
D’Eriq King is more capable of making magic out of messiness - turning a negative play into something productive - than any quarterback at UM this century.
King was sacked twice, and there were at least five plays on Thursday that likely would have resulted in sacks of predecessor Jarren Williams. King transformed most of those plays into gains with his legs.
UAB coach Bill Clark put it this way: “The big thing for us was defending that quarterback. That’s all I’ve heard, I mean, it’s true; he’s electric. I thought we did a pretty good job on him all night, but what happens when you’ve got zone-read is that that guy can really run. He holds that outside linebacker, our defensive end, and that is where the zone cut back inside us a few times.”
Not only did King rush for 98 yards on 12 carries, but he averaged nine yards per rush after contact and broke five tackles.
“Seeing D’Eriq out there, sometimes I am like, ‘Man,’ and then he will just get out of it,” defensive tackle Nesta Silvera said. “It’s crazy seeing a guy who has the skills and the ability to do that.”
▪ The other factor that makes this team more dangerous than last year’s?
The up-tempo style not only will result in more plays (78 on Thursday compared with an average of 65 per game last season), but also should wear down the opponents, which seemed to be happening during the King-orchestrated consecutive touchdown drives in the second half.
“We were probably just worn down a bit as the game went on,” Clark said. ”The offensive coordinator, [Rhett] Lashlee, was at SMU and they were third in the country in snaps. So, that is part of what they do.”
▪ UM people were praising the offensive line afterward, and that unit deserves significant credit for some of Miami’s 337 rushing yards — most by the Canes in a game since 2016.
But there were too many breakdowns in pass protection, with disaster averted only because of King’s magical mobility. And keep this in mind: Miami had 180 yards on five runs and 157 on the other 47. On many of those running plays, UM’s linemen couldn’t sustain blocks.
Pro Football Focus said new right tackle Jarrid Williams was Miami’s best offensive lineman overall on Thursday and new left guard Ousman Traore graded out best in pass protection. Right guard D.J. Scaife had several lapses, and the entire unit must be better.
We still have no idea whether John Campbell will be anything better than a serviceable left tackle.
▪ According to PFF, the UM defenders who graded out best were safety Gurvan Hall (46 snaps and not targeted in coverage all night); defensive end Jaelan Phillips (50 snaps and three quarterback pressures, two pass breakups and one quarterback hit and half a tackle for loss), backup defensive end Cameron Williams (16 snaps; two pressures on 16 pass rush snaps); safety Bubba Bolden (allowed one reception for three yards); cornerback Te’Cory Couch (29 snaps) and defensive tackle Silvera (32 snaps; five tackles, including one for loss).
This was Silvera’s best game at UM, though he disagreed with that assessment afterward.
▪ Bradley Jennings Jr. generally held up well at middle linebacker (Manny Diaz praised him after the game) but was victimized on UAB’s touchdown drive.
UM obviously isn’t going to get the same quality of play that Shaquille Quarterman provided, but Jennings’ physicality is an asset and he had two tackles for loss.
“BJ [Jennings] didn’t miss a step as you all could see,” Silvera said. “He was out there whacking people, up there on the top of the team in tackles in his first game back in over a year and a half. That’s a testament to him and also to our training staff in how they worked with him.”
▪ Concerns on defense? Cornerback DJ Ivey was exposed in coverage, and I was surprised UAB targeted Al Blades Jr. more in the second half than Ivey, whose play in seven career starts has been wildly uneven.
The question is whether Couch or Christian Williams will develop enough to challenge Ivey for playing time on the boundary as the season progresses. (Couch obviously is already needed as a third corner in nickel packages.)
And defensive tackle remains a question, with Jon Ford needing to match the growth that Silvera displayed in the opener. Ford was easily sealed off on Spencer Brown’s 6-yard touchdown run.
UM mustered only one sack (by Quincy Roche) but that isn’t a big concern because, as Roche said, “they were getting the ball out quick. We just kept our composure and kept rushing inside and outside and we got a few quarterback hits.”
And the defensive line deserves credit for helping hold UAB to 3.1 yards per carry.
▪ UM’s 337 rushing yards — second-most by Miami against an FBS opponent since 2004 — were a testament to what could be UM’s best trio of backs in years.
The ability to get Jaylon Knighton to flip from FSU to UM over a three-week period last November might end up being one of the three most important wins in last year’s recruiting cycle. The speed, instincts and vision were all his display in his first game (9 carries for 59 yards).
Cam’Ron Harris (17 for 140) and Don Chaney (8 for 52) pack enough punch to wear down defenses.
▪ One new defensive nuance: Having the defensive ends switch sides. At times, Roche lined up on the left and Phillips on the right. Other times, it was the reverse.
“We flipped sides quite a bit,” Roche said. “It’s a point that the coaches made in practice to try to get us to be comfortable playing both sides. If we want to play at the next level, that’s what it takes. It was just kind of a feel thing; we want to switch this play or the next play. There was no order or pattern.”
▪ It looks like UM will rotate players at several positions. Gilbert Frierson and Keontra Smith both got ample work at striker. Jordan Miller and Jared Harrison-Hunte cycled through early at defensive tackle.
Cameron Williams got very early work at defensive end. Hall, Amari Carter and Bolden shared snaps at safety.
Though Zach McCloud and Jennings started at linebacker, Sam Brooks played in the first series, on a third-down package, Waymon Steed was spotted in the game early and Ryan Ragone got more playing time than we could have envisioned.
▪ Quick stuff: UM, which was 93rd in penalties last season, committed only 3 for 27. So that’s encouraging… None of the four freshmen receivers caught a pass…
Good to see Lashlee get Brevin Jordan more involved in the second half. “We were trying to get Brevin [Jordan] the ball early in the game but, the way that the defense was set up, they were just playing cover,” Harris said. But Will Mallory didn’t catch a pass…
Beyond the fumble, Mark Pope was reckless in retreating to his goal line on another return. He needs to eliminate some of the dancing and head upfield more quickly....
Tate Martell, suspended for the opener, is back on Sunday but seemingly has little chance of playing. One UM person was puzzled why he seems disinclined to switch positions....
UM’s Sept. 19 game at Louisville was set for 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 11:53 AM.
