Who was to blame for UM’s loss beyond Beck? What data shows. And many tidbits
A 10-pack of postscripts from the Hurricanes’ 24-21 loss to Louisville on Friday:
▪ Beyond Carson Beck’s four interceptions, the biggest disappointment was UM’s inability to run for a second game in a row -- puzzling considering the perceived talent of the Canes’ offensive line and the running backs.
The Canes averaged just 2.6 yards per carry (24 for 63). If you remove Malachi Toney’s 14 yards on two carries, then the numbers are even worse (22 for 49).
Who was to blame? Pro Football Focus gave poor run blocking grades to linemen Markel Bell, Matthew McCoy and James Brockermeyer (who was rated the worst of the offensive linemen in run blocking). Tight end Alex Bauman and receiver CJ Daniels were rated Miami’s worst run blockers overall.
UM’s runs behind the left side (Bell, McCoy) were particularly ineffective. If UM wants competition for McCoy, there are other options with Samson Okunlola and Ryan Rodriguez. McCoy played 44 of 63 snaps on Friday; Okunlola played 19 and Rodriguez 2.
Bell seems entrenched at left tackle but must play better.
Brockermeyer, the TCU transfer, began the season well but has struggled as a run blocker recently.
UM’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack, but Bell permitted three pressures and McCoy and Mauigoa each allowed quarterback hits.
▪ As for Beck, he took blame but also said his fourth interception was the result of a player (Elija Lofton) running a wrong route. Two of his interceptions came on passes thrown 20-plus yards, and two were on passes thrown less than nine yards.
PFF said Beck was under pressure on only five of his 35 drop backs, and three of his picks came when he had a clean pocket.
Beck’s metrics were good when he had a clean pocket at Georgia last season, but poor otherwise. His failures with a clean pocket on Friday were troubling.
Beck now has four interceptions (compared with five TDs) on passes thrown at least 20 air yards. Only Fresno State’s EJ Warner has more picks on such throws (five). Overall, Beck is 11 for 25 on passes that travel at least 20 yards in the air.
▪ PFF rated right tackle Francis Mauigoa and receiver Malachi Toney as UM’s best players on offense and running back Mark Fletcher and tight end Lofton the worst.
Lofton, who was dealing with an injury earlier in the year, has had a disappointing second season. Beyond allegedly running the wrong route on Beck’s fourth pick, he had just one catch for four yards on Friday and just 12 for 104 for the season. On Friday, Lofton played 38 snaps and Bauman 34.
▪ Another disappointment: Rueben Bain had just one tackle and produced just two pressures (no sacks) in 37 pass rushing chances. He entered third in the country in quarterback pressures. Louisville quarterback Miller Moss often got the ball out quickly, but Bain’s quiet night didn’t help.
Nickel corner Keionte Scott had UM’s only sack on a blitz.
Credit Akheem Mesidor for playing through an early injury and logging 52 snaps. He graded out well against the run but had only one pressure in 31 pass rushing chances.
Behind Bain and Mesidor, UM gave 31 snaps to Armondo Blount, eight to Marquise Lightfoot and five to Booker Pickett.
▪ UM cornerback OJ Frederique couldn’t handle elite Louisville receiver Chris Bell, allowing five of nine targets in his coverage area to be caught for 76 yards and a TD.
Damari Brown replaced Xavier Lucas as the other starting cornerback, but Lucas ended up playing far more snaps (45 to 17). Ethan O’Connor played 29 snaps.
Brown allowed the only target against him to be caught for 11 yards.
Lucas permitted one catch in two targets for eight yards.
Keionte Scott made some of the most impactful plays of the night, including a forced fumble and the sack. He also allowed six of seven passes to be caught for 44 yards.
But Scott was arguably UM’s best defensive player on Friday. PFF rated him UM’s second best run defender on Friday, behind only linebacker Raul Aguirre.
▪ This was not a good night for UM’s starting linebackers. PFF rated Mohamed Toure and Wesley Bissainthe 21st and 22nd among 23 players who received defensive snaps. (Safety Zechariah Poyser was graded the worst player on defense.)
Toure permitted four of five targets in his coverage area to be caught for 51 yards and a touchdown. Bissainthe was rated UM’s third-worst run defender, ahead of only safeties Jakobe Thomas and Poyser.
At linebacker, UM also gave 22 snaps to Aguirre and 15 to Chase Smith.
▪ PFF rated Ahmad Moten as UM’s best defender on Friday, followed by Justin Scott and Keionte Scott.
Surprisingly, Justin Scott played just seven snaps, down from previous weeks. Moten (51) and David Blay Jr. (44) played most of the defensive tackle snaps. Donta Simpson played one snap.
▪ Besides Justin Scott’s low snap count, the other surprise was safety Bryce Fitzgerald receiving only six defensive snaps. Fitzgerald ranks among the nation’s leaders with three interceptions, in limited playing time.
From UM’s perspective, it’s difficult to remove Thomas and Poyser from the game because both have had good seasons.
▪ Even though UM said he’s available, Jojo Trader played only one snap on offense. At receiver, UM gave 57 snaps to freshman phenom Toney (who had nine catches for 135 yards), 60 to Daniels (7 catches for 74 yards), 40 to Keelan Marion, 7 to Joshua Moore and 1 to Trader and Tony Johnson. Toney played all but six offensive snaps.
▪ Though the offensive line shoulders some of the blame, none of the running backs were effective. Fletcher Jr. ran 8 times for 18 yards (2.3 average). CharMar Brown had three carries for nine yards (3.0) and Jordan Lyle had five carries for 15 yards (3.0).
UM gave 32 snaps to Fletcher, 21 to Brown and 20 to Lyle.
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
