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The State of Oklahoma: OU Travels to Miami

TheElusiveShadow — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Jacory Harris would like to forget last Saturday.

I've been thinking lately that people should start competitions on accurately predicting the Top 25 before the season, similar to how we do NCAA brackets for the March basketball tournament. As last weekend showed, nobody really knows anything. Texas, Florida, and Alabama cruised, but everyone under them went for a wild ride on a wooden raft. Some survived that ride, and others, well, went under. We'll see if they resurface anytime soon.

One of the teams that went down was the Miami Hurricanes, riding high after two impressive wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech. They were #9 Saturday morning, with some arguing they had the best resume through the first three weeks. By Sunday, they had plummeted to #21 in the Coaches Poll and #17 in the AP. Unlike other ranked teams, they did not lose to an unranked foe, with Virginia Tech coming into the game at #11. However, nobody expected the whipping the Hokies gave them, scoring the first 21 points and ultimately finishing with a 24-point victory. While it is possible for Miami to win the rest of their games, the margin by which they lost probably cost them any chance at a national title. Ouch.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, moved right on up the polls... by resting. They probably watched the carnage on TV and stuck their middle fingers out at all the analysts who made fun of them for falling against BYU. Make no mistake, the Sooners are now very much alive, and winning this weekend at Coral Gables may vault them back into the Top 5 if teams ahead of them falter again. The stakes this game are still high, and may even be higher (arguably) than if both teams came in undefeated. If Oklahoma loses one more, they are done as national title contenders. If Miami drops this one at home, they more or less fall off the radar. With the Horns off this week, this would be a good game on which to focus your attention.

Last Week's Fun

While Oklahoma was chilling, Miami was busy crapping the bed against Virginia Tech. I won't spend much time talking about the game; needless to say, despite their assurances to the contrary, the 'Canes were NOT ready for the weather and let turnovers kill them. In fact, the folks over at Gobbler Country seem to think the rain was the player of the game, so to speak. Of course, it didn't help that the Hokies dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and hammered Miami with Ryan Williams. Oh, and they blocked a punt for a TD, too.

To get an idea what Pouring Rain + Good Pressure does to an offense not prepared for it, let's take a brief look at Miami's high and mighty offense. Before this game, the Hurricanes averaged 465 yards of total offense at 7.27 yards per play. Jacory Harris averaged 328 yards per game at 11.12 yards per attempt, completed 69.5% of his passes including a 20-25 performance against Georgia Tech, and threw for 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions to earn a passer rating of 184.07. In the pouring rain against V-tech, with his trusty receivers having a bad case of the butterfingers, Harris was an abysmal 9/20 for 150 yards and one interception and a passer rating of 78.4. While Graig Cooper had a decent day running the ball, the 'Canes as a team averaged a terrible 1.74 ypc on the ground after averaging 4.7 against Georgia Tech. Other than their one scoring drive right after halftime, which was the result of a shorter field due to a good kickoff return, Miami was frighteningly bad on offense, gaining an average of 3.5 yards per play as a whole.

Defensively, Miami wasn't that much better. Tyrod Taylor did nothing in the passing game save a 48-yard touchdown, but there was no need for him to; the Hokies ran the ball on Miami, and then ran it again. They piled up 272 yards on 55 carries, and Miami couldn't get a whiff of Ryan Williams at the line of scrimmage and then made things worse by tackling poorly at the second level. It was a sharp difference from their performance against Georgia Tech.

It is difficult to say how much we can take from this. Obviously, everyone has their bad games, and the conditions of the game were not normal. However, I'm not sure how much you can blame getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage on the pouring rain. Maybe it made their jerseys heavier? In any case, Jacory Harris was not good but he didn't get any sort of help from his O-line or his receivers. A very painful day for the 'Canes.

Oklahoma and Miami Key Matchups

And with that, we move on to this week's game, which probably isn't looking nearly as good for Miami as it did a week ago. I'll briefly discuss a few key matchups:

Oklahoma's D-line vs. Miami's O-line

I'll be blunt: If Miami's offensive line plays anything like they did against Virginia Tech, Oklahoma is going to beat them and probably beat them badly. Even given better conditions that will help the passing game, Jacory Harris is going to have a steady diet of Gerald McCoy, Auston English, and Jeremy Beal if that happens again. V-Tech has a good defense, but I would put OU's defensive line over theirs. If OU quickly dominates in this area, Graig Cooper is going to have a rough day and Harris will have an even rougher day.

This unit was identified in the preseason as the weak link to the offense, lacking both experience and depth. Before Saturday, optimism reigned. After Saturday, pessimism "rained" (okay, bad joke). While Virginia Tech only got two sacks, they were on Harris all game. Jake Fox, the senior at left tackle, will have to play well against Oklahoma, and their new guards will have to hold their own against the monster that is Gerald McCoy. Cooper is one of their best players and they have to give him a chance to succeed this week.

Miami's D-line against Oklahoma's O-line

On the flip side, Oklahoma still has questions on their offensive line. They have eliminated some of the mistakes we saw against BYU and changed personnel a bit to try to find a good mix of players. Brody Eldridge, the best center in OU history, moved back to TE while Ben Habern took his spot. Cory Brandon lost his starting job at right tackle with Jarvis Jones sliding over from right guard. To replace Jones at RG, freshman Tyler Evans got the nod. This unit looks improved, but it's hard to judge much from victories over Idaho State and Tulsa. If Miami wants any hope at success, they need to test this line as BYU did.

Miami didn't get any sacks against Virginia Tech, but I don't look too much into that because Taylor only threw nine times. The Hurricanes have some speedy pass rushers that will need to be ready, because Oklahoma will most definitely throw more than that with Bradford or Landry. Still, Oklahoma is not deficient at running the football, and no doubt they saw Virginia Tech's success on the ground against this defense. Miami's defensive line was supposed to be a great strength of this team, and it has not quite lived up to that hype, although to be fair, a couple guys were out against V-Tech. Guys like Allen Bailey and Eric Moncur will need to have big games, among others. Miami has the requisite speed to pass rush; the issue will be in the middle, with an undersized guy in Bailey and a relative disappointment in Marcus Forston, a 2008 Freshman All-American. Forston was not active against V-Tech due to injury, but he did not produce as much as expected the first two games. I am not sure if he will be available against Oklahoma. If not, it doesn't help the situation.

Oklahoma will not run with the same style as Ryan Williams and the Hokies, but with Chris Brown and Demarco Murray, they are capable of doing damage in their own way. Not only that, Oklahoma possesses a much more dangerous passing game, so this line needs to make Landry Jones look like a freshman again or otherwise make Sam Bradford wish he stayed on the bench if he indeed comes back.

Miami's receivers vs. Oklahoma's secondary

Miami's receivers just seem to ooze talent and potential. This unit has speed, size, and big-play capability. Let's take a look at the main guys:

Travis Benjamin: Texas fans, meet Miami's version of D.J. Monroe, except his touches come primarily through the passing game. He stands at 5'10 and weighs a smallish 170 pounds, but boy, he can move it, even rumored to run a sub-4.3 forty. Whether or not you believe that is true, the point is taken: He's got speed and lots of it. The problem, however, is consistency; he was nowhere to be found against Virginia Tech, having zero catches including a drop. He also has not had too much success in the return game. The conditions will be better for him this Saturday, so Miami needs to do a better job finding ways to get the ball in his hands in space.

Aldarius Johnson: Johnson was supposed to be their stud receiver this season and he looks the part, listed as 6'3, 215 pounds and drawing comparisons to some guy named Andre Johnson. Unfortunately, [he pulled his groin against FSU and has been inactive], so right now, he's been a big disappointment, whether or not it's actually his fault. However, if it's time for a breakout game, now is the time to do it.

LaRon Byrd: Another big target who can run downfield, Byrd stands at 6'4 and weighs 215 pounds. He was held without a reception against the Seminoles but he had a big day against Georgia Tech, catching five balls for 83 yards and a score. He had 4 of Harris' 9 completions on Saturday.

Leonard Hankerson: Wait, are these receivers just all the same guy? It looks like it, as Hankerson is also listed at 215 pounds and stands at 6'3. Hankerson brings a lot of experience with him relative to the other receivers, and he is currently leading the team in receiving yards. His ceiling is not as high as the younger guys, but he's dangerous in his own right and provides a bit more consistency.

Dedrick Epps (Tight End): Tired of 6'3-6'4, 215 pounders? Well, here's a 6'4, 250-pound tight end. Epps is a quality player who can both block and catch the ball. He suffered an ACL injury before last year's bowl game and made it back for this season, albeit slightly slowed, but he's had decent production. Considering Oklahoma's troubles against BYU's tight ends, Epps will be a good target to look for.

Verdict: Oklahoma has not seen anything near this receiving corps. Oklahoma's secondary has played well after the BYU game, but even an offensively competent Tulsa has nothing like this. If Oklahoma's defensive line can be held in check, look for big plays from this group against Oklahoma's new safeties and average corners.

Other things to watch for

-Linebacker Sean Spence will need to have a strong game and do a good job of covering and tackling in space for Miami. V-Tech was way too successful on the ground after they cleared the line.

-Oklahoma is hoping that Brandon Caleb continues to step up, but keep an eye on the limited weaponry the Sooners have in the passing game. Miami doesn't have a great secondary, but Oklahoma's receivers aren't all that scary at the moment.

-Special teams. Miami can do some damage in the return game, though they might want to avoid getting another punt blocked.

-Miami has a fast defense, but perhaps an overly aggressive defense. Virginia Tech had success using misdirection plays, so look for OU to do the same.

-And of course, keep an eye on Sam Bradford. If he plays, that will be a big boost for the Sooners, even though Jones has played admirably in his place. Nonetheless, it will be a bit much to expect Bradford to return to form his very first game.

Useless Prediction

Before Miami got walloped by Virginia Tech, I was thinking that the Sooners might be in trouble. Now that Miami's O-line was exposed as the weak link it was thought to be in the beginning of the season, I'm not so sure. The game is at Coral Gables, which helps Miami a lot, but while I can excuse a poor passing day on the rain, I really can't excuse poor O-line play the same way. I like Miami's big receivers against Oklahoma's secondary, but that won't matter much if Jacory Harris can't get a clean look downfield. Harris, at the least, is a somewhat mobile quarterback, but he's not (pre-injury) Robert Griffin or anything.

In addition, the way Virginia Tech dominated the line of scrimmage on offense is concerning. Oklahoma does not have an elite offensive line, but if they have any sort of success on the ground, their more balanced offense can potentially do much more damage than the Hokies did. If Sam Bradford is back, he will still make use of Oklahoma's relatively average group of receivers and move on down the field.

Prediction time: I expect Miami's offensive and defensive lines to play much better, but their O-line will still not be good enough to keep Oklahoma's D-line out of the backfield on crucial plays. Due to this, Oklahoma will generate some turnovers, and they will have enough success running the football to keep the heat off of Bradford (assuming he plays) and put points on the board. Miami will have a few big plays to keep pace, but ultimately, Oklahoma will wear them down. Oklahoma wins a big road game, 31-21.

I obviously would not mind one bit if Miami proves me wrong :).

Poll

Who do you think will win between Oklahoma and Miami?

Oklahoma Sooners

461 votes

Miami Hurricanes

354 votes

815 votes | Poll has closed

Five Reasons For Concern Against The Miami Hurricanes

ccmachine — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:49:01 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

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Oklahoma fans get to enjoy a stress free weekend of college football with the Sooners off but I can't help but think about the Miami Hurricanes. I'm anxious to see them play against Virginia Tech and while I'm expecting the Hurricane offense challenged, possibly more than they've been all season, I'm not expecting a whole lot from the Tech offense. Even though Miami is an old nemesis, dating back to the mid-80's, Oklahoma fans should cheer for a Hurricane win. The only way for the Sooners to get back into the BCS Championship race is to beat ranked teams and with Miami currently ranked higher than they've been since 2005 it puts OU playing two ranked opponents in three weeks if they can maintain or improve that ranking.

If the Sooners could beat #9 Miami on October 3^rd and then #2 Texas on the 17^th it would go a long way towards redeeming a season that started so horribly. Of course as good as the opportunity is to play two Top 10 teams there is a reason why Miami and Texas are ranked where they are and the Sooners certainly have their worked cut out for them. Without even taking into consideration that Baylor is sandwiched in between these two games and that makes it a huge trap game there are several other things to be concerned about Oklahoma's trip to South Beach.

# 5 - Miami Is A Proven Team

Let's be very frank. OU has looked great the last two weeks but it was against Idaho State and a Tulsa team that left a lot to be desired. On the other hand Miami has a 2-0 record with wins at #18 Florida State and at home against then 14^th ranked Georgia Tech. In Oklahoma's only contest against a Top 25 opponent this season they were whipped upfront. This is OU's chance to prove to the nation that they've improved in the trenches.

#4 - Miami Hasn't Been Good To The Sooners

Dolphin Stadium/Landshark Stadium has not been good to the Sooners in recent years. Oklahoma has a 1-2 record here since the turn of the century. (photo via miamihitman)

Since Oklahoma's magical night in January 2001 Oklahoma's trips to Miami haven't been kind. A 55-19 loss to USC in 2005 and 24-14 loss to Florida this past January has the Sooners riding a two game losing streak in Miami. Coincidently the Sooners are also riding a two game losing streak against ranked opponents.

#3 - Miami's Defense Doesn't Mind Piling On

Football players are taught to play until the whistle blows and on defense you hit until the whistle blows. The Hurricanes are team tacklers in the sense that they'll lay the wood when the opportunity arises but from what I've seen they love team tackling. Miami's defense flies to the ball and if they get a ball carrier held up they'll have all 11 defenders jump on top of him if possible. As injuries have gone this season I'll be crossing my fingers with just about every tackle.

#2 - Miami's Receivers Always Seem To Be Open

Jacory Harris is completing almost 70% of his passes (69.5%) but as good as he is he owes a lot of credit to his receivers. They are young but explosive. Receivers Travis Benjamin and Leonard Hankerson are averaging 22.4 and 21.4 yards per reception respectively and tight end Dedrick Epps is emerging as one of the best around.

#1 Jacory Harris Plays In Slow Motion

We've already mentioned his completion percentage and the credit due to his receiving corps but Harris is a cool customer. Under pressure he's so calm that it almost appears that he's moving in slow motion. He's got a football savvy that's only allowed him to be sacked once, a head for the game where he almost always knows where his receivers are and the patience to make the right throw at the right time. Getting him to make mistakes won't be easy and getting him rattled will be even more difficult.

Florida State Film Review: A look into Florida State's First Down Pass Defense Against Miami

FSUncensored — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:49:40 -0000

After seeing that Freshman Safety Nick Moody will start over Senior Korey Mangum, who has his arm in a sling (mysteriously), this post should really help to explain why.

People often preach about establishing the run on first down, but the simple fact of the matter is that yards are yards. If a defense is putting all of its resources into stopping the run on first down, why not throw the ball? That is exactly what Miami did. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris torched the FSU defense on first downs, going an incredible 14-18 for 285 yards and two touchdowns, good for an unheard of 247 quarterback rating (yes, a few points from perfect). Florida State allowed almost 16 yards per passing play and over 20 yards per completion! Miami passed far more often than they ran on 1st down and yet FSU made very few adjustments.

And it wasn't just one or two long completions. Harris connected on passes of 40, 39, 31, 29, 27, 24, 20, 19, 18, 11, 8, 7, 6, and 5 yards. It continued throughout the game as FSU made no adjustments.

There are many reasons why a team might be able to have that kind of success on 1st down. Let's have a look at a few of the plays.

First up is a screen Miami ran. To open the game, they came out in an I-Formation. FSU countered with a 4-3 defense, in what looks to be some sort of cover-2 shell look. But UM was sneaky. They didn't use a fullback. Instead, they used two tailbacks, one of whom was the cousin of Edgerrin James. At the snap, Miami QB Jacory Harris drops back. The deep-set tailback runs a flair to the right, while the receivers run deep routes to make FSU's corners follow them. The tight end runs a short route to put himself in position to block. But most importantly, a very talented running back is playing the fullback position and is hiding behind a very big offensive line. As the snap, FSU DE Markus White and DT Kendrick Stewart rush upfield very quickly, as FSU defensive linemen are known to do. But the rush is dumb because they don't keep their heads up. They are rushing upfield without football smarts. Credit Miami's OC for knowing this. So Miami's offensive linemen block for two seconds, and then release. Here's the photo. A half second after this was taken, Miami's offensive linemen will let their men go, and Jacory Harris will flip the ball over the head of the defensive linemen and into the waiting arms of James (#5).

So Miami has two offensive linemen to block a single linebacker (Bradham, #13), and they have angles. Even though Bradham is an impressive player, he's doomed here. The result? 1/15 at Um29 Harris, J. screen pass complete to James, J. for 20 yards to the UM49, 1ST DOWN UM (Mangum, K), clock 14:46. To be honest, FSU didn't play this that poorly. It's just a very nice call.

But what of the other 18 passing plays on 1st down? Let's find out. Also, how did each member of the secondary play?

1st Down Pass Play #2: Play Action to Hankerson, Incomplete

After that screen pass, UM had 1st and 10 from the 48. Remember that FSU's run defense was really weak last year, and they were very concerned with stopping the run in this game. So Miami's Mark Whipple was smart and broke his tendencies. He went play-action. Miami again aligned in a standard I-Formation. They motioned a receiver in close to the tight end, then faked a handoff to the tailback. Look at this picture carefully (click to enlarge):

Pay attention to the blue line. That is the line of scrimmage. FSU has 7 players on the line of scrimmage or on Miami's side. That means that they only have 4 players in coverage. Miami has 7 blockers. This is a maximum protection, as only 3 players are running routes. You can see that Miami's right tackle has driven walk-on defensive end Craig Yarborough into the ground. The other rushers are being handles very easily. The key here is the linebackers. What will they do? Continue to rush the passer even though they are in a terrible position to continue, or drop back into coverage and hope to possibly alter a pass?

The answer is that Dekoda Watson and Kendal Smith continue to rush the passer, while Nigel Bradham drops back into coverage. He can't get to the RB (#30, top of picture), but he does sprint backwards quickly. And he does it quickly enough that Harris' pass is just a bit high for his intended receiever, who is running wide open, probebly because he wanted to loft it over his head. And why were they wide open?

Because Harris snapped this ball at 14:26 and didn't throw it until 14:21 You simply cannot play man to man defense for 5 seconds. A zone maybe, but not man-to-man without help. FSU's linebacker coach Chuck Amato is a bad coach and he simply must school his guys better. This is terrible play recognition and it falls on Amato. it is his job to teach his guys to do a better job. It is embarassing to root for a team whose linebackers play so stupidly. 8 yards to go to get to a QB who is already setup behind an 7-man protection? Don't rush, drop back.

So far, we've seen FSU play a pass pretty well and get burned, and FSU play a pass very poorly, and get lucky. On the next play, FSU would not get a great result out of poor play.

If you follow FSU football, you know that Mickey Andrews loves to play cover-1 on 1st down. That means P-Rob (bottom of screen, #21), is on a wideout. Our deep safety (off-screen) plays deep, Korey Mangum (#22) takes the slot receiver, Dekoda Watson takes one of the tight ends, and Jenijie takes another. Bradham takes the running back), and Kendal Smith looks to be mirroring the QB. I wish I could offer better analysis, but Mangum plays this soooo poorly that there just isn't much time to see the play. In any case, here's the look at the snap:

Mangum has the slot receiver, Travis Benjamin.

Mangum is still not in the picture, which is disappointing. Benjamin is extremely fast. Where is Mangum?

Ok, I had to rewind the tape ablout 10 times, but this is the first step Mangum took. Literally, he stood there flat-footed until Benjamin's 6th step. Seriously, I counted, Mangum's first step occurs on Benjamin's 6th step. Benjamin has all the momentum, and he is faster than Mangum. Mangum might think he can just turn Benjamin too the deep safety, but at this point, his technique is so bad that the safety will be of little help. And that is exactly what happened:

Yeah, that's Benjamin looking up for the ball, 4 yards past Manum even after slowing up. Mangum showed possibly the worse technique ever displayed by a DB. There is a chance that Mangum thought he was playing another coverage, but to be honest, I can't figure out what that would be. And neither couls his teammates. Bradham and the other defenders ripped into Mangum, he tried to explain himself, they told him he was wrong, and I captured this image as Mangum says "my bad", while slapping his head.

So yeah, TD Miami and it was way too easy. But there is also a Mickey Andrews problem here. FSU simply cannot let a rover man-up on a receiver. That's a mismatch.

1st Down Pass #4:

1/10 at Um24 Harris, J. screen pass complete to James, J. for 8 yards to the UM32 (Smith, K), clock 00:48. This is a screen just like the first of the game, only Bradham is not double teamed and handles Miami's tackle better. But the DL plays it poorly, as does Kendal Smith (again), and Miami gets 8 yards.

1st Down Pass Play # 5

1/10 at Um38 Harris, J. sacked for loss of 3 yards to the UM35 (Robinson, J), PENALTY UM holding (Pipho, M.) 10 yards to the UM28, NO PLAY, clock 14:16. This was Play-action, with excellent coverage, a 3-man route. Jenijie, Bradham, and P-Robinson all with excellent coverage. FSU read-blitzed (waited to see if man went into route, and if not, blitzed). The protection broke down and FSU got the sack, but they accepted the hold.

1st Down Pass Play #6

1/10 at Um22 Harris, J. deep pass complete to Hankerson, L. for 40 yards to the FS38, 1ST DOWN UM (Moody, N), clock 09:00.

This was a bad play. Miami is in the I-Formation, and FSU is too small to stop the run without using the extra man, so FSU plays 8 guys in the box, and plays their corners way off. See:

Once again, this is first down, and FSU is in cover-1 (one deep safety, everyone else in man coverage). Miami again goes to the play-action, and FSU bites hard, as most undisciplined defenses do. Luckily, Miami is using an 8-man protection (only 2 guys running a route). The problem here is that the corner is peeking into the backfield when he doesn't need to. When a corner is on an island, he must play his receiver and completely disregard the run. Freshman A.J. Alexander is defending the receiver on the play and he gets beat. Alexander does do a nice job to recover, however, so give him credit for that. The wideout makes a great catch too. Also, #10 Nick Moody, Freshman Strong Safety gets over too late. Moody should not be playing solo deep coverage. He's a hitter/ run stopper and not a deep cover guy. Jamie Robinson should do that:

Also, Mickey Andrews needs to play his starters and stop substituting so much. The problem of depth is one entirely of his own creation due to poor recruiting, and he can't continue to trust his backups like this is a defense of the 90's. it is not. This defense lacks talent and experience, and the defensive backs need to play almost every snap and not come out.

1st Down Pass Play #7

1/10 at Fs38 Harris, J. crossing pass complete to Hankerson, L. for 11 yards to the FS27, 1ST DOWN UM (Robinson, P), clock 08:32. Again, Cover-1, play action, no blitz, coverage is decent but in cover-1, crossing routes will hit and Harris puts this on the money.

1st Down Pass Play #8

1/10 at Fs27 Harris, J. sideline pass incomplete to James, J., PENALTY UM illegal block (Byrd, L.) 15 yards to the FS42, NO PLAY, clock 08:08. There's an important change here. FSU does not cover the slot receiver with their safety, but instead use a cornerback (imagine that). FSU blitzes one guy and Harris has to unload quickly. Bradham has superb coverage on the speedy Greg Cooper. Playing cover-1 without blitzing is really dumb. You have to force quick pressure. FSU didn't do that ofetn, but did here.

1st Down Pass Play #9

1/10 at Um25 Harris, J. crossing pass complete to Epps, D. for 19 yards to the UM44, 1ST DOWN UM (Robinson, J), clock 02:32.

I wish I could tell you who was covering the tight end who catches the ball, but the angle is terrible. Instead, let's see another example of Harris with NO pressure after a weak Play-action fake and a half-roll:

FSU's defensive line is garbage. Seriously, I am embarrassed to root for this group. There isnb't a player within 8 yards of Harris. He stands there and holds the ball forever befor e aguy finally comes open.

1st Down Pass Play # 10

1/10 at Um44 Harris, J. deep in pass complete to Collier, T. for 18 yards to the FS38, 1ST DOWN UM (Reid, G), clock 02:10.

Watch closely here, all of you who think Greg Reid should start in the base defense because of things he did that don't translate to the base defense...

I circled Reid and the player he is covering. Greg has inside leverage here, and his goal is to not let that man cross his care. But Greg uses poor technique and gets beat 18 yards down the field, across his face. BUT, we must also excuse Greg like we do the others because Harris once again had tons of time to throw the ball and you can't cover man-to-man for 5 seconds.

1st Down Pass Play # 11

1/10 at Fs23 Harris, J. middle pass complete to Johnson, A. for 6 yards to the FS17 (Jenije, O), clock 01:11.

FSU actually runs the prowler 1-5-5 defense here, and blitzes 5 men, but not very well. The pressure doesn't get to Harris, and Jenijie is playing so far off Johnson that even if the pressure did get there, Harris would have an easy throw. Blitzing with man coverage is designed to force a quick throw, and the corner must play close to his man. Poor job by Jenijie here:

He's 5 yards away from Johnson at the time of the catch.

1st Down Pass Play #12

Um 1/10 at Um20 Harris, J. post pass complete to Johnson, A. for 31 yards to the FS49, 1ST DOWN UM, clock 11:51.

This play is all on Jamie Robinson. Jenijie has outside leverage, sticks with Johnson for the most part, and Robinson is blowing the play by biting on the play-fake. Jenijie really plays this perfectly, but Robinson is so far out of position. I circled Robinson in Red and Jenijie in Yellow.

Robinson should be where the Seminole head is, and instead he is 12 yards out of position. Notice that Jenijie (someone who is taking way too much heat) is running even with the reciever and expects Robinson to be there.

1st Down Pass # 13

1/10 at Fs29 Harris, J. flag pass complete to Epps, D. for 27 yards to the FS2, 1ST DOWN UM, out-of-bounds (Robinson, J;Mangum, K), clock 04:36.

No video of this one. Just know that Mangum got burnt, but the QB had 5 full seconds to throw the ball and nobody came close to touching him. Want to get mad at a DB? Unload on Mangum, not Jenijie.

1st Down Pass # 14

This is a play-action pass the Miami's guy falls down an FSU brings a lot of pressure, on FSU's goal line.

1st Down pass # 15

29-yard post to Benjamin, Jenijie has coverage, but Mangum is no help over the middle (where he should be), and the linebackers bite hard on play-action, giving Harris a huge window to throw into. Blame Jenijie if you want the easy way out, but blame Mangum if you understand the play.

1st Down Pass # 16

This was a screen pass that Nigel Bradham recognized and blew up immediately. Great play.

1st Down Pass Play # 17

Miami splits their tailback/kick returner out wide. FSU responds by focering him with their MIDDLE LINEBACKER, with zero safety help over the top. That is a huge, huge, inexcuseable mismatch. This is one of the dumbest things Mickey Andrews has ever done in a game.

Seriously, Cooper beat him by 12 yards for the touchdown. Mickey has to give these guys a check to a zone coverage if they see this look. His failure to prepare these players is a joke.

1st Down Pass Play # 18

1/10 at Um41 Harris, J. middle pass complete to James, J. for 7 yards to the UM48 (Carr, N), clock 03:50. A simple Texas/Angle route from the runner. Miami ran this earlier in hte game and missed the throw, but against FSU's coverage schemes, thgis play will be open all of the time.

1st Down Pass Play # 19

1/10 at Fs48 Harris, J. middle pass complete to Hankerson, L. for 5 yards to the FS43, out-of-bounds (Reid, G), clock 02:32. This is a crossing route and I am not sure who was supposed to cover him. No pressure on the QB again, but it was a very quick pass. Greg Reid nice tackle after sucessfully covering his man.

So Why?

Why did FSU’s defense play so poorly? First, FSU’s run defense was awful in 2008:

Coming into this game, the ‘Noles were very concerned with stopping Miami’s running game. Their alignment showed their concern, and Miami did a nice job to recognize FSU’s plan. When FSU geared up to stop the run, Miami threw the ball.

But the bigger problem than FSU selling out to stop the run was their complete lack of a pass rush. In the Tomahawk Nation Preview, we discussed how FSU’s recruiting problems in 2006 and 2007 might hurt the ‘Noles as the defensive coaches did a poor job of recruiting in those years and as a result, FSU would be forced to rely on freshmen and sophomores along the defensive line. Florida State was only able to pressure Harris when they brought big blitzes, which exposed their secondary. You saw evidence of that on 3^rd down where FSU had two interceptions and their lone sack. But on first down, FSU did not blitz. Miami’s offensive line easily held their own against Florida State’s defensive line and Harris had all the time in the world to sit in the pocket, go through all of his reads and deliver an accurate ball– usually to a wide open receiver. While FSU’s secondary will receive a lot of the blame, that analysis is shortsighted. The ‘Nole defensive backs didn’t play well, but there isn’t a secondary in college football that can cover for six or seven seconds, and unfortunately for ‘Nole fans, that is exactly what they were forced to do. Give Miami a lot of credit for going into Tallahassee and grabbing the win, but Florida State’s defensive coaches set this current defense up for failure through their actions in 2006 and 2007, and exacerbated those problems by failing to make adjustments throughout the game.

What now? A few conclusions:

Bench Korey Mangum. He is truly terrible, not likely to get better, and as a Senior, will not be around next year. Luckily for the Noles, Mangum's arm is in a sling and Nick Moody will be the starter tomorrow against Jacksonville State (preview coming tomorrow). Moody is far from perfect and it will be interesting to see how the freshman plays. FSU needs to use him in a specific way.
Don't bench Jenijie yet. Everyone wants Greg Reid, and Reid made some great plays, but he made them free-lancing. Thay works in a Nickel package with help over the top, but to be the #2 corner his primary responsibility is just to stick with his man, something Jenijie already did pretty well, and something Greg has not shown he can do yet. Andrews is right when he says "Reid is trying to do too much. There's a difference between playing inside with help and outside on the island." Reid will be a phenomenal corner in time, but seeing that our next 3 opponents all play the spread, and 3+ corners will be needed, leaving Greg in the Nickel slot makes the most sense. Allow him to free-lance without subjecting the team to disaster.
None of our DB's will look good without a pass rush.
Patrick Robinson had great coverage on almost every one of Miami's pass plays. His tackling, however, was poor.
Jamie Robinson showed good range, but did blow two crucial assignments.
It's clear how much the defense heard about their troubles with the run. They bit on play-action harder than I've ever seen them bite.

September is for Juniors: Florida State 2011 Recruiting Focus

SWFLNole. — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:29:38 -0000

All around the country high school football teams have begun their season, and the future stars of big-time college football are starting to shine on the field not just in camps, combines, and passing leagues. September 1st is the first day that juniors can be officially offered by prospective colleges. A player must have seperated themselves from the pack to get an offer from Florida State before they even touch the field in 11th grade. In this focus we will look at the players that received FSU offers, some that we believe should, and some to keep an eye on if you are in the area.

I have made it more than clear over the last few months how loaded the 2011 class is. There are probably 5 QBs nationwide that would be #1 overall QB this year. If I made a top 20 of FL right now, probably 13-14 of them would come from 2011. It is deep too, really deep. Especially in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; we need to clean up 2011, this is our shot at a top 3 class. We started this off yesterday with a little preview including video on S/RB Calvin Pryor of Port St. Joe and LB Jermaine Holmes of Valdosta, GA. Now there is tons of videos for you all to feast your eyes on these recruits for yourself, so continue reading and watching. Remember that people sometimes put loud music on recruiting videos.

These players have already been offered by Florida State or told an offer is on the way:

OL La'El Collins: Baton Rouge, LA (Redmptorist)- 6'5'' 285, 5.5-- Been offered by a ton of teams, including in-state LSU and defending national champion UF. That can't be good.

RB Isaiah Crowell: Columbus, GA (Carver)- 5'11'' 190-- Crowell is lightning in a bottle, very exciting. However, UGA is a heavy favorite for this stud RB.

DB Tyler Hunter: Valdosta, GA (Lowndes)- 6'0'' 190, 4.5-- May be able to play CB or S for us, either way he should be a fine player. He lays the wood, and has a truly impressive frame for how athletic he is. He loves the Noles and goes to our biggest current pipeline. He is currently ripping it up in Georgia high school football. If Hunter keeps up this pace, he will more than likely be a 5*. Reminds some of former Ohio State DB and first round pick Chris Gamble and still some others of current LSU CB Patrick Johnson/Peterson.

RB Eric Beverly : Jacksonville, FL (First Coast)- 5'11'' 205-- Jimbo offered him after seeing him at a camp. He is a big back with a lot of ability. I want to see more film than I have before I jump on the bandwagon though; what I have seen didn't impress me very much at all. First Coast is also a bigtime supplier of talented football players for the Noles.

ATH Hakeem Flowers: Greenville, SC (Wade Hampton)- 6'3'' 180-- My current "crush" at the moment. This kid is freaky athletic. Usually there is one name that I never use as a comparison because it is difficult to find someone like him, but I will invoke the name Antonio Cromartie with Flowers. I've been told he can play CB, lock down a whole side of a field as a FS, and he is a very good WR as well. Video here and here.

Hakeem Flowers #8 South Carolina Football 2011 (via Generals20111)

RB Jeremy Hill: Baton Rouge, LA (Redmptorist)- 6'1'' 220 4.6-- A big bruising back, but LSU has offered and that usually means they get their player when they are from Louisiana.

DE Ray Drew: Thomasville, GA (Thomas County Central)- 6'5'' 236-- I did a story on Ray Drew here. He is a great kid, a possible 5* and the Seminoles look to be in good standing.

DT Tim Jernigan: Lake City, FL (Columbia)- 6'2'' 275-- Unblockable. Extremly physically mature for his age. 5* lock. He has the Gators out front but is close with Charlie Strong who may be leaving soon. FSU is in second and it is not a done deal by any means.

QB Christian LeMay: Matthews, NC (Butler)- 6'2'' 200, 4.6-- Lemay is a future star QB. He has excellent fundamentals in his dropback, he can be inaccurate at times because he doesn't repeat his delivery very well. However he has a strong arm, he can make all the throws we need. He is athletic, a pocket passer who can run as well. I am very high on him and it will be a UF-FSU battle.

Christian Lemay 08 2 (via champexpect2win7)

OL Tyler Moore: Clearwater, FL (Countryside)- 6'6'' 290-- Just a stud who is already big enough to play college football. He has distinct ties to Nebraska and has said he likes UF as well. It doesn't look good for FSU.

LB Denzel Perryman: Coral Gables, FL (Coral Gables)- 5'11'' 210-- Denzel is on everyone's watch list and for good reason. He is athletic to the gills and goes sideline to sideline. Apparently he has said FSU leads to some people, however I would be shocked if that were the case. I think UM is way out front.

TE Jay Rome: Valdosta, GA (Valdosta)- 6'6'' 227-- Jay will be a national recruit, with a ticket to any school that he wants when all is said and done. He is a legacy to Clemson and has them in the #1 spot. I'd imagine FSU is #2, but there is a big gap there.

DB Nick Waisome: Groveland, FL (South Lake)- 5'10'' 165, 4.4 -- He has just killed the offseason and people who have worked with him rave about his potential. He is a UF lean at this point, but Florida State has been heavily involved throughout the process and will continue to be. Video here.

ATH Karlos Williams: Davenport, FL (Ridge)- 6'1'' 180 -- Everybody knows about Karlos, the only question at this point is what position will he play in college. His older brother Vince is a LB here, and I think FSU is way ahead of all the other schools. I won't say lock, but he should be a Nole.

Karlos Williams (via SunshinePreps)

DT Gabriel Wright: Columbus, GA (Carver)- 6'2'' 260-- Teammate of Isiah Crowell. UGA Lean probably, I really like this kid a lot.

Gabriel Wright 10th grade highlights (via marcuswright82)

LB Serderius Bryant: Sanford, FL (Seminole)- 6'0'' 202, 4.5-- A LB that needs to add a little weight but can run and packs a punch already. I think UM is in good shape here.

Seminole Bryant 2008 (via 5996240129)

I would add these players, and throw an offer at them:

WR Kelvin Benjamin: Glades Central- Love the way his hips move for a kid his size. Most believe he will move to TE but I really could see him staying outside. Henry Orelus is working those lines, FSU might have a shot. He is related to Travis Benjamin of UM fame. Video Here.

QB/WR Teddy Bridgewater: Miami Northwestern- Wants to play WR in college which I think is a good decision for his future career. He is a national recruit at either position. MNW players go to UM.

Teddy "Heisman" Bridgewater #5 (via genron187)

RB Jeff Dyson: Thomasville High- An electric runner who just glides, teams will be all over him if they aren't already. Hopefully Dexter Carter and our Thomasville connections can help out on this front. We put up video of him in the WORT before yesterday's.

Jeff Dyson (via FSUfrenzy911)

LB James Wilder: Tampa Plant- He is a great all around LB and possibly the best defensive player in the state for the 2011 cycle; it is between him and Jernigan. He has UF in front, and may have grades issues.

James wilder (via 32wilder)

ATH Pop Saunders: Deland- He can pick his position for all I care, just get him in Garnet and Gold. Being heavily recruited by Clemson, I think they lead at this point. Very very good acceleration. We hope that his teammate OL Trey Pettis (FSU lock) helps us out here.

#2 De'Ante "Poppa" Saunders Sophomore QB/RB/DB Deland Bulldogs (via volusiahunter)

FSU has their eyes on (and so does TN) Panhandle kids:

DE Deion Lee: Ft. Walton (Lee)- Lee is a kid you won't see on a whole host of watch lists, although some people are paying attention to his huge upside. I had him in my FL top 20, and would do it again if I made it today. He is freaky athletic, playing WR and DE and starting at both as a Freshman. He was at the FSU/UM game last weekend, and there have been a lot of rumors saying that FSU is in good shape for him, obviously we do very well in the panhandle. This film is when he was a freshman, pretty good for his age.

DT Kevin Mitchell: Jacksonville (First Coast)- Kevin Mitchell is a kid that burst onto the scene this off-season and plays on the same line as Tavaris Barnes. I have seen combine tape, but can't find any free game tape, he has a very good first step inside and not quite as good to his outside but he is definitely explosive. I love the kid's frame at 6'5'' 265 measured just before his Junior season, and running in the 5.1/5.03 (40/Shuttle) range. His dad played basketball at FSU, and he goes to Jacksonville First Coast. He was also at FSU/UM.

ATH Mike Reynolds: Tallahassee (Lincoln)- Mike plays dang near every snap at Lincoln, returning kicks and punts, taking time at CB, S, and WR. He had a ton of kick return TDs on JV last year before he finally moved up. I like him at WR, but Safety is an option too, CB is not. He has great burst but not the crazy top gear, more quick than fast. However he has outstanding ball skills, I saw him make a great diving catch against Niceville last week. I have also seen free film, however I am not aloud to link or upload to it unfortunately.

'Nole Your Enemy: The Miami Hurricanes' Offense

FSUncensored — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:51:10 -0000

We continue our " 'Nole Your Enemy" Series with The Miami Hurricanes. Yesterday we looked at Miami's defense. Today, we'll discuss the offense. Previously we looked at South Florida (Offense, Defense) and continued with BYU's Offense and Defense. Last week we previewed BC's Offense and the Boston College Defense, and UNC's Offense, and Defense.

This year, the Hurricanes have a new offensive coordinator after firing Patrick Nix. The new man is Mark Whipple. Tomahawk Nation discussed him previously, here (HS Coach breaks down his film from his last stop at UMass.). Whipple is decidedly pro-style. We can now add to that report, as one cane player recently revealed that Miami has been running a lot of shotgun with 3 or 4 wide receivers. By all accounts,when Miami spreads, they will spread to throw, not spread to run, as their young quarterback isn't spectacularly fast, and he has no capable backup. I also expect to see a lot of Shotgun with 2 backs, as Miami showed in the spring game.

As usual, we will look at last year's team, discuss personnel changes, and then try to give you the best idea of what MIami will run Monday night. How good was Miami's offense last season? Let's use advanced measures which disregard performance after a game is already a blowout, and adjusts for opponent!

So Miami had an offense in the bottom half of the middle group of ACC offenses. But we can go much more in-depth than this- and we will.

Miami has about the 45th best offense in the country last year, in terms of efficiency on a drive-by-drive basis. That's not impressive, but it isn't anywhere near as horrible as their defense. For whatever reason, that isn't getting much press, but I digress. It is of course reputation, not performance, that carries the day.

Let's have a look at their play-by-play basis, using the Varsity Numbers S&P+ system, developed by Bill Connelley:

By this measure, Miami again had an offense in the middle of the conference, 58th nationally.

But what about in conference play? The ACC plays the best defense in the country (most defensive minded head coaches, most defenses in the top 10, 15, and 25, and most NFL 1st round defensive draft picks over the last 3 years).

So once they got into ACC play, the Canes were better. They went from the bottom of the middle group to the top of the middle group! Their overall numbers were dampened down by their UCF performance (20 points).

So we're looking at a group that rounded into form by the mid-season mark. But what were their strengths and weaknesses?

Again, Miami's passing offense was at the top of the middle group, in conference play. I try to use conference play because the opponent adjustments are less severe. If their passing offense was slightly above average, and their total offense was slightly above average, what do you think their rushing offense was?

Miami had the 4th best rushing game in conference, which is consistent with everything else we have seen.

I have to ask the question... if Miami wants to continually spew the "youth" moniker, why fire the guy who led that "youth" to an above average offense in a conference that sent 10 teams to bowl games?

So this year the Canes return most of their offense.

Quarterback

Under Center, the canes have Jacory Harris. He was a highly touted QB out of Miami Northwestern and played well at times last season. The 6'4" 188lb Sophomore is now the unquestioned leader of the team because Robert Marve and two other scholarship quarterbacks transferred this off-season. Miami has no depth at quarterback, which could lead to a more conservative scheme from Whipple than he'd prefer (as the linked article at the beginning of this story notes, Whipple wants to run 5 guys out in routes- now he might have to keep a back or a tight end in to block). Let's look at Harris' numbers from a season ago:

Opponent Result Att Comp Pct. Yards Yards/Att TD Int Rating Charleston So. W 52-7 26 16 62 190 7.3 1 0 136 @ 1 Florida L 3-26 4 2 50 10 2.5 0 0 71 @ Texas A&M W 41-23 7 4 57 27 3.9 0 0 90 North Carolina L 24-28 6 4 67 39 6.5 0 0 121 21 Florida St. L 39-41 7 3 43 32 4.6 0 1 53 UCF W 20-14 6 4 67 14 2.3 0 0 86 @ Duke W 49-31 28 18 64 185 6.6 4 2 153 Wake Forest W 16-10 8 4 50 41 5.1 0 0 93 @ Virginia W 24-17 21 12 57 160 7.6 2 0 153 15 Virginia Tech W 16-14 2 1 50 3 1.5 0 0 63 @ 22 Georgia Tech L 23-41 18 13 72 162 9 2 1 173 @ North Carolina St. L 28-38 20 12 60 138 6.9 1 2 114 + California L 17-24 41 25 61 194 4.7 2 1 112 Totals 194 118 61 1195 6.2 12 7 126

Okay, some of those look pretty good, but let's have a closer look. My conclusion is that we should call Jacory Harris the "garbage man."

Statically, Harris' most impressive game came against Georgia Tech. I was surprised by this because I didn't remember him having a great game against the Yellow-Jackets. So I dialed up that game on my DVR and watched. Guess what? All of Harris' rushing yards and 131 of his 162 passing yards came in the 4th quarter. Big deal? Well, the Canes were down 41-10 at the start of the 4th quarter. It was garbage time. Georgia Tech had shut it down. Stats are a great tool as a record of performance, but here again we see why you have to look at them in context, and remove garbage time possessions. Real-Time Jacory: 4-7, 31 yards, 0 Touchdowns, 1 Interception. Garbage Time Jacory: 9-11, 131 yards, 2 Touchdowns, No interceptions.
Against North Carolina State, he again pumped his stats when the game was already over. With 2:35 left in the game, the Wolfpack went up 38-21 and the game was over.. Then Jacory "Garbage Time" Harris took over. He rushed twice for 20 yards, and went 4-6 for 51 yards and his only touchdown. If only he could play that well in real time (8-14, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1, INT- far less impressive).
Not as big of a deal here, but against Duke, the game was over at 41-24, with 7:48 left, and Harris went 3-4 for 36 yards.
This isn't specifically garbage time, but Duke had by far the ACC's worst pass defense last year, and it wasn't even close. Still, I will not classify the entire Duke game as garbage time, though I am tempted.

While it is admirable and smart for Miami to get some work in for their young quarterback, a lot of Harris' good efforts came when the defense was no longer trying and the outcome of the game was no longer in question. This is pretty remarkable.

Jacory Harris in ACC Play	ATT	COMP	YARDS	%	YARDS/ ATTEMPT	TD	INT	Rating
Real Time	89	51	542	57%	6.1	6	6	117
Garbage Time	21	16	218	76%	10.4	3	0	210

So in his garbage time performances, Jacory Harris was the best quarterback in the history of college football. Literally. 210 is just insane.

In watching Harris' tapes, he seems to have average arm strength, but is pretty accurate. Harris is good at lofting balls over the head of opposing defenders, particularly over linebackers. It's important to take good drops against Harris.

Here are two you-tube clips if you are so inclined.

Jacory Harris (via pimpflex88)

Jacory Harris leads Miami to a game tying TD vs. UVA (via rusty98um11)

Harris is a decent runner, but he isn't great. He isn't afraid to scramble out of the pocket, if necessary, and throws well on the run, so maintaining contain will be paramount. But it's doubtful he will be utilized on any designed runs, due to the aforementioned lack of quarterback depth. He does have a really smooth delivery and a calm demeanor, however, which has to be encouraging for Canes fans.

The question of how much Harris has improved is yet to be answered. Has he grasped the new offense under Whipple? Does he have the arm to throw all the things Whipple wants to throw. Can he fit the ball into tight windows? Will he have the patience for some slower-developing routes to come open if Whipple decided to keep extra blockers in for pass protection? I'll speculate about this tomorrow in the official TomahawkNation preview, and we'll find out Monday Night.

Running Backs

Miami has a stable of talented backs. It starts with he electric 6'0" 200lb Greg Cooper. Cooper had a good game going against the 'Noles last year, before the Canes abandoned the run. He can take any run to the house, though needs to be more consistent on a down-to-down basis. He also has great hands, and Miami will throw him the ball a lot this year. It's not unreasonable to think he could average 4 catches per game. Complimenting Cooper is Javarris James. Like Cooper, the 6'0" 215lb Senior, gets hurt quite often. When healthy though, he is Miami's best back and excels at keeping the chains moving. James isn't the best home-run threat, but he is difficult for DB's to tackle when he runs with momentum. Also in the mix are 5'10" 180lb scatback Lee Chambers, who will catch some balls for the Canes this year. The Canes use a fullback he is 5'9" 255lb Patrick Hill. Hill is a very good blocker, but he doesn't run or catch the ball often. He's an excellent candidate to stay in and block when the Canes throw the ball. And there's one more name you should know- Mike James. The 5'10" 220lb Sophomore has dazzled Cane fans throughout practice and on some days he looks like Miami's best back. Not listed in the two-deep, it's uncertain how much playing time he will get.

Miami has preached staying true to the run and pounding the rock this year. With their full compliment of backs healthy (unlike last year), Miami will look to run the ball right at Florida State, and do it often, particularly if the weather is poor.

Wide Receivers

This is by far Miami's most impressive unit. They have 7 targets rated 4* or better. Almost every team in the country would trade their lot for Miami's. The most physically impressive is 6'2" 205lb Sophomore Aldarious Johnson. Physically, he reminds me of Andre Johnson (former Cane great now with the Houston Texans), though he is nowhere near as good yet. He went to high school with Harris, and they have a great rapport. Up next is 6'4" 215lb Sophomore Laron Byrd. He is a serious big-play threat and should remind FSU fans of Jarmon Fortson, or NFL fans of Braylon Edwards. Byrd is also a serious threat in the red-zone. He needs to work on his consistency, but the tools are there. 6'3" 215lb Junior Leonard Hankerson has been named a starter as well, and he's the elder statesman of this group. Not the freak athlete that Byrd is, he is a big body with good hands who can consistently move the chains. Profiled last week was 5'10" 165lb Sophomore Travis Benjamin. He killed FSU last year, running a reverse for a score, catching a pass for a score, and amassing an insane performance on kickoffs. At Tight End, the Canes feature 6'3" 250lb Senior Dedrick Epps. Epps isn't special, but he is solid and can hurt the Noles if they don't cover the tight end, like many Cane tight ends have not. Career underachiever Richard Gordon has been in and out of Shannon's doghouse, but the 6'4" 270lb Senior might be a threat in multiple tight end sets. With his size, he is a good blocker and an excellent red-zone threat. Don't sleep on 6'8" Tight End (and Cane basketball player) Jimmy Graham. He's impressed with his hands, and while not a blocker, is a very raw but very scary receiving threat.

I'll discuss this more tomorrow, but Miami's receiving corps looks to have a personnel advantage over the Noles.

Offensive Line

The most important group on the field gave Miami some trouble last year. On the whole, their linemen were big, but not particularly strong or flexible, and obviously out of shape. This year they return 3 starters and have 6 players who have game experience. This unit sould be considerably better. At Left Tackle is 6'7" 310lb former tight end Jason Fox. Fox is the rock of this group, an excellent pass protector and average run blocker. He allows the canes to focus their protections on blitzers and weaker areas of the line. At Right Tackle is 6'7" 305lb Matt Piphi, who can best be described as average. He could impress this season but isn't particularly talented and has shown nothing to warrant praise to this point. He is a new starter. At left guard will be 6'7" 334lb Orlando Franklin. Franklin is huge and was highly touted coming out of high school. He is a Junior and started 11 games last year. Very inconsistent, he also resembles an alien. If he can put it all together, he will be very good for the Canes. In a somewhat surprising move, 6'2" 320lb Sophomore Harland Gunn beat out Joel Figueroa for the starting right guard position. Gunn is the better athlete than Figueroa, though 30lbs smaller, and Cane fans look to have a good one in him. He's obviously going to be mistake prone in his first ever Canes game. Moving from Guard to Center 6'3" 310lb A.J. Trump. He's a smart Senior with good feet, and has over 15 starts at various line positions.

I'll discuss this more tomorrow, but Miami's offensive line was wildly inconsistent last season. They lacked effort and at times Cane fans had to be embarrassed with their performance. They are more experience dthis year, and under a new offensive staff, they almost have to be better.

I expect Miami's offense to make the jump from the Mid 40's to the high 20's or lower 30's this year. Everything points to them being better. Tomorrow, I'll discuss why they might not be better in the game 'Nole fans care about- the Labor Day Showdown.

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Information Cupcakes: Saturday Spring Scrimmage

The Great Barstoolio — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:46:00 -0000

The Canes' first scrimmage of spring yesterday was open to media. What they're saying [read more here, here, here, here, and here]:

Jacory Harris was killing it. He went 17-for-17 passing until Vaughn Telemaque made a crazy one-handed, backward-reaching INT in the end zone on his last pass, meant for TE Daniel Adderly. Several sites noted that Jacory's throwing motion has been corrected into something more compact and he seems extremely comfortable and capable in Whipple's pro-set. Jacory says Whipple has been throwing 40 plays a day at them in practice to get them up to speed, and the team is at this point where they were in two-a-days last year.
Speaking of Whipple (who is reported to have said upon being introduced at a UM function, "Happy to be here, and I plan on fixing everything that has gone wrong with your offense...thank you."), the recurring theme among scrimmage reports is that the offense is a MAJOR upgrade. Whipple is using all available weapons, the qb's are allowed to thrown downfield, and the tight ends are involved heavily. Attendees say it couldn't be more different than last year's offense (THANK GOD).
Randy Phillips positively destroyed Tommy Streeter with a hit that left Streeter on the ground for 30 seconds and seemingly wobbly even as the scrimmage ended.
Arthur Brown stuck Lee Chambers in memorable fashion at the goal line, getting a huge reaction from those in attendance. Brown is excelling as the second-team's middle linebacker. Chambers later suffered a separated/dislocated/is there a difference? shoulder but is okay.
Daniel Adderly, who nearly transferred and agreed to use this semester as a try-out, is having a great spring - he made several memorable plays including a TD catch in the end zone and winning a jump battle against DeMarcus Van Dyke.
Early enrollees: All six took part in the scrimmage. Mike James continues to impress Randy Shannon: "He had some nice runs today. No, he doesn’t look like a freshman. He’s a smart kid, who’s picking up the offense well. We added some stuff this week in practice, and he might have had one little bust on it, but for the most part, he’s picking up the offense. He’s catching the ball well and running the ball good. It’s only going to make Javarris and Cooper a lot better. When you see those guys competing with a Mike James, it’s only going to make us a better football team." Brandon McGee returned aCannon Smith INT all the way, diving into the end zone for a score. McGee recently suffered a spiral fracture to a finger and will be out for six weeks after surgery to insert two pins.
Travis Benjamin was held out after a minor leg injury suffered in track.
Graig Cooper threw a 45-yard TD pass to LaRon Byrd after receiving the ball on a swing from Jacory. Unfortunately, it was likely the best ball of the day not thrown by Harris - Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith have a long way to go.
Oh, yes: the defense won by 1.

Know Thy Enemy: Scouting the Miami Hurricanes

HydroTech — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:00:07 -0000

Well, with the bowl game only a few days away, I guess it's time to get familiar with Miami's team.

I don't have videos of Miami so I turned to the next best thing: YouTube. Looking at Miami highlight videos on YouTube is hardly a way to go to get a comprehensive scouting report on Miami, but it's better than nothing. Most of the highlights are purely offensive highlights and thus we're only really going to get a look at their offense. Furthermore, because I only looked at two different games, we may not be getting an entire picture of what their offense is like. But like I said, it's better than nothing.

If anything, after reading this post, I guess you should have somewhat of an idea of how Miami's offense runs and what they like to do.

So with that intro, let's get to the videos and my commentary after the jump....

So here are a few video highlights from Youtube. Below each video are my thoughts. If you click on the youtube video and go to the YouTube website, you can watch the videos in high def which makes things easier to see. I highly suggest watching in high def so you can see stuff. I guess if you have a widescreen monitor, you can have the blog open in one window so you can read my thoughts, and the video in the other window.

0:02 - Note big ass wide receiver, #4, Aldarius Johnson. 6'2" 205 lbs. Possible size mis-match against Syd'Quan Thompson.

0:22 - Miami RB Graig Cooper is a pretty fast runningback. He's tall at 6'0" and plays tall. Go for the legs to trip up since he plays tall.

0:34 - Miami is in shotgun. Note the balance of the formation with the 2 receivers on each side. Cal runs out of the same formation. This play is a shotgun trap with a backside tackle pull. Cal used to run this play a lot in 2006 but has since retired it.

1:07 - Miami is in a 3 WR formation under center. Cal runs plays out of the same formation. On this play Miami attacks North Carolina's zone defense (looks to be a cover 2) with the typical slot seam route. Cal often plays cover 2 and will have to be aware of this.

1:32 - Note to Alamar: PR Travis Benjamin is fast. Please have the punt coverage team ready. Look out for directional returns to the open side of the field.

2:14 - 3rd and 9. Miami is in shotgun and runs a middle screen to the runningback. Very similar to what Cal does. Miami QB and OL do an excellent job selling the screen. Becoming somewhat apparent that Mami RB Cooper is a very vertical runner with only occasional cuts.

2:39 - Miami in shotgun for a 3rd and 5. Again, another very similar formation to one which Cal uses. Specifically, note the TE off the LOS, which is something that Cal just started doing this year with the addition of Cignetti.

2:50 - Miami goes back under center for a 1st and 10. This is a playaction bootleg. Note the backside tackle pull to sell the run. Miami's RB gave away that this was a pass play by lining up 6 yards deep instead of the typical 7 yards deep. Cal can carefully watch the Miami RB depth to clue in on runs or passes. Deeper alignments mean runs, shorter alignments mean pass.

3:04 - Good discipline by Miami defense to stick with their men and not get fooled by the playaction. Cal should be aware that Miami may not bite on playaction bootlegs and thus use it sparingly or avoid it completely.

3:37 - Miami QB Marve shows good mobility. Marve will not play against Cal for the bowl game due to a suspension for missing class.

4:07 - Miami under center for a 2nd and long. Note that RB Cooper was at his typical 7 yards deep position and the result was a run play. Again Cooper shows his style is vertical running with little to no cuts. Excellent speed up the holes though.

4:18 - Miami in shotgun on a 3rd and Goal from the 4 yardline. Miami obviously isn't afraid to go to shotgun when so close to the goalline due to the mobility of their QBs. Cal defense will need to be especially aware of the scrambling QB when defending the endzone in the redzone. Fantastic throw by Marve across his body.

5:11 - Miami RB Cooper is 7 yards deep, and it's a run (tendency to look for). Again, Cooper likes to go vertical fast, even after he bounces outside for a few yards, he still tries to go vertical fast. Cal will have to play excellent gap assignment otherwise Cooper will blow through the gaps and be gone for 6.

5:21 - North Carolina faces a 3rd and 9. Miami zone blitzes. Watch Miami's DT drop back into the hook zones. This is something the Cal offense should be aware of.

5:35 - Miami attacks the seams again to defeat the cover 2. Miami QB Marve gets the ball out fast, and can do so because Miami has fast WRs. Cal's pass rush will need to get pressure even quicker. Cal needs to maintain good LB depth to take away those moderate passes over the middle. Might consider using Cover 3 to tighten up the vertical seams between the safeties.

5:56 - Again, Miami attacks the zone defense's vertical seams with seam routes. Miami QB will place the ball high for the WRs to jump up and get as well as hung out to dry - big hit opportunities.

0:32 - Note: as seen in the highlights against North Carolina and in the video above, when Miami runs out of the I-Formation, the backside tackle doesn't block the defensive end but instead takes on the backside linebacker. The fullback kicks out the backside DE with a cut block. It's something to take note of although Miami might try to attack the Cal 3-4 defense differently.

1:20 - Miami QB Jacory Harris shows good escapability and speed. Very tall - will be able to throw over the DL.

1:35 - Miami runs an end around to speedy WR Travis Benjamin. Cal should be aware of this play. Backside Cal defenders cannot be lazy or give up their assignments.

2:05 - Speed WR Travis Benjamin will be returning kickoffs. Must maintain the kickoff coverage net and not give Benjamin lanes to burst through.

2:40 - Once again, Benjamin shows he has the speed to get to the corner and turn the corner. Cal defenders all across the field must not give up on the play or be lazy.

3:25 - Beware of possible double pass. Deep safeties cannot play too aggressively. Miami will take advantage of overly aggressive safeties.

5:00 - Miami punter shows good speed. Possible fake-punt threat.

5:10 - We saw these types of throws in the North Carolina footage. Beware of the 15-18 yard digs from the slot WRs. Linebacker interception opportunities if they read the route and the eyes of the QB.

6:40 - Beware of overloaded formations with all receivers to one side. Remember, the end lineman remains eligible unless covered.

Conclusion:

This is a very narrow look at Miami - I know and apologize. But it's better than nothing.

From what I can see, Miami runs a fairly similar offense to ours actually. They will use shotgun with 3 WRs. They will use the I-Formation (although I don't remember seeing them using the weak-I and strong-I such as us). They will go under center with 3 WRs which is something we do although less often in 2008 than in 2006 and 2007. They will trap run from the gun, and zone read from the gun. They screen like us. They end-around like us. They'll trick play double pass like us. They really look fairly similar to us on offense aside from the fact that they don't use 12 personnel as much as we do (2 WRs, 2 TEs, 1 RB) and don't appear to use the variety of I-formations as us. Their blocking schemes are different too.

Things we should really look out for:

(1) The scrambling QB. Jacory Harris is a guy who can scramble. He can get yards with his feet and create passing opportunities with his feet. Gregory will probably use the typical zone defenses to lock down the WRs and at the same time the zone defenders will act as spies on Harris. This seems to be Gregory's typical gameplan when it comes to facing mobile QBs in shotgun spread formations.

(2) The speed of the WRs. Miami's WRs are all pretty fast. Especially that little freshman dude, Travis Benjamin. Miami's WRs will get down the field quickly and thus the ball can come out quickly minimizing sacks.

(3) Travis Benjamin (speed WR). Miami looks to use him as we did with THA1 (Desean Jackson). They'll end-around to him. Use him as screen bait for double passes. He's their "impact player" (for you NCAA Football gamers out there). He's the "home-run threat" for you other cliche loving football fans out there. He'll be lined up at flanker almost exclusively and spread wide (not in the slot) to stretch the defense.

(4) Graig Cooper (runningback). He's a pretty fast guy. He's got a few moves, but for the most part he's a north-south runner. Cal can't get him lanes to blow through. Defense needs to plug the gaps and make him run east-west and use the sidelines as barriers. Probably want to defend the field from inside-out rather than outside-in because defending outside-in can give him cutback lanes to speed through which are more his style.

(5) Trick plays. In only two games of tape, we saw a few. We saw a fake-punt, double pass, and an eligible tackle play. I'm sure they'll run reverses since those are a natural progression from the end-arounds which they use. Cal will really have to stay sharp the entire game. No mental errors.

(6) Punt Returns. This, of all things, scares me the most. It scares me because Travis Benjamin is fast and elusive. He's Desean Jackson-esque. He'll score TDs on punt returns if our coverage isn't good. If cannon-leg Anger out-punts our coverage, we might be screwing ourselves. We might be better off directional punting the ball out of bounds if possible. I'd rather have Benjamin not touch the balls for punt returns. Should he return punts, look for him to take it to the open side of the field where he'll have space and can better utilize his speed.

And a few parting statistics to munch on:

Miami QB Jacory Harris: 60.8% completion rate, 10 TDs, 6 INTs. 3.92% INT percentage. 40 rush attempts with a 2.7 yard average per carry. A fair completion rate. While he is mobile, he doesn't seem to be utilized heavily as a dedicated and designed scrambler.

Miami RB Graig Cooper: 4.9 yards per rush. Only 159 carries on the season. Doesn't seem to be used heavily. Only about 13 rushes per game. Does have 24 receptions on the year and thus will get 2 catches per game on average (probably via screens).

No Miami WR has over 30 receptions this season. Thus, it appears as if there is no "go-to guy." All the WRs participate and get catches.

A few more final Notes:

Miami's QB is a freshman. Most of their starting WRs are freshman. This is a young team on offense. They seem to be having a bit of trouble on offense with all the youth despite all their speed. To wit: 5.1 yards per play on offense (77th in the nation). Compare: 5.8 yards per play on offense for Cal (30th in the nation).

They average a very nice 11.5 yards per punt return - which is very good. In comparison to the rest of the country, this puts them at 26th in the nation.

Battle of the defenses? Perhaps. Cal has the #8 defense in the nation for yards allowed per play (4.4 yards per play given up). Miami has the #24 defense in the nation for yards allowed per play (4.8 yards per play given up).

In short, Cal has the better offense. Both teams have good defenses although Cal's is better. Edge: Cal.

My homer prediction: Cal wins by 14-21 points.

My TwistNHook style prediction: Cal wins 2-1.

My real prediction: Cal wins by 10-14 points.