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1. Progress vs. greatness
At a school with less of a history, Al Golden would be on track.
His program dealt with a long NCAA investigation and self-imposed sanctions from basically the moment he walked in the door, then began to rebound. It bottomed out in his second year, going 7-5 and ranking 60th in the F/+ ratings. In his third year, it improved to 42nd. In his fourth, 31st.
For the first time since his predecessor's last year, his team fielded a top-50 defense, and last year his team was held back by youth, awful turnovers luck (minus-3.4 points per game), close-game issues (0-2 in one-possession games, 0-4 in games decided by 11 or fewer points), and a late-season collapse.
By most standards, Golden is doing an acceptable job. His 28-22 record through four years is equal to Steve Spurrier's first four at South Carolina and ahead of Mike Gundy's at Oklahoma State (27-23), Gary Pinkel's at Missouri (22-25), and Kirk Ferentz's at Iowa (22-26). Including Golden, none of these did much more in his first four years than the program had done in its preceding four.
But Miami doesn't compare itself to South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Missouri, or Iowa. This is The U. Though success is getting further in the rear view, the Hurricanes have won five national titles in the last 32 years. Alabama can't claim that. Neither can Florida State, Ohio State, or USC. If you define the time period a certain way, the Hurricanes are still royalty. And seven wins per season, even during a cleanup, is not to be tolerated.
Figuring out Miami's place in today's landscape is both fascinating and impossible. The success of the '80s was a long time ago, and the program's fade was established before Golden came to town. Miami went 25-12 in Larry Coker's final three seasons, then 28-23 under Randy Shannon.
Even including the brief golden era of the Butch Davis and Coker years, Miami has only four 10-win seasons in the last 20 years -- one fewer than Missouri, as many as Iowa, and one more than South Carolina and Oklahoma State. No matter how good those 2000-03 squads were (and holy moly, were they awesome), 2003 was a while ago.
At what point do you lose your claim to automatic greatness? At what point are you forced to take a slow road back? While Golden has proved he's not capable of the former, he might still be on track for the latter.
Miami's win total regressed in 2014, but the Hurricanes got closer to becoming a complete team; they found their quarterback of the future, took a few steps forward defensively, and signed another solid recruiting classes. But it seems a foregone conclusion that this is Golden's final season at Sun Life Stadium. Is that a mistake? And can Golden's Hurricanes make something of 2015 despite the negative sentiment?
2014 Schedule & Results
Record: 6-7 | Adj. Record: 9-4 | Final F/+ Rk: 31 | |||||||
Date | Opponent | Opp. F/+ Rk | Score | W-L | Percentile Performance |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Win Expectancy |
1-Sep | at Louisville | 23 | 13-31 | L | 47% | -1.6 | 13% |
6-Sep | Florida A&M | N/A | 41-7 | W | 91% | 30.8 | 100% |
13-Sep | Arkansas State | 66 | 41-20 | W | 97% | 43.8 | 100% |
20-Sep | at Nebraska | 30 | 31-41 | L | 62% | 7.2 | 35% |
27-Sep | Duke | 51 | 22-10 | W | 94% | 36.3 | 99% |
4-Oct | Georgia Tech | 8 | 17-28 | L | 54% | 2.3 | 23% |
11-Oct | Cincinnati | 47 | 55-34 | W | 99% | 52.4 | 100% |
23-Oct | at Virginia Tech | 33 | 30-6 | W | 99% | 52.3 | 100% |
1-Nov | North Carolina | 70 | 47-20 | W | 98% | 48.0 | 100% |
15-Nov | Florida State | 15 | 26-30 | L | 56% | 3.7 | 32% |
22-Nov | at Virginia | 39 | 13-30 | L | 10% | -30.0 | 0% |
29-Nov | Pittsburgh | 43 | 23-35 | L | 22% | -18.1 | 1% |
27-Dec | vs. South Carolina | 38 | 21-24 | L | 30% | -12.0 | 10% |
Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
S&P+ | 34.9 | 32 | 22.2 | 26 |
Points Per Game | 29.2 | 62 | 24.3 | 37 |
2. A resounding thud
No matter the expectations, it's not difficult to understand that sentiment. That's what happens when you raise hopes, then fall flat on your face.
- Average Percentile Performance (first 6 games): 74% (~top 35 | record: 3-3)
- Average Percentile Performance (next 3 games): 99% (~top 1 | record: 3-0)
- Average Percentile Performance (last 4 games): 30% (~top 90 | record: 0-4)
For six games, Miami progressed in fits and starts, exactly as you would think for a team starting a true freshman at quarterback and working with sophomores on defense. The offense was iffy against Louisville, good against Nebraska and great until the red zone against Georgia Tech. (It's really hard to average 8 yards per play and score just 17 points, but thanks to Georgia Tech's 40-minute time of possession and two Miami interceptions in Tech territory, the Hurricanes pulled it off.) The defense was fine against Louisville and great against Duke but couldn't get off of the field against Tech.
Hits and misses became only hits in a three-week span between October 11 and November 1. Against two good offenses and one bad one, the Hurricanes allowed just 4.3 yards per play and 20 points per game; against two iffy defenses and one great one, they averaged an incredible 8 yards per play and 44 points per game.
During this brief stretch, Miami was the best team in the country. The defense was good, and the offense was amazing. The Hurricanes handled Cincinnati about as easily as Ohio State did, crushed the team that beat the Buckeyes, and beat UNC worse than Clemson and Notre Dame combined.
The momentum carried over, too. Brad Kaaya hit Philip Dorsett and Clive Walford for big touchdown passes, and Miami took a 23-7 lead over Florida State early in the second quarter on November 15. And ...
... then Miami was outscored, 92-60, the rest of the season. FSU surged back to win in the final minute, as the Seminoles did in seemingly every regular season game in 2014. The Hurricanes then laid an egg at Virginia and were lucky to lose by only 12 to Pitt. The Independence Bowl loss to South Carolina was competitive and mediocre, and somehow, after playing like a burgeoning elite, Miami finished 6-7.
Be it youth, iffy depth, a quarterback hitting a freshman wall, or a demoralizing rivalry loss, the season ended when the FSU game ended.
Offense
FIVE FACTORS -- OFFENSE | ||||||
Raw Category | Rk | Opp. Adj. Category | Rk | |||
EXPLOSIVENESS | IsoPPP | 1.00 | 8 | IsoPPP+ | 119.4 | 29 |
EFFICIENCY | Succ. Rt. | 43.2% | 53 | Succ. Rt. + | 105.8 | 47 |
FIELD POSITION | Def. Avg. FP | 28.7 | 44 | Def. FP+ | 103.0 | 33 |
FINISHING DRIVES | Pts. Per Trip in 40 | 4.4 | 67 | Redzone S&P+ | 100.2 | 65 |
TURNOVERS | EXPECTED | 19.6 | ACTUAL | 24 | +4.4 |
Category | Yards/ Game Rk |
S&P+ Rk | Success Rt. Rk |
PPP+ Rk |
OVERALL | 47 | 39 | 58 | 29 |
RUSHING | 50 | 66 | 69 | 62 |
PASSING | 48 | 25 | 43 | 19 |
Standard Downs | 43 | 75 | 29 | |
Passing Downs | 34 | 36 | 39 |
Q1 Rk | 17 | 1st Down Rk | 39 |
Q2 Rk | 37 | 2nd Down Rk | 45 |
Q3 Rk | 54 | 3rd Down Rk | 9 |
Q4 Rk | 76 |
Quarterback
Note: players in bold below are 2015 returnees. Players in italics are questionable with injury/suspension.
Player | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | Comp | Att | Yards | TD | INT | Comp Rate |
Sacks | Sack Rate | Yards/ Att. |
Brad Kaaya | 6'4, 209 | So. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9356 | 221 | 378 | 3198 | 26 | 12 | 58.5% | 20 | 5.0% | 7.7 |
Jake Heaps | 6 | 12 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 50.0% | 1 | 7.7% | 2.9 | ||||
Gray Crow | 6'3, 224 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8616 | |||||||||
Malik Rosier | 6'1, 212 | RSFr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8438 |
3. The run was the problem
Miami fan HQ
Miami fan HQ
Last year, Miami had the incredible Duke Johnson and a freshman quarterback in the backfield and finished 6-7 with a decent defense. Intuition would tell you that the passing game was probably the biggest issue. Not so! Or at least, not until the end of the season.
Brad Kaaya produced a 130 passer rating nine times in 13 games and topped 200 three times -- against Arkansas State, Cincinnati, and UNC, Kaaya completed 68 percent at 18.6 yards per completion, with 10 touchdowns to one pick. Even if he had good receivers and Johnson, one of the country's better pass-catching running backs, that's incredible for a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.
But the offensive line was only OK, and for all of Johnson's success, a lot of it came in specific games. Johnson rushed nine times for 97 yards against FAMU and was almost untouchable in Miami's three-game stretch (against Cincy, VT, and UNC: 58 carries, 588 yards, four TDs). But in the other nine games, he averaged a mortal 5.5 yards per carry with five touchdowns. Against Louisville, Nebraska, FSU, and Pitt, the average was 4.8.
The inconsistent run game put a lot of pressure on Kaaya to make plays, and for two months, he did. But as freshmen do, he hit a wall. And it seemed to happen around halftime of the FSU game.
- Kaaya, first 9.5 games: 62% completion rate, 15.1 yards per completion, 9% TD rate, 4% INT rate
- Kaaya, last 3.5 games: 52% completion rate, 13.1 yards per completion, 3% TD rate, 2% INT rate
Kaaya's potential is off the charts; on third-and-7 or more in 2014, he completed 34 of 59 passes for 503 yards, and Miami ranked 34th in Passing Downs S&P+ and ninth in Third Down S&P+. Miami fans might be scarred by the iffy progression of former freshman star Jacory Harris, but a) Harris was underrated, leading two offenses that ranked in the Off. S&P+ top 30, and b) Kaaya's freshman passer rating was 20 points higher than Harris'. Granted, there were plenty of issues to work on -- Miami's offense got worse with each progressive quarter and couldn't close out drives (at least in part because of the iffy run game) -- but Kaaya passed his freshman exams.
The biggest issue: a brand new supporting cast. Johnson's gone, meaning Miami's replacing both a 1,600-yard rusher and a solid No. 2 passing target. And while Kaaya found downfield passing success, most of it was due to Philip Dorsett and tight end Clive Walford, who combined for 1,547 receiving yards at 12.3 yards per target. They're both gone, too.
Running Back
Player | Pos. | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | Rushes | Yards | TD | Yards/ Carry |
Hlt Yds/ Opp. |
Opp. Rate |
Fumbles | Fum. Lost |
Duke Johnson | RB | 242 | 1652 | 10 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 44.2% | 3 | 3 | ||||
Joseph Yearby | RB | 5'9, 195 | So. | 4 stars (6.0) | 0.9767 | 86 | 509 | 1 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 44.2% | 0 | 0 |
Gus Edwards | RB | 6'2, 230 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8569 | 61 | 349 | 6 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 36.1% | 1 | 1 |
Brad Kaaya | QB | 6'4, 209 | So. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9356 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 14.3% | 4 | 1 |
Trayone Gray | RB | 6'2, 215 | So. | 3 stars (5.5) | 0.8576 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 4.0 | 1.9 | 50.0% | 1 | 1 |
Stacy Coley | WR | 6'1, 187 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9714 | 5 | 30 | 0 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 60.0% | 1 | 1 |
Walter Tucker | FB | 6'0, 226 | Jr. | 2 stars (5.4) | NR | ||||||||
Mark Walton | RB | 5'10, 190 | Fr. | 4 stars (6.0) | 0.9588 |
Receiving Corps
Player | Pos. | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | Targets | Catches | Yards | Catch Rate | Target Rate |
%SD | Yds/ Target |
NEY | Real Yds/ Target |
RYPR |
Phillip Dorsett | WR | 71 | 36 | 871 | 50.7% | 19.1% | 60.6% | 12.3 | 414 | 12.4 | 144.0 | ||||
Duke Johnson | RB | 58 | 38 | 421 | 65.5% | 15.6% | 51.7% | 7.3 | -37 | 7.1 | 69.6 | ||||
Clive Walford | TE | 55 | 44 | 676 | 80.0% | 14.8% | 63.6% | 12.3 | 164 | 12.3 | 111.7 | ||||
Stacy Coley | WR | 6'1, 187 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9714 | 43 | 23 | 184 | 53.5% | 11.6% | 60.5% | 4.3 | -105 | 4.3 | 30.4 |
Braxton Berrios | SLOT | 5'9, 183 | So. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8818 | 42 | 21 | 232 | 50.0% | 11.3% | 66.7% | 5.5 | -36 | 5.9 | 38.3 |
Malcolm Lewis | SLOT | 6'0, 189 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9028 | 40 | 25 | 248 | 62.5% | 10.8% | 55.0% | 6.2 | -56 | 6.2 | 41.0 |
Herb Waters | WR | 6'2, 195 | Sr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8836 | 25 | 20 | 277 | 80.0% | 6.7% | 72.0% | 11.1 | 44 | 10.3 | 45.8 |
Standish Dobard | TE | 6'4, 262 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.9082 | 11 | 7 | 147 | 63.6% | 3.0% | 54.5% | 13.4 | 62 | 13.3 | 24.3 |
Joseph Yearby | RB | 5'9, 195 | So. | 4 stars (6.0) | 0.9767 | 11 | 8 | 118 | 72.7% | 3.0% | 72.7% | 10.7 | 23 | 13.8 | 19.5 |
Gus Edwards | RB | 6'2, 230 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8569 | 3 | 2 | 44 | 66.7% | 0.8% | 66.7% | 14.7 | 20 | 15.3 | 7.3 |
D'Mauri Jones | WR | 6'4, 196 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8497 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 33.3% | 0.8% | 33.3% | 4.3 | -1 | 2.8 | 2.1 |
Tyre Brady | WR | 6'3, 204 | So. | 3 stars (5.5) | 0.8529 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | 66.7% | 0.0 | -4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Christopher Herndon IV | TE | 6'4, 255 | So. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8550 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0.8% | 33.3% | 0.0 | -4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Rashawn Scott | WR | 6'2, 205 | Sr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8294 | ||||||||||
Jake O'Donnell | TE | 6'6, 258 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.5) | 0.8264 | ||||||||||
Darrell Langham | WR | 6'4, 212 | RSFr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8672 | ||||||||||
Jerome Washington | TE | 6'5, 262 | RSFr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8913 | ||||||||||
Lawrence Cager | WR | 6'5, 200 | Fr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8894 |
4. All potential, little production
Since we're talking about Miami, it goes without saying that the new skill position guys are loaded with potential. Joseph Yearby was nearly as highly touted as Johnson out of high school, and while his explosiveness numbers couldn't match Johnson's, his efficiency numbers were dead even, and he didn't fumble. Between Yearby, the explosive Gus Edwards, and Mark Walton, the latest blue-chipper, Miami has talent. But Duke was Duke.
Dorsett will go down as the latest underrated Miami receiver, but it's hard not to like the backups. Herb Waters has been an explosive backup for a couple of years (which usually says good things about what happens when one takes on more targets), Yearby and Edwards were as impressive as Duke in limited receiving opportunities (14 targets, eight catches, 162 yards), Standish Dobard was as explosive as Walford (again, in limited opportunities), and incoming four-star Lawrence Cager has the length to contribute early, even if he could stand to eat more sandwiches.
And that says nothing of Mr. Potential, Stacy Coley. Coley was a breakout freshman, averaging 11.8 yards per target as a No. 3 behind Allen Hurns and Walford, and he was instantly one of the nation's most explosive return men. But he battled shoulder issues and one hell of a sophomore slump; after gaining 591 yards in 50 targets in 2013, he gained an almost impossibly low 184 yards in 43 in 2014. And his return averages regressed as well.
If new receivers coach Kevin Beard can connect with Coley and help him reestablish his 2013 trajectory, the receiving corps is fine. But the Canes are still going from proven production to ifs.
Offensive Line
Category | Adj. Line Yds |
Std. Downs LY/carry |
Pass. Downs LY/carry |
Opp. Rate |
Power Success Rate |
Stuff Rate |
Adj. Sack Rate |
Std. Downs Sack Rt. |
Pass. Downs Sack Rt. |
Team | 104.8 | 3.31 | 3.17 | 42.0% | 69.2% | 17.4% | 123.8 | 4.7% | 4.2% |
Rank | 52 | 21 | 77 | 31 | 45 | 38 | 36 | 68 | 13 |
Player | Pos. | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | Career Starts | Honors/Notes |
Shane McDermott | C | 36 | 2014 1st All-ACC | ||||
Ereck Flowers | LT | 30 | 2014 2nd All-ACC | ||||
Jon Feliciano | LG | 46 | |||||
Danny Isidora | LG | 6'4, 322 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8861 | 13 | |
Taylor Gadbois | RT | 6'8, 321 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8504 | 9 | |
Nick Linder | C | 6'3, 300 | So. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8378 | 4 | |
Trevor Darling | LT | 6'5, 318 | So. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9541 | 1 | |
Hunter Wells | RG | 6'6, 316 | Sr. | 2 stars (5.3) | 0.7917 | 0 | |
Alex Gall | C | 6'5, 310 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.5) | 0.8489 | 0 | |
KC McDermott | LT | 6'6, 315 | So. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9764 | 0 | |
Hunter Knighton | C | 6'6, 300 | So. | 3 stars (5.5) | 0.8473 | 0 | |
Sunny Odogwu | RT | 6'8, 322 | So. | 2 stars (5.4) | 0.8500 | 0 | |
Joe Brown | LG | 6'4, 331 | RSFr. | NR | NR | ||
Jahair Jones | RT | 6'4, 327 | So. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8614 | ||
Tyler Grimsley | RG | 6'3, 300 | RSFr. | 2 stars (5.4) | NR | ||
Bar Milo | OL | 6'6, 285 | Fr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9107 | ||
Tyree St. Louis | OL | 6'5, 315 | Fr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8984 | ||
Brendan Loftus | OL | 6'6, 300 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8518 | ||
Hayden Mahoney | OL | 6'5, 290 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8494 |
5. A ton of candidates, at least
Miami's 2014 line was not great, not terrible. But a year after replacing four players with starting experience, it must replace another three this year; Shane McDermott, Ereck Flowers, and Jon Feliciano combined for 111 career starts, and the latter two earned all-conference honors last year. [Update: Make that four replacements, as right tackle Taylor Gadbois is also gone.]
With a still-young quarterback and new skill-position starters, the line will probably need to raise its collective game to match last year's production, and that might be difficult.
But at least there are options. Miami returns three players with starting experience, boasts four former four-star recruits, and features plenty of size -- of the 15 listed above, 10 are at least 6'5, and 9 are at least 310 pounds. It's a mix-and-match game that could work, with only one senior in the mix, might not bear fruit until 2016.
Defense
FIVE FACTORS -- DEFENSE | ||||||
Raw Category | Rk | Opp. Adj. Category | Rk | |||
EXPLOSIVENESS | IsoPPP | 0.76 | 20 | IsoPPP+ | 123.4 | 15 |
EFFICIENCY | Succ. Rt. | 40.2% | 55 | Succ. Rt. + | 113.3 | 25 |
FIELD POSITION | Off. Avg. FP | 30.3 | 65 | Off. FP+ | 98.0 | 88 |
FINISHING DRIVES | Pts. Per Trip in 40 | 4.5 | 80 | Redzone S&P+ | 107.4 | 41 |
TURNOVERS | EXPECTED | 27.4 | ACTUAL | 23.0 | -4.4 |
Category | Yards/ Game Rk |
S&P+ Rk | Success Rt. Rk |
PPP+ Rk |
OVERALL | 14 | 20 | 22 | 15 |
RUSHING | 30 | 41 | 32 | 44 |
PASSING | 17 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
Standard Downs | 14 | 22 | 14 | |
Passing Downs | 31 | 17 | 34 |
Q1 Rk | 17 | 1st Down Rk | 14 |
Q2 Rk | 24 | 2nd Down Rk | 7 |
Q3 Rk | 45 | 3rd Down Rk | 25 |
Q4 Rk | 13 |
6. Finally, a defensive breakthrough
Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio has been Golden's right hand man for a while. That he was able to mold a Temple defense into a top-60 unit (52nd in Def. F/+ in 2008, 56th in 2009) would suggest he could craft a top-30 unit with greater talent at Miami.
To put it kindly, that has not been the case. D'Onofrio inherited a defense that had ranked 12th in 2010, and in three years, the Hurricanes have fallen to 73rd, then 88th, then 91st.
The pass rush was decent, but the pass defense was both inefficient and leaky. Miami ranked 116th in Passing Downs S&P+.
Safe to say, defense was holding Miami back early in the Golden era. While the offense ranked 31st or better in Off. S&P+ in each of Golden's first three years, the defense ranked 54th or worse. The Canes let opponents off the hook in 2013, getting pushed around at the point of attack and struggling to avoid big plays on passing downs. After some serious turnover -- three of 2013's top four tackles were gone, as were two of three linebackers -- D'Onofrio flipped a switch.
Miami's pass rush still wasn't very good, but the linebackers were great, and the secondary made more plays. The performances were a bit up-and-down, but the full-season result was impressive: Miami improved from 68th in Def. S&P+ to 26th, from 100th in Rushing S&P+ to 41st, and from 116th in Passing Downs S&P+ to 31st.
Now, with another four starters to replace in the front seven, we'll see if the Hurricanes can maintain last year's gains.
Defensive Line
Category | Adj. Line Yds |
Std. Downs LY/carry |
Pass. Downs LY/carry |
Opp. Rate |
Power Success Rate |
Stuff Rate |
Adj. Sack Rate |
Std. Downs Sack Rt. |
Pass. Downs Sack Rt. |
Team | 111.5 | 2.94 | 2.81 | 39.3% | 64.8% | 19.5% | 98.8 | 4.7% | 5.5% |
Rank | 29 | 67 | 29 | 70 | 50 | 62 | 70 | 63 | 101 |
Name | Pos | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | GP | Tackles | % of Team | TFL | Sacks | Int | PBU | FF | FR |
Anthony Chickillo | DE | 13 | 30.5 | 4.3% | 4.5 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Ufomba Kamalu | DT | 6'6, 295 | Sr. | 2 stars (5.4) | NR | 13 | 27.5 | 3.9% | 4.0 | 3.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Olsen Pierre | DT | 13 | 26.0 | 3.7% | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Calvin Heurtelou | DT | 6'3, 315 | Sr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8690 | 13 | 16.5 | 2.3% | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trent Harris | DE | 6'2, 245 | So. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8987 | 12 | 12.0 | 1.7% | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Courtel Jenkins | DT | 6'1, 314 | So. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8425 | 12 | 10.5 | 1.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Al-Quadin Muhammad (2013) | DE | 6'3, 260 | So. | 4 stars (6.0) | 0.9750 | 13 | 7.5 | 1.0% | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Michael Wyche | DT | 6'4, 325 | Sr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8628 | 10 | 6.0 | 0.8% | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chad Thomas | DE | 6'5, 265 | So. | 5 stars (6.1) | 0.9877 | 12 | 5.0 | 0.7% | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Anthony Moten | DT | 6'4, 299 | So. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9266 | 10 | 1.5 | 0.2% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jelani Hamilton | DE | 6'5, 302 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9459 | |||||||||
Earl Moore | DT | 6'1, 304 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8603 | |||||||||
Demetrius Jackson | DE | 6'5, 250 | RSFr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8755 | |||||||||
Scott Patchan | DE | 6'6, 245 | Fr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8752 | |||||||||
Richard McIntosh, Jr. | DE | 6'4, 270 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8544 | |||||||||
Kendrick Norton | DT | 6'3, 310 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8860 |
Linebackers
Name | Pos | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | GP | Tackles | % of Team | TFL | Sacks | Int | PBU | FF | FR |
Denzel Perryman | MLB | 13 | 94.5 | 13.3% | 9.5 | 2.0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Jermaine Grace | OLB | 6'1, 208 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8970 | 13 | 48.0 | 6.8% | 6.5 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Thurston Armbrister | OLB | 13 | 47.0 | 6.6% | 8.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Raphael Kirby | MLB | 6'1, 235 | Sr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9369 | 13 | 41.0 | 5.8% | 4.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Tyriq McCord | DE/OLB | 6'3, 236 | Sr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9443 | 13 | 38.0 | 5.4% | 6.5 | 3.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Darrion Owens | OLB | 6'3, 238 | So. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8832 | 12 | 17.0 | 2.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Juwon Young | MLB | 6'2, 245 | So. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8535 | 13 | 3.0 | 0.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Marques Gayot | OLB | 6'1, 220 | So. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8503 | |||||||||
Mike Smith | LB | 6'1, 225 | RSFr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8805 | |||||||||
Charles Perry | LB | 6'1, 206 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8762 | |||||||||
Jamie Gordinier | LB | 6'4, 235 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8544 |
7. Wanted: more havoc up front
Despite an active secondary, Miami ranked a mediocre 58th in Havoc Rate, defensing 62 passes (40th) but recording only 64 tackles for loss (97th). And most of the TFLs came from a linebacking corps that is facing turnover. The Canes do return Jermaine Grace, Raphael Kirby, and part-time DE Tyriq McCord (combined: 17.5 TFLs), but stalwart Denzel Perryman is gone, as is Thurston Armbrister, Miami's best blitzer.
If Kirby is ready to fill Perryman's shoes, then Miami's front seven could hold steady. But a few more plays up front wouldn't be a bad thing. Ufomba Kamalu is a fine playmaker at tackle, but Miami has to get more from its ends. The return of Al-Quadin Muhammad, a former star recruit who was suspended for the fall semester after a violent altercation with a former roommate, could help immensely, as could quick development of four-star freshmen like Demetrius Jackson and Scott Patchan.
The secondary could be good enough to thrive without more disruption up front, but if the front can make a few more plays, the back could turn this into a top-20 defense.
Secondary
Name | Pos | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Rivals | 247 Comp. | GP | Tackles | % of Team | TFL | Sacks | Int | PBU | FF | FR |
Deon Bush | S | 6'1, 205 | Sr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9435 | 12 | 46.0 | 6.5% | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Nantambu-Akil Fentress | S | 13 | 45.5 | 6.4% | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
Rayshawn Jenkins (2013) | S | 6'1, 209 | Jr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8525 | 13 | 38.0 | 5.2% | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Artie Burns | CB | 6'0, 193 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9533 | 13 | 32.0 | 4.5% | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Corn Elder | CB | 5'10, 183 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.9) | 0.9185 | 13 | 29.5 | 4.2% | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Dallas Crawford | S | 5'10, 200 | Sr. | 3 stars (5.7) | 0.8979 | 13 | 26.0 | 3.7% | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Ladarius Gunter | CB | 13 | 24.5 | 3.5% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Jamal Carter | S | 6'1, 209 | Jr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.9061 | 13 | 20.5 | 2.9% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Antonio Crawford | CB | 13 | 18.0 | 2.5% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Tracy Howard | CB | 5'11, 191 | Sr. | 5 stars (6.1) | 0.9884 | 13 | 18.0 | 2.5% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Hugo Delapenha Jr. | DB | 9 | 3.0 | 0.4% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Michael Jackson | CB | 6'2, 192 | Fr. | 4 stars (5.8) | 0.8643 | |||||||||
Jaquan Johnson | S | 5'10, 188 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.9133 | |||||||||
Sheldrick Redwine | DB | 6'1, 183 | Fr. | 3 stars (5.6) | 0.8563 |
8. A potentially great secondary
The Miami secondary was worse than it had any reason to be in 2013, and then it lost starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins to a back injury. On paper, there was little reason to hope for any major breakthrough, but both Artie Burns and Corn Elder took second-year leaps at cornerback. That took pressure off of senior Ladarius Gunter, as did a deep rotation.
Gunter and play-preventer Nantambu-Akil Fentress are gone, but Burns, Elder, and safeties Deon Bush, Dallas Crawford, and Jamal Carter return for a unit that could be outstanding. Because of the iffy pass rush, the secondary has been asked to shoulder a heavy load, but it thrived last year and could improve even further.
Special Teams
Punter | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Punts | Avg | TB | FC | I20 | FC/I20 Ratio |
Justin Vogel | 6'4, 208 | Jr. | 52 | 42.8 | 1 | 20 | 21 | 78.8% |
Kicker | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Kickoffs | Avg | TB | OOB | TB% |
Justin Vogel | 6'4, 208 | Jr. | 58 | 62.0 | 18 | 1 | 31.0% |
Michael Badgley | 5'10, 180 | So. | 19 | 55.7 | 5 | 1 | 26.3% |
Place-Kicker | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
PAT | FG (0-39) |
Pct | FG (40+) |
Pct |
Michael Badgley | 5'10, 180 | So. | 34-38 | 9-11 | 81.8% | 5-7 | 71.4% |
Matt Goudis | 6-6 | 4-5 | 80.0% | 0-1 | 0.0% |
Returner | Pos. | Ht, Wt | 2015 Year |
Returns | Avg. | TD |
Stacy Coley | KR | 6'1, 187 | Jr. | 24 | 22.5 | 0 |
Phillip Dorsett | KR | 8 | 14.5 | 0 | ||
Stacy Coley | PR | 6'1, 187 | Jr. | 15 | 7.0 | 0 |
Braxton Berrios | PR | 5'9, 183 | So. | 4 | 5.0 | 0 |
Category | Rk |
Special Teams F/+ | 92 |
Field Goal Efficiency | 25 |
Punt Return Efficiency | 103 |
Kick Return Efficiency | 95 |
Punt Efficiency | 33 |
Kickoff Efficiency | 111 |
Opponents' Field Goal Efficiency | 83 |
9. All-or-nothing special teams
Michael Badgley made five of seven long field goals and missed four PATs. Coley was reasonably explosive but inefficient on returns. Justin Vogel's punts were high and unreturnable, but his kickoffs were all sorts of returnable.
Miami's special teams unit was all over the map, and predictably, that resulted in poor efficiency. There's all sorts of potential, but we'll see if more of it's realized.
2015 Schedule & Projection Factors
2015 Schedule | ||
Date | Opponent | Proj. S&P+ Rk |
5-Sep | Bethune-Cookman | NR |
11-Sep | at Florida Atlantic | 101 |
19-Sep | Nebraska | 30 |
1-Oct | at Cincinnati | 47 |
10-Oct | at Florida State | 17 |
17-Oct | Virginia Tech | 26 |
24-Oct | Clemson | 15 |
31-Oct | at Duke | 54 |
7-Nov | Virginia | 46 |
14-Nov | at North Carolina | 44 |
21-Nov | Georgia Tech | 19 |
27-Nov | at Pittsburgh | 38 |
Five-Year F/+ Rk | 16.6% (31) |
2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk | 19 / 19 |
2014 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* | -1 / 7.8 |
2014 TO Luck/Game | -3.4 |
Approx. Ret. Starters (Off. / Def.) | 11 (5, 6) |
2014 Second-order wins (difference) | 7.1 (-1.1) |
10. We'll learn what we need to by Halloween
For two straight years, Miami has fallen apart after losing to Florida State. In 2013, the Canes started 7-0 but got rocked by the Seminoles, and it bled over to 18-point losses against Virginia Tech and Duke. Last year, they were 6-3 but had played three consecutive nearly flawless games and took a 16-point lead on the Noles, only to lose by four, then lose by a combined 29 to Virginia and Pitt, who combined to finish 11-14.
If you're looking for reasons why Golden's on such a hot seat, that's a good place to start. His teams have been too thin, too inexperienced, or simply incapable of rebounding from disappointing outcomes against a more successful (of late) rival.
This year will either finish or redefine the Golden era. He's likely going to have to win quite a few games this year, and while that doesn't mean he has to beat Florida State, a) it would help, and b) he can still survive if his team actually bounces back.
The FSU game falls in the middle of a telling stretch: a visit from Nebraska and a trip to Cincinnati precede it, and visits from Virginia Tech and Clemson follow. If the Canes are 4-3 or better when they head to Duke on Halloween, they'll be in shape to finish with the eight or nine wins requisite to keeping Golden's job. If they're 3-4 or worse, they'll probably be playing for an interim coach in November. And if they're 5-2 or better, they'll perhaps be in the running for their first division title.
Yes, first division title. Miami's issues began long before Golden came to town, and while he hasn't been able to meet the bar, it's not evident that many could. But whether expectations are realistic or not, Golden's got a potentially great quarterback, an exciting set of skill position options, and a defense coming off of its best season in years.
He's got a chance to survive, job intact, heading into 2016, and if he does, that might be a very good thing for Miami.