Breaking Down the Second Half of Miami's 2022 ACC Schedule
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The final four games of the 2022 Miami Hurricanes ACC schedule are much like the first four games. There are a couple of games that should result in wins, a really tough road contest amid the stretch, and a home game that is certainly favorable for The U.
Here’s a closer look at the four programs that close out Miami’s 2022 football schedule, starting off with the prime rival from Tallahassee.
Nov. 5: Florida State
In head coach Mike Norvell’s third season in Tallahassee, can Florida State finally get its program going again? He’s only 8-13 during his first two seasons as the lead man of the Seminoles. That’s worse than Willie Taggart’s two seasons as the FSU head coach, as he was fired with a 9-12 record.
This upcoming season, the Seminoles will rely on quarterback Jordan Travis. He can be special with the ball in his hands, and he can also make critical errors. His 1,539 yards, 62.9%, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions are part of the story.
He’s also an adept runner that created 535 yards, 4.0 average, and seven touchdowns. The ability to keep defenses honest gives the Seminoles a chance to be more balanced this season.
The running backs have top talent, with Oregon transfer Trey Benson being the thumper at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, plus there’s Treshaun Ward and Lawrence Toafili, two athletic and shifty running backs that could also be the primary ball carriers.
Ward produced last season with 81 carries, 515 yards, 6.4 average, and four touchdowns. His burst is noticeable, and that could help earn him the starting nod.
As for Toafili, his speed could also be used in the passing game, but do not discount him playing serious minutes as a runner either.
The receiving corps is unique with four Power 5 transfers, with Oregon transfer Mycah Pittman leading the way. The return of Ontaria Wilson gives the Noles a deep threat that caught 23 passes for 382 yards and five touchdowns. His 16.6 yards per catch average could increase if the running game takes hold.
Up front, the Seminoles have struggled to find consistency for years. It does return four starters and Wisconsin transfer Kayden Lyles could also be a factor.
Defensively, the Seminoles are coming off a season that was disappointing. 26.5 points per game allowed, ranking No. 67 in the country, is not good enough for the expectations at Florida State.
At defensive tackle, Robert Cooper and Febien Lovett both return. They have the size and experience to help improve a run defense that allowed 144.6 yards on the ground, for a mediocre national finish of 54 out of 130 teams. Defensive end is more concerning than the interior.
The Seminoles will need to replace Jermaine Johnson II and his 11.5 sacks, plus Keir Thomas and his 6.5 sacks. That’s a combined 18 of the 33 sacks the Noles created in 2021.
The linebackers should be the strength of the defense with UCF transfer Tatum Bethune and his 108 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss being inserted into the starting lineup. Plus, incumbent Kalen DeLoach is returning after recording 69 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. He also intercepted a pass.
While the linebackers should be good, a major upgrade in production from the secondary is needed after allowing 233.2 passing yards last season, coming in at No. 74 nationally. Without Johnson II and Thomas pressuring the signal caller, that might be a tall order.
The Seminoles’ secondary is led by the safeties with Akeem Dent and Jammie Robinson having the talent and experience to take the football away from the opposing teams they face. Robinson picked off four passes last season, Dent intercepted one.
There’s a lot of talent at cornerback, but which players emerge? Watch out for Omarion Cooper. The sophomore is long and fast. He has a chance to be the next great FSU cornerback after picking off two passes last season and breaking up four additional passes.
Another sophomore, Kevin Knowles, is now the starting nickel. He broke up two passes last season and continued to improve throughout spring practice to earn the starting nod.
Nov. 12: @ Georgia Tech
Head coach Geoff Collins is on a very warm seat in Atlanta. Going 3-9 in consecutive seasons will do that, including the last two games of 2022 -- against Notre Dame and Georgia -- leading to being defeated by a combined score of 100-0. Barring something unforeseen, this could be another hard season in Atlanta.
Quarterback Jeff Sims enters his third season as a starter. It’s time. During the eight games he played prior to injury, his 1,468 yards, 60.1%, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions were solid. The Yellow Jackets needed more from his right arm, but his legs certainly did not disappoint.
He’s also an adept runner that toted the ball 70 times for 371 yards, 370 yards, 5.3 average, and four touchdowns. If he can find a go-to wide receiver, perhaps the GT offense will be more explosive via the run-pass option (RPO) game.
The loss of running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama is a devastating blow. He was one of college football’s best all-around running backs. His replacement is hard to say, but Louisville transfer Hassan Hall did average 7.2 yards per carry last season for the Cardinals, plus there’s Buffalo transfer Dyland McDuffie from Buffalo that rushed for 1,049 yards and 11 scores last season.
They join Dontae Smith in what could be a three-player platoon system. They need those players to flourish because the wide receiver position is hard to figure out.
The one sure bet to play and start would be Malachi Carter. He’s coming off a junior season in which he caught 37 passes for 489 yards, a 13.2 average, and two scores. Based on his history at Memphis (2016), Notre Dame (2017-2019) and Tulane (2021) as an offensive coordinator, the newly hired Chip Long will find creative ways to place the football in Carter’s hands.
The offensive line is probably the biggest concern. It’s not generating enough push in the run game, evidenced by Gibbs needing to duck and dodge too often during his sophomore season. The pass protection was shoddy as well, allowing 33 sacks.
Although massive offensive tackle Jordan Williams could have a future in the NFL, the overall offensive line needs to make considerable improvements for the skills players to operate efficiently.
On defense, there all but needs to be a total reset. The Yellow Jackets were in the 100s out of 130 total FBS teams in the following categories: 33.5 points per game allowed (110), 20 sacks (101), three interceptions (125) and they allowed 45.51% for third down defensive conversions (117).
While no defensive lineman returns to the starting lineup, GT sophomore defensive end Kyle Kennard is the one to watch. The 6-foot-5 and 235-pound edge defender has the length and athleticism defensive coaches love to see.
He had 15 tackles on the season, plus a two-sack game against North Carolina. The second level of the defense is where Georgia Tech is set for success.
The known commodities are linebackers Charlie Thomas and Ayinde Eley. Thomas had 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two interceptions, while Eley produced 90 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. If they can get some help up front so they are not consistently taking on offensive linemen at the point of attack, Thomas and Eley should shine once again.
The addition of Texas cornerback transfer Kenyatta Watson could give the Yellow Jackets a top talent at cornerback, which is sorely needed. There’s no returning starter, however, so this is a unit that’s relatively unknown.
Nov. 19: @ Clemson
Entering Year 14 of the Dabo Swinney era, Clemson is looking to get back to dominating the ACC. From 2015-2020, that’s what they did with a 47-3 mark against the rest of the league. 2021 was Clemson’s first year with multiple ACC losses since 2014, as in both year’s the Tigers went 6-2.
If Clemson dominates again, that means quarterback play vastly improves. DJ Uiagalelei comes back for his junior season as a player of mystery. He was supposed to be the next great signal caller.
Instead, he passed for 2,246 yards, 55.6%, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Against the best defensive teams on Clemson’s 2021 slate – Georgia and North Carolina State – Uiagalelei went a combined 31 of 63, 49.2%, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Big games are when Clemson quarterbacks usually step up, but that was not the case last year. If Uiagalelei falters this season, he could be removed from the lineup in favor of incoming freshman Cade Klubnik. The Austin, Texas gunslinger is one of the nation’s most prolific prep passers and he enrolled early.
At running back, the combination of Will Shipley and Kobe Pace will help take pressure off of the quarterback, whomever it may be. They are both talented enough to be bell cow running backs, and combined for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
Wide receiver is in solid shape despite some roster turnover. Transfers and the departure of leading receiver Justyn Ross to the NFL means that new faces must emerge. The most likely candidate to make his mark would be Joseph Ngata. He is coming off a season with 23 receptions, 438 yards, 19.0 average, and one touchdown. With Ross gone, look for Ngata to have a big year.
Beaux Collins is another possible breakout performer, but the difference in the offense could be finding another slot player to emerge. Clemson sorely missed those short passes going for big plays that former slot players produced.
The likely starter is Brannon Spector. He’s coming off a season in which he did not play after respiratory issues, but he’s good to go now and played well this offseason.
Tight end Davis Allen is not going to catch many passes. He will burn teams in the red zone, however, evidenced by his three touchdowns last season.
The offense line needs to be better than last season. With four returning starters, it should be. Watch out for budding sophomore Marcus Tate at offensive guard.
On defense, it’s an embarrassment of riches. The Tigers could have as many as seven players from the defensive line head off to the NFL after this season and next. Yes, seven.
Perhaps the best of the bunch would be Myles Murphy, as the 6-foot-5 and 275-pound edge defender is equally adept at chasing down quarterbacks and running backs. He registered 38 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and blocked a punt.
Needless to say, Murphy is an All-American candidate. So are several other Tigers within the down four, and defensive tackles Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis.
The second level of the defense is ultra-athletic, but not very experienced. Weak side linebacker Trent Simpson is one that many are talking about now. Barrett Carter could be the second-level player people talk about soon. The strong side linebacker is capable of playing any of the three spots and he’s a natural at bringing down ball carriers.
The secondary is the one question, especially at cornerback where neither starter returns. If the Tigers do well with Sheridan Jones and Nate Wiggins, that goes away. There are other talented cornerbacks like incoming freshman Toriano Pride that could work into the lineup, too.
Andrew Mukuba is a stalwart at safety after producing 48 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and seven passes broken up.
Nov. 26: Pittsburgh
Gone is Heisman Trophy finalist and former Pittsburgh starting quarterback Kenny Pickett. His 4,319 yards, 67.2%, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions will be missed. So too will Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison at receiver.
Addison hauled in 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. He transferred to Southern California in a cloud of controversy over NIL, if one believes what Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi has said. Regardless, the Panthers must move forward without both star players.
The other key loss was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. Narduzzi and Whipple simply did not get along, and now Whipple is coaching in the same role for Nebraska.
The good news is that Pittsburgh added Southern California quarterback Kedon Slovis. He’s a veteran that started for two seasons in Los Angeles before coming to Pittsburgh. He was on and off for the Trojans this past season, but he can be quite effective when he’s in rhythm.
Even with Addison departed, the next stud could be Jared Wayne. He had 47 catches for 658 yards, a 14.0 average, and six touchdowns last fall. Finding a second receiver to take the stress off Wayne is now the prime concern.
Up front, Pittsburgh struggled to run the ball well but part of that was likely the need to practice pass protection with Whipple’s pass-happy scheme. Can the Panthers punch it up the middle like Narduzzi prefers this season? All five starters are back.
The running back room has three returners that all went over 500 yards. If the offensive line improves even just a little bit, this could be a Pittsburgh offense that one is accustomed to under Narduzzi.
The defense is coming off a horrendous year defending the pass, coming in at No. 114 by allowing 264.3 yards per contest. The scary part is the Panthers ranked No. 3 in the nation with 54 sacks, yet still failed miserably to slow down teams from passing.
Along the front wall. Calijah Kancey is the stalwart at defensive tackle after amassing seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Both defensive ends return to the lineup as well.
Linebacker is more concerning, with SirVocea Dennis being the bright spot. He should be All-ACC this fall. The other two spots could see some rotation, but check out this great play by Dennis against Uiagalelei from last season:
In the secondary, the cornerbacks simply were not up to what people might typically expect from the Panthers. They like to play press-man coverage but that was not all that impactful last fall and better play is definitely needed.
If Marquis Williams and M.J. Devonshire struggle, it will be interesting to see how much Narduzzi institutes more of a platoon system at cornerback because his defense must have high-level cornerback play to be successful.
Safety Erick Hallett II is a top defender that picked off three passes last season. He could be the best defensive player for the Panthers this upcoming season.
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