'Trench' Battle: Will Canes Win Line of Scrimmage vs FSU?
The Miami Hurricanes host the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday and many people have predictions for who and why a team will win. Truth be told, it's a game that’s usually won in the trenches and there’s no reason to believe that’s going to be any different this season.
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The running game for each squad, as well as which team protects its signal caller the best, will be in a good position to win the 2022 FSU at Miami game.
To get a closer look at how important these statistics are, here’s a look at the prior three contests, beginning with the rushing statistics.
2019 final score: Miami 27, Florida State 10.
Miami: 40, with 1.8 yards per carry.
Florida State: 32, with 0.7 yards per carry.
2020 final score: Miami 52, Florida State 10.
Miami: 200, with a 5.4 yards per carry average.
Florida State: 151, with a 4.2 per carry average.
2021 final score: Florida State 31, Miami 28.
Miami: 43, with a 1.9 yards per carry average.
Florida State: 160, with a 3.3 yards per carry average.
In all three games, the winner won the rushing battle. Coincidence? Not really. Rushing statistics are a major factor for wins and losses, regardless of the level of football. Miami is improving its rushing attack, and will need a quality performance – 150 or more yards on the ground – to defeat Florida State.
On the other side of the football, the defense for the Canes will be going against a Florida State rushing attack that is averaging 209.6 yards per game, good for No. 19 in the land. The Canes gave up 200 yards to Duke, but only 119 to Virginia. The key here is keeping FSU signal caller Jordan Travis from breaking contain and gaining big yardage on broken plays and during read-option carries.
There’s another area at the line of scrimmage that both teams traditionally do well, and that would be sacks. Which team gets after the quarterback the best in this game?
Sacks also make an impact. FSU is No. 24 in the nation with 23 sacks, while Miami is No. 5 with 29. Thus, both teams are doing their job up front to harass and bring down quarterbacks.
With the Seminoles holding the experience edge at quarterback, it’s imperative that the Canes sack Travis three or four times, if not more. It’s just not realistic to expect Jake Garcia to out play Travis.
Can the Canes consistently apply pressure on Travis? Here’s a look at the sacks totals from each of the past three times these teams met.
2019 sack totals:
Miami: nine.
Florida State: two.
2020 sack totals:
Miami: six.
Florida State: zero.
2021 sack totals:
Miami: nine.
Florida State: three.
The Canes won the sack battle in 2019 and 2020, and both games ended up being a victory for Maimi. Three turnovers probably overrode the sack totals from last season’s game, but overall, sacks are a good way to keep teams from scoring and gaining momentum along the way.
Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor and his teammates need to be active from the first drive onward against FSU. Miami likely holds the edge in this battle overall, and it needs to hold true on Saturday.
Florida State at Miami is going to be a fun game to watch. There will be talk about many factors for which team will win, but keep a close eye on the rushing statistics and the quarterback sacks. Both are proven to be excellent barometers for the eventual winning team.
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