Keys to a Miami Hurricanes Victory: Week 6-UNC
The Miami Hurricanes have lost two straight and head coach Mario Cristobal's first season isn't exactly going as planned. Still, the Canes have a shot to get back on the right track this Saturday when they face the North Carolina Tar Heels to open conference play. The ACC Coastal is still very much up for grabs and a win against division rival UNC would be a huge boost for this squad.
To get that win though, Miami will have to stop the Tar Heels red hot offense, while mustering up some offensive fire power of their own. Here's what the Hurricanes have to do to leave Hard Rock Stadium happy...
Pressure UNC QB Drake Maye
The Tar Heels passer has quickly risen to the top of the ACC conference's quarterback power rankings, and for good reason. Maye's thrown 19 touchdowns to only one interception and this UNC offense is looking explosive.
He's got completions for 40-plus yards in three of their five games. Those types of big plays have been Miami's Achilles heel so far this season, so they'll need to be careful over the top and wrapping up in the open field. Miami front-seven defenders like defensive tackle Leonard Taylor will need to make Maye move off his spot to keep him from throwing for big yardage.
If that happens, it will help the Canes secondary tremendously. If Miami can stop the Tar Heels on first down and put them in second/third-and-long situations, it would also take a good chunk out of UNC's playbook.
Win Turnover and Special Teams Battle
Miami's had trouble in both of these departments this season, sometimes simultaneously. It seems basic, but these are key battles on the field and they often indicate the winner. The Hurricanes will have to control the ball and the field position game if they want to give themselves the best chance at halting the Tar Heels offense.
Avoiding turnovers not only keeps the ball out of your opponents hands and keeps potential scoring drives alive, but also helps the defense stay fresh. Miami's defensive backs aren't quite as deep as we thought they'd be at the beginning of the season so keeping the starters rested will be key for this unit.
It will also be impossible for Miami to build any kind of offensive momentum if they're constantly cutting drives short with turnovers, especially after the performance they had against MTSU.
Let Tyler Van Dyke Throw
After a bit of uncertainty, Cristobal has kept Van Dyke as his starting quarterback and it's a show of faith that seems to be resounding with the team. All that won't amount too much, though, if the Canes don't let their gunslinger do what he does best; throw deep.
Van Dyke's a big arm thrower, and if the Canes are going to outscore North Carolina in what should be a shootout, they're going to need the sophomore to be slinging the rock. The real question is who will be catching those passes? Wideouts Key'Shawn Smith and Brashard Smith certainly have big play potential, now it's just a matter of getting everyone on the same page and in the right schemes.
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