How Good Has Miami's 'D' Been Though Six Games?
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The Miami Hurricanes are an improving defensive team. Their rushing defense is one of the nation’s best, they get after the quarterback well, and the scoring defense is improving.
Here’s a look at the first half of the 2022 season’s defensive statistics for the Hurricanes, followed by how they can become one of the better defenses in college football.
Miami’s Defense, by the Numbers
Scoring Defense: 20.5 points per game, No. 28.
Total Defense: 345.2 yards per game, No. 33.
Rushing Defense: 96.5 yards per game, No. 12.
Passing Defense: 248.7 yards per game, No. 92.
Sacks: 21 total, 3.5 per game, No. 11.
Tackles for loss: 40, 6.7 per game, No. 42.
Opponents Third Down Conversions: 35% conversions allowed, No. 46.
Red Zone: 76.5% of conversions allowed, No. 32.
Based on the above statistics, the Hurricanes do well when attacking the line of scrimmage – whether rushing the passer or tackling ball carriers in the backfield – as primary ways to play good defense. There is one primary concern, however.
Miami simply gets beat deep far too often. With a 35% third down conversion defense, there’s no reason to be allowing 248.7 yards passing per game. Those over-the-top passing plays are distressing.
If the Canes continue to shore up the deep secondary, this is a defense that can be one of college football’s best during the final six games of the 2022 season. Consider the following situation as to why Miami is continuing to improve the passing defense.
With Miami holding opponents to under 100 yards rushing per game, and then it suddenly figures out how to keep teams from throwing deep, that’s a defense that can dominate. Look at the Virginia Tech game as evidence.
VT Quarterback Grant Wells connects for a 27-yard completion to Dae’quan Wright during the first drive, and it was not until the first play of the fourth quarter that the Hokies signal caller connected on a pass play over 10 yards again.
That play, an 11-yard completion to Da’Wain Lofton, is still far from the quick strikes prior Miami opponents were hitting earlier in the season. If that’s the type of passing defense the Hurricanes play versus Duke (Oct. 22) and each of its remaining opponents, there’s a chance to win each game.
Being better over the top also presents more chances for a front seven with players like Akheem Mesidor, Darrell Jackson, Jahfari Harvey, Nyjalik Kelly, Mitchell Agude and Leonard Taylor, among others, to penetrate and create even more havoc than before.
Those defensive linemen, along with linebacker Corey Flagg, Jr., are all capable of big plays in the opponent’s backfield. Thus, how well the backend of the defense holds up to the deep ball will be the key to the Miami defense for the rest of the 2022 season, as well as possibly becoming one of the nation's best.
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