Hurricanes ‘D’ Dominates The RedHawks
Article photo of Miami's Jahfari Harvey and Rueben Bain, Jr. sacking Brett Gabbert; credit to Brian Smith
The Miami Hurricanes are proving that all the hard work from last season until now is paying off. Here’s a rundown of how the Hurricanes shut down Miami of Ohio’s offense, including just three points for the RedHawks.
GAME RECAP: Miami Mashes the RedHawks 38-3
First, a look at the totals for the RedHawks, or lack thereof.
The Hurricanes held the RedHawks to 215 yards of total offense. With the experience of Brett Gabbert at quarterback, plus the talent of wide receiver Gage Larvadain (6 receptions for 68 yards by halftime alone), that’s an impressive overall total for Miami.
For the entirety of the game, Larvadain accounts for 80 of the RedHawks’ 215 yards (37.2%). Hats off to Lavardain for playing well as he deserves the credit. Miami does not allow him in the end zone, however. The run defense is showing vast improvement as well.
In total, Miami of Ohio sits at a mere 51 yards from 25 carries. Giving up anything close to that 2.0 yards per carry average, moving forward, will be stellar for the Canes. Through two quarters, the RedHawks account for an eye-opening -3 yards on the ground as well. Great job by the Canes.
The Real Miami is in Coral Gables, Fla., for the record
Of course Gabbert’s press conference conversation about “The real Miami” is now quite funny. He’s a solid player and plays hard. His prior comments look silly though.
Gabbert’s stat line of 12 of 21 and 127 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions is pedestrian at best. There are two sacks of the RedHawks signal caller as well.
The number of players missing assignments is down considerably. There’s also another great Miami stat to discuss because of players like Jahfari Harvey, Rueben Bain, Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Leonard Taylor III, and Nyjalik Kelly, among others, applying pressure and hitting to Gabbert.
The Hurricanes come up with 6 tackles for loss despite the RedHawks relying on the quick game – constantly using screens to avoid the pass rush – in conjunction with quick hitters in the run game. That’s a big reason the following statistic comes about.
Perhaps the greatest stat from the Game 1 statistical breakdown would be Miami’s defense allowing just one third conversion from 13 attempts. That’s absolutely outstanding!
For the game, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa leads the Hurricanes with 5 tackles and one-half a tackle for loss. The backend of the defense looks much better as well.
Of course there’s Kamren Kinchens and James Williams at safety, and both look fantastic. The RedHawks do not connect with a deep over-the-top passing play. With Miami’s speed and talent, if it can keep playing mentally sound defense, teams will struggle to score by way of slowly matriculating their way down the field; good luck with 10-play drives.
To that point, transfer linebacker K.J. Cloyd (Louisville transfer) also looks ready to roll. Active in the run game and pass game, he’s an excellent addition to the second level of the Miami defense. Same with cornerback Jaden Davis (Oklahoma transfer), as he keeps plays in front of him and carries out assignments against the run.
Overall, Miami’s defense is on the right track whether it’s a Transfer Portal addition, recruit or returning player. Canes fans cannot ask for a better start to the 2023 season.
All Hurricanes Staff Predictions: Miami's Win-Loss Record
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