Will The Miami Hurricanes Have A 1,000 yard rusher? Game 1 Strategy? | Donno Mailbag
The Miami Hurricanes kick off their 2023 football season in just over a week!
To submit a question for a future mailbag you can email LockedOnCanes@gmail.com.
Q: Do you think with the stable of RB's we have that one can separate himself from the pack and have a 1,000 yard season? -Southwest Florida Cane
A: You may have answered your own question. Miami's running back room looks deep heading into the season. I could see the Hurricanes employing a steady rotation of three to four tailbacks each game, keeping legs fresh and wearing down defenses.
Thousand yard seasons don't grow on trees these days. Miami hasn't had an individual 1,000 yard rusher since Mark Walton in 2016.
The likeliest candidates to reaching 1,000 would be Henry Parrish or Ajay Allen. They're the top candidates to start.
I've got a special feeling about Allen. He's the one who's popped most throughout fall camp. Allen has an encouraging combination of vision, burst, and breakaway speed. He rushed for 91 yards, including two big gains, at the CanesFest scrimmage.
On another note, I predict that true freshman Mark Fletcher will lead the team in rushing touchdowns. He's already Miami's strongest, sturdiest back at 6-2, 225 lbs. Expect Fletcher to earn the most carries at goal line and in the red zone.
Q: Do you think that Miami of Ohio will be a smoke screen for the Aggies game. Starting some freshman and not showing most of the playbook? -Pat Mac
A: I could entertain part of this thought if Miami was opening against Bethune-Cookman, who they face Week 3, instead of Miami Of Ohio.
That other Miami had a top 20 defense last year and returns most of their starters. I learned from Middle Tennessee State that you cannot take a mid-major opponent for granted.
Mario Cristobal will definitely start his top players at every position. They'll try to out-muscle the Redhawks from the opening kickoff.
IF the Hurricanes can jump out to a big lead, it might give offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson the luxury of not opening up his playbook too much before facing the Aggies in Week 2. However, I say, do whatever you have to do in order to win this game. I don't expect the Redhawks to be pushovers. In fact, I think the current betting odds, which favor the Hurricanes by 17.5 points, feel a tad generous. The Canes only covered the spread twice all of last year.
Q: You're only as strong as your biggest weakness. What are you hearing from coaches or players, on our biggest weakness (offense and defense) going into the season?- Kaddy
A: Coaches would never give us the answer to this question directly (why make it so easy for your opponents?), but I'll give you my take based on my knowledge of the roster.
Depth at certain areas is concerning. Miami has one of the best looking offensive lines in the ACC but depth on the interior is questionable. At quarterback, I would expect a huge drop-off in production and wins if Tyler Van Dyke has to miss any time.
Miami's rushing defense has appeared vulnerable at times in practice. On the flip side, I am really bullish on Miami's running back room and offensive line, so perhaps this concern is overblown. In fact, Cristobal told us earlier this week that he's happy with his defense's fundamentals against the run. Still, this is something worth monitoring.
I don't expect Miami to be as vulnerable against deep passes as they were last year. The cornerback room is taller and longer and I expect the DB communication to be much improved.
AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.
