Will The Miami Hurricanes Running Game Take A Back Seat With "Air Raid?"

We answer your Miami Hurricanes football and basketball questions here. To submit for a future mailbag, tweet me @LockedOnCanes.

Q: Does Miami hiring an air raid offensive coordinator mean the running game will take a back seat? - Guillermo in Miami

A: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Here's why...

1- Mario Cristobal loves to run the football and control the line of scrimmage. After recruiting monsters on the offensive line like 5-star tackles Samson Okunlola and Francis Mauigoa and stud running backs like 4-stars Mark Fletcher and Chris Johnson, Mario is always going to want to pound the rock.

2- Cristobal would not have hired Shannon Dawson in the first place if he didn't think Dawson could install a balanced attack. In his past two seasons at Houston, his offenses rushed for 1,846 yards in 2022 and 1,992 yards in 2021. For comparison, Miami rushed for 1,538 yards last season on just 3.7 yards per carry. Houston averaged 4.6 YPC last year.

I believe Dawson't primary objective will be to modernize and sharpen Miami's passing attack while employing the type of running game Cristobal and OL coach Alex Mirabal crave. Getting the football out to receivers in space to create YAC is what happens when an air raid is clicking, but Dawson won't forget to run the football.

Q: Who would be your picks for running backs coach and wide receivers coach? -James in Pembroke Pines

A: My opinion doesn't matter here one bit. I want Miami to hire the coaches that Cristobal and Dawson are both comfortable with. I do not want Cristobal forcing anyone on Dawson who may not mesh with his philosophies. Miami's coaching staff lacked chemistry last season and that cannot happen again.

Hurricanes fans, myself included, often throw out names of former players, as if loading up the staff with alumni is the answer to all our problems. Yes, I get excited when I hear about people like Leonard Hankerson and Reggie Wayne possibly being in the mix for WRs coach. In this case, finding the right fit is so much more important than finding a big name.

Hey, @LockedOnCanes! We are definitely a basketball school!! #Hoops
— Melissa (Hoodie Girl) (@TheCoolerMelB) February 19, 2023

A: There is no question that basketball is carrying the torch for The U right now. Jim Larranaga's team is very much in play to win the ACC and earn a high tournament seed. Last year's team made an improbable Elite Eight run and this team looks significantly better. The sky is the limit!

But c'mon! I am not gonna call Miami a "basketball school" until I see a true shift in the fan culture. The Hurricanes faithful live and die with the football team in a way fewer do with hoops. The tide might slowly be turning in that direction, but it's still a football school until that day comes.

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