Miami Looks to Learn from Defensive Struggles in One Area After Virginia Tech
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No. 13 Miami has been one of the few elite defensive teams in the country this season. They have only allowed one team to score over 24 points (an OT loss against SMU 26-20) and have had a stout running game week in and out.
However, there was something different about Virginia Tech. The Hokies ran for 194 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per attempt against a rushing defense that had not allowed over 90 yards over the course of the season.
This could be thanks to a few injuries to star players, such as defensive tackle David Blay, who has been one of the best run stoppers in the country this season. UM head coach Mario Cristobal understands that this can't happen again if they look to push this team into a possible College Football Playoff game. They look to change the course and learn from this mistake.
"Some times we didn't set an edge and some times we didn't fit it correctly," Cristobal said on The Joe Rose Show. "Sometimes they did a great job of getting hats, leverage, and numbers to certain parts of the field and create some runs. Credit to them because they have one of the top run games in the country and also it was a good opportunity for us to attack some things that people are going to use against us…I think it was great that a team came at us and we get to learn from it in a win and go get better."
Outside of the run defense, the Hurricanes continued to excel in the other aspects of defense. One player that really stood out and has continued to stand out is star defensive edge Akheem Mesidor.
Cristobal loves what he is seeing from his star player and believes he should be put in more conversations with some of the best in the country.
"To me, people need to start speaking about him in the same light as they do all the best players in the country because he is that," Cristobal said. "He is not just a complement to other great players on our team. He is a leader and he is at the forefront and he is playing as good as anyone out there against the run and pass. He has fought through nicks and bumps and he epitomizes what you want."
The Hurricanes will use him and the talent around him to give themselves the best chance to reach the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.