Miami got a much-needed ACC win against Virginia Tech and many things started to come together for the Hurricanes. For offense, Tyler Van Dyke shined again and made up for an absent rushing attack. On the flip-side, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s defense stepped up and made up for a stagnant offense. Here’s a review of the Hurricanes 20-14 win over the Hokies.
Offense
Van Dyke had the offense clicking for the majority of the game. The last two weeks have gotten the best out of Van Dyke and the wideouts and it’s become clear that the offense is better suited when it revolves around the passing game. Wide receiver Colbie Young shined with a nine catch, 110-yard performance with a touchdown. Young is another player that built off a strong performance against North Carolina.
The wide receivers had a strong performance as a collective, only dropping three catchable balls. Frank Ladson Jr. had two drops, but in return he was also semi-reliable with five receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. Brashard Smith had six catches for 76 yards including a 30-yard reception.
Miami’s offensive line didn’t do a bad job in pass-protection, only allowing two sacks. However, the run-game was inefficient once again, partially due to the offensive line. From left tackle to right tackle, the Pro Football Focus run-blocking grades are as follows:
John Campbell Jr.: 43.9
Jalen Rivers: 53.6
Jonathan Denis: 56.2
Logan Sagapolu: 53.7
DJ Scaife Jr.: 68.9
The Hurricanes had 28 carries for 107 yards on the ground, equating to a 3.8 yards per carry average. Jaylan Knighton was the leading rusher with 10 carries for just 27 yards.
Once Henry Parrish Jr. and Don Chaney Jr. are healthy, it could be a safe bet to say the room will get more diverse in terms of splitting carries which should help diversify the playcalling. Still, one must give credit to the Canes for finding a way to grind out a victory despite some of its shortcomings.
Defense
The Miami defense flew around all afternoon and was dominant on third downs. The Canes defense held the Hokie offense to four-of-15 on third down attempts. The defense was also able to generate a turnover on the Hokies’ first possession in the form of a fumble forced by cornerback DJ Ivey. From then on, the Hurricanes would dominate the game for three quarters up until the fourth.
Ivey also had the assignment of covering the Hokies’ top receiver in Kaleb Smith and he was up to the task. Ivey allowed one catch in coverage of Smith and two catches on wide receiver Da’Wain Lofton. Ivey had his second best game of the season according to PFF, notching a 71.1 coverage grade.
If Miami’s offense was able to stay ahead of the sticks and stay away from penalties, the game likely wouldn’t have been as close. But when the defense is out on the field far more than the offense, it gets tough to continue to rely on the defense.
However, Miami’s offense did the defense favors early in the game with quick scores and having an ability to get up early.
The defense was anchored by the defensive line which was making continuous stop after stop, but nobody shined more than Akheem Mesidor, who garnered national awards this week. Mesidor’s 3.5 sacks and eight tackles were both team highs for the day and instrumental in the Canes ability to stop the Hokies’ passing-attack.
Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. also had a sack and two tackles for loss as he continued his season as Miami’s best linebacker. Keontra Smith and Wesley Bissainthe also had strong outings. The Canes were able to stop the run against the Hokies at will, allowing 2.6 yards per carry over 78 yards on the ground.
Special Teams
Andres Borregales hit two-of-two on his field goal attempts, both of which were inside the 30. Lou Hedley earned ACC specialist of the week honors after his performance against VT. Hedley had seven punts, averaging 44.6 yards per punt. He also downed four inside the 20 and had a long of 58 yards. Hedley was another big reason the Hokies were unable to put up points because of their starting field position, which on average, was their own 19-yard line.
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