The Miami Hurricanes have their last home game of the season as they host NC State in another crucial ACC conference game to keep the postseason dream alive.
In the latest College Football Playoff rankings,
the committee ranked Miami at 15, moving them ahead three spots from the previous week. If the Canes continue to handle business and be consistent, they will have a better shot than most people think to get an at-large bid.
But in order for that to happen, NC State needs to be taken care of on Saturday, and they are a tough matchup for Miami.
Here is the one and only matchup to keep an eye out for on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami’s Run Offense vs. NC State’s Run Defense
The underwhelming Canes rushing attack will face another test against a respected NC State run defense that has held its own throughout the season.
PFF has graded NC State’s run defense at 86.6, which is above average. LB Caden Fordham is a big reason why, as he’s been tremendous at stopping the run for the Wolfpack.
NC State has allowed 4.4 yards per attempt, but in their last three games, they have lowered it to 3.8 yards per attempt. They have been better, and PFF ranks their run defense as the team’s best graded unit.
The talk of the town in Miami has been the rushing attack and the concerns about running inside too much and not running outside enough. The media has pushed Shannon Dawson about it, and the fans have voiced their frustrations as clear as day.
The Hurricanes will most likely be without Mark Fletcher Jr. once again due to injury, which will hurt them as he leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns. Many are excited to see Girard Pringle Jr. get a lot more playing time as he flashed against Syracuse last week, leading the team in yards.
Miami has fallen below 4 yards per attempt on the season, which is embarrassing given the talent they have on the offensive line and at running back. For this offense to be more consistent and look a lot better, the running game has to be dominant.
A quarterback’s best friend is a great rushing attack, and right now, Carson Beck does not have that. He’s been struggling with the passing attack and hasn’t looked as smooth as it did at the beginning of the year, but without a rushing attack, this offense tends to stall a lot more than it should.
Pringle should get a lot more touches on Saturday as he is arguably the most explosive running back Miami has. He ran for 55 yards on seven attempts against Syracuse, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. Jordan Lyle has been struggling with consistency this season, but I believe he will find his rhythm soon. CharMar Brown will continue to be the bruiser of the running back room as his name will be called for short-yardage situations.
NC State is coming off a massive win against Georgia Tech last week, which helped Miami in the ACC standings. QB CJ Bailey (future Cane?) was phenomenal and will have his homecoming here as he is from South Florida. Miami will look to contain him and the offense, but it all starts with the Canes’ offense.
If Dawson can unlock this rushing attack and achieve consistent success, and if they have a lot more explosive plays on the ground, their chances of winning this game dramatically skyrocket.
