The Miami Hurricanes clock in as the 10th-ranked team in the latest AP poll and have their first true road game of the season against the SMU Mustangs.
This will be the first time the Hurricanes leave the state
of Florida, as they travel to Texas for a big ACC matchup with a ton of implications.
SMU hasn’t been as good as they were last season, but Rhett Lashlee still has a great football team that is a tough matchup for any team in the country. They are 3-1 in the ACC, and Miami needs to win this game to keep their hopes alive of making it to the conference title game.
There are a lot of fun matchups in this game on Saturday afternoon. In my previous matchup pieces, I would provide a positional matchup, a player vs. player matchup, and a coach’s matchup to look out for. For this game against SMU, I’ll be giving you two positional matchups and one coach’s matchup to watch on Saturday.
Without further ado, here are three matchups that will determine the game on Saturday.
Miami’s Wide Receivers vs. SMU’s Secondary
This game will be a big one for the wide receiver room in Miami, as Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels have a very favorable matchup in a game where they need to have a significant impact.
The Mustangs’ defense has been exposed through the air all season, allowing over 300 passing yards per game. SMU has also allowed 16 passing touchdowns and over 12 yards per reception. Jaelyn Davis-Robinson and
Deuce Harmon has struggled in coverage. They both lead SMU in yards per reception allowed in the cornerback room, and Davis-Robinson has allowed four touchdowns this season.
I expect Carson Beck to be going after these two corners and testing them all game. Daniels should have a good game on the outside, but it’s Toney that is primed to have a big game in the slot for Miami.
There is a real argument to be had that Toney is the best wide receiver, regardless of class. He does lead all true freshmen in the country in receptions (43), receiving yards (562), and first downs (26). He’s been remarkable, and SMU has struggled in coverage against opposing slot receivers.
The Mustangs have been excellent at stopping the run. Ironically enough, there’s been a lot of chatter about the Miami run game and how it’s used. On Saturday, Miami will have to rely on its passing attack to get them over the hump.
Miami’s Defensive Line vs. SMU’s Offensive Line
The Hurricanes’ defense will be up to the challenge, as this Mustangs offense poses many problems for teams around the country. Lashlee is a phenomenal offensive coach and will always put his teams in a great position to succeed.
The one area where his offense has been struggling is the offensive line, and he had two starters suffer injuries last game. They are a bit banged up heading into the game on Saturday, but Miami’s defensive line needs to wreak havoc on Saturday.
The Hurricanes will be led by Rueben Bain Jr to accomplish this task and to slow down SMU’s offense. They have a bunch of former Canes on the offense, and they’ve been dynamic for Lashlee. RB Chris Johnson, Jr, and WR Romello Brinson are two names that everyone is familiar with, and they are a part of a dynamic group of weapons for SMU.
The quickest way to disrupt an offense is to attack the quarterback, and Miami has been great at pressuring them. Akheem Mesidor was a game-time decision against Stanford and didn’t play. We’ll see if he is back against SMU, as it’ll be a massive boost to the defensive line.
They are a bit better at pass-blocking than at run-blocking. According to PFF, they have the best-graded pass blocking grade in the ACC. Miami ranks second in that metric.
If the Hurricanes can dominate the trenches, the game becomes a lot easier to win on Saturday. Nonetheless, Miami will have its hands full with SMU.
OC Shannon Dawson vs. DC Scott Symons
The talk of the town has been Shannon Dawson, following his recent comments on the run game in Miami and how it’s been utilized. The media pressed the offensive coordinator about it, and he pushed back against the media and fans on concerns about the running game.
On Saturday, Dawson will be facing a Mustangs defense that is stout against the run. It’s going to be one of the determining factors on how effective the offense operates. The Canes shouldn’t totally abandon the run game, but how they attack a great running defense and try to expose them will be interesting to watch.
With that being said, Dawson has to expose Scott Symons and the Mustangs’ passing defense. They are one of the worst in coverage, and Miami needs to have a big game through the air.
Beck needs to be sharp on Saturday and take care of the ball. The opportunities will present themselves for shots down the field, but getting the ball to the playmakers will put a lot of stress on this SMU defense.
The offensive line should hold its own against a very inconsistent pass rush. They have moments when they can get to the quarterback, and then moments when they are nonexistent. The Canes have the talent to mitigate their pass rush and keep Beck clean.
Dawson needs to have a big game on Saturday for Miami to win this game. His play-calling will be huge as Symons has his SMU defense playing good ball.
