The Miami Hurricanes crock-potted (Hi, Solid Verbal) the Clemson Tigers 41-13 on Saturday night with the entire country watching. Death Valley may now just be a reference to Dabo Swinney’s decline at the top of the ACC.
The Canyonero Keys to Victory for Miami main theme was that this was a “Cadillac of Games” matchup… if it was the Tigers ran out of gas as Miami leaned on them in the 4th quarter. The individual keys were:
1- Tighten up the kicking game. Besides the opening kick return for Chris Johnson
Jr. (42-yards) the special teams unit played just fine for Miami. Jake Weinberg even hit a career long 50-yard FG.
2- Stop the Clemson run game. Clemson started to rely too heavily on the pass as Miami was allowing 4.7 yards per carry to the three RB’s. Clemson’s OC stopped their run game himself.
3- START CONGDON AT LG. He didn’t just start, he sprung the game opening TD on the Cooper Barkate screen.
The Doppler
Miami’s offense was only 5-of-13 on money downs which will have to be cleaned up over the off week. Clemson finished 9-of-21.
Clemson had two turnovers- the pick six and the fumble by Tait Reynolds. Miami did not turn the ball over even though that Mensah strip sack for a TD was a close close close call.
Miami won the penalty yardage game as well. The ‘Canes were flagged for 68 yards in penalties while Clemson was flagged for 91. The Tigers routinely shot themselves in the foot all game.
The kickers looked good in this one and the main ST thing that sticks out is how un-explosive Miami’s KR team is.
Miami’s Offense
Darian Mensah came back down to earth versus Clemson which for him means still averaging 8.2 yards per pass attempt with a touchdown. Mensah also ran a touchdown on a 34-yard scramble where he recovered his own fumble in the end zone.
Miami relied on the thumper run game from Mark Fletcher and Javian Mallory. Fletcher averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored twice but looked like he tweaked his groin at one point. Mallory was the thunder to Fletcher’s thunder as he banged out 4.5 yards per rush.
Cooper Barkate reaped the reward of Malachi Toney being brakcet’ed all night. Barkate averaged 19.6 yards per catch, including a 61-yard screen for a score. Mensah connected with only five receivers with three hitting the double-digit yards per catch mark.
The O-Line allowed two sacks, two TFL’s and a few QB hits and pressures throughout the night. They did a bang up job seeing as how banged up they were with Buchanan and McCoy going down at different points.
Above– Congdon earned the start on his first play from scrimmage and Rodriguez destroyed the DB here. Both were hunting and efficient in their strike. Beautiful. That’s how you spring a screen for a 60-yard TD.
Above– Pick plays which are legal IF Barkate catches this behind the LOS as he does. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are experts at manipulating the rulebook like this. I’m glad Dawson has been looking into it.
Above– McCoy started off sluggish before the injury. Here on play-action he lets the DE run by him. This is an “oh sh-” block where the OT has to open his hips and ride the DE up the field. McCoy half turns and lets him get past his outside knee which needs to be through the crotch of the DE.
Above– Mensah is in a nice pocket and no receivers have gotten into their routes yet. This is on his 1st hitch so after 2 seconds. You only get about 2.6 before the ball needs to come out, or you need to scramble to buy time.
Above– How Toney can get this much space is beyond me but he worked it for a 1st down with nice blocking from Elija Lofton downfield and in space.
Above– So Mensah has already had a climb and wait moment now he just takes off after the climb in the pocket. This is his TD run where he fumbles to himself in the end zone.
Above– McCoy gets shoved out of the way and can’t seal the edge on 3rd and 1. His man makes the play here to stop Miami’s conversion.
Above– This illegal shift play calls this one back (were the WR’s not set long enough?) but Toney is WIDE OPEN because he’s got a LB on him. Great job of scheming him vs. a LB by Dawson.
Above– McCoy is ballsy enough to get back out there with his shoulder in a harness but it got him abused on this rep. I feel for the guy, he gutted it out with Buchanan having gone out as well. Just not a very McCoy-like rep here.
Above– How much has Mensah dialed in on Toney and ignored his boy Barkate? Double coverage vs wide open on 4th and 1. A risky throw here but of course Toney comes down with it.
Above– Toney draws 2 guys with him and blocks a 3rd for Fletcher to just walk right in for a TD. Toney is valuable in so many different ways and has ANOTHER season left at Miami.
Miami’s Defense
Tait Reynolds had a roller coaster game for Clemson. The freshman averaged 6.7 yards per pass attempt and was throttled by Miami’s relentless pass rush. Reynolds turned the ball over twice including a late pick 6, but he also made some clutch plays to extend drives when all seemed lost.
With the ‘Canes defense coming away with six sacks and nine TFL’s it’s no surprise that Reynolds rushed for -22 yards (college counts sack yardage in the rushing yardage). But the Miami defense didn’t record a PBU. Reynolds found nine different receivers but only two averaged double-digit yards per catch numbers.
The Tigers run game was provided by Johnson Jr.’s 6.4 yards per carry and Davidson’s 3.6 yards and one touchdown. Bryant Westco averaged 16.9 yards per catch for Clemson.
Damon Wilson finally came alive and earned his check with 2.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL’s. Chase Smith came alive with five solo tackles and one TFL of his own. Ahmad Moten had 0.5 sacks and 0.5 TFL’s while JJ Dunnigan had the pick six.
Above– On the Clemson high snap 3rd down Chase Smith with a textbook tackle on Reynolds the QB. Head behind the hip, arms around the back of the legs. Stays up on his feet to re-accelerate.
Above– OK when 25 goes for the pick the job of the DB behind the play is to break up the pass. 25 can be aggressive because he has help behind him but the help has to at least try to get his arms in between the WR’s. He doesn’t and watches this play happen in front of him.
Above– I think this was O’Connor out in space here but too much leaving your feet. You CAN NOT run in full speed and just throw yourself on the ground. Sprint, buzz your feet, come to balance, strike, re-accel.
Above– Lightfoot is so powerful he jams the OG in the chest, folds him, then jumps over him to make the sack with great form. It’s a shame he got dinged up and maybe an off week will have him ready for FSU. He was having one hell of a season.
Above– More leaving your feet for the Miami DB’s. This is Thornton who once was a plus tackler and now has fallen off the side of a mountain.
Above– This is a fairly flaccid zone here, it’s definitely soft. Fitzgerald is playing out of position as an outside CB when he’s more of a free safety but still, get on the man this is a bad look.
Above– The spot route comes open again for Clemson. Look at the space for the Tigers WR here to work to a first down. Better offenses (if Miami plays more than one in ND) will take advantage of this.
Above– Moten swims the guard and that RG position for Clemson had a tough night between Moten and Lightfoot. This was the destructive force at DT we expected from the big fella.
Above– Westco jumps in front of Thornton and Dunnigan. Thornton’s body language is very odd here, like he’s LeBron arguing with a ref in the middle of a play rather than tackling the WR.
Above– Moten looking like an old school ‘Cane with no gloves or any other crap just a big fist punching the ball out for a fumble.
Above– More flaccid zone from Miami as the LB’ers are no where near the hook curl, the safety is DEEP, and the CB is shallow covering no one.
Above– Thornton again. His head is on the wrong side which causes him to slip off of Westco on the juke move. Thornton has to get back to basics of head behind, not across. An off week is a great week to break out shields and crash pads and work on tackling on Tuesday.
Above– What causes this ball to be thrown late and inside without zip? Wilson’s pressure on Reynolds.
Miami KO Coverage
Above– Johnson Jr. is in the middle with the football and the entire KO team winds up inside of midfield. Where’s the safety player? The kicker stops him in the end but two Hurricanes should be on the hash and #‘s along with the kicker.
The Wrap
Miami went into Death Valley and proved the ‘Canes are the top team in the ACC. Miami has an off week before hosting Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, October 17th. I’m going to suspect this is a night game as well but we’ll see where it’s placed compared to ND vs. BYU and Ohio State vs. Indiana.
Miami can only worry about what’s in front of them and this week it’s the off week. Mario Cristobal is 3-3 after off weeks since taking over in Coral Gables. The ‘Canes are beat up and this has been an extremely light schedule thus far. The further into ACC play they get the longer the starters will play and it could spell a disaster somewhere on the schedule if guys are out.
