Miami Crushes Virginia Tech, Finds An Identity

Demons were exorcized Thursday night at Virginia Tech; a place where Miami has struggled to find success over the years. Based on that in itself, a legitimate reason to exhale and celebrate—shelving any overly-critical opinions for a day or two, at least.

A knee-jerk response by some will put the focus on all that the Hokies aren’t this season, opposed to the fact this is precisely the type of game the Hurricanes let slip away time and time again over the past several years. Any way it’s sliced, this win deserves credit.

While it’s understood that Virginia Tech is no powerhouse in 2014, its defense isn’t often down 30-0 in the waning moments of a fourth quarter at home, giving up 456 total yards—364 at the hands of two running backs who had yet to combine for such an outpouring.

Duke Johnson ran for 249 yards Thursday night while back-up Gus Edwards complimented with 115 of his own. The result; Miami owning time of possession 35:08 to 24:52, while going 7-of-15 on third down conversions—two areas the Hurricanes have struggled mightily this season.

NO LONGER A TRUE FRESHMAN UNDER CENTER

True freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya was limited-by-design, going 7-of-16 attempts for 92 yards. Four of those completions went to wide receivers, totaling 30 yards. The other three were big-gain opportunities, putting the ball in the hands of Johnson and Edwards, which wasn’t the norm last season.

Kaaya hit Edwards for a 25-yard pick-up on Miami’s first series. A drive later, the game-manager found Johnson at the last possible second, getting crushed on a blitz but picking up 15 yards on 3rd-and-8 and sustaining a crucial drive, leading to the Canes’ first touchdown.

On the final play of the first half, Kaaya connected with Johnson a beautifully-designed play that went 22 yards—crossing up with wideout Phillip Dorsett—leaving Johnson open for the grab and crossing the goal line as clock hit 0:03, giving Miami a 24-0 halftime lead.

The second half lacked the same offensive fireworks, but did allow Miami to flex its defensive muscle, forcing three consecutive turnovers to start the third quarter.

Virginia Tech abandoned the run early, but were content to pound Marshawn Williams to start the second half. The Hokies drove the opening possession to the three-yard line before the Hurricanes forced a goal-line fumble.

Joel Caleb coughed it up for the Hokies the ensuing drive and on a third attempt at picking up their first points of the night, linebacker Denzel Perryman stopped the Hokies and Jerome Wright with another bruising hit, as Jermaine Grace reeled in his second recovery of the night.

Without the forced fumbles, a completely different type of ballgame as Virginia Tech was finding some success on the ground. Still, in the end the Hurricanes outgained the Hokies by almost 200 yards and kept the home team off the scoreboard until the final possession of the fourth quarter.

The million dollar question these past two weeks; would Miami coaches capitalize on the bye week and roll into Blacksburg with a workable game plan? Offensively, James Coley drew it up perfectly, while his players executed and deserves kudos for the result.

The Hurricanes needed to run the ball to win and never strayed from that agenda. Taking a rowdy Lane Stadium crowd down a few notches early—it was a must if Miami was going to succeed. So was keeping Kaaya out of turnover trouble, setting up shorter fields, shifts in momentum and reinvigorating the locals.

Kaaya was used sparingly and effectively—making the throws when called upon, while orchestrating the Hurricanes’ offense all night. Johnson ran with a passion, Edwards backed him up soundly and Miami forced an opponent to play their style of football—proactive, opposed to reactive.

A rarity as of late, which was why this win was such a breath of fresh air.

Coley’s ability to grow as an offensive playcaller is proving season-definining, as well. Miami played scared at Louisville—rolling out a true freshman quarterback in a chaotic environment and keeping everything too close to the vest. Over the next few weeks, that began to change—with Hurricanes’ coaches trusting Kaaya and leaning more on a veteran offensive line and some playmaking running backs to offer breathing room.

ALL ROADS RUN THROUGH NUMBER EIGHT

Johnson—having missed the final five games of the 2013 season, including a home loss to Virginia Tech—is back to being the focal point of Miami’s offense, used in a multi-dimensional fashion.

As a true freshman in 2012, Johnson hauled in 27 receptions when Jedd Fisch was calling the plays. Last year, only four receptions in Coley’s first season running the offense at “The U”. In eight games this fall, Johnson already has 19 receptions for 224 yards—breaking his first-year total of 221 yards—and is on pace to top his career-high in catches from two years back.

Two weeks ago, Miami got it done through the air against Cincinnati—exploiting a weak secondary and torching the Bearcats. Kaaya threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns—connecting with Dorsett for a perfectly-executed 79-yarder after an earlier 28-yard strike.

The deep ball wasn’t there against the Hokies secondary—despite Virginia Tech’s penchant for giving up some big plays this season—so Miami took what was given and made it work; which is a huge step forward based on where this team has been over the past two months.

The Hurricanes’ inability to stop the run cost Miami big time against Georgia Tech—which could be the deciding factor in this year’s ACC Coastal Division race, sadly.

Eight games in, consistently shutting down the run remains this team’s Achilles’ Heel and against an offensive like the Yellow Jackets, the Hurricanes paid dearly. Same for an earlier road loss at Nebraska where Ameer Abdullah ran wild all night.

Unless it finds a way to force turnovers, Miami’s defense cannot get off the field when an opponent is pounding away.

Miami’s narrative eight games into this season varies depending who is telling the tale. Camps are seemingly made up of “haters” or “slurpers”—both sides accused of having an agenda, while in political fashion, wins, losses and style-points are the currency used to build one’s case.

Mid-season position coordinator firings would appease some, while others want this entire project scrapped in favor of a wish-list coaching staff, made up of past Hurricanes’ greats, with zero logic in the process.

Fact remains, this collective body of work will be judged at year’s end—not quarter-by-quarter or even game-by-game.

There have certainly been some glaring issues since Labor Day, but there have also been some noticeable effects to clean things up, with measurable improvement—which doesn’t fit into the agenda of the “haters” camp, fed up with a decade of mediocrity and lumping it all on present-dayers, opposed to those who helped dig this hole.

For Miami, much will come out in the wash these final four regular season games of 2014—each a measuring stick of sorts, providing a unique challenge.

NEGOTIATING THE REMAINING FOUR GAMES

North Carolina now represents that typical letdown game. Will Miami rise to the challenge against this year’s divisional doormat, ranked 125th in points against ?

There’s an obvious high from a win at Virginia Tech and strong back-to-back offensive showings. How do coaches temper this, while making use of a few extra days to prepare for a Tar Heels team riding a two-game win-streak, knocking off two Coastal “powers” in Georgia Tech and Virginia?

Florida State, plain and simple, is Florida State. The definition of rivalry game and must-win in the sense that things are so lopsided—the Seminoles winning four in a row, including four consecutive in South Florida.

The phrase, “it ain’t a rivalry if they can’t beat you” has come to define this Sunshine State showdown as of late. When will something give?

This is another situation where Hurricanes coaches will have two weeks to prepare, coming off a bye. How will that time be utilized? What will be done to set the stage for an upset—or will Miami be out-coached and out-played as it has been for years in this match-up?

Virginia is another late-season trap game that always seems to get Miami. Scott Stadium gives the Hurricanes fits and winning in Charlottesville hasn’t proven easy, having dropped three of the past four to the Cavaliers in their house. The Coastal Division could still be up for grabs at this point of the season. Will Miami show up play with that type of urgency?

From there the regular season wraps at home against Pittsburgh and sets up as one of those who-wants-it-more contests, comparable to the 2011 finale where Boston College flat-out took the game from Miami, who was going through the motions and lethargic, bowl ineligible and knowing its season was over.

If the Canes are or aren’t in the division hunt by late November, can they still play with an energy that clears a path to victory?

Fourth-year head coach Al Golden earned himself some sympathy points and bought time, having been hit upside the head with an NCAA investigation, digging in his heels and to borrow a phrase from his repertoire—staying the course.

Recruiting has had some bright spots, while the notorious “cloud” of the scandal scared off some top talent, leaving the Hurricanes with some third- and fourth-choice that didn’t pan out. There was also Penn State chatter earlier this year, leaving some questioning Golden’s loyalty, while the defense of a maligned coordinator has proven the ultimate sticking point—juxtaposed by some good offensive hires in Fisch and now Coley.

Some winnable games remain and based on what Miami showed at Virginia Tech, the bar is now a little higher—especially regarding some of the divisional foes remaining on the schedule. Golden rolls on with a belief in his staff and system—and the ultimate way to win that debate is for the Hurricanes to whoop-up on a few of these remaining foes like it did the Hokies.

The offense is firing and the defense is taking some steps forward, but still has a long way to go. North Carolina has all the makings of a proper beating—especially with a “Kelly Tough” mindset for homecoming and the legend Jim Kelly in the mix as the grand marshall.

From there, the measuring stick that is Florida State, followed by a tough road venue and winnable home finale.

It’s all there for the taking. Will Golden and these Canes rise to the occasion, or crumble under pressure?

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