All of you reading this right now are worried about our defense as Miami faces David Wilson and the Virginia Tech offense, I’m in the same boat as you.
Wilson, the Hokies’ junior running back, averages close to 130 yards-per-game on the ground, much like UM’s Lamar Miller. The issue for the Canes’ ground game; the fact that the Hokies’ rush defense is ranked #2 in the country while Miami’s rolls in at #105.
Head coach Al Golden is always very coy when he answers questions about deficiencies as he doesn’t want to help the other team with their preparation. Still, I have a feel that when Frank Beamer and staff sit down to watch Miami’s defensive tape they won’t need much help in figuring out where the holes are.
One of the major issues for the Canes right now comes in the form of veteran players (think Marcus Forston) trying to make their bodies perform in this new scheme. According to Coach Golden, this new scheme is markedly different than the one Randy Shannon and his coordinators ran. It’s one thing to get it right in the meeting room or on the practice field, but it’s something completely different, trying to get that right in the heat of battle during a game.
According to the coaches, there are guys that keep resorting to old schemes and old techniques, which is causing breakdowns. It’s hard enough to address those issues, but when compounded on top of the amount of movement that’s been going on defensively, it’s even harder to fix.
Think of the number of moves that have been made since spring, right down to suspensions leading to half a defense being off the field for the Maryland game. A few suspended players were back a week later, which led to more change. More recently Adewale Ojomo slid over to defensive tackle while Shayon Green made the jump to defensive end from linebacker.
Marcus Robinson moved to defensive end eight days before the season kicked off, while JoJo Nicolas played cornerback all off-season and then was asked to switch to safety.
This week Ray-Ray Armstrong returns to the line up and while the obvious is that he’s a physical specimen, he’s another who has never lined up in this scheme on game day before.
Game five is on the horizon and Miami hasn’t fielded the same line up twice. Forget about bad tackling and bad habits, something as simply as getting to a point where the same guys are in there week-after-week – that hasn’t even been accomplished, though when it has, these defensive woes will improve.
Things are finally starting to click a bit on offense, thankfully. Jacory Harris, maligned as he’s been, is starting to get into a bit of a groove. Harris is looking comfortable in the new system, which despite the spring and off-season, is still new to him because he’s never tried it in-game until Ohio State two weeks back.
Tommy Streeter is also stepping up his game, becoming a legit go-to for his old high school teammate and friend, J12, while freshman Allen Hurns has continued to impress, while Travis Benjamin has improved his all-around play and has been a factor since his return against the Buckeyes, too.
LaRon Byrd still remains a mystery and his lack of production personally has me befuddled. Byrd has four catches this season after grabbing forty-one last year. He was shut out against both Maryland and Bethune-Cookman, though Streeter is getting a lot of those looks recently.
Miller has been the workhorse at running back and Eduardo Clements got some reps last week, though the situation with Mike James remains troubling. The Herald’s Manny Navarro tweeted that James is suffering from turf toe, which I can’t confirm or deny. I do know that with what recent practices I’ve taken in, I’ve seen little more than stretching out of James, even though he’s not wearing braces on his arms or legs.
Special Teams is coming around, with Dalton Botts averaging 42 yards-per-punt, while Jake Wieclaw is 4-of-4 on field goals. Kickoff coverage is great, though punt coverage needs some improvement – and both return teams need a little work, as well. Because Coach Golden has his hands in special teams, I have full faith that the Canes will get better in that area.
The biggest point in all of this, though? Consistency. This Hurricanes team needs some consistency across the board right now. The big question, though – by the time it comes, when there are no more moving parts, will it be too late? It all starts this weekend and by Saturday evening we should know a lot more.
IN OTHER NEWS : Thursday night on allCanes Radio, Platon of ProCanes and I welcome two great guests at The Titanic, next door to allCanes.
Former wide receiver / quarterback Ethenic Sands as well as women’s basketball transfer Shawnice Wilson will be joining us. “Pepper” is a 6-foot-6 center who transferred in from Pitt, sat out last season and will suit up for Katie Meier this year. She should have a huge impact on a team that is poised to be a national contender and when we caught up on Monday, I found out that she’s really an amazing girl.
Don’t forget the Thursday night special at Titanic as ten buck gets you a pint of quality brew and ten wings. Come down, let’s talk about ‘The U’ and show some support for both past and present day Canes. We’ll have prizes and giveaways and we’ll be live from 7-9pm ET.
Those who can’t make it, tune in live at allCanes.com, stream live through the allCanes iPhone app or download the podcast Friday at iTunes.