CANES @ Duke by the Numbers

With back to back losses to FSU and VT, we need to get back on the winning track, with the focus now turning to a trip to Durham, NC on Saturday Afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU vs Duke, which is coming off a win vs NC State last week at home. Here's the breakdown by the numbers:

Total O vs Total D

CANES Total O vs Duke Total D

446.3 ypg (41st) vs 386.8 ypg allowed (57th) 

Duke Total O vs CANES Total D

409.3 (64th) vs 384.7 ypg allowed (54th)

Scoring O vs Scoring D

CANES Scoring O vs Duke Scoring D

35 ppg (32nd) vs. 22.2 ppg allowed (33rd)

Duke Scoring O vs CANES Scoring D

33.4 ppg (42nd) vs 23 ppg allowed (41st)

Rushing O vs Rushing D

CANES Rush O vs Duke Rush D

179.3 ypg (58th) vs 167.2 ypg allowed (69th)

Duke Rush O vs CANES Rush D

165.9 ypg (69th) vs 151.9 ypg (50th)

Passing O vs. Passing D 

CANES Pass O vs Duke Pass D

267 ypg (36th) vs 219.6 ypg allowed (40th)

Duke Pass O vs CANES Pass D

243.4 ypg (58th) vs. 232.8 ypg allowed (T-69th) 

Red Zone O vs Red Zone D 

CANES RZ O vs Duke RZ D

.775 (T-92nd) vs. .714 (T-12th)

Duke RZ O vs CANES RZ D

.821 (T-74th) vs. .808 (T-51st)

Pass Efficiency vs Pass Efficiency D

CANES PE vs Duke PE Def.

154.65 (17th) vs. 123.81 (59th)

Duke PE vs CANES PE Def. 

134.52 (59th) vs. 121.29 (47th)

Sacks vs Sacks Allowed

CANES Sacks vs Duke Sacks Allowed

25-145 [2.78 pg] (T-24th) vs. 12-70 [1.33 pg] (T-32nd)

Duke Sacks vs CANES Sacks Allowed

17-108 [1.89 pg] (T-64th) vs. 11-101 [1.22 pg] (T-20th)

3rd Down O vs 3rd Down D

CANES 3rd Down O vs Duke 3rd Down D

42-108 [39%] (73rd) vs. 52-147 [35%] (34th)

Duke 3rd Down O vs CANES 3rd Down D

47-126 [37%] (81st) vs. 53-137 [39%] (58th)

On the surface, Duke doesn't scare me as much when I look at their numbers. However, they have returned two punts back to the house this year and they are 18th in the nation and 2nd in the ACC in Punt Return Yardage with almost 13 ypr (12.88 to be exact). Our STs are going to have to play a lot better than they did vs VT. Where Duke does the real damage is in the 2nd half, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 166-82. They have two very good QBs that are over 1,000 yards for the season in Connette (1,411 yards) and Boone (1,172). Make no mistake, we'd better get the bad taste of the last two losses out of our mouths very quickly, because come Saturday Afternoon up in Durham, we're going to face a Duke team that is very very dangerous, and Cut will have them ready to play, and they're playing for a trip to Charlotte, so we need to come out and match their intensity pretty quickly, because if we don't, it'll be trouble. Let's back on track this week, and GO CANES! 

Report Card vs VT

Last night was one of the most pathetic performances I've seen from the Miami Hurricanes since the 48-0 OB finale in 2007 vs Virginia. Last night's game, to me, rivals it. After we get the first TD from Stephen to Stacy for 84, and we stop VT on the next drive and force a punt, we had a real chance to bust this game wide open on Stacy's PR, and was just about to go up 14-0, when he fumbled, and VT recovered, and instead, it was 7-7. (14 point swing and VT had gotten the mo). 

On the ensuing Kickoff, Artie has a big return and possibly take one back to the house, when he loses the ball and VT recovers that. 5 plays later, after Tracy forces a fumble, they take the lead for good at 14-7 on the very next play after Tracy's FF that VT recovered.  Early in the 2nd after we went 3 and out, we have a bad snap, and Patty puts his knee down and VT has a very short field starting at our 17, and score two plays later to go up 21-7. 

One play that told the story about our night was the Stanford TD on 3rd and 17. The tackling was abysmal. On that play, a stop had to be made and at worst, you hold them to a FG, instead, he goes 32 yards for the TD, and instead of maybe 24-14, its 28-14. That's a four point swing right there in Tech's favor. 

Another was the forced fumbles we caused that could have swung mo back our way, instead, VT was Johnny on the spot both times. It seemed the breaks went their way. The second FF that was recovered by VT for the TD, turned out to be the back-breaker. We did the right thing on that, but they were a step faster than we were on those both times. 

Last night was a very poor excuse of a defense. What I saw last night from Mark D'Onofrio's scheme was utterly embarrassing and completely inexcusable. 549 yards allowed last night (291 yards allowed in the 2nd half. Thomas goes 10-12 in the 2nd half for 183 yards) Of those 549 yards allowed, 183 of those were on the ground and 366 by Thomas passing. We didn't win the TO battle last night (-2) and when you don't win the Turnover Battle, you're not going to win many games, and last night vs a Top 10 Defense in Tech, we didn't win and we certainly won't win when you have -8 yards rushing in the 4th quarter like we did last night. This loss is on really two areas: Defense and Special Teams. VT started their drives from their own 28 on Average, and we started our drives from our own 24 on average. 

We had 4 Three and Outs last night, to just 2 for VT. The Time of Possession in the 2nd half was startling, and shows the ineptness of our defense under D'Onofrio. VT had the ball for 21:32 to just 8:28 for our Offense. For the game, VT was 57% on 3rd Down conversions. In the 2nd half, they were 78% on 3rd Down conversions. On the other hand in those same situations, we were 3-12 in those spots. That won't get it done vs a team as stout as VT is, especially on D. 

I'm going to give the report card and its going to be very simple. 

Offense: D-

Defense: F

Special Teams: F

I don't know where we are right now, but let's understand this, we do not control our own fate anymore after that fiasco last night. We have to get back on track very quickly up in Durham on Saturday at 3:30 on ESPNU against a very good Duke team. That's all for this week.