2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 8 (Clemson 10/24 Sun Life Stadium)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 8

Clemson (October 24^th)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Clemson Tigers, who come into Sun Life on October 24^th. For Clemson, they are a legit National power. In the last four years, they’ve won 10+ games, but only 1 ACC title to show for it (2009). As good as the Tigers are, in big games, they’ve come up small. Dabo Sweeney is back for year 7 in the South Carolina upstate. The expectations are very high, but if they are going to take that next step to elite, they will have to do so with a younger group. 

Let’s talk about Clemson’s defense.

Under Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables, who came over from Oklahoma in 2012, he has turned the Tigers defense into one of the best in the nation. To emphasize that point, in 2014, you could make a strong case that they were the best D in the country, holding opposing offenses to a measly 260.8 yards per game, tops nationally.

In 2015 though, Venables will face one of his biggest trials yet, and that’s trying to duplicate last year’s success without two 1^st round NFL Draft picks in 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Vic Beasley (drafted 8^th overall by the Atlanta Falcons) and Butkus Award semifinalist linebacker Stephone Anthony (drafted 31^st overall by the New Orleans Saints).

The biggest hit the defense took was on the D-Line. In addition to Beasley’s loss, they also lost All-ACC First Team selection Grady Jarrett (drafted as the top pick of the 5^th round by the Atlanta Falcons). Those three guys were the heart and soul of that defense, combining for half of the team’s sacks in 2014. A bigger hit to the line was that sophomore DE Ebenezer Ogundeko, being kicked off the team in May after getting arrested for credit card fraud.

So now, it’s going to be up to Junior DE Shaq Lawson to step up and be the leader of that line that’s going to have a lot of youth on it. In 2014, he was second on their team in tackles for a loss last year with 11.5.

The down side there is that he doesn’t have much experience himself; He has a grand total of one career start. The good part is that a strong recruiting class gave them 7 skilled linemen to replace all the outgoing seniors, which are headlined by DT Albert Huggins (South Carolina) and Christian Wilkins (Connecticut), as well as weak-side DE’s Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant.

These four are ranked within the top 15 in their positions nationwide, and two of those players (Huggins and Wilkins) are the highest ranked recruits in their states.

As for the linebackers, while they didn’t lose as many players as the D-Line did, it will have to find players to make up for the production of Anthony, who was the most athletic player on the defense and was their team leader in tackles (75), and Tony Steward. It’ll be up to Junior Ben Boulware, who had 40 tackles as a backup, and others will have to take responsibility of the linebackers and fill the void left behind by the losses there. With Chad Smith coming in, it will definitely help pull the load here.

The heart and soul of the 2015 defense will be in the secondary. However, it will be without All-ACC first team selection Garry Peters (signed as UFA by Carolina Panthers) and Robert Smith (signed as UFA by Indianapolis Colts). The up side here is that this is still a very deep bunch back there, which have back studs like CB Mackensie Alexander and S Jayron Kearse.

Let’s talk about Clemson’s Offense

Yes, some key players are gone, they will have back a lot of great players. While Chad Morris is now in Dallas as the Head Coach at SMU, and Jeff Scott being promoted to Offensive Coordinator, the Tigers will still have to work to get all this youth in shape, but they will have a large amount of talent to work with.

Back as the signal caller is Sophomore Deshaun Watson after fighting through injuries in his freshman season that offered so much promise. He started the season as Cole Stoudt’s backup before Dabo decided to give him game action, and he produced for Swinney. In 2014, he completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards, 14 touchdowns to only two interceptions and his 188.57 rating would have led the nation if he had enough attempts to qualify. If this kid stays healthy, this is a Heisman candidate for sure, if not the leader to win it.

He’ll have a receiving core that’s one of the better one in the country. Their top three receivers from 2014 return. That includes WRs Mike Williams and Artavis Scott, who were 4^th and 5^th in the ACC in receiving yards.

To compliment them, they added in their recruiting class two top level talents in  in Deon Cain, ranked 2^nd in the nation among WRs, and TE Garrett Williams, ranked 4^th in the nation among TE, according to 247 Sports Composite Rankings.

The backfield has back RS Sophomore Wayne Gallman, following a decent 2014 season that saw him be their top rusher in the season’s 2^nd half. He ended his Freshman campaign with 769 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 161 carries. While there isn’t much talent here at this position, it will suffice here for them.

As for the O-Line, they do lose two starters from last year. The upside is that there is some good experience returning with six players back and all as Seniors. On top of that, they are also getting four high-quality recruits in: Mitch Hyatt, Jake Fruhmorgen, Noah Green, and Zach Giella. Hyatt and Fruhmorgen are both ranked in the top 10 in the nation at offensive tackle. With a mix of youth and experience, this line will be one few teams are going to want to have to face in 2015.

What to expect from Clemson

Looking at them on tape, while they lost a lot in key areas on both sides, make no mistake, this team is still a force to be dealt with.

Below is their last game of the 2014 season vs Oklahoma in Orlando:

As you can see from the videos here, with Dabo teams, you know you’re going to see a team that’s tough and physical, but the thing with Dabo teams are in big games, can they finally take that next step and be an elite program like the FSU’s, the Ohio State’s, the Oregon’s. They are the preseason favorite to win the ACC this year.  

In this game, it’ll be at home, if Clemson is going to an elite team and get to the playoffs, winning this game is critical. I expect the CANES to come out ready for this game. If Al ever needed a true signature win vs a top level opponent, and for a shot to win 11, they need this one.  I think it’ll be close, and like FSU, it’ll come down to who executes in the 4^th quarter. I want to say CANES are ready to be back on the National stage, but in the end, I don’t think it’ll be in this one. Clemson wins a tightly fought game here. 

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 7 (VT 10/17)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 7

Virginia Tech (October 17^th)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Virginia Tech Hokies, who come into Sun Life on October 17^th.

This is an important year for Virginia Tech. This team is at a crossroads. For years, all this team did was won ACC titles. They did so in 6 of their first 8 years in the league. Since their last title in 2010, they’re just 12-12 in the league and for the fans up in Blacksburg, that’s a cause for concern. They needed a 6-6 season just to prevent missing the postseason for the first time since 1992. That season, they went 2-8-1. They did win a bowl game last year, and that alone kept a streak of 22 consecutive winning seasons. The question has to be asked, which fork in the road the Hokies make in 2015.

Let’s talk about Virginia Tech’s offense

The time is now for the Hokies with third-year offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler in charge there. The first two years, it was a matter of players understanding his system, and dealing with injuries and plenty of inexperienced players. However, now, with all the key players for them coming back, which includes QB Michael Brewer, a Texas Tech transfer who was at best, inconsistent. While Brewer threw for 18 touchdowns and 2,692 yards, he also had 15 interceptions, with 11 of those coming in the first six games.

He has much more experience now, as well as his weapons offensively. Back are WRs Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips, who combined for 96 catches, 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns as freshmen, and when you add TE Bucky Hodges, who basically destroyed all their school’s tight end records with 45 catches, 526 yards and seven touchdown. Mind you, he did this as a redshirt freshman. That tells you that their Receiving corps is going to be dangerous this year given the experience they have.

As for the running game, that’s the key question. With Shai McKenzie and Marshawn Williams coming off ACL injuries (the former having off the field/legal issues), there will be questions on whether or not they can come back and be effective. The key is having 2013 leading rusher Trey Edmunds at 100% health. They also have back J.C. Coleman, who showed he could carry the load after rushing for 468 yards in the final four games of 2014.

Another key question is the offensive line. Their staff believes that their starting five could have a big year here. The one that’s expected to be the leader of the line is LG Wyatt Teller. Teller is a guy who could mix it up and be a true bruiser in the trenches. He came in the middle of last season into the starting lineup, and turned out to be their O-line MVP. The big if’s here are:

• ·         The O-Line coming together
• ·         Their younger players step up and make plays.
• ·         Brewer can eliminate the turnovers in key spots.

If they do all that, their Offense will be hard to stop.

Let's talk about the Virginia Tech Defense

As for the defense, you know what you’re going to see from a Bud Foster defense and that’s aggressive defense, blitzes, and good coverage from the secondary. This group is no different. Their strength, as usual is in the trenches and on the back end, specifically the secondary. They have back on the D-Line, four starting defensive linemen who have earned All-ACC recognition in their careers. They have back DT Luther Maddy, who’s back off a medical redshirt, and he’ll be paired with undersized but quick Corey Marshall on the interior. Their ends are even better than their interior players. At the ends, they have back Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem, who combined for 18.5 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss last year, the most productive D-line tandem in the ACC. They will be a force to be dealt with for opposing O-Line coaches and Offensive Coordinators.

As for the secondary, it’s a fluid situation there, when you consider there were spring absences. Make no mistake though, they have a top level CB in All-American Kendall Fuller back.  The big key is that they need Brandon Facyson to stay healthy at the other Corner position. If he stays healthy, look for the Hokies to move Chuck Clark back to Safety. While, this group gave up a ton of big plays in 2014, they have the talent to shut people down.

At LB, is where the biggest question lies on Defense for the Hokies in 2015. They have back Deon Clarke, but other than that, Andrew Motuapuaka is a first-year starter. Still though, they have a defense that will once again rush the passer and cover top the opponent’s top receivers, which has been a trademark of a Bud Foster Defense.

Let's talk about the Virginia Tech Special Teams

As for their special teams, this is a trademark of Frank Beamer teams, hence the term “Beamerball”. However, it’s slacked off in recent years. Though Kicker Joey Slye (20-of-28 on field goals) has the leg to go 50-plus, he need to fix the accuracy issues. Punter A.J. Hughes is coming off back surgery, which in part, might explain why his average fell off from 44.1 in 2013 to 39.9 in 2014. As for their Punt Return game, they have a guy that could break a big one at any time in Greg Stroman. In 2014, he nearly broke half a dozen punt returns for touchdowns. The big issue here is kick return game. That’s been lacking the last few seasons in Blacksburg and that could use a boost in 2015.

What to expect from Virginia Tech

Looking at them on tape, you know what you’re going to get from a Beamer/Foster team and that’s Special Teams, Defense and a physical running game.

Foster is a master of giving different looks on defense (ask Ohio State last year about the Foster defense).

Below is from their 2015 Spring Game

Below is from the Military Bowl vs Cincinnati

Below are the highlights from our win in Blacksburg last year

Below is the CANES O vs VT D

In this game, I expect the CANES to come out after an expected tough loss in Tallahassee and play much better vs the Hokies at home. Now, it won’t be like the 30-6 game in Blacksburg last year, in the end though, expect to see a solid CANES victory. 

Up Next: 10/24 vs Clemson

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 6 (at FSU 10/10)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 6

At FSU (October 10^th)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Florida State Seminoles whom The U visits up at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on October 10th.

About FSU, They won the ACC title again, going 13-1, and getting thrashed by Oregon in Pasadena in the 1^st College Football Playoff.  Jimbo Fisher comes into season 5 in Florida’s capital city. You know what you’re getting from the Noles. There are some question marks this year. We all know the deal with the off the field issues that are well-documented.

Let’s talk about the Seminoles, on the field.

First, the offense. They were one of the schools that Braxton Miller was considering before ultimately deciding to stay in Columbus. They did add a “high profile transfer” in Everett Golson.  While in South Bend, with Notre Dame, he was a highly productive player for three seasons, however, Seminole fans should cringe at this fact: He turned the ball over 22 times last year. However, Golson has big game experience and when you consider that he is one of only two active FBS quarterbacks to have started a national championship game and that Sean Maguire and J.J. Consentino don’t have much experience and Maguire being very inconsistent, this is Golson’s job to lose here. Year 1 in the Post-Jameis era should be very interesting to watch.

The running game is led by Sophomore Dalvin Cook. However, he is one of their players that is facing potential discipline for “off-field issues”, but even if he does end up suspended or worse,  this is still a top-level unit to be reckoned with.  Should they lose Cook, it would be a HUGE loss for them. You don’t easily replace a guy who rushed for 1,000+ yards in 2014.  Should it be necessary to do so, Mario Pender is going to have to step up and carry the load left behind by a potential Cook suspension, and also possibly getting more work would be true freshman Jacques Patrick, a five-star recruit out of Orlando.  Pender rushed for roughly 200 yards and four touchdowns as their third running back in 2014.

As for the receiving corps, it won’t be easy to replace guys like Rashad Greene (drafted in 5^th round as the 3^rd pick to Jacksonville) and Nick O’Leary (drafted in 6^th round as the 18^th pick to Buffalo), however, when you look at FSU, they have the talent to reload.  Returning to Tallahassee in 2015, are Jesus Wilson and Travis Rudolph, both of whom had 500 yards receiving in 2014, and Ermon Lane, whom the coaches there are very high on, and as a Freshman, he showed flashes of why he was one of the top receivers in the country coming out of high school snaring 13 passes for 267 yards.  Another WR who could have more chances to get passes his way this year is Kermit Whitfield is Whitfield caught 11 passes for 145 yards in 2014.

As much talent as they have at the skill positions, there will be a new Offensive Line in 2015. If there’s a ? with the O, its here. Gone are two All-Americans.  The only one back with experience is LT Roderick Johnson, whose being asked to step up and be the leader of the offensive line. He only has five career starts.  The only other lineman that has started a game is Ryan Hoefield, who has four career starts at left guard, but he’s not listed as a starter right now. Look for him though to end up being the Center. Make no mistake, the talent is there, if they can step up and produce a solid season, then they’ll be ok.

Now, let’s move over to the other side of the ball on Defense.  

Their back seven is very very good, especially the Linebackers. They have back Reggie Northrup, Terrance Smith and DeMarcus Walker, as well as their top reserve in Matthew Thomas.  In 2014, Northrup led the team with 91.5 tackles.  Smith was their best LB in coverage, picking off two passes, breaking up a pass, and forcing a fumble.  As for DeMarcus Walker, he led their LB’ers in tackles for loss with six.

They will have to play a bigger role this year because the D-Line will have some new faces this year. Gone are  Mario Edwards, Jr. (drafted in the 2^nd round by the Oakland Raiders), Eddie Goldman (drafted in the 2^nd round by the Chicago Bears and the pick was endorsed by Dick Butkus) and Desmond Hollin (signed as UFA by the Denver Broncos). Combined, those three players had 23 tackles for loss and seven sacks.  Its going to be up to Chris Casher to step up and be their top pass rusher in 2015.  Derrick² (Nnadi and Mitchell, Jr.) need to be the guys on the interior that step up, and really make a difference vs the run and be effective pass rushers next to Nile Lawrence-Stample, their DT.

As for their Secondary, the best player there is Jalen Ramsey, who will likely, barring injury and doesn’t get in trouble off the field, will be a Top 5 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.  This guy is the real deal.  In 2014, he had 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, twelve pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.  Ramsey by himself, changes a gameplan for opposing Head Coaches and Offensive coordinators. However, Ramsey isn’t the only game in town. He will have with him coming back, Safeties Nate Andrews and Tyler Hunter.  Andrews, last year, was second on their team with 79.5 tackles and also picked off three passes.  As for Hunter, he had an interception, but where he did his damage was breaking up 7 passes. Also back for them is Sophomore Tyler Marshall.

As for their special teams, they don’t get any better than Junior Roberto Aguayo, who, unlike FSU kickers of the past, has been money when it matters most, and punter Carson Beatty. While their coverage units are excellent, the kickoff return team must be better, when you consider the fact they averaged just 20 yards per return in 2014.

What to expect from FSU

Looking at them on tape, you know what to expect from them. They are explosive Offensively, and ball-hawks on the defensive end, especially Ramsey.  They will hit big plays, and if Golson can limit the turnovers and come up big like he has in his career, this will be like if Jameis weren’t even there. If their D up front steps up early to replace the losses they suffered there, you know their back seven is very good, and if they stay healthy, they have another 10-11 win team there again in 2015.

The video you see below is highlights of Everett Golson from last year. 

This video is FSU from last season

This video is of last year's heartbreaker at Sun Life

Well, this is the ACC opener for The U. They’ve lost 5 straight times on (4 on Al’s watch). This will be a game that comes down to the end, whoever executes when it matters most will win. Being that this game is in Tallahassee, I want to believe this is finally the game where Al gets his signature win, but I just believe in the end, FSU will make enough plays late, to get the win over The U.

FSU by 3-7 points here over the CANES. 

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 5 (at Cincinnati 10/1)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 5 (Week 4 was a BYE)

At Cincinnati (October 1^st {Thursday Night})

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Cincinnati Bearcats whom The U visits up at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on October 1^st (Thursday Night) at 7:30 pm on ESPN.

About Cincinnati. They went 9-4 (in the AAC),  and Tommy Tuberville comes into season 3 in the Queen City as the odds-on favorite to win their conference title (AAC). Their Offense is loaded with talented playmakers, which is led by Gunner Kiel. The big question will be how their Defense does.

First, let’s talk about the known, which is their offense.  

As mentioned, they get Kiel back. In last year’s opener, he threw six touchdown passes in his collegiate debut. He was at one time, a No. 1 quarterback recruit, who started his career at Notre Dame, before coming to Cincinnati. finished 2014 with 31 TD passes to tie their record for one season and he has back his top seven receivers. If there’s a question with the O, it has to be on the durability end. Kiel, now a junior, made all 13 starts last season, however, he did leave some games due to the fact that he was banged up with rib and/or back injuries.. Their training staff up there has worked with Kiel to improve his core strength.

There could be a record breaking season for  WR Shaq Washington (66 catches, four TDs). He’s on pace to become the UC career leader in receptions, and for a possession receiver like he is, that’s impressive. Also back are Mekale McKay and Chris Moore (both of whom had eight TD catches apiece). Those two are the big play threats downfield in their four-wide offense.

While their passing game was Top 15 nationally (13^th), the running game left a little to be desired here. In 2014, their running game was 72^nd nationally. You can guess what the focus was on this spring up there offensively. The reason for the low ranking in the running game, was the fact that their top backs Hosey Williams and Tion Green missed most of 2014 with injuries. Their leading rusher was Mike Boone, who had 650 yards rushing and nine TDs as a true freshman. Come fall camp, this will be one battle worth watching between Boone and Williams to see who wins that job as No 1 back.

As for the Offensive Line, they lost to graduation 3x all-league left tackle Eric Lefeld, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an Undrafted Free Agent. However, they do have three starters back in Parker Ehinger (who will move over to Lefeld’s old spot at LT from RG), RT Justin Murray and C Deyshawn Bond.

Onto the Defensive side

Keep in mind that when The U thrashed the Bearcats 55–34 last year at Sun Life, their D was the worst in the country. This led Tubs to say the following:  “We can’t tackle anybody on defense. We look like the Bad News Bears.” The kicker was that just two weeks earlier, they had allowed 710 yards in a 50–28 loss to Ohio State. Suffice to say, the schedule was brutal early, but got easier once AAC play started and their D was better as the season went on and they would rank 96^th  in total defense when the season ended. You could tell that UC’s relative lack of defensive speed got exposed by the big boys.

They lose key personnel to graduation. That includes  LBs Jeff Luc (134 tackles, who was picked up as a UFA by the Miami Dolphins) and Nick Temple (113, who was picked up as a UFA by the Cincinnati Bengals) and defensive end Terrell Hartsfield (AAC-best 9.0 sacks, who was picked up by the Colts as an UFA). They do get back DE Silverberry Mouhon on the D-Line.

Also back is a ball-hawk in Safety Zach Edwards (121 tackles), and their back 4 will get a boost with the return of veteran cornerback Adrian Witty. A vocal team leader, Witty missed most of 2014 with a leg injury, so getting him back will be boost for the Bearcat secondary.

The consistency on D is shaky here, when you consider the fact that the Bearcats will have its third DC, in Tubs’ three years in the Queen City. Steve Clinkscale, is the new DC, promoted from secondary/cornerbacks coach. The man that led the D last year, Hank Hughes, left for Lincoln, to become defensive line coach at Nebraska.

As for their special teams

Like the Defense, they will have their third ST coordinator. Ty Linder comes in from TCU. They have back Placekicker Andrew Gantz, who had a solid Freshman season, which saw him earn second-team All-AAC honors after making 16-of-20 field goal attempts. Also back is Punter Sam Geraci, and as the season went on, he got better. He finished his Freshman year with a 39.4-yard average. While the kicking game was solid, the same could not be said for their coverage teams, at least early, As the season went on, they got better. In 2013, their coverage was terrible. When it came to the return game, nothing of note could be said here.

What to expect from Cincinnati

Looking at them on tape, they are explosive Offensively, and ball-hawks on the defensive end.  They will hit big plays, and Kiel, if he stays healthy, is the real deal, and their WRs are very good and they do stretch the field effectively. They run a lot of 4 wide sets. If their D steps up early to replace the losses they suffered there, and adjust to another new DC, look out.

Coming off a BYE week, on a Thursday Night on the road and with FSU 9 days later in the ACC opener on the road, this is a potential trap game for The U.  It won’t be like last year at Sun Life, where they just dismantled the Bearcats. It’ll be closer, but in the end, I believe that the CANES will make just enough plays and make some key stops late to win this one. I predict CANES win by 10-14 points on the road in Cincinnati. 

Up Next: at FSU (10/10)

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 3 (Nebraska 9/19 at Sun Life Stadium)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 3

Nebraska (September 19^th at Sun Life Stadium)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Nebraska Cornhuskers whom The U hosts on September 19^th at 3:30 pm on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2.

About Nebraska, who went 9-4 (5-3 in the B1G West), fires Bo Pelini, a guy that only won 9-10 games a year every year he was there, and replaced him with Mike Riley, who’s only won 10 games just once in his career (2006 at Oregon State going 10-4 and winning the Sun Bowl). Riley will be asked to take the Huskers to the next step and that’s win a B1G title, which in that conference is asking a lot when you consider the competition in that league.

Let’s start with the offense

Gone is their best back, Ameer Abdullah. So, with Tommy Armstrong, Jr. back as the signal caller, things will change in Lincoln. For one, we’re going to see more of Riley’s pro-style offense. It will not be the unmitigated disaster that it was under Bill Callahan.  

Something to consider here, last season, Armstrong was wildly inconsistent. There were times where he was great, but other times, he was terrible. With Riley really as the Offensive coordinator as well, we’ll see more of how good Armstrong can really be, and the passing game will be better for it.  

With Abdullah gone to Detroit, it’s going to be up to Terrell Newby and Imani Cross to fill those huge shoes left behind with Abdullah’s departure, however, that’s still a competition that will be settled in Fall Camp. Meanwhile, to bolster the passing game, it’s going to be up to receivers Jordan Westerkamp and De’Mornay, to step up and be leaders of that core. With Alonzo Moore and Jamal Turner, who many think could have a monster year, provided he stays healthy, in the rotation, their receiving corps will be one to be dealt in Riley’s offense.  

The down side here is that the offensive line took a big hit with three starters gone to graduation, but they have back Senior tackle Alex Lewis, who could be a very good one there. Also returning are Zach Sterup and Ryan Reeves, who both have star potential and should be in their OL rotation. With Riley’s new offense, a new line could be a good thing as the season progresses.

The offense as a whole should be fine, and will adjust accordingly. Their WR corps are deep and pretty good too. Their Offense should be ok, yes, there will be some issues early on, but as the season goes on, few teams are going to want to play Huskers, with the weapons they have.

Their Kicking is solid with Drew Brown back. While not great, he’s solid and can get the job done

Onto the Defensive side

The question has to be asked, did the Huskers weaken the defense with Pelini’s firing? Then again, what Wisconsin did to that defense, really not much there to weaken it more than it already was.

Yes, Randy Gregory is now in Dallas, however, even so, the D-Line should be solid again in 2015 with the return of Vincent Valentine and Maliek Collins up front on the interior and Greg McMullen on the end. They were responsible for making Gregory’s draft stock far beyond what it should have been. The depth is there where they could be even better than they were in 2014. 

Moving on to LB, The only one back with substance is Josh Banderas. While they do get Michael Rose-Ivey back after missing all of last year due to a knee injury. They lost their top three contributors. Even though, they have three other guys with experience on the line and two more freshmen, there will be big time drop in production over here.

In their secondary, they return Daniel Davy, Byerson Cockrell, and Joshua Kalu, however, their best player here is safety Nate Gerry, who is back for his junior year after picking off five passes in 2014. They have enough firepower back there where that unit could get better. From a field position perspective, they get back Punter Sam Foltz, who averaged more than 42 yards per punt last year and nailed 26 inside the 20-yard line. 

Overall, there won’t much difference with the Defense, which, when you look at it from a grand scheme of thing, isn’t that bad for Riley in year 1 in Lincoln.

What to expect from Nebraska

Looking at them on tape, they do have an obvious threat in Armstrong, who can run and pass effectively.  They have good WRs that run very good routes, and their RBs are very good at finding the holes and hitting them hard. They are pretty good Defensively, and they will rush the passer.  They won’t run the spread as much, though, we’ll see that from them. This is going to be more an NFL offense with Riley there.

The 1st video below is from Nebraska's Spring Game this year. 

The 2nd Video below is from the Holiday Bowl vs SC. 

The 3rd Video below is from last year's game in Lincoln where we lost 41-31. 

This is going to be the first real test for The U here.  Being at Sun Life, I have to believe that the CANES will make just enough plays and make some key stops late to win this one. I predict CANES win by 3-7 points over the Huskers at home. 

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 2 (at FAU 9/11 {Friday Night})

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 2

At Florida Atlantic (September 11th)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Florida Atlantic Owls, whom The U pays a visit to on Friday September 11th at 8 pm on FOX Sports 1.

The FAU Owls have Charlie Partridge returning for his 2nd season in Boca Raton. Partridge is building a program that’s ready to make some noise. They’re recruiting pretty well, now the next step for them is to have a statement win. 

Let’s start with the offense. 

They have Jaquez Johnson, who’s on the Wuerffel award list, coming back. If he stays healthy, this guy could be one of the better QBs in Conference USA.  For a QB that’s mobile like he is, he did a tremendous job with ball protection in 2014. To emphasize that point, he only had 8 turnovers, and he also had 24 touchdowns and over 2,800 yards.

His O-Line will be very solid this year. They return both their guards, as well as LT Reggie Bain, who’s a 2nd team all C-USA player. Those three combined have twelve or more starts. When you add C Joe Gold, who started six games last year as a true freshman, as well as, UCF transfer Kelly Parfitt, who the coaches believe will start immediately, and you have an Offensive Line that will be a force to reckon with.

However, as good as their O-Line is, if they want to take that next step to contender status, other key guys are going to have to step up. In the backfield, it’s going to be up to Jay Warren, who was their main back in 2014. His issue was as that he had the same number of touchdowns as fumbles lost (2). 

He has to step up his game or it’ll be Sophomore Greg Howell, who had 5.1 yards per carry as a freshman, that becomes their main back. The one back that the coaches there really like is true freshman Trey Rodriguez, who they think has the potential to be an immediate impact player back there. 

Also, the receiving corps doesn’t have big play receivers and they lost their top  possession receiver in Lucky Whitehead, who signed as an undrafted Free Agent by the Dallas Cowboys. They do have back Jenson Stoshak, who should at least be a viable downfield threat.

Onto the Defensive side

Let’s be frank here, FAU was just lorida Atlantic was pathetic vs the run in 2014. However, there is some reason to believe in improvement, hell, they can’t get any worse. The big question here is: How much/if they improve will probably be one of the bigger determining factors in how many games the Owls win in 2015. They do have back  DT Trevon Coley (1st team all C-USA pre-season selection, and on the Lombardi Award watch list) and DE Trey Hendrickson (3rd team all C-USA pre-season selection). Both those guys are huge. Coley is 6’2” 300 and Hendrickson is 6’4” 265. These two players combined for 15 tackles for loss and 9 sacks last year, plus an interception for good measure (Coley).

The LB core was led by Andrae Kirk, who was clearly their top LB. However, he’s no longer there, signing as an Undrafted Free Agent with the Arizona Cardinals. They do have back Robert Relf and Jerrad Ward both of whom played in almost every game in 2014. They have younger players there that the coaches believe will play immediately in Kris Harris and Jaye Miner. Both of these freshmen (Harris a redshirt from Tallahassee Godby and Miner from Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch) were three star recruits out of high school. 

Their secondary, was easily the strength of this team last year. Yes, they lose some personnel there, however, they will be very very good again in 2015. Cre’von LeBlanc (1st team all C-USA player, in the video above) had two picks in 2014 as a CB, and was third on the team in tackles. He’s the leader of that secondary. They also have coming back Sharrod Neasman and Raekwon Williams, who in 2014, played in every one of their games, and Neasman also had two picks. This team is loaded, and young with seven freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the secondary, many of which were three-star high school recruits.

What to expect from FAU

Looking at them on tape, they will use their backs and they run the spread on offense, but the thing they do best is find lanes to get yards in chunks. The most dangerous weapon I see from them is their QB Johnson. This tape is from FAU's final game of last season vs Old Dominion, in which they lost at the end 31-28 to finish 2014 at 3-9. (Courtesy of Old Dominion). 

In the end, too much CANES firepower here. Expect the starters to be out of the game by late in the 3rd quarter like the week before vs Bethune, and rested for the Nebraska game, and CANES cruise to an easy victory. 

2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 1 (Bethune-Cookman 9/5 at Sun Life Stadium)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 1

Bethune-Cookman (September 5th at Sun Life Stadium)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview begins with the preview of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, who come into Sun Life for the 2015 Season opener on September 5th at 6 p.m., on ESPNU. 

As for Bethune Cookman, who went 9-3 (6-2 in the MEAC) in 2014, has a new coach, but expect more of the same from the Wildcats in 2015. Yes, Brian Jenkins is gone, has he’s the new Head Coach over at Alabama State. Jenkins went 46-14 in his time in Daytona Beach, but now its Terry Sims’ job and he’s expected to build off the success Jenkins had there. Last year, Quentin Williams and Larry Brihm Jr. split time at quarterback and they’re expected to do the same this season. In 2014, Brihm was No. 1 in the league in passing efficiency and Williams was No.3.

An interesting note from a CANES perspective. Danny Dillard, a former back for the U, now in his second season at B-C, could be the Wildcats’ main rushing threat. In addition, Jawill Davis, who had nine receptions in the spring game, could key the passing game. Others to keep an eye out on here are WRs Michael Jones and Frank Brown, the latter we were looking at back in 2013.

Defensively, the Wildcats is going to basically be young, since they lost a lot of key personnel from 2014, which included former CANE DB Thomas Finnie, whom Al kicked off the team back in 2013. Another CANES side note here, DL David Perry is on their roster. 

What to expect from Bethune Cookman

Looking at them on tape (from last year's Florida Classic vs FAMU), they’ll run the spread on offense, but the thing they do best is find lanes to get yards in chunks.

They’ll give different looks on defense, but adapt to the situations of the game (time and score) like most teams do.

The video below is their Special Teams

In the end, too much CANES firepower here. Expect the starters to be out of the game by late in the 3rd quarter, and CANES cruise to an easy victory.

Up Next: at FAU (9/11 in Boca)