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)

Report Card and Game Balls vs Cincinnati

Folks, I apologize for being late with this. No podcast on this post-game. However, I do want to give my thoughts on the win vs Cincinnati.

Offensively, we moved the ball very well in this game. We got over 600 yards of total offense (621 to be exact). We had 335 yards rushing (275 by Duke and Joe). However, there were plenty of mental mistakes in this game. Of our 13 penalties in this game, 5 were on the offense (holding, PF, False starts). We did lose a fumble there, but Brad had a good game, though he was sacked twice. The 2nd and 3rd teamers did so-so. I didn't like when they came in, we got a little bit sloppy. Need to finish stronger there. Overall, the O was good, but I need to see better 3rd down conversions by the O going forward. Grade: B-

Defensively, we sacked the QBs 3 times, we forced three picks (one a Pick 6 from Tyriq). Of the 13 penalties in this game, 4 were on the Defense (all the 15 yard ones to boot for 60 yards of free yardage). That didn't cost here, but against a good team, that's asking for big trouble down the road. Definitely need to clean that up going forward. We did allow 422 yards in this game here, (355 in the air), but the Rush defense held the Bearcats to 67 yards rushing. However, I again didn't like the fact that our D couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. Cincinnati was 8-20 on 3rd down conversions (40%), need to fix that and we have to do a better job of stopping opponents on 3rd downs. Grade: C

Special Teams, of the 13 penalties in this game, 4 were on Special Teams, and mostly those were mental mistakes. Justin had another good game in the Punting department, though he did have a Touchback in this game, but for the most part, great job pinning the Bearcats back. The average starting field position for Cincy in this game was their own 21, while we started drives on average from our own 33. Stacy had another good game in the KR department (5 returns for 121 yards). Solid game from Bads in the FG department hitting 2 FGs here. Felt we did well here with the ST Defense, we need to cut those dumb penalties out here, but for the most part, this unit did well. Grade: B

Now to Game Balls. Normally, I would give out a few game balls for the week's effort, however, in this case, I'm giving out only one game ball and that to Carter Hucks, the 8 year old kid battling a rare form of cancer called Fanconi anemia. Its a rare disorder that leads to cancer and bone marrow failure in most patients, and for us to make his wish come true, it puts many things into the proper perspective. (to read more on Hucks' story, read Christina DeNicola's piece, and after you read her piece, you'll see why). 

In conclusion, we won a game that we were supposed to win. However, there were still mistakes on the mental end that still need to get fixed during the BYE week before going to Blacksburg next Thursday Night. We're going to a place where we haven't done well recently. We need to have a big game in all three phases and what better time than next Thursday Night in Blacksburg. See you on Thursday, and GO CANES! Go Carter Hucks and BEAT THIS DISEASE!!! 

Preview of game vs Cincinnati 10/11/14

My preview of Cincinnati game.

Part 7 of the 12 part 2014 Miami Hurricane Opponent Video Series - Cincinnati 10/11

2014 Cincinnati Football Preview

In Part 7 of the 2014 12 part opponent video series, I’m going to talk a little about the Cincinnati Bearcats, our opponent on Oct 11^th at Sun Life Stadium. 

Lets first look at their Talent:

This might a team that has a real special season, provided that Gunner Kiel is consistent and accurate and their Defense stays consistent all year with a new DC in charge. Kiel was on the scout team. If he’s the player that was the five-star out of Indiana, then this offense is going to one teams would not want to face. The backup will be JC transfer Jarred Evans. The old starter Munchie Legaux is back for his 5^th year after suffering a severe knee injury last September. Their running game is strong again as their top three rushers return in Hosey Williams, Ralph David Abernathy and Tion Green. Their ok at the WR position with Seniors Shaq Washington and Chris Moore returning. Washington is an excellent possession receiver who had 78 catches last year. Their O-Line gets three of their starters back in 2014, which includes tackle Eric Lefeld (6-6 309).

Defensively, they are outstanding. In spite of being 9^th nationally in Total D, they still canned Art Kaufman and replaced him with Hank Hughes. Hughes will continue to run the 4-3 defense that was implemented last year. When you look at their D, the core is at the LB position. They get back both Nick Temple and Jeff Luc. Temple had 80 tackles in 2013, Luc finished with 43. On their D-Line, they have back Silverberry Mouhon, who finished with 9 ½ sacks. In the secondary, they have back Safety Zach Edwards, who ended the season with 73 tackles and CB Howard Wilder, who had 35 tackles. If the LB position needed any more depth, they added former Northwestern transfer Eric Wilson which will allow Luc to move to the Middle LB position.

Next, I want to talk about the Coaching:

Wherever Tommy Tuberville has been, he’s won (Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and now Cincinnati). This will be year 2 in the Queen City for Tubs, and gets the most out of what he has and develops that talent. We’ll see how he does in Year 2. 

 

Now, to their 2014 Schedule:

Cincinnati went 9-4 last season and finished third in the AAC, so let’s break down their 2014 schedule and how it projects to play out:

In their opener, 9/12 – vs. Toledo (WIN)

Their opener is on a Friday Night this year. Toledo will have two games under their belt, which will make this game close for a half, but in the 2^nd half, the Bearcats get it together, work out the kinks, and win this one going away.

In Week 2, 9/20 – vs. Miami-of-Ohio (WIN)

The Redhawks have a new coach in Chuck Martin who comes over from Notre Dame. When people say “Turn things around”, it’ll mean different things to people. In Miami (OH)’s case, it means to have a fighting chance in MAC contests, , they won’t get the Victory Bell, not this year. Cincinnati wins big here.

In week 3, 9/27 – at Ohio State (LOSS)

If Cincinnati is going to have that magical season, this is one of the two games that will determine that. This will be a tough game, in the end, the Buckeyes are at home, and this is a game they don’t lose. Ohio State gets the nod here to drop the Bearcats to a projected 2-1.

In week 4, 10/4 – vs. Memphis (WIN)

Memphis is a team on the rise, and they will be better, they might get caught looking ahead to the game at Miami the following week. Its on a Wednesday Night and Cincy is coming off a projected tough loss vs Ohio State, and they’ll want to get back on the winning track. Cincy the win here in a game that’s closer than people think.

In week 5, 10/11 – at Miami-Fla. (LOSS)

This is Tubs return to Miami for the first time since 1993, when he was the DC here. Understand this: These guys have the weapons to possibly beat the CANES. Given the fact that Miami after this game will have 13 days off before they go to Blacksburg on a Thursday Night, this is the classic trap game. Our secondary had a difficult time against “pro-style” offenses last season (hello, Teddy Bridgewater in Orlando) and we will have been battle tested at this point with projected wins over Louisville, Nebraska and the Duke (the Former two on the road), this will give the Miami D a lot of confidence going into this game. The Hurricanes will still be without their expected starter in Ryan Williams and will likely start a talented, yet inexperienced true freshman (Brad Kaaya) and possibly Jake Heaps (Transfer) under center. The Bearcats will be up for this game, but I think the CANES will match that intensity and find a way to win the one and spoil Tubs’ return to Miami. CANES win this one to drop the Bearcats to 3-2 in this projection.

In Week 6 10/18 – at SMU (Win)

Traveling from Cincinnati to Miami to Cincinnati to Dallas all within a seven-day time period doesn’t sound favorable, and the Bearcats could be set up for a major letdown following a very tough loss to the CANES. That will not happen, Tubs will have them ready to play and they should blast SMU in this one. Cincy bounces back nicely here. 

In Week 7, 10/24 – vs. South Florida (WIN)
After the win vs SMU, the Bearcats are back home to take on the USF Bulls. The Bearcats have too many weapons for USF to overcome here and the Bulls are another 2 years away from really being a force.  Cincinnati wins here handily at home.

In Week 8, 10/31 – at Tulane (WIN)

Yes, its Halloween night, and it can get very crazy in New Orleans that day. While the Green Wave will hang for a little while, in the end, the Bearcats just have too many weapons for the Tulane to overcome here. Cincy gets the win in the Bayou.

In Week 9, they have a BYE

In Week 10 11/13 – vs. East Carolina (Win)

In a game that will likely decide the AAC title, the ECU Pirates come into Nippert for a Thursday Night game. Cincinnati is 2-2 in Thursday night regular season games since 2010, and Tuberville teams are 2-5 in games following a bye week over the last five seasons.  Cincinnati will have been battle-tested with the early games at Ohio State and at Miami, however, that doesn’t mean they can adjust accordingly. While Shane Carden and company should score at will vs a young UC secondary, I think in the end, Cincinnati makes just enough plays at home to win this one in a high scoring affair.

In Week 11, 11/22 – at Connecticut (WIN)

While this will be a physical game, offensively, UConn doesn’t have the firepower to hang with the Bearcats for 4 quarters. Give the nod to Cincinnati here.
In Week 12, 11/29 – at Temple (WIN)

This is a possible trap game. The AAC title should be clinched in this one by the Bearcats. Yes, Temple will be improved, but not enough to hang with Cincinnati for 4 quarters.

In Week 13, 12/6 – vs. Houston (WIN)

Houston was successful in 2013 for its ability to force turnovers, leading the nation with 43 total turnovers gained (25 interceptions, 18 fumbles). Some of those forced turnovers were the difference in tight contests, as the Cougars played seven games in which the outcome was by 10 points or less. They were also remarkably lucky with how many times the cards fell in their favor. It’s going to be extremely difficult to replicate that kind of production this season, especially with the same attacking philosophy. Cincinnati should be able to watch the film and know how to prepare for this one, winning its season finale and heading into the postseason on a three-game winning streak.

My prediction on the Game vs. CANES:

We’ve beaten the Jackets 5 straight times, and I see nothing different after this one. Look for Duke to have a monster game on the ground, and the D shutting down the Triple Option of theirs. This is a game we win and win easily in Atlanta.
 
In Part 8 of the 2014 series, I will talk about the Virginia Tech Hokies, our opponent on October 23^rd (Thursday Night) up in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA. 

Report Card vs Louisville (Russell Athletic Bowl - Orlando)

When the matchup first came out, we knew going in that this was a very good Louisville Team we would be facing in the Citrus Bowl. Defensively, this was a Top 10 Defense in the country we were going to be facing here. They won't beat themselves. I thought one of the keys going in was to try and force some mistakes

For all the storylines going in: Teddy vs UM. The QB we have in Morris vs the one we could have had if Golden had not told him to take a hike when he told he wasn't being promised the starting job like Randy did. We could have had Teddy, Eli, and a couple of others we let get away to Louisville.

What I saw last night was nothing like the Miami Hurricanes I used to know. What I saw in Louisville was the CANES of yesteryear when we would dominate every opponent and beat every opponent down.

The performance Teddy had last night was a microcosm of how this Defense has been a failure on Mark D'Onofrio's watch and why many people believe that Teddy will be possibly the #1 pick in May's NFL Draft. He went 35-45 447 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs. He surgically picked apart our secondary. If there was a bright spot with the D, its the fact that we held their running game to 107 yards total. The bad news was that we once again allowed over 500 yards total offense (551 to be exact). They scored on 8 of their 11 possessions. They were 8-14 on 3rd Downs, including 6-8 in the 2nd half (75%).

As for Louisville's D, they are the real deal. They swarmed, they pressured Stephen all night, they sacked him 4 times for a total loss of 39 yards. He did go 12-27 160 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs. We went three and out 5 times. Our offense was 0-for-11 on 3rd Downs,

I was very disappointed in the Offensive Line's lack of protection for Stephen. They looked lost, confused, and not knowing who to block at times. It was like a Chinese Fire Drill. Utterly disappointed in the O-Line, and that's on Kehoe, whom I've been one of his biggest supporters, but not last night.

Now to the Report Card:
Offense - F (174 yards total offense the whole night, and only 14 yards rushing)
Defense - F (554 yards total offense allowed, could not get stops on 3rd Downs, allowed Teddy to pick it apart all night).
Special Teams - D (Really, one of the few bright spots from Last night, our first points of the game was on Patty O's Punt downed at the 1, which leads to Deon's safety a few plays later. We only had their punter punt just once the whole night).

If you listen to Golden after the game, you can tell how disappointed he was on last night's performance. Listen to Golden's answer at the 6:14 mark. Here's what I take from it, there are going to be changes made in the off-season, make no mistake about it. Also, listen to his answer at the 10:50 mark on that.


He also mentioned there is no timetable for us to be back as a National Power. That to me is a little disturbing. As I said the other night, the #CANES are at a crossroads. Which way do we go from here? That's going to be one of the questions that MUST get answered between now and Spring Practice in March.

Win or Lose, I still stand behind the U.

CANE Bowl Opponent: Louisville

Its official, we will be facing the Louisville Cardinals in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando on December 28th.

Here's a comparison of each opponent by the numbers: 

CANES Total O vs Louisville Total D

446.8 (39th) vs. 257.9 (2nd)

Louisville Total O vs CANES Total D

453.1 ypg (34th) vs. 415.8 (76th)

CANES Scoring O vs Louisville Scoring D

35.9 ppg (24th) vs 12.4 ppg (3rd)

Louisville Scoring O vs CANES Scoring D

35.1 ppg (29th) vs 26 ppg (58th)

CANES Rushing O vs Louisville Rushing D

172.5 ypg (63rd) vs. 86.3 ypg allowed (2nd)

Louisville Rushing O vs CANES Rushing D

150.2 ypg (80th) vs. 182.3 ypg allowed (81st)

CANES Pass O vs Louisville Pass D

274.3 ypg (29th) vs. 171.7 ypg allowed (8th)

Louisville Pass O vs CANES Pass D

302.9 ypg (18th) vs 233.4 ypg allowed (71st)

CANES 3rd Downs vs Louisville 3rd Down D

56-148 [38%](T-85th) vs. 46-161 [29%] (2nd)

Louisville 3rd Downs vs CANES 3rd Down D

90-161 [56%] (2nd) vs 75-184 [41%](75th)

CANES Pass Efficiency vs Louisville Pass Efficiency D

152.67 (20th) vs. 99.55 (5th)

Louisville Pass Efficiency vs CANES Pass Efficiency D

170.64 (4th) vs. 119.19 (34th)

CANES Sacks vs Louisville Sacks Allowed

28-173 [2.33 pg](T-39th) vs. 25-184 [2.08 pg allowed](T-67th)

Louisville Sacks vs CANES Sacks Allowed

39-271 [3.25 pg] (T-1st) vs 13-108 [1.08 pg allowed](T-14th)

CANES RZ O vs Louisville RZ D

43-52 [83%](T-59th) vs. 25-35 [71%](8th)

Louisville RZ O vs CANE RZ D

47-53 [89%](23rd) vs 20-37 [82%](T-51st)

CANES TFL vs Louisville TFL Allowed

59-243 [4.9 pg](109th) vs 70-287 [5.83 pg allowed](T-57th)

Louisville TFL vs CANES TFL Allowed

94-410 [7.8 pg](9th) vs. 57-236 [4.75 pg allowed](T-25th)

CANES KR vs Louisville KR D

51-1282 1 TD [25.14 ypr](8th) vs 59-1317 [22.32 ypr allowed](88th)

Louisville KR vs CANES KR D

26-603 1 TD [23.19 ypr](28th) vs 40-800 [20 ypr allowed](38th)

CANES PR vs Louisville PR D

27-305 1 TD [11.3 ypr](T-29th) vs. 13-15 [1.15 ypr allowed](2nd)

Louisville PR vs CANES PR D

27-206 1 TD [7.63 ypr](70th) vs. 16-196 [12.25 ypr allowed)(108th)

Net Punting

CANES 38.92 NET (24th)

Louisville 37.25 NET (52nd)

Turnovers Lost vs Turnovers Gained

CANES vs Louisville

21 TO's Lost (14 INTs, 7 Fumbles Lost)(T-68th) vs. 26 TO's Gained (16 Picks, 10 Fumbles Rec.)(T-19th)

Louisville vs CANES

10 TO's lost (4 INTs {2nd Fewest}, 6 Fumbles Lost)(2nd) vs. 27 TO's Gained (18 Picks, 9 Fumbles Rec.)(T-13th)

Turnover Margin

Louisville +16 {1.3 avg} (2nd)
CANES +6 {.5 avg} (T-29th)

1st Down O vs 1st Down D

CANES vs Louisville

233 yards total (T-88th) vs 169 yards allowed (Leads Nation)

Louisville vs CANES

276 yards total (40th) vs 259 yards allowed (T-77th)

Completion %

Louisville 276-394 (70%)(3rd)

CANES 214-357 (60%)(57th)

Time of Possession

Louisville {33:00 pg}(6th)
CANES {26:00 pg}(118th)

Bottom Line, when you break it down. This is a very very good Louisville Team we will be facing in the Citrus Bowl on December 28th. Defensively, this is a Top 10 Defense in the country we're going to be facing here. They won't beat themselves, so if we force some mistakes and looking at the numbers, they don't make many, we'd better take advantage because this is a team in Louisville that forces a lot of turnovers.

For all the storylines going in: Teddy vs UM. The QB we have in Morris vs the one we could have had if Golden had not told him to take a hike when he told he wasn't being promised the starting job like Randy did. We could have had Teddy, Eli, and a couple of others we let get away to Louisville.

Anyway, it's going to be a nice matchup here and we'll see what happens. 

Report Card and Game Balls @USF

Sorry that I'm late with this. Here's my take on Saturday's win up in Tampa vs USF. I felt we did well for the most part, We did have some mistakes, and we were sloppy with the ball, turning it over 4 times and going into ACC play now, we have to cut those out. Stephen reinjured his ankle in this game, but other than that, all three phases of the game did pretty well. 

Offensively, we had 540 yards of total offense. 165 yards rushing and 375 passing. Duke had 84 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Solid game out of Gus the Bus (53 yards on 10 carries), and Dallas with another 34 yards on 13 carries and 2 TDs. Big day for Hurns in the receiving game with 81 yards on 5 catches. Big game for Stacy here having 96 yards on 4 catches, with two of those catches being for 6. Nice performances from Phillip and Herbie with the latter having a TD. Few things that concerned me a bit here. Ball security being one of them. Twice Duke loses fumbles in the red zone costing us points here. Need to clean that up there. Ryan and Gray each threw picks, Gray's was a Pick 6. Need to be better and clean up those mistakes. Of the 7 penalties on Saturday, 5 were on the offense and 3 of those penalties were false starts. The other 2 were: holding and Delay of Game. Gotta correct those ME's going forward now that we're going to start ACC play. Overall, good performance, but could be better. Grade: B-

Defensively, we forced 3 turnovers in this game, one being a pick and the other two were fumbles forced and recovered. WE did give up the TD near the end of that game. We did allow USF's back Marcus Shaw to get 127 yards on 20 carries with 1 TD, but other than that, we held the Bulls to 99 yards rushing and 288 yards total offense. The good part was after the 1st quarter, where Shaw had 64 of his yards, our D holds them to 63 yards the rest of the day. Still though, we need to get that run Defense shored up a little bit more before GT comes in on Saturday for the beginning of our ACC play. We held the Bulls to 2-14 on 3rd down conversions and 7 three and outs. We sacked their QB Bench 5 times. Of the 7 penalties we had in this game, not one penalty on the D. Tremendous work here overall. Grade: B+

Special Teams wise, Matty misses a chip shot to end the half. We had Duke returns the opening kick to the 5 where we score on the next play. We had 97 yards of returns (66 on KR's and 31 yards on PR's). The downer here was that we had two big X-Plays here called back by really stupid penalties (one of which cost us 6), In games where field position is going to be vital, these are mistakes we can't have. The good part was that our Return Defense did a very good job here, holding USF to 81 yards of returns (52 on KR's and 29 on PR's). We started drives on Saturday on Average from our own 40 and USF started drives from their own 19. However, the matter we really need to fix are the 2 penalties we committed here (again, one that cost us 6 on Duke's KR) last night in this area.  One was being the block in the back on Tracy and the other being the hold on Big Mo on Duke's TD that was called back. Those ME's need to be fixed before we start ACC play on Saturday vs GT because those mistakes come back to bite you, especially, if the game is in the balance here. Overall, good, but there is some room for improvement. Grade: C

Now, to Game Balls. This week, I'm going to give out two game balls. 

1. Stephen Morris - 11-16, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
2. Jimmy Gaines - 7 Tackles, 1 Fumble recovery for TD

Going forward, very good effort, but there were still some ME's (Mental Errors), that still need to be fixed, namely the penalties and ball security. Still a little bit too many of those penalties on O (5 to be exact), and the other 2 on STs. The ones that bother me the most were the 2 on STs because that's hidden yardage you can't afford to lose in those situations and it cost us 6 points. In a close game against a good opponent, those ST penalties can come back to bite you. Gotta be sure we correct those going forward now that we're beginning ACC play next week vs GT at home at 3:30 on ESPNU. 4-0 is a good feeling right now, but we could still get better and cut the ME's now. Take care and GO CANES! 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 4 (@USF - Sept 28th)

Sept 28 - @USF

In Part 4 of the 12 part 2013 CANE opponent series, we’re going to talk a team that that made a big splash in recruiting this offseason and that’s the South Florida Bulls, whom we play up in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium on Sept 28^th for our first road game of the season.

Here’s what you need to know about the Bulls: Like with the previous opponent, they have a new Head Coach. Unlike Earnest Wilson III, Willie Taggart, comes in with big expectations in the Bay area. Taggart became the 3^rd Head Coach in their history. He comes over from Western Kentucky (his alma mater), to come back home to the Tampa Bay area and build the Bulls into a national power and have them take that next step, He didn't keep any of Skip Holtz's assistants. When Taggart came in, he cleaned house from top to bottom. He brought many of his staff from WKU down to Tampa with him,  Here’s a list of coaches brought with him down to Tampa from WKU:

·         OC and OL coach Walt Wells

·         Special teams coordinator Stu Holt

·         DL coach Eric Mathies

·         QB coach Nick Sheridan

·         LB coach Raymond Woodie.

Those names won’t jump out at you right away, but the one thing Taggart values is loyalty and with the Woodie hire, who knows every coach in South Florida, Taggart wants USF to be a bigger presence in the Tri-County area (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach), and in the ’13 class, since he took over, has 4 commits from the Tri-County area (3 from Miami-Dade and 1 from Broward). When you add to the fact that he hired former NFL assistant Chuck Bresnahan as his DC and had a coup when took Ron Cooper away from LSU, and is very familiar with the Bay area, having being a former Bucs assistant, as the Secondary coach, and you have a staff that’s committed to taking that next step into a national power and a force to be reckoned with. The Bulls have never had a 10 win season in their history. You give him 2-3 years, and they’ll be winning 10+ games on a consistent basis.

Last year, they were 3-9 and just 1-6 in the former Big East (now American Athletic).

Let’s break down the 2013 Bulls.

Offensively: There will be a change in philosophy in Temple Terrace. You won’t see the QB get a majority of the rushes. While we’ll still see some running from the QB, you’re going to see more a power running game from them. On the surface, you’d think senior Marcus Shaw (248 yards in 2012) would have a big lead on the competition due to the fact no one else has done anything of note in the offense.  However, the thing you have to consider is that Shaw is not the back that can go 25-30 carries a game. That opens the door for returnees like Sophomore Willie Davis and Junior Michael Pierre, and also newcomers like Darius Tice and Sta'fon McCray. Taggart will give Shaw every opportunity to be that go to back. However, the main competition will be for the reserve position(s). The QB competition will be fierce, and it was the case back in the spring when Senior Bobby Eveld and Sophomore Matt Floyd were battling for the job. No one stood out there and this fall practice will be one to watch to see who ends up winning the job in Tampa.

Neither one seems to be the one for the long haul. Floyd is a nice dual-threat quarterback, however, with him more of a running QB than a passing one, you have to ask yourself would he give them the balance Taggart wants from his QBs, which is some mobility, but not sacrificing the passing game too much. On the other hand, Eveld has much more experience at the position, but did not produce at a high level the last two years when he was B.J. Daniels' backup. After the Spring, it seemed that his pro-style tendencies would have him be the guy to run the offense Taggart and Wells wants. Now, Floyd could be the change-of-pace option in certain packages, but its likely Eveld is going to ultimately win the job. A wild-card to consider is Penn State transfer Steven Bench (transferred from Penn State to USF in late May.

If Eveld struggles early, keep an eye on Bench because of what he brings to the table which is his own skill set, and its huge to boot, and the experience learned under Bill O'Brien in Happy Valley. It’ll be his job to lose. Another name to watch in the coming years, incoming freshman Mike White, who was hand-picked by Taggart in his first recruiting class. Having that endorsement is huge, however he’s going to need a full season to properly know the offense, and put on some much-needed weight before ascending the depth chart.

On to the receivers: This group was nothing to write home about here. They did lose Victor Marc to graduation, and Terrance Mitchell to a violation of their team rules. The latter wasn’t a big deal for the offense, since he was going to be moved to the other side of the ball anyway. The receivers that do come back in 2013 are led by Junior Andre Davis (46 receptions for 534 yards in 2012), who just might become the first USF receiver to crack the 750-yard mark and that would be saying something. The likely starter alongside Davis is junior Deonte Welch (18 receptions for 183 yards in 2012). After that, you have Senior Derrick Hopkins (19 receptions for 278 yards in 2012) and sophomore D'Vario Montgomery. They would get a huge shot in the arm when former Florida transfer Chris Dunkley comes aboard. He should be reinstated to the program by the start of the season. They have a pretty good TE in Sophomore Sean Price (21 receptions for 209 yards in 2012), and in Taggart’s offense, it wouldn’t be a shock if he were near the top on the team in receptions. Lets talk about the offensive line: Not much in terms of surprises here or even any competition here. There aren’t really any surprises up front, or even much of a competition, At OG they have are sophomores Brynjar Gudmundsson and Thor Jozwiak. A fun fact here: Jozwiak's real name is Thornton, but as Vanderbilt coach Herb Hand, a friend of the Jozwiak family, told USA Today’s Paul Myerburg, and I found this pretty interesting too, "If he wants to play piano, it's Thornton, Football, its Thor." From a football end, he moves over from RG to LG, which opens up a starting role for Gudmundsson. Junior Austin Reiter is back at the Center position and Junior Quinterrius Eatmon is back at RT. The two new starters on their line are Gudmunsson and Junior LT Darrell Williams. Williams has some big shoes to fill, considering that all-conference pick in Mark Popek is gone to Graduation. Their staff believes that Williams, who started several games on that side in 2012, is very ready to assume a full-time starting role. That line was terrible last year, but you have to factor in, there were losses and attrition played a major role here. If they stay healthy, this could be a unit that will be one to deal with.  

Defensively: Their front 4 is going to be the best in the American Athletic Conference. Look what they have coming back at the Ends: You have Senior Ryne Giddins (25 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and Sophomore Aaron Lynch, but especially Lynch, who is going to be an All-American. While at Notre Dame, in his freshman year, he was already becoming a force on the D-Line. This guy has tremendous talent and with the right coaching, this guy could be a great Bulls fans talk years after he leaves the program. With Lynch on one side and Giddins on the other side, harassing linemen and quarterbacks, anything is possible.

Their entire front is already pretty darn good. After Giddins and Lynch, you have in the rotation, Seniors Julius Forte and Tevin Mims, and they are going to get a lot of work in the rotation for them. They did lose Cory Grissom (signed as UFA by New England) inside, they get back Seniors Luke Sager and Anthony Hill, as well as Juniors Elkino Watson and Todd Chandler, as well as Sophomore James Hamilton. The staff and the fanbase in the Bay area are really waiting to see If Chandler becomes the beast people thought he would be when he came out of Northwestern High in Miami. They are deep here so they can absorb the loss of Grissom. Lynch is the impact player on their D-Line.

While the D-Line is very strong, the same cannot be said for their back seven. In 2012, they lacked  production and reliability and the results proved that pretty painfully. Their staff believes that Cooper has to step up and be an immediate impact player in their secondary, which like many groups on this team, doesn’t lack talent, but do lack consistency. With the LB core, they get back a leader in Senior DeDe Lattimore (76 tackles, 7.5 for loss), but the other two outside LBs need to step up and produce. One of those players that need to step up is returning starter  Reshard Cliett, a Junior, who come backs on the strong side. Others that need to step their games up are sophomores Zack Bullock and Tashon Whitehurst. To have to try and duplicate the impact former starter Sam Barrington (drafted 7^th round by Green Bay) made on the weak side is going to be pretty tough. If there’s a weak link on the D, this area is it right here.

Cooper is the man to lead the secondary back. How bad was it in Tampa in 2012? They only had two picks all year. He’s going to have much work to do, with the departure of Kayvon Webster (3^rd round pick by Denver), who was their leading tackler in 2012. There is some good news here: They went younger in the secondary as the season went on, whether due to injuries or otherwise, and this experience will help in 2013, especially with Cooper coaching the secondary.

Even better for them, they start three seniors: Mark Joyce (74 tackles) and JaQuez Jenkins (53 tackles) at safety and Brandon Salinas at CB. Joining Salinas on the outside is sophomore Kenneth Durden, who moved into the starting lineup late in the season. This is going to an area to watch as the season goes on.

Special Teams: They have three guys that can return Kicks/Punts to the house in Shaw, Hopkins and Andre Davis, though its likely it’ll be more of the latter two than Shaw, due to the fact that he will be in their offense more and with not enough energy to return kicks/punts. The attention here turns to breaking in both a Kicker and Punter.  At the former, Maikon Bonani is gone (Graduation, signed as UFA by Tennessee Titans), so it’ll be up to either junior Marvin Kloss or incoming freshman Emilio Nadelman to fill those big shoes that Bonani leaves behind. At punter, sophomore Mattias Ciabatti steps up to replace Justin Brockhaus-Kann (Graduation).

In closing, looking at USF’s schedule, you have to believe, this is 8-9 win team, possibly 10 if things break their way. We’re going to start to get a good idea on them on 9/7 when they go up to East Lansing to play Michigan State. As I said in the beginning, we come to RJS on 9/28 after USF has their BYE week on 9/21. Their biggest conference game is going to be Louisville on 10/26, when the Cardinals come to RJS. If they win that game, then running the table in the conference becomes a real possibility. Realistically, I think 8-4 season is accurate here for USF.

In Part 5 of the series, I will talk about our opponent in the ACC opener and that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.