Miami Hurricanes vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Game Roundtable

After a good win against Duke last Saturday, the Miami Hurricanes have everyone excited again. A win against Georgia Tech this weekend will be huge for the fans and for the team, as they try and get a hold of the ACC Coastal Division title for the first time.

The staff here at CanesWarning sat down and talked about Saturday’s game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Yellow Jackets. We hope you enjoy as much as we enjoy talking about it (and that’s a lot.)

1) Justin Thomas has been killing teams with his feet so far this season with 443 rushing yards on 65 attempts. How do the Canes limit Thomas’ damage on the ground and force him to throw more?

Juan Toribio: Well, there are two obvious ways for Miami to get Georgia Tech out of their option game and force them to throw the ball. One: forcing them into third and long’s and two: get ahead. Miami got ahead in last year’s game and they forced two late turnovers because of it. Georgia Tech is going to squeeze every ounce of that triple-option until they can’t do it anymore. If Miami gets behind early, the Yellow Jackets are going to keep running it and milking some clock. But if Miami gets ahead by a couple of touchdowns, it’ll force Justin Thomas to throw the ball more and he only completed 49% of his passes, so the Hurricanes would be in good shape.

Andrew Ferrelli: The Canes’ defense will have to keep contain around the edges, especially when Thomas is scrambling. Thomas has great speed(100m state champion in high school) and does most of his damage when he can take off down the sideline. If the Canes’ defense can make some tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage to throw GT off schedule, it will force them to throw the ball. Thomas has only completed 42% of his passes in his last three games so making him have to throw will be key.

Sam Jacobs: The Canes have to keep up the aggressive play calling on defense. No more linebackers and defensive backs a mile down field.

Justin Fessenden: It’s easier said than done but the defense must get tackles for a loss or little gain on 1st and 2nd down. It’s crucial to force Georgia Tech into 3rd and longs. You’ll hear it over and over but it’s crucial for the ‘Canes to play assignment football versus the Yellow Jackets especially if they want to prevent big plays by Justin Thomas.

Daniel Nordwall: The only way to contain Justin Thomas is to make it an issue to stop the run. Miami’s inside linebackers and defensive tackles need to take away the dive play, which sets up the triple option. Anthony Chickillo and Tyriq McCord need to set the edge as well. If Miami loads the box, I see Thomas getting limited yards. Miami needs to put their DB’s on island and force Thomas to throw.

2) Brad Kaaya is one of the only quarterbacks in the country to have over 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns this season (only true freshman) But he’s yet to win a game on the road, what do you expect from him on Saturday against the Georgia Tech defense.

JT: I expect a lot of the same from Brad Kaaya against Georgia Tech. He’s been to Lincoln and played really well in front of 90k+ so he should be calm against a smaller crowd in Atlanta. I don’t want to spoil my final prediction, but Kaaya has a good chance to come out with his first road win as a ‘Cane.

AF: Kaaya is 0-2 in road games, but neither is really comparable to Georgia Tech. This environment will be much less intimidating and there are always a lot of Miami fans at Georgia Tech. In addition to that, GTs’ defense is nowhere near Nebraska’s or Louisville’s. Kaaya will have to limit turnovers though and improve on third downs to help keep the defense off the field against this grind-it-out GT offense. I expect Kaaya to have a big game against a pretty weak defense.

SJ: Georgia Tech allowed 38 points to Georgia Southern a couple weeks ago. Kaaya should handle them just fine.

JF: I dont expect Kaaya to get rattled. He didn’t get rattled in front of 90k plus at Nebraska so I think he’ll be fine and will have good game. I am thinking 275 yards and 2 touchdowns, no interceptions.

DN: Brad Kaaya will lead the team with the experience he has gained on the road tonight. After facing a ruckus crowd at Louisivlle and Nebraska, he should be ready to handle the offense in another hostile environment. Georgia Tech has played inferior teams and rank 31st in passing defense and 92nd in running defense. If James Coley can set up the run with Duke Johnson and Joe Yearby, I think Kaaya will have a big day going for 20-26 for 300 yards with 2 TDs.

3) Mark D’Onofrio and the defense played really well last week holding Duke to just 10 points, do you think this is a sign of things to come or do you think Canes fans should still be worried about the defense?

4) Last time the Canes played Georgia Tech, Tyriq McCord obliterated Justin Thomas on a sack. Which Miami defender would scare you the most if he came at you at full speed?

JT: The easy answer here is Denzel Perryman, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but I’m going to go with Jamal Carter. The thing with Carter is that you can tell he’s trying to hurt you on every tackle. I’m only 5’7 and if I caught a ball down the middle of the field and number six hit me at full speed, I would probably never get up. But then again, I know Denzel and a hit from him wouldn’t be too much fun, either.

AF: I know the most common answer among Canes’ fans will probably be Denzel Perryman because of the countless big hits he’s made in games, but I’m going to go with Ufomba Kamalu. His combo of speed, size, and strength is something that I would not want to be on the wrong end of. Not to mention that he might pick you up and drop you like he did the Arkansas St. QB.

SJ: Three names come to mind: Perryman, Bush, and Carter. Denzel would probably flatten me, so I think I’d lean in that direction.

JF: This is easy. Denzel Perryman. I expect him to light up some ball carriers Saturday night. Get the popcorn ready!

DN: Most Canes fans can remember Tyriq McCord’s explosive hit against Justin Thomas. He definitely strikes some fear into opposing QB’s. But if I were a QB facing the Miami defense, I would be extremely frightened by Denzel Perryman coming at me full speed. I mean he is bowling ball filled with an enormous amount of muscle mass. Anyone remember his hit against the Virginia running back last year? Or on the South Florida QB? On teammate Gus Edwards in the spring game? Case closed.

5) Al Golden is 3-0 against Georgia Tech, does he extend that streak or does Georgia Tech stay undefeated? What’s the final score?

JT: I do believe Miami will come away with a win here, but it wont necessarily be easy. The last two games for Miami against Georgia Tech have been competitive for the most part and this is a pretty good Yellow Jackets team. It all depends how Miami comes out of the gates and how much they force Justin Thomas to throw the ball, but I have Miami winning 38-23.

AF: The Canes have handled Georgia Tech well over the past few years and have been able to really contain the triple option with their defensive speed. I think this will continue and the Canes will extend their winning streak over the Yellow Jackets. Canes leave Atlanta with the W 34-21.

SJ: Miami: 38 Georgia Tech: 27. The Canes get burned in the run defense, but the offense earns them the win.

JF: Al Golden will improve to 4-0 vs Georgia Tech. The Canes defense will give up a couple of big plays but not enough to lose the ballgame. I expect the offense to have a field day vs the Yellow Jackets, especially Duke Johnson and Joe Yearby. I am going with 41-31 Canes.

DN: Every game is a must win game for Al Golden at this point for chances to win the Coastal Division. I think the Canes come in to Atlanta with high confidence, and “wreck the techs” white out game. Miami wins 35-21 by the help of Brad Kaaya’s performance and a surprising defensive performance.

You read what we have to say, now tell us what you think is going to happen tonight in the poll below!

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