Miami Hurricanes vs. Cincinnati Bearcats: Keys to Victory

The 3-3 Miami Hurricanes take on the Cincinnati Bearcats (2-2) on Saturday at 12:00 ET at Sun Life Stadium. With a disappointing performance against Georgia Tech, the ‘Canes look to bounce back with a solid performance against the Bearcats. Cincinnati is coming off a couple of tough losses against the Ohio State Buckeyes (giving up a total of 710 yards) and the Memphis Tigers, in which they dropped that one, 41-14.

The Bearcats suffered an even bigger loss when quarterback Gunner Kiel got hurt with bruised ribs and his status for Saturday’s game will come down to the wire, but he’s not expected to play. The Bearcats will also deal with Miami without quality running back, Hosey Williams. The Canes could have a potential field day against the Cincinnati defense, but anyway, here are the three keys to victory for the Miami Hurricanes.

Feed Duke Johnson the ball

Oct 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati is ranked 123rd in the nation in rushing defense; They allow their opponents to run for an average of 253.3 yards per game. Duke Johnson only carried the ball 14 times against Georgia Tech, but those carries led to 100 yards. That’s not nearly enough touches for your best offensive player. So far this season, Miami has only rushed for 800 yards total with the majority of carries coming from Duke Johnson, with Joseph Yearby putting in work as his backup. James Coley should take advantage of Cincinnati’s poor run defense, and let Duke run wild. Duke Johnson has yet been given the opportunity to have an excellent game this year (touches wise), and I think this game could be that game.

Stat Watch- Duke Johnson is the third Miami Hurricane to surpass 4,000 total yards throughout his career at Miami. Johnson has 2492 yards, and he just passed Graig Cooper last week for 5th all-time in the program’s rushing list. He only needs 31 yards to surpass all-time great Clinton Portis for 4th on the Miami Hurricanes rushing list. Otis Anderson holds the record with 3,331 yards and he’s followed by Edgerrin James with 2,960, and James Jackson at 2,953. Duke could very well make his way to 2nd or 3rd on this list with a couple of big games.

Fix Third-Down Woes

You may ask yourself what Miami works on practice during the week, because third down conversions does not look like one of them. Georgia Tech was ranked 117th last week on third-down conversions, and Miami did not capitalize on that. Miami ranks 125th in the country (dead last), only coverting 15 of their 63 third-down chances. That’s not good. Granted, Brad Kaaya is a freshman and mistakes will come off of that, but this was also an issue in the Canes’ offense last year finishing 104th in the country with a sloppy rate of 33.33%. Third down conversions are critical in keeping drives alive and it keeps a struggling/defense off the field. Many have questions about the bubble screens that James Coley likes to call on third-down, and I would personally like to see a different play call. First and second downs are going to be critical on every possession because it’ll create easier third-downs for the offense.

Defense

Sep 27, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes linebacker Denzel Perryman (52) celebrates after making an interception during the second half against Duke at Sun Life Stadium. Miami won 22-10. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

….Well this could be a whole ‘nother column within itself, but let’s keep it short. Certainly, EVERYONE has questions about the defense, and especially last week after giving up 311 yards to Georgia Tech on the ground. Did anyone else notice that Michigan State held Ameer Abdullah to only 45 yards? While the Canes only gave up over 300 yards to Abdullah and Nebraska? What happened to the defense that made fans so happy against Duke? The aggressive, non-passive one?

Cincinnati ranks 14th in passing yards against opposing defenses. With Gunner Kiel likely out for this game, the Miami defensive line and linebackers need to pin their ears and get after the quarterback. The key to this game is to pressure the quarterback as much as you can and not let whoever starts sit in the pocket and pick apart the defense. If the ‘Canes can’t get pressure, it could be a long afternoon. Look for Tyriq McCord or Chad Thomas to have a sack or two on third down. The fans would like to see the defense that was played against Duke and return to blitzing linebackers, man coverage across the board, and a defense that stacks the box on obvious running downs.