Miami Hurricanes need continued consistency for four quarters

Getting off to a good start and maintaining that intensity was a key to the Miami Hurricanes victory over North Carolina on Thursday night. Miami needs to continue to play well for four quarters to be able to repeat their ACC Coastal Division title.

Through the first four games of 2018, the Miami Hurricanes had not put together four consecutive solid quarters of football against an FBS team. They were awful in the first half against in the season opener against LSU, let Toledo back into the game late in the third quarter and allowed FIU 17 fourth-quarter points last week.

Against North Carolina after Tar Heels quarterback Chazz Surratt scored with 2:11 left in the first quarter the Miami Hurricanes defense didn’t allow another point. Miami can still play a more thorough four quarters but Thursday night’s game was pretty close.

North Carolina ran for 89 yards in the first quarter. It was really more than that as college football counts sacks against the rushing total. The Shaq Quarterman and Jonathan Garvin tandem strip, sack, scoop and score was a 24-yard loss for North Carolina. Take that out and the Tar Heels ran for 115 yards on ten carries.

North Carolina’s 89 net yards rushing was over 40 percent of their 215 yard total on the night. The Hurricanes defense is going to have to do a better job at stopping the run next Saturday against Florida State. Miami needs to make a statement early in the game and continue to play well throughout.

Miami Head Coach Mark Richt discussed his team’s four-quarter effort in his postgame press conference.

"“Great great stuff by really, you know first half I don’t think you could play a lot better offense, defense, special teams. I was very encouraged by what happened there you know second half, with a big lead offensively you know trying to slow the game down a little bit be a little more conservative and not very good at that…At the very end we were able to hold the ball…what six-seven minutes and give the defensive (a) break. What happens when you score touchdowns on defense you go to go back and play defense again…so the time (the) opposition for them was I heard I heard we only ran like 40 some plays we had 46 plays you know a lot how to do with just the fact that we were scoring on defense and just having to go play defense again but overall just great win you know won a non-conference play and that’s where we wanted to be.”"

North Carolina had 179 yards including 140 rushing in the first half. They finished the game with 329 total yards including 215 on the ground. Aside from the first quarter, Miami dominated. Their three defensive touchdowns came in the first, second and fourth quarters.

The Hurricanes shut UNC out in the final three quarters. The offense also scored touchdowns in the first, second and fourth quarters. Now they have to be able to do it even more consistently for four quarters than they did against North Carolina.

Miami is off for nine days before they host Florida State on October 6 in the final of three straight games at home. Although the Seminoles are not as strong as they used to be it’s still the cliched throw out the records rivalry game. Miami gained only 57 total yards and was shutout in the first half last year in Tallahassee.

The Hurricanes needed some late-game magic with two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter for the win. Miami needs to get off to a better start this season against Florida State. Having the game at home with a rejuvenated Hard Rock Stadium crowd can only help Miami.