Miami Hurricanes need to get QB and OL play worked out on bye

The inconsistencies in the passing game and on the offensive line have been the Miami Hurricanes biggest issues with their erratic offense during a 5-2 start to the 2018 season.

Saturday night’s loss to Virginia illuminated the Miami Hurricanes problems this season. The constant shuffling of the offensive line and inconsistencies at quarterback have hindered the Miami offense this season, particularly away from Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami is 4-0 at home in 2018 and just 1-2 in away and neutral site games. The loss to Virginia was the first of a stretch of four out of five games on the road. The Hurricanes only have two home games in the last seven weeks of the season. Miami hosts Duke November 3 and Pittsburgh November 24.

The Hurricanes probably need to run the table to repeat their ACC Coastal Division Championship. Games on October 26 at Boston College and November 17 at Virginia Tech are going to be difficult. Miami also plays at Georgia Tech November 10.

The Miami defense has been exceptional this season. They need the offense to improve or the goal of back to back ACC Coastal Division titles won’t be realized.

LSU and Virginia and even Florida State created blueprints for how to beat Miami. Stopping the Miami running game and making N’Kosi Perry or Malik Rosier beat you through the air hinders the Hurricanes offense. Miami averages 423 total yards in wins and 340.5 in losses.

Miami has averaged 140.75 rushing yards per game and 3.94 yards per carry against Power Five opponents. If you take out the 229 rushing yards against North Carolina that number shrinks to 111.3 yards per game and 3.06 yard per carry. If Miami can improve the ground game it will open up the passing game and vice versa.

In their weekly review of “Most important takeaway for each Top 25 team ” ESPN’s Andrea Adelson analyzed the Miami Hurricanes quarterback situation and the woes of the offensive line.

"The Hurricanes thought they had their quarterback woes solved when they made N’Kosi Perry the starter. But that was not the case against Virginia. Mark Richt benched Perry after he threw two interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) and went back to Malik Rosier, who started the season.But Rosier was ineffective, too, and now the Hurricanes have to grapple with an uncomfortable reality they tried to move past: Who is their starter? Miami probably should have lost to Florida State last week but found a way to win.The issues they had on the offensive line and in the passing game came back in a big way on the road, against a vastly improved Virginia team. Now, their College Football Playoff hopes are completely gone, and they can no longer be counted as the favorites to win the Coastal Division.It does not get easier, either. After a bye, Miami must play at Boston College. At the midway point in the season, there are way more questions than answers about the Hurricanes."

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There seems to be a perception out there that Perry is significantly more accurate than Rosier. Perry has completed 56.2 percent of his passes this season and Rosier 52.1 Both have had imprecise games against talented defenses.

Rosier was 15 of 35 in the loss to LSU and Perry 13 of 32 against Florida State. Perry did take care of the ball well against the Seminoles throwing four touchdown passes without an interception. His only turnover was a lost fumble.

Perry’s start with two interceptions against Virginia is six attempts is what got him yanked. As a team, Miami ranked 108th in FBS in completion percentage.

The Hurricanes multiple starting lineups and constant shuffling during games have taken away a chance at continuity. Head Coach Mark Richt and Offensive Line Coach Stacy Searles have a lot to contemplate and work on during the bye week about what their best five will be on the offensive line.

Richt will also have to work with his son Jon who is the Quarterbacks Coach and Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown on if Perry or Rosier should be the starter at Quarterback. Miami has an elite defense. If they can get the offense to be consistently functional this season can still be memorable.