Miami Hurricanes Need to improve record after loss under Mark Richt
The Miami Hurricanes have been extremely streaky during the two and half seasons that Mark Richt has been their Head Coach. Miami has never followed up a single loss with a win the following week.
Six of the nine Miami Hurricanes losses under Mark Richt have been followed by another loss. This season’s opening loss to LSU was followed with a 77-0 victory over FCS Savannah State. The loss to Virginia two weeks ago was followed by a bye week. Miami will get a chance to end that losing streak against Boston College Friday night.
The Miami Hurricanes have been an incredibly streaky team during the Richt era. The Hurricanes began Richt’s tenure with four straight victories in 2016. That followed with four straight losses and then five straight wins to end the 2016 season.
Miami began the 2017 season by extending their winning streak to 15 games overall by starting 10-0. With the ACC Coastal Division title already clinched Miami had an unforeseen loss at Pittsburgh.
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Miami ended the 2017 season with a 38-3 blowout loss to top-ranked Clemson in the ACC Championship game and a 34-24 loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl. After Miami entered the 2017 season with a five-game winning streak, the Hurricanes entered 2018 with a three-game losing streak.
The Hurricanes added to that with an embarrassing 33-17 loss to LSU to open the season. Miami ended the streak with a 77-0 shellacking of FCS Savannah State week two. It was the first time during Mark Richt’s tenure in Miami that the Hurricanes followed an in-season losing streak of one game with a win.
Miami has outscored their opponents 250-236 in the games following their first eight losses under Richt. That included the victory over Savannah State. In games against opponents from the Football Bowl Subdivision Miami is 2-6 overall and 2-5 in-season in games following a loss. They are 1-6 against FBS teams following a loss.
Being able to come back after a loss is a sign of a team’s mental toughness. Following the loss to LSU Miami Hurricanes Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz questioned his unit’s mental toughness. Diaz specifically referenced his defense’s response when LSU’s Nick Brosette ran 50 yards for a touchdown.
"“We made a mistake on a long run and we didn’t respond to it. The whole football team, we dropped our gloves in the second quarter. Offense, defense, special teams and to me, that was the most disappointing part.That’s what we challenged them [with] at halftime. We didn’t look like we were very mentally tough. … You’re not going to lose a game because you give up a touchdown in the first half to make it 10-3, but we did because after that point, we did not respond. Above everything from that game, that was the most disappointing part.”"
Everything that Diaz said can be applied to how a team responds after a loss. It’s something that Richt and Diaz have to get better at preparing their team and units better for. The streakiness under Richt has been baffling. Miami has had two losing streaks of four games or more in Richt’s two and half seasons.
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Miami also has four winning streaks of four games or more and three winning streaks of five or more in the same season. The Miami Hurricanes need to become more focused after the adversity. That is true and paramount both during a game and how the team responds after a loss.