The defense for the Miami football team had a far more successful season than they are given credit for. The Hurricanes will reportedly retain the defensive coaches for 2020.
After what most would label a disastrous 6-7 first season of the Manny Diaz era, the defense for the Miami football team was still among the best in the nation in 2019. Blake Baker was a disciple of Diaz during their one season together ironically at Louisiana Tech in 2014. Baker had success with the Bulldogs and with Miami.
The Hurricanes finished 23rd in scoring offense allowing 20.2 points per game, 13th in total defense allowing 309.8 yards per game, 18th in rushing defense allowing 114.62 yards per game and 19th in pass defense allowing 195.2 yards per game with a young secondary. Miami has room for improvement defensively.
The Hurricanes struggled to get off the field at times. Opponents converted 37.18 percent of their third-down conversions. That was 42nd in FBS. The Miami defense was atrocious on fourth down. The Hurricanes allowed 12 conversions in 17 attempts to rank 122nd in FBS.
North Carolina State and Oregon State were the only Power Five teams worse than Miami stopping opponents on fourth down. The Beavers tied with Tulsa to allow an FBS worst 21 fourth-down conversions. Baker did lead a Miami defense that has continued the get up the field and into opposing backfields.
Miami finished sixth with Virginia, Penn State and Baylor with
. The Hurricanes finished the season with 108 tackles for loss. Their average of 8.31 TFLs per game was fourth nationally. While some fans have partially blamed Baker for the Hurricanes’ underperforming season the stats prove otherwise.
Diaz partially took back some of the reigns with the defense in the middle of the season. The Hurricanes head coach reported that he merely spent more team with the team in practice and spoke to them and that Baker was still calling the defense. Diaz did the right thing in replacing Dan Enos and keeping the defensive staff.
Manny Navarro of The Athletic reported on Monday that the defensive staff will remain intact for the 2020 season. There was some talk that cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph could be replaced because he was not recruiting well enough. Rumph has been praised for the development of the Miami CBs.