Improving Miami Hurricanes red zone offense key for Rhett Lashlee

The red zone offense for the Miami Hurricanes in 2019 was abysmal by nearly every measure. New Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has a big task to ensure that the Hurricanes will be more efficient inside opponents’ 20-yard line.

The Miami Hurricanes finished 122nd in red zone offense in 2019. Miami converted 72.22 percent of their opportunities in the red zone into points last season. Conversely, the SMU offense led by new Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee finished ninth in the nation with 55 scores in the red-zone.

The percentage at which teams are able to score in the red zone can be misleading. The scoring percentage includes both field goals and touchdowns. A team constantly settling for field goals in the red zone versus touchdowns could potentially have a higher percentage but far fewer points.

There were many issues with the Miami Hurricanes red zone offense in 2019. The struggles for Miami at kicker in 2019 were plentiful. Bubba Baxa and Turner Davidson’s inconsistencies at kicker early in the Miami Hurricanes 2019 season likely cost Miami victories over North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

Turn those games into wins and Manny Diaz has a far different first season as the Miami head coach. The Hurricanes would have finished 8-4 overall, 6-2 in the ACC and tied with Virginia for the ACC Coastal Division title. The outlook by the Miami fans for Diaz would have been far different than it is now.

Lashlee spoke with Christy Cabrera Chirinos of HurricaneSports to discuss his plan to turn around the Miami misfortune in the red zone in a discussion posted on the official Miami website last week. Signing graduate transfer kicker Jose Borregales earlier this month from FIU is a great start.

"“That’s the object of the game, score points and as long as we have one more than them, it’s a good day. It all goes together. I think games nowadays are won and lost not as much on how many yards are gained or not gained, but on a couple things, like explosive plays and negative plays.We’ve got to create a lot of explosive plays and we should have the athletes to be able to do that; staying on the field on money downs, like third and fourth down and then scoring touchdowns in the red zone.Look at a lot of big games: the teams that, when they get in the red zone can finish with touchdowns versus field goals, usually determines the outcome of the game. It doesn’t really matter what kind of system you’re running, you’ve got to be productive in the red zone and I feel confident that we’ll get there.”"

The ability of the Miami Hurricanes offense to score in the red zone was the difference between winning and losing in 2019. Miami scored on 22 of their 26 trips into the red zone in wins. The Hurricanes scored a brutal 17 of 28 times in the red zone in losses. It seems obvious but a lot less so to refine.

The task for Lashlee and the Miami offense will begin with mostly unproven players. Rising junior tight end Brevin Jordan is the only Miami offensive player returning to the Hurricanes in 2020 that has shown he is elite. Jordan is a prime red-zone target. Now the Hurricanes need someone that can get him the ball.

It will all start with the quarterback and the offensive line for Lashlee. Miami had one of the worst offensive lines in college football in 2020. The QB play from N’Kosi Perry and Jarren Williams, other than one series in the Independence Bowl was woefully inconsistent. Lashlee’s task on offense will begin at QB and on the offensive line.