The Miami football team at Virginia will be a chance to watch two of the most productive pass rushes in the country. Miami is eighth nationally averaging 3.43 sacks per game and has 24 this season. Virginia is 11th nationally averaging 3.29 sacks per game and has a total of 23 this season.
Akheem Mesidor who the Miami football team lines up on the edge and inside leads the Hurricanes with five sacks. Mesidor was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week with eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the 20-14 Miami win over Virginia Tech on October 15.
The Miami pass rush has mostly been a team effort. Defensive tackle Darrell Jackson is second on Miami with three sacks. Jackson and Mesidor are the only Hurricanes who have at least three sacks. Six Miami football players have multiple sacks this season. As a team, Miami has had multiple sacks in every game.
The Miami offensive line that has dealt with multiple injuries this season will be challenged by the Virginia pass rush. Virginia has been inconsistent rushing the passer this season but has shown the ability to get to the quarterback. The Cavaliers had eight sacks last week against Georgia Tech and six last month versus Syracuse.
Highlighting other ACC players:
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) October 20, 2022
⚪️ Pitt's Israel Abanikanda leads the NCAA in all-purpose yards w/ 186.17 per game
⚪️ NC State's Chris Dunn leads the NCAA at 14-for-14 on FGs
⚪️ Miami leads the NCAA in pressure rate (12.5%) behind Corey Flagg (9.5 TFL) & Akheem Mesidor (5 sacks)
In the two games prior to Georgia Tech, Duke held Virginia to one sack and Louisville did not allow any against the Cavaliers. Linebacker Chico Bennett Jr. leads Virginia with six sacks. Bennett had two each against Syracuse and Georgia Tech. Linebacker Nick Jackson is second on Virginia with four sacks.
Four Cavaliers have at least three sacks and five have gotten to the QB multiple times. The Miami OL has to be able to protect Jake Garcia with Virginia being able to get to the QB from multiple angles. Miami is 97th allowing 2.57 sacks per game. The Miami OL had its worst game this season allowing six sacks versus Duke.
Miami allowed only 12 sacks in its first six games of the season. The Hurricanes have been down as many as three OL recently. If Miami can pressure Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong and protect Garcia relatively well with an OL that hasn’t played much together, the Hurricanes should be productive versus Virginia.