Miami football Georgia Tech loss eerily similar to 2022 season
The loss by the Miami football team to Georgia Tech on Saturday night was eerily similar to the 5-7 2022 season. Tyler Van Dyke inconsistency, coverage breakdowns and red zone ineffectiveness all played significant roles in the 23-20 loss to Georgia Tech. How well Miami rebounds this week could influence the rest of the season.
The Miami offense struggled for the entire game. Miami dominated the game defensively for the first 59:33. The blunder by Mario Cristobal to not have Van Dyke take a knee has been documented almost infinitely across college football since Saturday night. The subsequent Don Chaney fumble gave Georgia Tech the ball.
The final drive by Georgia Tech revitalized the problem by the Miami secondary allowing big plays. Under new defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, the Miami football team has significantly reduced opposing receivers getting behind their secondary. Georgia Tech had one completion of more than 15 yards until the final drive.
Georgia Tech got the ball back with 26 seconds remaining on their own 26 yardline and no timeouts. The failure to kneel and run out the clock and the subsequent fumble should not have mattered. Georgia Tech had 176 yards of total offense in the entire game before the final drive.
Miami OC Shannon Dawson said he called the run on 3rd and 10. "I'm not gonna sit here and go through the process with you guys with what's said on the headset between us... I called the play and I can live with it. We made the wrong call. We have to live with that."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) October 9, 2023
Miami football allowing long completions
Miami has allowed nine pass plays this season of over 30 yards which is tied for 74th nationally. Three occurred versus Georgia Tech with two happening on the final drive. Miami was 85th in 2022 allowing 20 completions of 30 or more yards. Allowing two completions of 30 or more yards on the final drive was inexcusable.
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King had a 30-yard completion to Malik Rutherford to get the Yellow Jackets to the Miami 44 yardline. After a King spike, he completed a 44-yard TD pass to Christian Leary for the game-winning score. Leary got behind Miami All-American safety Kamren Kinchens for the game-winner.
Tyler Van Dyke reverted to 2022 form
Van Dyke completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,835 yards, 10 TDs and five interceptions in 2022. In 2022 losses, Van Dyke completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,039 yards, five TD and four interceptions. On Saturday Van Dyke was 24-36 for 288 yards, one TD and three interceptions.
Miami needs Van Dyke to perform at his best for them to play at a high level. Miami is 14th nationally averaging 211.00 rushing yards per game. The Hurricanes don’t need Van Dyke to carry them. Early in the season Miami was running the ball effectively and getting complementary play from Van Dyke in the passing game.
Red Zone inefficiency
Miami scored three times in four red zone trips against Georgia Tech. That isn’t as good as it looks. Van Dyke threw two interceptions on Saturday with the Miami football team at the Georgia 21 and 25-yard lines, just outside the red zone. Miami had one TD and two field goals in the red zone on Saturday.
Miami currently ranks 43rd nationally with an 88 percent conversion rate in the red zone. The Hurricanes are 72nd with a 60 percent red zone TD rate and 31st with 28.0 percent of its red zone trips ending in field goals. Miami has to improve its red zone TD rate with a much tougher schedule beginning on Saturday.
dark. Next. 3 reasons Miami lost to Georgia Tech other than late blunders
Miami begins a very difficult stretch over the last seven games of the regular season. That begins at North Carolina on Saturday. Miami hosts Clemson on October 21 and Virginia on October 28. Virginia is the sole team with a losing record on the remainder of the 2023 Miami schedule. Miami has to play much cleaner the rest of the season.