Miami football 4th quarter possession dominance setup OT win

The Miami football team rallied for a 28-20 double-overtime win over Clemson on Saturday night. Miami dominated the time of possession in the fourth quarter with a 13:40 to 1:20 margin over the final 15 minutes. The Miami defense was well-rested and ready for overtime. Miami dominated the line of scrimmage in overtime.

Miami got stronger as the game wore on. Clemson dominated time of possession in the first quarter. The Tigers had a 10:20 to 4:40 advantage in the opening 15 minutes. A Breshard Smith 80-yard run that was preceded by a fumble by Clemson on the Miami goal line gave the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead after the first quarter.

Clemson began the game with 33 yards rushing in the first quarter. The Tigers finished with minus two for the final three quarters and two overtimes combined. The Miami football team held Clemson to 34 yards rushing on 31 carries for the entire game. Clemson had nine runs for a loss of four yards in the two overtimes.

Clemson running backs Phil Mafah and Will Shipley combined for six carries for 13 yards in overtime. Miami held Clemson to 27 yards on 13 plays in overtime. The ability for Miami to control the line of scrimmage was critical in overtime. After Clemson got a first down in the first overtime, Rueben Bain sacked Klubnik.

The loss of 10 put Clemson behind the sticks and they were not able to recover. Miami forced a Clemson field goal. Miami played conservative and Andres Borregales tied the game to necessitate a second overtime. Miami was able to move the ball in the second overtime. Miami had a five-play 25-yard drive for the game-winning TD.

With the defense rested, Miami had a goal-line stand to win the game. Clemson got to the Miami two-yard line when Klubnik had a 21-yard completion to Tyler Brown. Miami stopped Shipley for no gain, forced a Klubnik incompletion and after a Clemson timeout, stopped Shipley for a one-yard gain.

On fourth down, Miami linebacker Corey Flagg tackled Klubnik for an eight-yard loss and the walk-off defensive winner. The Miami football team had 10 tackles for loss totaling 56 yards and five sacks for a loss of 39 yards. Bain finished with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, two QB hurries and a forced fumble.

Advanced stats further illustrate how Miami controlled the line of scrimmage. Clemson averaged 2.4 yards per carry when sacks are taken out. Miami held Clemson to no yards or a loss on nine carries or 26 percent of the Tigers attempts. Clemson was two for six on two yards or less to convert a first down.

After struggling to establish their presence on the line of scrimmage in the loss to North Carolina, Miami dominated upfront against Clemson. Clemson entered the game on Saturday with a top three rushing offense and defense in the ACC. Miami dominated stopping the run and on the ground versus Clemson was critical to its win.