The 19-point win over the Florida Gators has now vaulted Miami into the No. 2 position in the AP Poll. Things are looking up for the Hurricanes and they now get to face off against Florida State in two weeks. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at the five biggest takeaways for Miami in the win over Florida.
1. The Gators were better off punting on 3rd down
Florida went 0-for-13 on third down, and the Gators had only seven first downs total. That combination all but removed any upset path for Napier's group because nothing sustained. Miami kept Florida behind the chains and even after the Gators brought the game to 13-7, it never felt too threatening. Florida finished with 141 total yards, 61 passing yards on 12-of-23 (5.1 yards per completion, 2.7 per attempt), and 80 rushing yards on 29 tries (2.8 per carry). Miami's defense also forced Florida into fourth-down desperation (3-for-6) and despite Florida enduring a bit of a lost season, it's a testament to DC Corey Hetherman for how far the Canes defense has come.
2. Hurricanes have pass rush for days
Miami logged four sacks and seven tackles for loss. That kind of negative-play rate makes a young QB very uncomfortable. And unfortunately for DJ Lagway, this was not going to be the defense that allowed him to turn his season around. Florida's longest completion went 12 yards, with the highest receiving yards being 22. When your longest pass is 12 in a rivalry road game, you have no chance.
3. Grown-man football (four-minute offense) for the win
Even with a modest passing output (Carson Beck 17-of-30 for 160 yards, 1 INT), Miami controlled the fourth quarter with the exact sequence you want on film. The offense authored a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown march that burned more than seven minutes and pushed the lead back to two scores. Mark Fletcher Jr. was the closer with 24 carries, 116 yards (4.8 per attempt) and the dagger TD, which was complemented by CharMar Brown's 18 carries for 80 yards and two scores. The run game has been a big help even when the play-calling or pass game is ineffective.
4. It's called complementary football and Miami does it
The Hurricanes played a complete game and — despite the score being 13-7 going into the fourth quarter — they controlled from start to finish. Miami held a 36:30 to 23:30 edge in time of possession and a 21–7 advantage in first downs. The Hurricanes were solid on their own money downs, converting 8-of-16 on third down (50%) and 1-of-1 on fourth, while Florida was 0-for-13 and 3-for-6, respectively. Miami finished with 349 total yards (189 rushing, 160 passing), and while the passing YPA (5.3) was conservative, the ground game's 189 at 4.3 a pop was impressive. So, if you start to hear that Miami "struggled" against Florida this past Saturday, read off the above stats.
5. Things are "starting" to get "real"
The AP Poll is less important than what it used to be, but jumping the No. 2 and No. 3 teams when neither lost is a win. Now, QB Carson Beck had one interception in this game and if Florida was at all competent on offense, things could have looked different in that moment. The Gators had built their only momentum of the game at that point, but the Miami defense held, and two late touchdowns now give the game a final score that matches.
The media, fans, opposing teams — essentially anybody with a pulse in the college football world — is starting to see the Hurricanes as not only just one of the favorites to win the ACC, but also a contender to make some noise in the CFP. Miami is off this week as they prepare for a potential top-10 matchup on the road against Florida State.