The Miami Hurricanes have not played perfect football this year despite their 9-0 record. After cruising through their nonconference schedule, Miami has had trouble with all of their conference opponents, even putting an underwhelming performance together against Florida State despite winning handily.
Miami won each of these games to remain undefeated because they have been spectacular in the second half of the games, outscoring their five conference opponents 133 to 72 in the third and fourth quarters. The fourth quarter has been especially kind to the Hurricanes, who have outscored their ACC foes 83-34 in the game's final quarter.
Miami's success late in games is a testament to Mario Cristobal and the culture he's building at The U. The Hurricanes could have easily rolled over when they were down 34-24 in the fourth quarter against Virginia Tech. Or when they were down 38-18 in the fourth quarter against Cal. Or when they were down 28-17 in the third quarter against Duke.
But they didn't. The team simply doesn't quit, playing hard through the final whistle. It also helps to have Cam Ward and the best offense in the country leading the way, proving no deficit is too large to overcome.
Canes HC Mario Cristobal, on Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo:
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) November 2, 2024
“They both played their behinds off. They always do. They have a unique chemistry…they want to win.”
To be a truly elite team, Ward and the Miami offense shouldn't have to dig them out of a hole every game. Miami needs to not just get off to faster starts, but also retain a comfortable lead. Miami got off to a fast start against Duke, taking an early 14-0 lead, but they almost immediately surrendered two touchdowns to make it a tie game.
The defense is the main culprit for this. The unit has not been good enough, consistently missing tackles and giving up explosive plays to keep teams in the game against Miami. It has to be better, from the start of games to the end of games, for Miami to go where they want to go.
Miami has three games remaining before a potential ACC Championship Game. Miami plays Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3), Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2), and Syracuse (6-2, 3-2) to finish the regular season. Miami will be favored to win each of these games. To avoid a potentially disastrous loss against any of these teams, Miami must take an early lead and hold it.
If that isn't the case, the Hurricanes will have to hope their second-half heroics continue. Miami certainly doesn't want to keep digging themselves out of holes, but it's been a sight to behold over the last five games.