Brooks Austin joined us to break down where the Hurricanes stand going into South Bend.
He told us this was the only show all year he asked to come on, and gave it to us straight.
He thinks the offense is the most impressive unit in the country, led by the most unflappable quarterback in the country. But he also thinks our defense has been throwing the same three punches all year, and that the rest of college football has figured them out.
Read the full conversation below:
Mike Ryan: We've seen Miami have a midseason rut before and turn it around in November. Is this correctable, and what's glaring on the tape?
Brooks Austin: First of all, at least you're finding ways to win in the middle of a rut. The offense is ridiculous. You need me to score 40 today? Don't worry about it. You're going to bracket my best player all game? Don't worry about it. You're going to pressure me all day? Don't worry about it.
Defensively, I'm certainly concerned, because eventually your offense might have a bad day, and I don't think the defense has had a great day against a quality opponent or a quality coaching staff yet.
To me it's a lack of adjustments, a lack of creating confusion. When I turn on Miami, they're going to line up and try to knock your head off. They're not trying to lie to you, and lying is what modern defense has become.
With Miami, it's, well, they're going to fire the nickel 60 times today. That doesn't work when the nickel pressure gets picked up and you miss tackles against North Carolina.
Mike Ryan: The defense has come up with timely stops when it needed them, at Wake, at Clemson, against FSU when the offense went three-and-out. Isn't that what matters for a team with this offense?
Brooks Austin: I'll push back a little. Clemson's offense isn't good, and Wake figured it out in the second half and started ripping it. But yes, if we're going to give up 30, we'd better get the most timely stops of the game, and it's awesome that they've been able to dig in their bag and find it.
It's still the lack of variety for me. Maybe it's because they've been moving parts around in the back end, and you can't get freaky with the X's and O's if the guys in the jerseys keep changing.
Mike Ryan: What are opposing offenses seizing on that Miami can't seem to correct?
Brooks Austin: First, you're number one in the country stopping the run, so nobody's lining up and running at your face. And you pressure a ton. Even with everything you lost up front, you're still getting home a lot, and that has a lot to do with Jason Taylor and the guys he has. That's why teams are dumping the ball off.
You haven't been a good tackling team this year but that's happening everywhere. Georgia's bad at tackling. Ohio State looked rough against USC.
DMoney: Last year Notre Dame protected CJ Carr with a lot of horizontal throws in his first start. Now he's more experienced, but the skill players are less explosive. How does that change things?
Brooks Austin: The most important loss in Notre Dame's turnover from last year is Malachi Fields. The backs are still good enough to win. But they don't have a boundary X. If you play man-to-man and pressure the quarterback, they don't have anyone who can win outside the numbers. Their wins are near the box and in the slot.
Miami doesn't have a true X either, but it has a super freak in Malachi Toney, so it lets them get away with it.
The flip side is Notre Dame is much better and much more trustworthy at quarterback than a year ago. The pressures that surprised quarterbacks and hit them in the back? Probably not this week. Carr will get to the line, change the protection, get it picked up, and then he's got all day against a secondary that's been a problem.
And watch Jonaz Walton. He's their explosive back, and he's a true freshman. They went away from him at BYU. If he doesn't play a real role, they're three yards and a cloud of dust, and I don't think that's enough.
Mike Ryan: The counting stats don't show it, but Darian Mensah may have had his most impactful game against North Carolina, with the scrambles and the best pass protection of the season. What did you see?
Brooks Austin: I've been a day-one Darian guy.
I grew up covering Georgia, and a Georgia fan was recently complaining to me that Gunner Stockton isn't a top-five quarterback. I told him there's only one quarterback in college football right now who's played absolutely unflappable every single Saturday. He's good against pressure, good on schedule, dynamic, athletic. Maybe not the biggest arm, but he finds juice and accuracy and spins it from every angle. That's Darian Mensah.
Everybody else has had a bad one, a "you're the reason we might lose today" performance. Mensah's been the reason you're undefeated. They've tried everything to stop him, and they don't have it. As long as he's upright and on the field, you've got a chance to beat anybody.
DMoney: Miami's young line has struggled with movement up front. What does Notre Dame's front do, and how does it match up?
Brooks Austin: They've got dudes. I was disappointed in their run defense against BYU. They got pushed around. But their edge rushers are super freaks. Boubacar Traore would be a first-round pick. Bryce Young is 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 and moves with such agility for his size.
Then there's Leonard Moore, one of the best corners we've seen in college football in a while. You'll have faced two of the best three corners in the country this year, Ashton Hampton and Leonard Moore. I'd imagine he travels with Toney. They traveled him with Makai Lemon at USC last year.
DMoney: CJ Carr isn't a runner, but his movement killed Miami last year. How do you keep that from happening again?
Brooks Austin: He's a good enough athlete, but he's a great athlete inside the pocket. Subtle, explosive movements. There's a play from last year where Rueben Bain is coming off the edge, Carr takes one little slide, and Bain ends up on his face. That's quarterback play. One small move, eyes downfield, rip it.
So rush him true. Rush his back hip so he can't make those movements, make him step up, and get internal pressure too. Nobody's coaching edge rushers better than Jason Taylor right now. I've never turned on Miami and thought they were rushing out of control. They rush with integrity.
Brooks Austin: [on how he sees Saturday playing out] It's a coin flip. I'll pick it by one point one way or the other, and I'll probably go with the home team, the team with its back against the wall.
Miami has earned some wiggle room. Even if you lose, you can still win the ACC and get a top-four seed. For Notre Dame, this is the Super Bowl. Lose and they're back to saying no to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. They've been told all week it's do-or-die in their own building.
Brooks has Notre Dame by a point. Find his breakdowns all week on the Film Guy Network, and catch the full interview on the CanesInsight YouTube channel. Subscribe so you don't miss any of our Notre Dame coverage.
He told us this was the only show all year he asked to come on, and gave it to us straight.
He thinks the offense is the most impressive unit in the country, led by the most unflappable quarterback in the country. But he also thinks our defense has been throwing the same three punches all year, and that the rest of college football has figured them out.
Read the full conversation below:
Mike Ryan: We've seen Miami have a midseason rut before and turn it around in November. Is this correctable, and what's glaring on the tape?
Brooks Austin: First of all, at least you're finding ways to win in the middle of a rut. The offense is ridiculous. You need me to score 40 today? Don't worry about it. You're going to bracket my best player all game? Don't worry about it. You're going to pressure me all day? Don't worry about it.
Defensively, I'm certainly concerned, because eventually your offense might have a bad day, and I don't think the defense has had a great day against a quality opponent or a quality coaching staff yet.
To me it's a lack of adjustments, a lack of creating confusion. When I turn on Miami, they're going to line up and try to knock your head off. They're not trying to lie to you, and lying is what modern defense has become.
With Miami, it's, well, they're going to fire the nickel 60 times today. That doesn't work when the nickel pressure gets picked up and you miss tackles against North Carolina.
Mike Ryan: The defense has come up with timely stops when it needed them, at Wake, at Clemson, against FSU when the offense went three-and-out. Isn't that what matters for a team with this offense?
Brooks Austin: I'll push back a little. Clemson's offense isn't good, and Wake figured it out in the second half and started ripping it. But yes, if we're going to give up 30, we'd better get the most timely stops of the game, and it's awesome that they've been able to dig in their bag and find it.
It's still the lack of variety for me. Maybe it's because they've been moving parts around in the back end, and you can't get freaky with the X's and O's if the guys in the jerseys keep changing.
Mike Ryan: What are opposing offenses seizing on that Miami can't seem to correct?
Brooks Austin: First, you're number one in the country stopping the run, so nobody's lining up and running at your face. And you pressure a ton. Even with everything you lost up front, you're still getting home a lot, and that has a lot to do with Jason Taylor and the guys he has. That's why teams are dumping the ball off.
You haven't been a good tackling team this year but that's happening everywhere. Georgia's bad at tackling. Ohio State looked rough against USC.
DMoney: Last year Notre Dame protected CJ Carr with a lot of horizontal throws in his first start. Now he's more experienced, but the skill players are less explosive. How does that change things?
Brooks Austin: The most important loss in Notre Dame's turnover from last year is Malachi Fields. The backs are still good enough to win. But they don't have a boundary X. If you play man-to-man and pressure the quarterback, they don't have anyone who can win outside the numbers. Their wins are near the box and in the slot.
Miami doesn't have a true X either, but it has a super freak in Malachi Toney, so it lets them get away with it.
The flip side is Notre Dame is much better and much more trustworthy at quarterback than a year ago. The pressures that surprised quarterbacks and hit them in the back? Probably not this week. Carr will get to the line, change the protection, get it picked up, and then he's got all day against a secondary that's been a problem.
And watch Jonaz Walton. He's their explosive back, and he's a true freshman. They went away from him at BYU. If he doesn't play a real role, they're three yards and a cloud of dust, and I don't think that's enough.
Mike Ryan: The counting stats don't show it, but Darian Mensah may have had his most impactful game against North Carolina, with the scrambles and the best pass protection of the season. What did you see?
Brooks Austin: I've been a day-one Darian guy.
I grew up covering Georgia, and a Georgia fan was recently complaining to me that Gunner Stockton isn't a top-five quarterback. I told him there's only one quarterback in college football right now who's played absolutely unflappable every single Saturday. He's good against pressure, good on schedule, dynamic, athletic. Maybe not the biggest arm, but he finds juice and accuracy and spins it from every angle. That's Darian Mensah.
Everybody else has had a bad one, a "you're the reason we might lose today" performance. Mensah's been the reason you're undefeated. They've tried everything to stop him, and they don't have it. As long as he's upright and on the field, you've got a chance to beat anybody.
DMoney: Miami's young line has struggled with movement up front. What does Notre Dame's front do, and how does it match up?
Brooks Austin: They've got dudes. I was disappointed in their run defense against BYU. They got pushed around. But their edge rushers are super freaks. Boubacar Traore would be a first-round pick. Bryce Young is 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 and moves with such agility for his size.
Then there's Leonard Moore, one of the best corners we've seen in college football in a while. You'll have faced two of the best three corners in the country this year, Ashton Hampton and Leonard Moore. I'd imagine he travels with Toney. They traveled him with Makai Lemon at USC last year.
DMoney: CJ Carr isn't a runner, but his movement killed Miami last year. How do you keep that from happening again?
Brooks Austin: He's a good enough athlete, but he's a great athlete inside the pocket. Subtle, explosive movements. There's a play from last year where Rueben Bain is coming off the edge, Carr takes one little slide, and Bain ends up on his face. That's quarterback play. One small move, eyes downfield, rip it.
So rush him true. Rush his back hip so he can't make those movements, make him step up, and get internal pressure too. Nobody's coaching edge rushers better than Jason Taylor right now. I've never turned on Miami and thought they were rushing out of control. They rush with integrity.
Brooks Austin: [on how he sees Saturday playing out] It's a coin flip. I'll pick it by one point one way or the other, and I'll probably go with the home team, the team with its back against the wall.
Miami has earned some wiggle room. Even if you lose, you can still win the ACC and get a top-four seed. For Notre Dame, this is the Super Bowl. Lose and they're back to saying no to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. They've been told all week it's do-or-die in their own building.
Brooks has Notre Dame by a point. Find his breakdowns all week on the Film Guy Network, and catch the full interview on the CanesInsight YouTube channel. Subscribe so you don't miss any of our Notre Dame coverage.
