Series:
Welcome back to Upon Further Review, where each week we will review the previous week’s Miami game from a film perspective. This week, I will be putting out an abbreviated version as I have a family situation I need to attend to this week.
Last week I wrote about how Miami has been stifled whenever they come out and try to run the ball on the first play, with their longest run of the season on play one going for nine yards. When they’ve thrown the ball early, they have had much more success offensively. Play one, Miami throws the ball out of a pistol look, with an offset FB, and Brevin in-line. It’s a deep out to Thomas and it’s a big gain off play-action. He goes for 28 yards.
Next play they flip the formation since the hash has been moved from the previous play and they run the dive. It goes for nothing.
2nd down and they run the EXACT. SAME. PLAY. Gauthier is whipped immediately off-the-snap. The play goes for a loss.
3rd & 12 and Thomas gets open on the smash concept that @romancane will detail multiple times in his excellent series From the Perch. He will detail it multiple times because we ran it so many times.
Look where Langham and Cager end up on this route combination. This is not a good play design and if the route to Thomas doesn’t work, the play is essentially a bust from there. You should never have such close spacing on a route tree like this.
This is another play that is poorly designed but Perry just has so much arm strength he can get the ball there in time. Why are you drawing coverage into the area for this throw with Brevin running into the area you want to throw a timing route and force the QB to throw over it? #45 would’ve been nowhere near this pass without running Brevin into it.
Run the same dive play we’ve all seen a thousand times. It’s slow and it’s not diversified enough to actually scare the defense into doing anything but screaming downhill towards the dive play.
2nd down run I’m not a fan of the play design. This is asking a lot for Mahoney to come across and get all the way out to this edge defender in space (he doesn’t). Dallas turns it inside and gets one.
3rd down and it’s another in a long line of evidence you need to diversify your play designs. The jet sweep motion to Thomas is now an automatic run blitz off-the-edge for defenses. Boulware is supposed to come around and block that free LB at the 10-yard line but sees that the blitzer is across Brevin already and tries to help. It’s a good idea, but he needs to stay on his assignment honestly. Dallas makes salad out of chicken bits here and gets the 1st down.
Go dive, dive, wildcat and get the TD on 3rd down.
1st down for GT and they run the pitch and we are slow to get to the edge. 2nd down and again we are slow to recognize where the ball is and the pitch gets 3. 3rd down and they run the dive and get the 1st down because of no penetration up front. (Not pictured)
3rd down and all of the LB’s are looking at the QB and not playing their man. We should’ve had this stopped because we’ve got a LB right there to cover the backside TE. They don’t run with him (#80). It’s a huge play.
Stop your feet against the option and you’re done. Joe Jackson clearly stops his feet here and they just pitch it around him.
You get your hand into the pitch lane and they’re restricted on what they can do. Demetrius Jackson always plays the option well.
You’ve got GT on a 4th & 7 and this is such a big play. You’re probably going to stop them here and get off the field with the lead. Instead we jump offsides. A team that beats itself all year. That’s the story for Miami. On the 4th down play Tito rips it out but they recover it for a 1st down. Some years feel like everything goes right for you (10-0 start last year) and some years feel like everything goes against you. This losing streak has been both self-inflicted and just bad luck.
Next play we overrun the initial sprint option, Jaquan takes an awful angle, and it’s a TD.
Kickoff and Dallas is trying hard but he’s just got to stop fumbling the ball. GT brings it back to the 21-yard line and scores a TD a few plays later. A team that beats itself all year. Here is an example of Pinckney guessing and it costing the defense. He’s cheating over when he sees that motion and it’s a perfect play call back to the other side. The QB walks in as the defense is completely outflanked. Bandy is on the edge here, Pinckney, just have to do your job.
McCloud was absolutely held though. That should’ve been an easy call as there is an official right on the 8-yard line sideline. His hand is clearly around the shoulder and actually back behind McCloud. He immediately started screaming at the official who inexplicably makes no call.
Cam Davis has a different level of juice as a runner out there. He bounces off of his own blocker and gets a nice run. Boulware turned something on the play and limps off. That’s not a good injury for that OL to have.
2nd & 4 and Davis has a nice lane to pickup a 1st down, but nope. The team that beats itself, beats itself again as Mahoney has a false start.
3rd & 2 after stop route to Wiggins. This is coaching malpractice. Look at the slot. That’s stealing. GT is saying you can have the 1st down, we don’t mind. Nope. Richt and his play calling is a guaranteed dive play when they go heavy like this. There is absolutely no way that GT can stop this pass to the slot in the formation they are in but it’s a minor miracle when the offense takes advantage. Also, the defense has zero respect for the QB keep on this play. Perry is going to have to keep the play on some of these to get them to respect it.
Donaldson and Scaife have a double team on this defender and somehow just let him split them like it’s nothing. This play is there for a 1st down as well but Donaldson has poor technique and doesn’t hit the defender’s outside shoulder and knock him back into Scaife. This is Junior High stuff that is being routinely missed by this OL.
Miami picks up the 4th down on the FB dive, but this sort of work was not necessary when they simply aren’t covering the slot. Just rise up and throw them the ball every single time if they’re going to play it that way. Honestly, not even every single time. Once a game it should be a fake to keep the defense from wanting to jump it. Oh well.
Dive for 2. Bubble to Thomas that would’ve picked up a 1st down but Cager refuses to block. He was absolutely manhandled on the edge.
Why was it a big deal not to pick up the 1st down on the previous play? The team that beats itself has a false start on 3rd & 2 and makes it hard again.
This place has been infamous on Twitter etc. because Brevin is running free for a TD but look a bit at what Perry is seeing. Donaldson is beaten immediately. Gauthier is beaten immediately. Pressure in the face of a QB prevents any kind of stepping into the throw or ability to come to your next reads. Brevin right here on the 50 is uncovered and would’ve walked into the end zone if Perry saw him and/or had time. Pass is incomplete and it’s punt time. The team that beats itself has cost itself a TD on this drive.
Boulware just stoning his guy again. Ho-hum. Brevin just walking into the end zone if the QB sees him. This is development of the QB’s because they ALL prefer to throw outside of the hashes rather than throw into the MOF. It’s the way they’re teaching things without a doubt. Announcer said that Cager was uncovered on the sideline to the other side as well. We throw it to the only guy covered.
Commentary
For the rest of the game you continued to see the same things happening as you’ve seen here. Miami making mistake after mistake after mistake. The defense played ok, but does not get a free pass in this game as they missed a lot of tackles, took poor angles on chances to get the offense into 2nd & 9 rather than 2nd & 5 several times. But ultimately, it was the same old familiar song. The offense and the special teams continue to make mistakes and cost the team games. Miami is a much better team than Georgia Tech. We would’ve won this game 8 out of 10 times, but with the way they’re playing right now, they’re giving away too many chances to actually win games.
The OL techniques are poor. It is time to replace the OL coach. I’ve held off on making that assertion for a long time, and this is the first time I’ve publicly called for a change, but I believe the mistakes are so numerous and consistent that it is what is being taught as much as it is about the talent available.
Play design is major issue. If you aren’t using motion you are giving away points in college football. If you aren’t using spacing, you are giving away points in college football. You can absolutely score and win games with these dated plays if you execute flawlessly, but why continue to ask your team to do so when there are such easier ways to do so? You can build a house with a hammer and a hand saw, but why use those tools when a nail gun and a power saw are readily available?
The play calling is basic. The number of times we run the same tired concepts on 3rd down makes us extremely predictable. The lack of counters off of our constant plays is coaching malpractice. Without a more diversified system, we are simply handing the advantage we have with south Florida athletes available to us back to our opponents in an act of charity.
Reviewing film and watching my Canes is a labor of love, but the losing streak has simply exposed issues that I have to review and agonize over weekly. It’s time for a change, Canes fans. It is time for the Athletic Director to force change on this program or you will see a dark period that rivals the Golden Age.
Last week I wrote about how Miami has been stifled whenever they come out and try to run the ball on the first play, with their longest run of the season on play one going for nine yards. When they’ve thrown the ball early, they have had much more success offensively. Play one, Miami throws the ball out of a pistol look, with an offset FB, and Brevin in-line. It’s a deep out to Thomas and it’s a big gain off play-action. He goes for 28 yards.
Next play they flip the formation since the hash has been moved from the previous play and they run the dive. It goes for nothing.
2nd down and they run the EXACT. SAME. PLAY. Gauthier is whipped immediately off-the-snap. The play goes for a loss.
3rd & 12 and Thomas gets open on the smash concept that @romancane will detail multiple times in his excellent series From the Perch. He will detail it multiple times because we ran it so many times.
Look where Langham and Cager end up on this route combination. This is not a good play design and if the route to Thomas doesn’t work, the play is essentially a bust from there. You should never have such close spacing on a route tree like this.
This is another play that is poorly designed but Perry just has so much arm strength he can get the ball there in time. Why are you drawing coverage into the area for this throw with Brevin running into the area you want to throw a timing route and force the QB to throw over it? #45 would’ve been nowhere near this pass without running Brevin into it.
Run the same dive play we’ve all seen a thousand times. It’s slow and it’s not diversified enough to actually scare the defense into doing anything but screaming downhill towards the dive play.
2nd down run I’m not a fan of the play design. This is asking a lot for Mahoney to come across and get all the way out to this edge defender in space (he doesn’t). Dallas turns it inside and gets one.
3rd down and it’s another in a long line of evidence you need to diversify your play designs. The jet sweep motion to Thomas is now an automatic run blitz off-the-edge for defenses. Boulware is supposed to come around and block that free LB at the 10-yard line but sees that the blitzer is across Brevin already and tries to help. It’s a good idea, but he needs to stay on his assignment honestly. Dallas makes salad out of chicken bits here and gets the 1st down.
Go dive, dive, wildcat and get the TD on 3rd down.
1st down for GT and they run the pitch and we are slow to get to the edge. 2nd down and again we are slow to recognize where the ball is and the pitch gets 3. 3rd down and they run the dive and get the 1st down because of no penetration up front. (Not pictured)
3rd down and all of the LB’s are looking at the QB and not playing their man. We should’ve had this stopped because we’ve got a LB right there to cover the backside TE. They don’t run with him (#80). It’s a huge play.
Stop your feet against the option and you’re done. Joe Jackson clearly stops his feet here and they just pitch it around him.
You get your hand into the pitch lane and they’re restricted on what they can do. Demetrius Jackson always plays the option well.
You’ve got GT on a 4th & 7 and this is such a big play. You’re probably going to stop them here and get off the field with the lead. Instead we jump offsides. A team that beats itself all year. That’s the story for Miami. On the 4th down play Tito rips it out but they recover it for a 1st down. Some years feel like everything goes right for you (10-0 start last year) and some years feel like everything goes against you. This losing streak has been both self-inflicted and just bad luck.
Next play we overrun the initial sprint option, Jaquan takes an awful angle, and it’s a TD.
Kickoff and Dallas is trying hard but he’s just got to stop fumbling the ball. GT brings it back to the 21-yard line and scores a TD a few plays later. A team that beats itself all year. Here is an example of Pinckney guessing and it costing the defense. He’s cheating over when he sees that motion and it’s a perfect play call back to the other side. The QB walks in as the defense is completely outflanked. Bandy is on the edge here, Pinckney, just have to do your job.
McCloud was absolutely held though. That should’ve been an easy call as there is an official right on the 8-yard line sideline. His hand is clearly around the shoulder and actually back behind McCloud. He immediately started screaming at the official who inexplicably makes no call.
Cam Davis has a different level of juice as a runner out there. He bounces off of his own blocker and gets a nice run. Boulware turned something on the play and limps off. That’s not a good injury for that OL to have.
2nd & 4 and Davis has a nice lane to pickup a 1st down, but nope. The team that beats itself, beats itself again as Mahoney has a false start.
3rd & 2 after stop route to Wiggins. This is coaching malpractice. Look at the slot. That’s stealing. GT is saying you can have the 1st down, we don’t mind. Nope. Richt and his play calling is a guaranteed dive play when they go heavy like this. There is absolutely no way that GT can stop this pass to the slot in the formation they are in but it’s a minor miracle when the offense takes advantage. Also, the defense has zero respect for the QB keep on this play. Perry is going to have to keep the play on some of these to get them to respect it.
Donaldson and Scaife have a double team on this defender and somehow just let him split them like it’s nothing. This play is there for a 1st down as well but Donaldson has poor technique and doesn’t hit the defender’s outside shoulder and knock him back into Scaife. This is Junior High stuff that is being routinely missed by this OL.
Miami picks up the 4th down on the FB dive, but this sort of work was not necessary when they simply aren’t covering the slot. Just rise up and throw them the ball every single time if they’re going to play it that way. Honestly, not even every single time. Once a game it should be a fake to keep the defense from wanting to jump it. Oh well.
Dive for 2. Bubble to Thomas that would’ve picked up a 1st down but Cager refuses to block. He was absolutely manhandled on the edge.
Why was it a big deal not to pick up the 1st down on the previous play? The team that beats itself has a false start on 3rd & 2 and makes it hard again.
This place has been infamous on Twitter etc. because Brevin is running free for a TD but look a bit at what Perry is seeing. Donaldson is beaten immediately. Gauthier is beaten immediately. Pressure in the face of a QB prevents any kind of stepping into the throw or ability to come to your next reads. Brevin right here on the 50 is uncovered and would’ve walked into the end zone if Perry saw him and/or had time. Pass is incomplete and it’s punt time. The team that beats itself has cost itself a TD on this drive.
Boulware just stoning his guy again. Ho-hum. Brevin just walking into the end zone if the QB sees him. This is development of the QB’s because they ALL prefer to throw outside of the hashes rather than throw into the MOF. It’s the way they’re teaching things without a doubt. Announcer said that Cager was uncovered on the sideline to the other side as well. We throw it to the only guy covered.
Commentary
For the rest of the game you continued to see the same things happening as you’ve seen here. Miami making mistake after mistake after mistake. The defense played ok, but does not get a free pass in this game as they missed a lot of tackles, took poor angles on chances to get the offense into 2nd & 9 rather than 2nd & 5 several times. But ultimately, it was the same old familiar song. The offense and the special teams continue to make mistakes and cost the team games. Miami is a much better team than Georgia Tech. We would’ve won this game 8 out of 10 times, but with the way they’re playing right now, they’re giving away too many chances to actually win games.
The OL techniques are poor. It is time to replace the OL coach. I’ve held off on making that assertion for a long time, and this is the first time I’ve publicly called for a change, but I believe the mistakes are so numerous and consistent that it is what is being taught as much as it is about the talent available.
Play design is major issue. If you aren’t using motion you are giving away points in college football. If you aren’t using spacing, you are giving away points in college football. You can absolutely score and win games with these dated plays if you execute flawlessly, but why continue to ask your team to do so when there are such easier ways to do so? You can build a house with a hammer and a hand saw, but why use those tools when a nail gun and a power saw are readily available?
The play calling is basic. The number of times we run the same tired concepts on 3rd down makes us extremely predictable. The lack of counters off of our constant plays is coaching malpractice. Without a more diversified system, we are simply handing the advantage we have with south Florida athletes available to us back to our opponents in an act of charity.
Reviewing film and watching my Canes is a labor of love, but the losing streak has simply exposed issues that I have to review and agonize over weekly. It’s time for a change, Canes fans. It is time for the Athletic Director to force change on this program or you will see a dark period that rivals the Golden Age.
