Upon Further Review: Miami vs. Stanford

Lance Roffers
Lance Roffers
14 min read
Miami was back in action against Stanford and the final score showed complete domination on Miami’s part. But how did the film look in this game? Find out with me only at Upon Further Review.

First play send Toney in motion and hit him behind LOS. When you’re blocking for this play, ideally you want to take one more step upfield and take your left hand up under the armpit of the defender so that you can turn his shoulders parallel to the sideline. Johnson actually puts this defender on skates and lets Toney get the first, so he was physical at least.

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Johnson then makes a ridiculous run on a swing to his side. Not pictured, but an excellent run. This was sort of the coming out for Tony Johnson. (Not pictured)

Defenses are screaming downhill on all plays against Miami’s offense right now. An unspoken part of attacking the intermediate area in the passing game more is that it causes LB’s to be one yard deeper at the snap. 35 is screaming downhill here and started just a few yards off the LOS. If he’s a yard deeper this play might work because it gives that step for Bell to get there.

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In the 1H Stanford really keyed on Miami’s tendencies. 11 is the edge player with a hand down who is already halfway to the WR slip screen after a play-action because the play is scouted well and we tend to run it. As soon as the play-action wasn’t given, #11 is screaming to the slip screen. #35 is doing a good job of following and Daniels runs right into him for a loss. #70 made the bodies hit the floor, but would’ve liked head on a swivel to get the next dude as Daniels runs right to him. Keep in mind, for all I know he could be coached to stay there to hit him again when he gets up.

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Beck has to get through his progressions here. Has a wide-open receiver for the first down. Stares to one side and then checks it down, but he has zero pressure. It happens, but this is fairly egregious to miss. He was standing there for two seconds all alone as Stanford had a bust with two defenders taking the vertical.

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Thomas blitzes but runs right into the back of the first blitzer. He has an open rush lane and chooses to run into the back of his teammate. Easy first down with no pressure generated.

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Miss the extra size on the edge here. Lightfoot was tentative here. He should make this tackle in the backfield but was hesitant to attack and then doesn’t engage the block to close the distance. This comes out for a big run.

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This is a massive hold on Bain. He ducked, and the blocker can go high, he just can’t impede forward progress by grabbing him. Which he clearly does. RB in flats converts the first down.

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Blount discards a blocker and swallows up the RB. Heck of a play by him.

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Moten beats his blocker, but this is a heck of a throw by their QB. Poyser got cooked and tapped himself on the chest.

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CJ Daniels big block on the KO return, if #6 Xavier Lucas gets his block, that’s a huge return. He actually tackles Marion as he gets knocked to the ground, gets up and into Marion’s legs. Ruskavich could have done a better job at the edge of the screen as well.

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When Miami has a sniffer and sends a motion to the boundary, they have a tendency to have them turn around and lead block back towards the midline. Which they do again here.

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This has to be a 1st down. Either the WR is supposed to sit and stay outside or Beck threw it behind him. Since him sitting would lead him right into CB I’d say Beck makes a bad throw. They don’t pick up the 3rd and inches and punt. A good throw and he’s running towards midfield.

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Bain ducks in too far here and gives the edge. The block is fine because Bain ducked inside and gave up his back. Not a hold. Bissainthe missed the tackle, but a nice run.

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Friends, when I tell you I laughed out loud on this play. Bell literally tosses the defender, who went flying like an old episode of Fresh Prince when they’d toss someone. #21 is officially adopted and is referred to as son. Big run.

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Look for a tendency breaker for this formation at some point. They run that same mid-line motion and the LB is already moving forward as he anticipates the lead into the A-gap. May as well have just told him the play call here. Throw the ball. This play got the boo birds.

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Both LB’s just screaming forward against that look.

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Toney makes the incredible catch on 4th down. (Not pictured)

Marty Brown falls down trying to make a jump cut. Stanford is establishing the LOS.

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You can’t be an offense that needs 14 or 15 plays to score all the time, but Miami probably takes control of this game a lot sooner if they just catch the ball and keep their footing a few more times early on. Daniels drops the 4th down slant. (Not pictured)

Beck and Toney just have a connection. Here he is getting the ball out before Toney is even through his break.

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It’s a good thing that #14 tried to knife inside on this play instead of bullying #9 because he is there to blow it up if he does as #3 lost his block inside.

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Bad LB play them here. No idea why the LB is flowing into the back of his defender rather than jumping that open B-gap, but I’ll take it. Duo moves the NT completely out.

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No idea what Daniels is doing here. He first steps inside towards the LB and upfield here. It makes me wonder if he was caught in-between on who to block, or if he was trying to sell a play fake? Otherwise, he literally just opens a path for the defender to the receiver. Bad play, hopefully it was mental and not effort.

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Baumann completely blows his block. You have to block the closest threat. I’m sure when they ran this in practice that edge blocks himself by being a step further inside, but here you have to throttle down and make sure you keep that edge clean first. Baumann is trying to go to the same defender that Lofton is as well. Just a debacle from him here. Toney just does Toney things and saves the play.

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Daniels got away with this. This was a blatant block-in-the-back.

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Daniels makes a play and catches the 3rd down fade for a TD. I have to admit, I kind of think it was a bit uncool of Daniels to “shush” his own crowd after the catches that TD. They have a right to be a bit unsettled at this point and shushing them is not the way. (Not pictured)

Fast flat in many variations is such a rage in college football on 3rd and short right now. So difficult to cover and here out of a bunch formation they run it and it’s easy money.

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This is nice from Blay. Swim up top, swipe to the hands and an instant win against the C. Blount with the quickness gets around the G, then through the RB. Whew.

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He’s absurd. He returns this punt for ~30 yards.

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Nice job Lofton. You can block in the back behind the LOS like that. And at the college level, downfield like the OL is.

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Brockermeyer would tell you he didn’t have his best game, but the length of the NT for Stanford really gave him trouble as they locked and shed a bunch to reset the LOS. Tough ask to go 1-on-1 when your offense is predicated on inside runs so often. Brock recovers and washes while Fletcher does a good job to avoid the backfield traffic and take this to the one.

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#93 with the quickness. TFL. Future problem right there in Donta Simpson.

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Jakobee Thomas has been great this season, but he had a couple of moments he will want back in this one. First was the play he ran into the back of his teammate on a blitz and the other is this one, where he was lost on a punt return and instead of just taking the punter and scoring a TD, he decides to tackle Toney himself.

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Here is the 4th down play that most of you have seen where Brockermeyer got pushed back and blown up.

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Stanford tried to bring the RG down onto Blay, but he does a nice job of getting upfield and working through the contact to get the TFL. He was a force in this one, really, all of the DT’s were.

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Booker Pickett shoots into the backfield on the next one, loses his footing so he doesn’t make the tackle, but it’s another example of a freshman making plays (redshirt in his case).

Bain is so quick it’s initial shock, then beats him across his face and makes RT fall down. He then holds Bain as he runs past and pulls him down (not called).

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QB is flushed by Lightfoot and he throws a pass right to Bissainthe, who returns it to the red zone. Stanford looks like they have an open guy, but that defender stopped chasing him and went towards the ball once the pass was thrown.

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Blay with another line reset and causes the RB to run into pursuit. Remember, in a Hetherman defense, the NT is trying to get across and force the RB into flow on most of these plays. Blay does that perfectly here.

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Lightfoot is employing ROSCOE (Rush Outside Contain on Edge) with a longarm to get under LT. He does lose a bit on the edge, but you can see the physicality and the want-to from Lightfoot. Next year, with another year of weight and strength he holds that edge.

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RT yanks Bain by the facemask, LB slips, 25 finds the open space. Would like Lightfoot standing right there to follow the QB’s eyes a bit more. QB decides to throw it deeper to the 2nd level rather than taking the open 25 and it’s a pick by Lucas who was sinking in Cover-2.

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Lofton is still leaning on his wham blocks and just putting his shoulder into defenders, but this Stanford edge plays it soft rather than trying to knock back Lofton into the hole. Fletcher has an alley off a nice Mauigoa block.

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There was criticism coming from me during the game on Twitter, but Miami leaned on Stanford pretty good in the 2H in the inside run game. Here, Mauigoa and Cooper just bully the Stanford DL and cave it in.

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The LB play from Stanford got pretty brutal late in this one. Here 35 and 23 are flat-footed watching the action instead of attacking their gap. It was fine blocking, but not dominant to have no one filling. Beta LB play. Bell at LT just again throws a Stanford defender as if he were a child. Some truly embarrassing plays to watch if you’re a Stanford defender in film. Bell was truly just another level of physical talent. Fletcher simply ran over a S, then through a LB, and finally finished another S downfield. Man’s game.

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Brockermeyer gets driven back again, but he recovers and turns the NT so Fletcher can cut behind him. Nice grip strength there. This goes for a TD. Baumann and Lofton handle the edges. Bell and McCoy get a duo on the DT. LB again playing flat-footed.

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This is something we need to see more of out of Lyle. Steps through a tackle and plays through contact. I’ve felt he has been pretty easy to tackle this year and that’s probably from the injury. TD.

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Ethan O’Connor does an excellent job of seeing this reverse early on and is already attacking the LOS. Bain sees that lead blocker and gets outside as well. 7-yard loss. Jaboree Antoine does a nice job of just chasing his receiver as well. He’s trailing right behind as the ball is handed off.

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Isaiah Taylor gets lost in coverage on the back-end, but Bain nearly killed a man here with a hip-toss. Wrecking machine.

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Backups came in and looked solid as most of the second-string offense was in as they scored a 4th down TD.

Hand Up

Gotta call out some hand up accountability, as I was pretty riled up in this one at halftime. Some real negativity was felt in a game in which Miami ended up winning 42-7 and completely dominated the second half. Sometimes you overreact and I was guilty of it. I told Danny I’m just going to put my phone away during the games to avoid the overreacting typing.

Overall

Some players really got a chance to shine in this one. To name a few:

  • Malachi Toney is the real deal, not much more to say about him that hasn’t already been said
  • Josh Moore had a few nice moments as he works to put last week behind him
  • Backup RB’s as Lyle, Wheatley-Humphrey, Pringle all had nice runs and showed their talent
  • Jaylin Alderman had a nice game and made some plays
  • Lightfoot showed he can play big snaps now
  • Herbert Scroggins continues to emerge and really looks like a future building block
  • Armondo Blount is seeing that light turn on and if he figures out what to do with his hands and finish plays better, look out
  • Markel Bell was as physically dominant as a player can be
  • Bain is a legitimate force of nature
  • Donta Simpson continues to look like a player who might turn into that elusive superstar DT
  • Tony Johnson is a real player
Mario is who he is. He’s true to himself and true to what he wants to be. I don’t always align with it, but the results have certainly been there for Miami as they employ their bully ball style to another great season. I'd like to see some more diversity in the way they attack the intermediate areas to punish teams for moving their LB's up one step. I'd like to see Tony Johnson get more time in 11-personnel and see a bit less 12-personnel, which hasn't been efficient this year. Double slots in 4-wide, or bunch sets with Toney and Johnson bunched together are typical ways an Air-Raid can utilize multiple slots at once.

Go Canes
 

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Comments (43)

I don’t think you and I have ever been more aligned on the issues with style of play.

I just don’t think it’s a sustainable way to play offense over a 6 game stretch we need to sweep. Forget, for now, how it applies to games after that.

The RPO game showed a couple flashes (and unfortunate drops), and it needs to come alive in a big way to change the way defenses play us.

Then, we’ll have to adjust again, if that even happens.

We’ll see what happens.
 
Thanks for the review.. I was flipping out at halftime also. I hate watching Bain get held with no repercussions. He's so ******* dominant it's a shame he's not collecting all the stats that go with that.
 
I'd like to see Tony Johnson get more time in 11-personnel and see a bit less 12-personnel, which hasn't been efficient this year. Double slots in 4-wide, or bunch sets with Toney and Johnson bunched together are typical ways an Air-Raid can utilize multiple slots at once.
100%

I would also like to see Toney in the backfield some. He is by far the most dynamic player so he needs more touches even if that means Johnson spells him at slot.
 
100%

I would also like to see Toney in the backfield some. He is by far the most dynamic player so he needs more touches even if that means Johnson spells him at slot.
You see what the Chiefs did with Rashee Rice? I realize college is a different game, but it’s entertaining to watch continuous wrinkles.
 
The difference is the HC/OC for the chiefs runs a different play out of the same look a ton. Our OC runs the same play out of the same look a ton building to the one different play that could hit. My only concern, he would run Toney to the A gap because he can bounce it outside…vs running to the B or C. He acts like it is only one way vs just taking a look at all the options still being used by the chiefs and other NFL teams.
 
The difference is the HC/OC for the chiefs runs a different play out of the same look a ton. Our OC runs the same play out of the same look a ton building to the one different play that could hit. My only concern, he would run Toney to the A gap because he can bounce it outside…vs running to the B or C. He acts like it is only one way vs just taking a look at all the options still being used by the chiefs and other NFL teams.
I’ve said elsewhere: be prepared for the fake jet sweep (to Mali) that ends in a toss play. I wonder if it’ll be unveiled Saturday.
 
I’ve said elsewhere: be prepared for the fake jet sweep (to Mali) that ends in a toss play. I wonder if it’ll be unveiled Saturday.
One variation! Nice

Can we have 10 from the same formation and motion? Run to the A, counter to B, toss, jet sweep, Sweep pass to the outside receiver who normally blocks, and endless passes out of play action with the sweeper with in the flat or running a wheel.
 
One variation! Nice

Can we have 10 from the same formation and motion? Run to the A, counter to B, toss, jet sweep, Sweep pass to the outside receiver who normally blocks, and endless passes out of play action with the sweeper with in the flat or running a wheel.

Get this man a press pass!!!
 
Since I said 10 variations: jet reverses to catch pass in flat see chiefs SB Td play, flea flicker from RB. Is that 10?
 
Thanks as always Lance!

I usually don’t let games get to me too much these days but I was one miserable grumpy mfer in the first half of this one

The last quarter vs FSU
Then a bye
Then Louisville
Then the first half of Stanford

That was a rough stretch of Miami football
 
Lance this is well done. Appreciate the write up as its hard to understand how to figure out who is shining just by watching on the first shot live. Excited to see more of Johnson.
 
One variation! Nice

Can we have 10 from the same formation and motion? Run to the A, counter to B, toss, jet sweep, Sweep pass to the outside receiver who normally blocks, and endless passes out of play action with the sweeper with in the flat or running a wheel.
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I wonder if the press conference was a bit of gamesmanship. It was so aggressive, it could be bait. I’m a little hopeful in that though, but an interesting angle.

Now that really would be some 3D chess. More likely wishful thinking. But the pressure is definitely on Dawson now. If he’s “him “ then he’s going to rise to the challenge.
 
These are great! Unfortunately I missed the one after Louisville and suck at using the search feature on mobile. Can someone post a link??
apparently D didn’t have enough subscription revenue to pay Lance for a Louisville upon post. 😂😂😂
 
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