Performances defensively against those teams were not nearly as bad as you think. And especially when you consider:
Miami scored 7 points offensively in the first half against Central Michigan, and scored 2 for Central Michigan on a safety. Here are Central Michigan's 7 offensive possessions in the first half:
PUNT
PUNT
FUMBLE
PUNT
FUMBLE
PUNT
PUNT
Uhhhhhhh…...yeah, they dropped passes for sure. But what the **** more do you need from your defense if you're an offense? And the score was 7-2 LMAO. It should've been 28-0 and we never think about that game again.
The entire performance against FIU was beyond inexcusable, but again, Miami scores ZERO points in the first half. Against a G5 team, at "home". Just inexcusable. FIU had 297 yards for the entire game on offense. You lost to a team who didn't even get 300 yards against you in a football game in 2019. That's just unheard of....unless your offense is the 2019 Miami Hurricanes.
The defense gave up 3.93 YPP against Duke. Less than 4 yards a play, and you lose a game, and it's really not even close. Again, Miami scores 17 offensive points, gives up 9 sacks, and doesn't crack 250 yards against DUKE. And that's on the defense? Really? Miami in the 2nd half on offense, after going to the break with a 1 point lead:
PUNT
PUNT
FG
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
PUNT
DOWNS
FUMBLE.
LMAO....pretty inspiring stuff if you're a defense and watching that. Oh, and of those SIX 2nd half punts, how many were 3 and outs? 5 of them. FIVE 3 and outs against Duke in a single half of football. Kinda tough to play defense in contrast to that kind of performance.
And I'm not even going to talk about the bowl game because I plan on eating again today and I won't be able to should I spend 1 more brain cell on whatever the **** that was on offense.