AND when they were placed in a good situation, leads in the 4th quarter in 5 of 6 games that they lost they COULDN'T come through or get a stop, equally as bad
Not even close to equally as bad. Equally as bad would mean that the defensive numbers were as bad as the offensive numbers. That's not even close to true.
I will agree with you that they did not come through in the clutch this year. That's very true, absolutely obvious, and cannot be ignored. They were given leads several times this year and couldn't hold them late in games.
HOWEVER....points in the first quarter are worth just as much as they are in the fourth quarter. You don't get a bonus for a 4th quarter TD. Why are we in 4th quarter dogfights with Central Michigan and Georgia Tech and Pitt and Duke..etc. etc? Because the offense SUCKED early in games (well, to be fair they sucked late in games, between games, while thinking about games, at the half of games, while playing board games, during video games.....).
Do we care that Miami gives up a 4th and 17 if the offense doesn't fail to take advantage of red zone opportunities in the first half in Chapel Hill and Miami is up 3 scores, as they should've been? Do we care that Franks & Hammond smoke our secondary late in Orlando if we have a 10+ point lead, as we should have? We lost to GT and the defense didn't give up a single point in the 2nd half. Not one. But too bad the offense scored 7 for them in the first half, punt return gave up a TD to Reggie Roby's fatter son, and our offense scored ZERO in the 2nd half, at home, against a 3-9 team.
Your points are valid, but you're reaching for the highest fruit on the tree. Yes, the defense needs to be better, but this is Miami. We simply cannot fix multiple things here. Baby steps...this program is abysmal and we need to focus on one thing at a time, and maybe, HOPEFULLY, it'll improve. That focus needs to be the offense. Go step on some throats early in games and we aren't even having this discussion. 17 points against Central Michigan? 17 against Duke? ZERO AGAINST LOUISIANA TECH!?