OrangeBowlMagic
CEO
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2014
- Messages
- 19,806
I know, it's **** near summer time, nobody cares about 2025 anymore. But I'm finally taking off my black suit and have dried all the tears from the headstone of the 2025 team, so I figured I'd take one last look at where this team ended up nationally and statistically. One thing to keep in mind here, we played 4 really good football teams to end the season. So, out of literally everyone in the country save Indiana, I would say our numbers are against the toughest schedule in the country. A team like FSU only has 11 data points against mostly ACC teams, and ****** SEC teams. We have a full ~25% more, against the best in the country. So just keep that in mind here.
As always, these are only numbers from FBS vs FBS competition.
Offense:
Yards per play: 34th (5.96 YPP)
Yards per game: 48th (395.8 YPG)
Points per game: 32nd (30.0 PPG)
Passing yards per game: 43rd (247.1 YPG)
Passing completion percentage: 3rd (70.8%)
Passing yards per attempt: 23rd (8.1 YPA)
Passer rating: 12th (154.99)
Passing TDs: 5th (30 TDs)
Interceptions: 101st (12 INTs)
Rushing yards per game: 68th (148.67 YPG)
Rushing yards per attempt: 78th (4.15 YPA)
Rushing TDs: 37th (24)
Sacks given up per game: 14th (1.2 per game)
First Downs per game: 49th (21.1 per game)
3rd down conversion %: 23rd (45.3%)
4th down conversion %: 14th (69.5%, 16 for 23 on the season)
TFLs allowed per game: 8th (3.67 per game)
Red Zone TD %: 29th (67.2% TD rate, 39 TDs in 58 chances)
Red Zone Scoring %: 41st (51 scores in 58 chances)
Field goal %: 98th (18 for 25) *Davis went 3 for his last 8 to end the year*
PAT %: 1st (61 for 61)
10+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 8th (202)
20+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 31st (60) *FIU also had 60 in 3 fewer games, for context*
30+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 30th (28) *FAU also had 28 in 4 fewer games, for context*
40+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 44th (13) *Navy also had 13 in 3 fewer games, for context*
50+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 40th (7) *Army also had 7 in 3 fewer games, for context*
60+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 87th (2) *UMass also had 2 in 4 fewer games, for context*
70+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 103rd (0) *105 of 136 FBS teams had a 70+ yard play. Miami was not one of those*
Defense:
Yards per play allowed: 10th (4.73 YPP)
Yards per game allowed: 11th (301.0 YPG)
Points per game allowed: 5th (15.6 PPG) *Gave up 26.7 in 2024. A 11 point per game improvement*
Passing yards per game allowed: 48th (211.9 YPG)
Passing completion percentage allowed: 31st (59.2%)
Passing yards per attempt: 18th (6.3 YPA)
Passer rating allowed: 14th (114.9)
Rushing yards per game allowed: 7th (89.1 YPG)
Rushing yards per attempt allowed: 8th (2.96 YPA)
Sacks per game: 3rd (3.27 sacks per game)
Tackles for loss per game: 29th (6.13 per game)
3rd down % allowed: 13th (32.2% allowed)
4th down % allowed: 66th (53.6%, opponents 15/28 on 4th down)
Red Zone td % allowed: 41st (55.88% allowed -- 15 TDs in 23 chances) Playoff teams went 4 for 11 against us. Incredible.
Red Zone Scoring % allowed: 53rd (82.3% allowed -- 28 scores in 34 chances)
Punting: 54th (43.6 Yard average) *Would've taken 4.36 against Indiana*
10+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 99th (168)
20+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 57th (49) *The gator had 49 also, and we played 4 more games than they did*
30+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 41st (20) *The gator had 20 also, and we played 4 more games than they did*
40+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 34th (8) *LSU also had 8, and we played 3 more games than they did*
50+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 46th (5) *Louisville and their great defense allowed 4, in 3 less games*
60+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 25th (2)
Team Stats:
Penalties: 112th (7.2 penalties per game)
Penalty yards: 89th (57.7 Yards per game)
Turnover margin: 27th (+0.53 per game -- 23 takeaways, 15 giveaways)
Time of possession: 5th (33:24 per game)
Seconds per play: 129th (29.7 seconds per play)
Takeaways:
Nothing earth-shattering here, of course. And stats often lie, but I think most of these do tell the story pretty clearly of who the 2025 Hurricanes were. A team with a ferocious, elite, national-championship worthy defense (5th in points allowed, 3rd in sacks, 12th in takeaways, elite at limiting explosives, etc) paired with an above average, but plodding, offense (32nd in points per game, 34th in yards per play, mid running game, very inexplosive). That recipe makes you a **** good football team overall. But it couldn't quite get us over the hump. We scored 3 points in over 3.5 quarters in College Station. We scored 17 offensive points against Taint. We scored 0 points in the first half of a National Championship game. So this was absolutely one of the 5 best teams in America, and I truly felt that way basically the entire season. But at the end of the day, we wind up 40 yards short of the ultimate goal.
So what about these numbers needs to change for next season? Well, we need to get slightly more balanced. I think the staff had a clear plan for the season coming out of camp, and it was to rely on the defense, especially 3 and 4, to keep us in every game, be efficient and slow on offense to limit mistakes, and win games in the 4th quarter. And I don't think that's really all that crazy, looking at our personnel. We had a QB coming off major elbow surgery. We had some decent receivers, although more (what we thought) were possession guys and not exactly vertical burners, and we had a 17 year old true freshman should-be high school senior in the slot. Fletcher hadn't shown what he did in the playoffs. None of the backs had the pedigree that Fletcher has now. What we knew we absolutely had, was a kick-*** offensive line, so let's ride that, let's run it, let's protect our QB, protect the ball, and let our defense go kill people. And it almost worked. But what about 2026? It's time to shoot that **** to the moon. If we are 129th in the country in pace again, Mario and Dawson need to punch themselves in the ****. We have an NFL QB. We have the best RB room in America (if it ain't #1, it's **** close). We have the best WR room we've had in 10 (more?) years. We have arguably the best football player in America. And we will likely take a step back on defense, even if it's a small one. And I think it will be.
So it's time to push on the gas. We all laughed at "let it rip". But guess what? We did, and it worked. No, we didn't go full Mike Leach, but we played the game a little more upbeat and had a little more fun. We ran some gadgets, even if they drove a lot of us crazy. We played SMARTER (the penalties were wayyy better for the most part after SMU). Really, we just took the stick out of our asses, and played loose. The staff must, must, must, must, MUST learn from that, and attack this year the same way. **** trying to win 28-21. Try to win 58-1. You don't have 3 and 4 anymore, so maybe you don't rush the passer or play the run quite as well. I can be convinced we'll be close to as good this year, we have a ton of talent. But the defense will still be REALLY good. You can trust it, without relying entirely on it.
I expect to be Top 15 in BOTH offensive and defensive scoring this year. That's where I'm starting my projections and expectations at the top-level. Indiana was 3rd in scoring offense and 3rd in scoring defense in 2025. Notre Dame was 2nd and 9th. Oregon was 13th and 11th. Texas Tech is 7th and 2nd. That's where we need to live. And I don't think that's remotely too much to ask. We have so much talent it's hard to keep my pants on at times, and it's only April. Yes, we have some holes to fill. Every team does. But make no mistake, we are LOADED. IMO this team can and dare I say should be better overall than last year's team. I fully believe this is the best overall roster we've had since Mario has been here.
Top 15 offense. Top 15 defense. At worst. Play like your hair is on fire. Let your athletes be athletes. Coach smart and hard, but don't have these kids gripping the wheel so tight it dissolves in their hands. Let them play. HAVE FUN. And go beat the **** out of EVERYONE.
Go Canes.
As always, these are only numbers from FBS vs FBS competition.
Offense:
Yards per play: 34th (5.96 YPP)
Yards per game: 48th (395.8 YPG)
Points per game: 32nd (30.0 PPG)
Passing yards per game: 43rd (247.1 YPG)
Passing completion percentage: 3rd (70.8%)
Passing yards per attempt: 23rd (8.1 YPA)
Passer rating: 12th (154.99)
Passing TDs: 5th (30 TDs)
Interceptions: 101st (12 INTs)
Rushing yards per game: 68th (148.67 YPG)
Rushing yards per attempt: 78th (4.15 YPA)
Rushing TDs: 37th (24)
Sacks given up per game: 14th (1.2 per game)
First Downs per game: 49th (21.1 per game)
3rd down conversion %: 23rd (45.3%)
4th down conversion %: 14th (69.5%, 16 for 23 on the season)
TFLs allowed per game: 8th (3.67 per game)
Red Zone TD %: 29th (67.2% TD rate, 39 TDs in 58 chances)
Red Zone Scoring %: 41st (51 scores in 58 chances)
Field goal %: 98th (18 for 25) *Davis went 3 for his last 8 to end the year*
PAT %: 1st (61 for 61)
10+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 8th (202)
20+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 31st (60) *FIU also had 60 in 3 fewer games, for context*
30+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 30th (28) *FAU also had 28 in 4 fewer games, for context*
40+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 44th (13) *Navy also had 13 in 3 fewer games, for context*
50+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 40th (7) *Army also had 7 in 3 fewer games, for context*
60+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 87th (2) *UMass also had 2 in 4 fewer games, for context*
70+ Yard Scrimmage Plays: 103rd (0) *105 of 136 FBS teams had a 70+ yard play. Miami was not one of those*
Defense:
Yards per play allowed: 10th (4.73 YPP)
Yards per game allowed: 11th (301.0 YPG)
Points per game allowed: 5th (15.6 PPG) *Gave up 26.7 in 2024. A 11 point per game improvement*
Passing yards per game allowed: 48th (211.9 YPG)
Passing completion percentage allowed: 31st (59.2%)
Passing yards per attempt: 18th (6.3 YPA)
Passer rating allowed: 14th (114.9)
Rushing yards per game allowed: 7th (89.1 YPG)
Rushing yards per attempt allowed: 8th (2.96 YPA)
Sacks per game: 3rd (3.27 sacks per game)
Tackles for loss per game: 29th (6.13 per game)
3rd down % allowed: 13th (32.2% allowed)
4th down % allowed: 66th (53.6%, opponents 15/28 on 4th down)
Red Zone td % allowed: 41st (55.88% allowed -- 15 TDs in 23 chances) Playoff teams went 4 for 11 against us. Incredible.
Red Zone Scoring % allowed: 53rd (82.3% allowed -- 28 scores in 34 chances)
Punting: 54th (43.6 Yard average) *Would've taken 4.36 against Indiana*
10+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 99th (168)
20+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 57th (49) *The gator had 49 also, and we played 4 more games than they did*
30+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 41st (20) *The gator had 20 also, and we played 4 more games than they did*
40+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 34th (8) *LSU also had 8, and we played 3 more games than they did*
50+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 46th (5) *Louisville and their great defense allowed 4, in 3 less games*
60+ Yard Scrimmage Plays allowed: 25th (2)
Team Stats:
Penalties: 112th (7.2 penalties per game)
Penalty yards: 89th (57.7 Yards per game)
Turnover margin: 27th (+0.53 per game -- 23 takeaways, 15 giveaways)
Time of possession: 5th (33:24 per game)
Seconds per play: 129th (29.7 seconds per play)
Takeaways:
Nothing earth-shattering here, of course. And stats often lie, but I think most of these do tell the story pretty clearly of who the 2025 Hurricanes were. A team with a ferocious, elite, national-championship worthy defense (5th in points allowed, 3rd in sacks, 12th in takeaways, elite at limiting explosives, etc) paired with an above average, but plodding, offense (32nd in points per game, 34th in yards per play, mid running game, very inexplosive). That recipe makes you a **** good football team overall. But it couldn't quite get us over the hump. We scored 3 points in over 3.5 quarters in College Station. We scored 17 offensive points against Taint. We scored 0 points in the first half of a National Championship game. So this was absolutely one of the 5 best teams in America, and I truly felt that way basically the entire season. But at the end of the day, we wind up 40 yards short of the ultimate goal.
So what about these numbers needs to change for next season? Well, we need to get slightly more balanced. I think the staff had a clear plan for the season coming out of camp, and it was to rely on the defense, especially 3 and 4, to keep us in every game, be efficient and slow on offense to limit mistakes, and win games in the 4th quarter. And I don't think that's really all that crazy, looking at our personnel. We had a QB coming off major elbow surgery. We had some decent receivers, although more (what we thought) were possession guys and not exactly vertical burners, and we had a 17 year old true freshman should-be high school senior in the slot. Fletcher hadn't shown what he did in the playoffs. None of the backs had the pedigree that Fletcher has now. What we knew we absolutely had, was a kick-*** offensive line, so let's ride that, let's run it, let's protect our QB, protect the ball, and let our defense go kill people. And it almost worked. But what about 2026? It's time to shoot that **** to the moon. If we are 129th in the country in pace again, Mario and Dawson need to punch themselves in the ****. We have an NFL QB. We have the best RB room in America (if it ain't #1, it's **** close). We have the best WR room we've had in 10 (more?) years. We have arguably the best football player in America. And we will likely take a step back on defense, even if it's a small one. And I think it will be.
So it's time to push on the gas. We all laughed at "let it rip". But guess what? We did, and it worked. No, we didn't go full Mike Leach, but we played the game a little more upbeat and had a little more fun. We ran some gadgets, even if they drove a lot of us crazy. We played SMARTER (the penalties were wayyy better for the most part after SMU). Really, we just took the stick out of our asses, and played loose. The staff must, must, must, must, MUST learn from that, and attack this year the same way. **** trying to win 28-21. Try to win 58-1. You don't have 3 and 4 anymore, so maybe you don't rush the passer or play the run quite as well. I can be convinced we'll be close to as good this year, we have a ton of talent. But the defense will still be REALLY good. You can trust it, without relying entirely on it.
I expect to be Top 15 in BOTH offensive and defensive scoring this year. That's where I'm starting my projections and expectations at the top-level. Indiana was 3rd in scoring offense and 3rd in scoring defense in 2025. Notre Dame was 2nd and 9th. Oregon was 13th and 11th. Texas Tech is 7th and 2nd. That's where we need to live. And I don't think that's remotely too much to ask. We have so much talent it's hard to keep my pants on at times, and it's only April. Yes, we have some holes to fill. Every team does. But make no mistake, we are LOADED. IMO this team can and dare I say should be better overall than last year's team. I fully believe this is the best overall roster we've had since Mario has been here.
Top 15 offense. Top 15 defense. At worst. Play like your hair is on fire. Let your athletes be athletes. Coach smart and hard, but don't have these kids gripping the wheel so tight it dissolves in their hands. Let them play. HAVE FUN. And go beat the **** out of EVERYONE.
Go Canes.
