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- Oct 13, 2011
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This was probably Miami's best recruiting job of the spring cycle. If WR is behind where I'd hoped it would be at this point, RB is ahead of schedule. Going into the offseason, the coaches wanted RB depth but were pessimistic on their ability to acquire a proven player. They weren't in the RB1 market (like last year with Martinez), and it's hard to acquire the next tier of player without the promise of starter's carries.
Enter CharMar "Marty" Brown, the Jerry Rice Award Winner from North Dakota State. Coach Merritt immediately identified the 5'11, 220-pound Omaha native as an ideal fit in Miami's scheme. The Canes running game is predicated on physicality and avoiding negative plays. This is why you see tight splits and a "muddied" running style between the tackles. Brown is a pure downhill runner who wastes no motion, pushes the pile and breaks tackles. It's a perfect marriage.
Unlike in the NFL, where there is physical parity between professionals, some college teams like Miami have the personnel to big-boy their opponents. This allows them to pack the OL tight and push the other team off the ball, often with double teams. The result can look muddy and repetitive, but it works. We saw Damien Martinez initially struggle adjusting to this scheme before figuring it out in the second half of the season.
The benefit is that you can dominate down and distance by avoiding losses and consistently gaining yards. The Canes finished 5th nationally in yards per carry and rarely allowed TFLs. This allowed Miami to convert an astronomical 55% of its third downs. For perspective, the distance from Miami to the #2 team (Troy at 50%) was the same as the distance between the #2 team and the #24 team.
While having the best player in the nation under center had a huge impact on this number, Washington State was only #51 in the nation last year. An elite quarterback like Cam Ward is unstoppable when the down and distance gives him options (including handing off to convert short yardage). Here's another relevant example: Georgia and Carson Beck were #1 nationally in third down conversion in 2023 but dropped to #75 this year when the running game collapsed.
California made a huge initial push on Brown, and Nebraska got desperate at the end. Both offered money and a lot of guaranteed carries. But he had an amazing visit to Miami, where he was flanked for much of the time by both Jordan Lyle and Mark Fletcher. Ultimately, Brown wanted to be a Hurricane and believed in his ability to be a part of this running game. He has three years of eligibility left, and his addition allows Dawson to be more judicious in how he uses the speed of Girard Pringle and the versatility of Elija Lofton. Our offense got better today.
Enter CharMar "Marty" Brown, the Jerry Rice Award Winner from North Dakota State. Coach Merritt immediately identified the 5'11, 220-pound Omaha native as an ideal fit in Miami's scheme. The Canes running game is predicated on physicality and avoiding negative plays. This is why you see tight splits and a "muddied" running style between the tackles. Brown is a pure downhill runner who wastes no motion, pushes the pile and breaks tackles. It's a perfect marriage.
Unlike in the NFL, where there is physical parity between professionals, some college teams like Miami have the personnel to big-boy their opponents. This allows them to pack the OL tight and push the other team off the ball, often with double teams. The result can look muddy and repetitive, but it works. We saw Damien Martinez initially struggle adjusting to this scheme before figuring it out in the second half of the season.
The benefit is that you can dominate down and distance by avoiding losses and consistently gaining yards. The Canes finished 5th nationally in yards per carry and rarely allowed TFLs. This allowed Miami to convert an astronomical 55% of its third downs. For perspective, the distance from Miami to the #2 team (Troy at 50%) was the same as the distance between the #2 team and the #24 team.
While having the best player in the nation under center had a huge impact on this number, Washington State was only #51 in the nation last year. An elite quarterback like Cam Ward is unstoppable when the down and distance gives him options (including handing off to convert short yardage). Here's another relevant example: Georgia and Carson Beck were #1 nationally in third down conversion in 2023 but dropped to #75 this year when the running game collapsed.
California made a huge initial push on Brown, and Nebraska got desperate at the end. Both offered money and a lot of guaranteed carries. But he had an amazing visit to Miami, where he was flanked for much of the time by both Jordan Lyle and Mark Fletcher. Ultimately, Brown wanted to be a Hurricane and believed in his ability to be a part of this running game. He has three years of eligibility left, and his addition allows Dawson to be more judicious in how he uses the speed of Girard Pringle and the versatility of Elija Lofton. Our offense got better today.
