“Welcome back.” That was the succinct two word message I received from D$ the morning after the Clemson game. It wasn’t an indication of fair-weather fandom, but rather a two word message of solidarity. This program needed this win to “welcome back” the good vibes and the diehard fan base that had been lost over the previous two weeks.
Miami comes out in a new look on defense with a 3-3-5 using Corey Flagg as a stand-up edge player over the LT. Miami is attempting to cover up gaps inside to protect against inside runs keeping Clemson on-schedule offensively. Flagg has been a stack LB’er his entire career that I’ve seen (including high school) so for him to make the switch in one week is pretty impressive. Your responsibility changes from moving forward into the A-gaps or backwards into the hook zone to being a force player outside and having the flats in coverage, or carrying a seam to the deep defender. Mauigoa takes on the LG, comes off his block, meets Shipley in the hole.
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This is dangerous and dirty and should’ve been a penalty on Clemson. You cannot go low against a blocker like this on a punt return. Hopefully Markeith Williams is alright because he got up limping.
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Having a RT who can get out and make this block against an All-American LB’er is pretty nice.
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Jaden Davis trips over the receivers feet as he crosses his face and gets inside. He tries to pull him down as he’s falling because he knows this could be a big play and it is. Kinchens just gets his foot or it’s a TD. They didn’t call the jersey grab.
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Here is an example of why Harvey has so many “almost” plays. He swipes the hands away from the RT on this 3rd down rush and gets past him. When he gets to the top of his rush, when it’s time to flatten, he doesn’t have the ankle flexibility to turn and get lower here. You have a lot more power if you drop your hips and go straight to the QB, rather than drifting and rounding this off. You’d want your belt buckle to be facing to the QB here and feet driving towards him. If that right arm rips up here and gets those arms off him, it would help as well. Harvey gets pushed wide and QB runs for 1st down. There was a penalty which would’ve given them a 1st anyway.
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If you hear on a podcast that Shipley broke the plane of the goal line, just show them this. The ball is out before he gets there. Great play by 20. I speak of “variance” all the time and this is a great example. This is one of those outcomes that goes Miami’s way as no one really knows the ball is out and it sits on the ground for a few seconds before Williams even picks it up. It could’ve easily been a TD and that changes the complexity of the entire game. It could’ve easily been recovered on the six-inch line and that changes things.
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Matt Lee is a godsend. He flawlessly plays this duo block where he has his right shoulder on the DT, allowing the RG time to get engaged and get locked on, then releases onto the LB who is jumping this run gap. Lee kicks him out of the gap and Brashard Smith runs it all the way to the one-yard line.
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I say the one-yard line because Miami has another fumble. This one, the variance gods show favor to because of the hustle of Jacolby George. Young man, you have the jumbotron to look at to see defenders behind you. Why are you being this loose with the ball right here? Great play. Great run. Just put that ball away.
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A lot of you hardcore fans know that were once rumors of immaturity and a lack of focus for George. Doing “the right things” was asked of him by his coaches and they brought in competition for him from the Juco ranks this summer. This is what on-field character looks like. He sprints the entire way here, even after he no longer is in position to make a block. The variance gods might have shown favor, but it was because they reward effort. Five Clemson defenders, one Miami player. The Miami player gets it. Culture of doing the work and hard things showing up on film.
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Here is an example of the different responsibilities asked of Flagg in this 3-3-5. He has to first impede the seam, then get depth into the flat underneath the boundary receiver as the corner sinks. You can see the Mike is just a vertical player here. He’s either going forward or backwards. If you read my articles over the years, you’ll know I’ve been tough on Flagg, so I want to give shine where I see it earned as well. This is a completely different position for him, really.
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Miami just got lucky here. That TE of Clemson’s was a dude. He roasted James Williams here, but a bad pass by Klubnik.
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Arroyo has been out all year and is finally getting some playing time and is just jogging here. The ball is already snapped and he’s not close to past the mesh point. Get going son. The RB bumps into him because he’s not where he’s supposed to be and it’s a loss on the play. Can’t have this.
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Bain is the dude of dude’s. First rule when assessing prospects; do they produce in high school? If no, there’s a lot of questions. If they produce to historic levels, you’ve probably got something. He gets the sack and the variance gods bestow more favor on the Canes as Clemson has an OL right there.
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Early on you can see Miami is trying to protect Emory with short passes and comebacks, slants, screens. Clemson has caught on to this fact and is absolutely playing downhill without any regard for something over their heads. Always love to see offenses use the college rules of blocking downfield if the ball is thrown behind the LOS. Tough ask for your RT to get out there on this block.
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Leonard Taylor is being asked to play a lot of NT in this defense, which is not his specialty. He beats the RG so badly he falls into the RT on this play. Then Taylor blows up the run.
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How did you let a TE get down the seam to make a great catch on 3rd-and-12? You used a S to spy the QB. Not saying it’s the wrong choice, just highlighting that you give something up when you spy to take away the QB run. In single-high, or post-safety, Kinchens is being held to the middle of the field by that route running behind James Williams here. You’ve got a LB and a S with eyes on the QB because he’s been hurting them there. You can see Cloyd is already beaten here and is in trail the rest of the way. Cloyd can really run and makes this a tough catch, but it’s a TD.
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Ja’Dais Richard with an excellent block on the edge to allow Brashard to get outside. It’s easy to say, but Miami needs to find a way to get the ball to Brashard more often. He’s just a playmaker with the ball.
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Devonte Brown panics and grabs the receiver instead of finding the football on 3rd & 24. Clemson did an excellent job in my opinion of running route combinations that really stressed the safeties. You could see how concerned the safeties were with the seam after the TE caught a TD pass, but you really have to know where the sticks are as a Safety if you’re going to play cover-2. Kinchens is eying the seam receiver that Couch is covering and is late to get over to help. You can’t give these up. Not sure if quarters is the answer on a play like this, but bailing and having eyes on the QB might make it easier to find the ball on these.
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They try to cut JHH and he blows up the mesh to make the QB keep it. QB tries to bounce and James runs him down. A player you haven’t heard much about in this game who was a really good performer was JHH.
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Look at the grip strength from the true freshman Bain. He takes #78 and just tosses him aside. His rush forces the QB to scramble wide and eventually he throws an interception to Kinchens.
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This was the interception. It stinks that he threw this ball because Restrepo comes wide open across the middle and would’ve walked to a 1st down and near FG range. George did run a bad route where he flattened his route out instead of staying across the face of the defender. He was never open though.
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He also had the deep comeback open. Pretty much the only receiver covered is the one he threw it to. George needs to be into the middle of field here. There’s a reason they call it a deep post, you’re running to the post.
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You can watch football all day long and not see a defender push a receivers head into the ground in the open space and not get flagged for it. This was egregious.
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Announcer: “This is gonna be a safety.” Referee: “Wanna bet?” Clemson is getting away with a lot of calls in this game, that’s for sure. Miami has gone 3-3 on fumble luck. We’ll call it a wash and move on. (Not pictured)
After halftime, it’s 3rd & 10 and George runs his route a yard too short. You have to run a 10-yard comeback to 12 yards, so that when you catch the ball, you’re still at that 10-yard marker. (Not pictured)
Sometimes you do everything right and still get Mossed. Jaden Davis is in position, gets his arm between the receivers arms and hands, just as you’re taught to do. This was just a really good catch by the receiver.
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Clemson gets one back on fumble variance here, as this easily could’ve been a Miami recovery or more. Instead, it bounces straight into Shipley’s arms, who advanced it to stay in FG range. Nice job by Couch.
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Chaney is elite at that jump cut. Here again, you see him setting his feet up to get out of trouble in the backfield. Anez Cooper whiffed. Chaney’s ankles are so flexible and bouncy.
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They dragged my man down by his facemask. No call.
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On 4th down Miami tries to run a slow play-action pass that just had wonky mechanics and Riley Williams is cut down a yard short. It was a solid enough play call and design, it was just ran slowly by the QB, as you would expect from a player without a ton of reps. (Not pictured)
Miami gets caught in quarters. Bissainthe is supposed to carry the seam, pass it off, then pick up the crosser. He doesn’t do it. The TE runs it to the 19-yard line. That kid is good. No idea why Bissainthe doesn’t take anyone and instead just covers grass three yards behind Cloyd.
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Again, there really is only so much you can do as a defender. James Williams is in phase, finds the football, gets his hands up. The TE just makes an amazing play. I wouldn’t even grade it as a negative play by the defender and he gave up a TD. This gets turned into a TD upon review.
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Why do teams run so much motion? One of the reasons is it can present eye candy to the defense. This is probably a TFL if the defender is looking at RB, instead it’s a nice run.
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This is the risk with a nine-man box. The defender trips Chaney by the ankle or it’s a TD.
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Allen has a TD and just slips. There is nothing to the bottom of the screen if he doesn’t slip.
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Now it’s Miami’s turn to make a great catch. Young really had him beat the whole time on this and Wiggins doesn’t really contest. Back in it.
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Not Anez Cooper’s best game. Here he is beaten cleanly by the DT. He’s left trying to find where he went.
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Even the TE should look for work. Well done, Cam. Gives Emory time to find Young across the middle for a 1st down.
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Staple pin-and-pull run here and #88 just doesn’t block the LB like he’s supposed to. Ugh. This was perfectly executed and called by all but one player and Trotter makes a TFL on what should’ve been a huge play. If I showed this in a coaching clinic you’d think it was perfect and yet it goes for a TFL. After the play Riley knew how much he screwed up.
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Honestly a poor throw. Young jumped early and it was like an arm punt that he catches. Such a huge play in the game.
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After the incompletion Nate Wiggins was in the face of the receiver for the entire length of the end zone. Don’t want to decide a game with a taunting call, but this was legitimately taunting.
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This is on the three-yard line and he’s still going.
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A better throw and Kinchens picks this off. He took the TE on this play and ran the route for him.
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I probably would’ve at least thrown a hail mary at the end of regulation, but Mario chose to play this one safe. Overtime. Chaney got hit from the side, not on the leg, but when he flipped his right knee caught in the ground. I’m a little worried about how that looked. (Not pictured)
They called Flagg offsides on this play. The ball has already been snapped here. What an absolutely brutal call. Bain makes an excellent play on a slip screen and it should’ve been 3rd and long.
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This is an elite tackle. Shipley in the open field with a little shake to the top and tries to come back inside of James Williams, but he gets him down. Game saver.
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Get. Out. Of. The. Club. My goodness, Bain, that man had a family before you made them disown him. Sack at the 20. Williams gets Shipley down at the 10 and the next play you get a huge sack. That’s why that tackle was so huge.
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Clemson run blitzes and Trotter gets a TFL, but Cohen held here and got away with it. He fell and just grabbed the guy.
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This was another play before a play. Look at Brashard Smith catch this pass on 2nd-and-10. It’s a dirt ball from Emory that he snatches just off the ground and turns this into a 1st down. If he doesn’t come up with this, it’s 3rd-and-10 and who knows. Instead, they move the chains and get the TD.
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Allen makes this guy miss in the backfield and gets outside. What a run.
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Allen puts this into the end zone. Have a series, young man.
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Miami runs match down in the red zone and it was beautiful. You can’t really get the feel from a still picture, but the receivers jump inside, trying to get a rub so the TE drag is open, and the defenders switch it, so outside stays outside and inside takes inside. Kinchens jumps inside to take away the outside receiver as that CB takes the TE and it’s incomplete. This is very difficult to run it correctly.
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Bain and Taylor shedding blocks to save the game.
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This is an absolutely awesome play by Flagg. Bissainthe jumps inside to try and stop the give, but instead of diving into the gap, Flagg recognizes the pull and jumps it. Think about how difficult that has to be to stay disciplined in this spot as you know it is very difficult to stop a dive for a half-yard and you aren’t actually responsible for the pull! Bissainthe is responsible for the pull! The QB reads the OLB crashing and correctly pulls the ball (despite Dabo throwing his QB under the bus).
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Overall:
- There were 70 defensive snaps and Rueben Bain played 62 of them. He had 10 total pressures and five run stops. A true freshman performance for the ages.
- Leonard Taylor played 56 snaps as a DT and had four pressures and four run stops. An excellent game of his own.
- Corey Flagg…playing a new position with some HUGE plays in this game and his offsides penalty was bogus.
- Josh Horton played three snaps as a true freshman as Miami had to go deep into their depth in this one.
- Jared Harrison-Hunte was very good, even though he wasn’t credited with a ton of pressures, he did a great job of pinching the pocket and keeping things muddy.
- Daryl Porter didn’t get mentioned in this write-up and that’s a good thing for a CB. He’s been really solid this season.
- Get the ball to Brashard more. We don’t win this game without his explosive plays.
- The two RB’s Ajay Allen and Don Chaney played their hearts out.
Miami ran for 211 yards in a game where Clemson was jumping everything in front of them. Clemson ran for 31 yards on 34 carries in a game where Miami was without both starting edges. Clemson got their two best injured players back for this game in Nate Wiggins and Antonio Williams and Miami still beat them without their starting QB, starting RB, both starting edges, and some other depth players.
Think about what Lance Guidry has done in year one. He's taken this defense against Bobby Petrino and Garrett Riley and come up with game plans to stop both offenses. The 3-3-5 in this game was absolutely beautiful and I wouldn't have expected it to be executed that well on the fly.
Shannon Dawson in year one has turned Miami into an elite offense with TVD, but then called a game that a true freshman could handle against a legitimately elite defense.
If you didn’t believe that Mario would change the toughness, physicality, and line play of this program, I imagine you do now. Clemson is pretty strong and is some fumble variance away from being undefeated, honestly. Miami got the best version of that team since the opener and won with a true freshman QB who didn’t play well. That’s highly encouraging for me.
Welcome back.
