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We finally made it through the summer and football season is here as the Miami Hurricanes returned to the football for the opening game of the 2026 season. How did it look on film? Find out, only at Upon Further Review.
Opening kickoff, want to give some love to the teamers. They’re attacking the correct shoulders to squeeze this gap and funnel the returner back into their pursuit from 30, 17, 21. Controls his man with his left arm and actually wraps him with his right and makes this tackle. Nice play, Chase Smith.
Miami opens in an even front with a 1T shade over the C, 3T over the G, with a B-gap bubble to the LG with a standup 5T. Common way to build an Over front and set the B-gap as bait. Adjacent defender can wrong-arm/spill, crash down and squeeze, then the LB folds into the gap behind it. Looks like a weakness but is designed to invite a run there so the defense dictates direction. I won’t talk through every single front but wanted to show a pretty common defensive setup Miami runs.
In this situation, Stanford has a pass play on, you can see Miami blitzes that open bubble with their overhang defender and Stanford throws into it on the outside. This is honestly a nice decision by Warren because if he throws the slant it’s much more likely to get knocked down. He takes the outside route and gets a completion. I’m sure Stanford also watches film and knows this is a common defensive look from Miami and scripted a nice play against it. Stanford OL has a full-slide right with the LT locked backside (58 vs. Lightfoot) turning it into a double vs. Moten.
Miami gets Stanford off-the-field quickly and forces a punt.
Opens with a 2x1 look with a sniffer and offset back to field side from gun. Pull LG across, fake give to RB, and get Mali into intermediate area. You need your RG/C to work on their timing here. I don’t know their assignments, and that’s important to remember, but it seems like your C is supposed to step down and take 45 here and your RG steps down to take the NT. It could be that the RG is supposed to get across to 45 and the C just got knocked into his lap, I cannot know for sure. My guess is that the C needs to step down. Fletcher gets 45 to protect the play and Mali runs an awesome Sluggo to get open for a big gain. Want to highlight Lofton taking an edge and locking him up nicely 1-on-1.
They’ll get more in-sync and improve their rhythm over this play. Mali has #6 in a blender, Fletcher rides the edge out, SJ needs to be looking for work instead of blocking air. Big play.
RT taps RG to slide left, leaving the edge unblocked (which means the QB is responsible for him).
This is NFL stuff from Mensah. He knows he has the unblocked edge, but he holds his gaze to the left long enough to freeze that post safety, then flips his hips to get a ball up at this look and drops it perfectly to Mali at the three-yard line (second red circle). Maybe want to avoid some free hits on your star QB, but that’s an elite throw and play by Mensah.
Blount splits a slide, then blasts through the RB. Wilson speed rushes around the TE pretty easily and gets close to hitting Warren. Chase Smith got kind of lost in coverage on this one and had to turn and chase. Canes rotate their coverage into a cover-3 after the snap and invert their nickel into the flat to take the RB. WR has a free release and drops into a soft spot in front of the dropper. This one got messy for the coverage.
You’re asking your TE to die slowly on this play and he gets an initial jolt on Wilson and controls his wrist, which is what gets enough time for the QB. On socials it felt to some like I was picking on Wilson, but I’m just highlighting plays and you want your star edge to whip TE’s every time is all I’m pointing out.
Chase getting lost and having to turn and sprint caused some more problems on the back-end.
Nice job spilling while singled up vs. a TE by Wilson here. Controls him with right arm (also called “wrong-arm”) and spills it into pursuit.
Wilson shows his power against the RT here. You’d like to see him disengage or swipe clean here and get to the QB. He keeps the bull rush, and the RT is eventually able to stall him. Nice rush that he make just a bit better with either cleaner hand usage or adding a secondary move to the rush.
Miami mugs the A-gaps on 3rd & 7 and Toure gets moved out and Chase Smith gets viced by the RG. Defense used a “NASCAR” front and got caught with the run (Blount, Moten, Wilson, Lightfoot). Slanted front away from Blount to leave him unblocked, then mauled the muggers for the big run. Poyser takes a poor angle here (slow to react) and lets it get by him.
Stanford runs “Leak” to the TE, who fakes a wham and then gets to the wheel route outside. Toure bites on the fake and completely loses his coverage. Leak is a tough play to defend because Stanford is a run-based team and they make you respect that fake, but LB’s are having a tough drive.
Nice rush here from the interior, though they almost got too wide in the middle to let the QB escape. Blount brings him down with one hand on the undershirt.
Miami goes to twin gun backs and sends Brown to the orbit. SJ just whiffs against 45 and ends up on the ground. Rodriguez loses across his face quickly and this run is blown up. I’m pretty certain there was a slide adjustment called and SJ missed it because he initially goes at the 3T instead of the edge. 76 was also slow to slide as Samson had to take the blitzing #5.
SJ has really struggled with quickness in this one. Here, he completely whiffs on the initial punch and is blown by for what should be a TFL, but Fletcher makes him miss.
Any time I do these I have to point what a dude Mali is with his blocking. This is textbook, strong base, drops his hips, hands inside the chest plate. Such a physical player for his listed size.
Run a screen to Barkate and Mali gets his block, McCoy shows his athleticism to get from his RT spot all the way across to this S here. That’s impressive mobility from him.
If you read my stuff, you’ve heard me talk about “football character on film” and I think this picture right here shows so much of it from this team. Look at the prior screenshot and see where #7, #63, #65, #4 are to start things and see their effort to get out and block on this screen play. Total team effort to help their teammate and that is football character. If #65 could have just gotten #39 here, it might be a TD. Great play by the S to fight off the block and get Barkate down.
This is an example of how Stanford sold out to stop the run (especially in the red zone). Seven defenders against five blockers (though there really were six if Brown isn’t going fast to flat on this play with Jordan leading). Running into that look is tough, but Fletcher makes the man miss in the hole and gets a nice gain. His feet are really quick for a big back.
Miami is an extremely physical team, full of players not afraid to get dirty inside. Really like this view just to see how much Miami embraces the grimy side of football. Brown gets an inside give in the low red zone (inside 10). Lofton offset as an H-back, Ruskavich as a sniffer, SJ & Samson on a duo where Samson has to get to LB. Brown gets skinny through this hole (which is just a great look at what “holes” look like with these tight splits on short yardage plays). Ruskavich gets his helmet bent back but he just grinds that dude into the end zone on this one. Upshaw (#7) at the top of the screen just scrapping to block his man the whole time. The offense is pretty and explosive, but this right here combined with the other is what is going to win a lot of games.
Bad snap. Mensah shows composure and just collects the ball, stays calm, delivers a dart for the TD after Mali does the clean hesi release into a slant. TD. He even avoided the Stanford defenders and made them hit each other for good measure.
I see you #27! #17 and #4 joining in on the trio with a big hit on return.
This is exactly how Damon Wilson is taught to attack a block in this technique. Head across the outside shoulder, outside leg in-between the blockers legs, knockback power, and protect the bounce. Lightfoot beats the RT trying to downblock and this play is shut down.
Stanford either had a tell on some of these runs, or they simply dared Miami to throw every play (they could have). All three LB’s are already screaming downhill and Mensah barely has the ball.
This is an absolute dot from Warren on the rollout, but I show this just to show how difficult Stanford was making it to get any pressure on the passer in this one. Rollouts, multiple TE’s staying in to block, and quick passes. It helps prevent pressure, but it also limits your offensive options, which we saw play out over time.
Found it interesting that Bonner got an entire series as an edge player and Pruitt got the entire series as a Mike. Felt like Pruitt showed some speed and quickness. Bonner is kind of searching for a role right now, as his rush was ineffective and he sort of just stalled. (Not pictured)
You’d like Chase to be a little more aware here. He’s responsible for the flat out there, but he’s also responsible for his zone drop first. He doesn’t seem to notice the TE settle into his zone and the QB separate to start to throw and just runs away from it. This goes for a 1st down. Chase isn’t responsible for the vertical, so he can stay a little more square and play that TE first while still pinching the flat.
I admire what PFF has built and how they are able to provide grades for every player in a quick turnaround, but I often find myself seeing it quite differently than they do in their system; particularly at the LOS. Cantwell is into the game and it looks better immediately. The size is an obvious change from Buch/SJ to Cantwell/Buch on this play. Cantwell keeps quick feet, anchors, and his C looks for work to clean this guy out. Nice job. It’s cover-1 man for Stanford, so there’s a post safety back there, but I feel like Mensah passed up a chance for an explosive to Mali.
Need better from Cantwell here. Let’s his man beat him across his face with speed and into the backfield. It doesn’t stop the conversion, but this is where he has to grow.
Stanford did a really good job of playing games with their pressure packages and brought rushers from different locations and on delays etc. Here the line call is to slide left towards that wide-9 rusher. #0 comes from the backside and is a free rusher.
But what a job by Mensah to float, throw it falling away and hit Mali here. This is really elite QB play by our guy. I feel like #6 probably should’ve blocked #0, but I don’t know the line call, of course.
Cantwell just little brother’s #96. Buch really struggled with getting over his ski’s in this game. He tended to lunge and get really wide in his base, causing him to fall forward and lose his grip.
Mensah had to get rid of it a bit early, but Mali has enough space to run to it because the S is scared to death of the vertical here. Better safeties will stay in their bracket better and the loss up front might hurt more.
Cantwell forklifts his defender, McCoy misses his block at the second level but Brown makes #10 miss. #76 washes down the NT and Buch gets to second level.
Cantwell pulls and just swallows the edge. Ruskavich washes his guy down so hard he gets two blocks in one and Brown scores easily.
Lofton washes down #0 and gets a pancake. Then look at Ruskavich who helps with #95 and then gets to #10 and #5. Woah. That’s a ridiculous blocking effort from him.
Another bad snap that Mensah has to jump for. Barkate stalks across the LOS and crushes a defender all the way over at LG. SJ probably takes the wrong guy because Barkate has an angle to stalk block this and SJ can take #0. Instead no one does and it’s stuffed. Brown doesn’t really get his block, either. Timing was messed up off the snap and Rodriguez was kind of in SJ’s way, so it really could be that was where things went wrong overall.
Want to highlight both the tackles here. Samson with excellent independent hand usage here. He steers with his left while keeping his right clean in case the defender tries to cross his face. I see so many college T’s who are two-hand punchers and that leaves them more vulnerable to inside moves or falling off-balance if it doesn’t land. Great base and athletic feet. McCoy uses his length to control here and still has his right free to push wide and has the inside covered. This pocket is perfect and Mensah hits Moore on the mesh concept coming right into his vision.
This was a cluster from the beginning. Fletcher was shoving Rodriguez to get upfield and Rod blocks no one. Fletcher runs into Buch who gets spun around. Just a really poor rep on tape here. Josh Moore got his, though.
This play is just filthy. As a former DB I feel for the defender as he gets shaken so badly he almost falls on his face. Just zero chance in man-press against Toney in the slot.
Opening kickoff, want to give some love to the teamers. They’re attacking the correct shoulders to squeeze this gap and funnel the returner back into their pursuit from 30, 17, 21. Controls his man with his left arm and actually wraps him with his right and makes this tackle. Nice play, Chase Smith.
Miami opens in an even front with a 1T shade over the C, 3T over the G, with a B-gap bubble to the LG with a standup 5T. Common way to build an Over front and set the B-gap as bait. Adjacent defender can wrong-arm/spill, crash down and squeeze, then the LB folds into the gap behind it. Looks like a weakness but is designed to invite a run there so the defense dictates direction. I won’t talk through every single front but wanted to show a pretty common defensive setup Miami runs.
In this situation, Stanford has a pass play on, you can see Miami blitzes that open bubble with their overhang defender and Stanford throws into it on the outside. This is honestly a nice decision by Warren because if he throws the slant it’s much more likely to get knocked down. He takes the outside route and gets a completion. I’m sure Stanford also watches film and knows this is a common defensive look from Miami and scripted a nice play against it. Stanford OL has a full-slide right with the LT locked backside (58 vs. Lightfoot) turning it into a double vs. Moten.
Miami gets Stanford off-the-field quickly and forces a punt.
Opens with a 2x1 look with a sniffer and offset back to field side from gun. Pull LG across, fake give to RB, and get Mali into intermediate area. You need your RG/C to work on their timing here. I don’t know their assignments, and that’s important to remember, but it seems like your C is supposed to step down and take 45 here and your RG steps down to take the NT. It could be that the RG is supposed to get across to 45 and the C just got knocked into his lap, I cannot know for sure. My guess is that the C needs to step down. Fletcher gets 45 to protect the play and Mali runs an awesome Sluggo to get open for a big gain. Want to highlight Lofton taking an edge and locking him up nicely 1-on-1.
They’ll get more in-sync and improve their rhythm over this play. Mali has #6 in a blender, Fletcher rides the edge out, SJ needs to be looking for work instead of blocking air. Big play.
RT taps RG to slide left, leaving the edge unblocked (which means the QB is responsible for him).
This is NFL stuff from Mensah. He knows he has the unblocked edge, but he holds his gaze to the left long enough to freeze that post safety, then flips his hips to get a ball up at this look and drops it perfectly to Mali at the three-yard line (second red circle). Maybe want to avoid some free hits on your star QB, but that’s an elite throw and play by Mensah.
Blount splits a slide, then blasts through the RB. Wilson speed rushes around the TE pretty easily and gets close to hitting Warren. Chase Smith got kind of lost in coverage on this one and had to turn and chase. Canes rotate their coverage into a cover-3 after the snap and invert their nickel into the flat to take the RB. WR has a free release and drops into a soft spot in front of the dropper. This one got messy for the coverage.
You’re asking your TE to die slowly on this play and he gets an initial jolt on Wilson and controls his wrist, which is what gets enough time for the QB. On socials it felt to some like I was picking on Wilson, but I’m just highlighting plays and you want your star edge to whip TE’s every time is all I’m pointing out.
Chase getting lost and having to turn and sprint caused some more problems on the back-end.
Nice job spilling while singled up vs. a TE by Wilson here. Controls him with right arm (also called “wrong-arm”) and spills it into pursuit.
Wilson shows his power against the RT here. You’d like to see him disengage or swipe clean here and get to the QB. He keeps the bull rush, and the RT is eventually able to stall him. Nice rush that he make just a bit better with either cleaner hand usage or adding a secondary move to the rush.
Miami mugs the A-gaps on 3rd & 7 and Toure gets moved out and Chase Smith gets viced by the RG. Defense used a “NASCAR” front and got caught with the run (Blount, Moten, Wilson, Lightfoot). Slanted front away from Blount to leave him unblocked, then mauled the muggers for the big run. Poyser takes a poor angle here (slow to react) and lets it get by him.
Stanford runs “Leak” to the TE, who fakes a wham and then gets to the wheel route outside. Toure bites on the fake and completely loses his coverage. Leak is a tough play to defend because Stanford is a run-based team and they make you respect that fake, but LB’s are having a tough drive.
Nice rush here from the interior, though they almost got too wide in the middle to let the QB escape. Blount brings him down with one hand on the undershirt.
Miami goes to twin gun backs and sends Brown to the orbit. SJ just whiffs against 45 and ends up on the ground. Rodriguez loses across his face quickly and this run is blown up. I’m pretty certain there was a slide adjustment called and SJ missed it because he initially goes at the 3T instead of the edge. 76 was also slow to slide as Samson had to take the blitzing #5.
SJ has really struggled with quickness in this one. Here, he completely whiffs on the initial punch and is blown by for what should be a TFL, but Fletcher makes him miss.
Any time I do these I have to point what a dude Mali is with his blocking. This is textbook, strong base, drops his hips, hands inside the chest plate. Such a physical player for his listed size.
Run a screen to Barkate and Mali gets his block, McCoy shows his athleticism to get from his RT spot all the way across to this S here. That’s impressive mobility from him.
If you read my stuff, you’ve heard me talk about “football character on film” and I think this picture right here shows so much of it from this team. Look at the prior screenshot and see where #7, #63, #65, #4 are to start things and see their effort to get out and block on this screen play. Total team effort to help their teammate and that is football character. If #65 could have just gotten #39 here, it might be a TD. Great play by the S to fight off the block and get Barkate down.
This is an example of how Stanford sold out to stop the run (especially in the red zone). Seven defenders against five blockers (though there really were six if Brown isn’t going fast to flat on this play with Jordan leading). Running into that look is tough, but Fletcher makes the man miss in the hole and gets a nice gain. His feet are really quick for a big back.
Miami is an extremely physical team, full of players not afraid to get dirty inside. Really like this view just to see how much Miami embraces the grimy side of football. Brown gets an inside give in the low red zone (inside 10). Lofton offset as an H-back, Ruskavich as a sniffer, SJ & Samson on a duo where Samson has to get to LB. Brown gets skinny through this hole (which is just a great look at what “holes” look like with these tight splits on short yardage plays). Ruskavich gets his helmet bent back but he just grinds that dude into the end zone on this one. Upshaw (#7) at the top of the screen just scrapping to block his man the whole time. The offense is pretty and explosive, but this right here combined with the other is what is going to win a lot of games.
Bad snap. Mensah shows composure and just collects the ball, stays calm, delivers a dart for the TD after Mali does the clean hesi release into a slant. TD. He even avoided the Stanford defenders and made them hit each other for good measure.
I see you #27! #17 and #4 joining in on the trio with a big hit on return.
This is exactly how Damon Wilson is taught to attack a block in this technique. Head across the outside shoulder, outside leg in-between the blockers legs, knockback power, and protect the bounce. Lightfoot beats the RT trying to downblock and this play is shut down.
Stanford either had a tell on some of these runs, or they simply dared Miami to throw every play (they could have). All three LB’s are already screaming downhill and Mensah barely has the ball.
This is an absolute dot from Warren on the rollout, but I show this just to show how difficult Stanford was making it to get any pressure on the passer in this one. Rollouts, multiple TE’s staying in to block, and quick passes. It helps prevent pressure, but it also limits your offensive options, which we saw play out over time.
Found it interesting that Bonner got an entire series as an edge player and Pruitt got the entire series as a Mike. Felt like Pruitt showed some speed and quickness. Bonner is kind of searching for a role right now, as his rush was ineffective and he sort of just stalled. (Not pictured)
You’d like Chase to be a little more aware here. He’s responsible for the flat out there, but he’s also responsible for his zone drop first. He doesn’t seem to notice the TE settle into his zone and the QB separate to start to throw and just runs away from it. This goes for a 1st down. Chase isn’t responsible for the vertical, so he can stay a little more square and play that TE first while still pinching the flat.
I admire what PFF has built and how they are able to provide grades for every player in a quick turnaround, but I often find myself seeing it quite differently than they do in their system; particularly at the LOS. Cantwell is into the game and it looks better immediately. The size is an obvious change from Buch/SJ to Cantwell/Buch on this play. Cantwell keeps quick feet, anchors, and his C looks for work to clean this guy out. Nice job. It’s cover-1 man for Stanford, so there’s a post safety back there, but I feel like Mensah passed up a chance for an explosive to Mali.
Need better from Cantwell here. Let’s his man beat him across his face with speed and into the backfield. It doesn’t stop the conversion, but this is where he has to grow.
Stanford did a really good job of playing games with their pressure packages and brought rushers from different locations and on delays etc. Here the line call is to slide left towards that wide-9 rusher. #0 comes from the backside and is a free rusher.
But what a job by Mensah to float, throw it falling away and hit Mali here. This is really elite QB play by our guy. I feel like #6 probably should’ve blocked #0, but I don’t know the line call, of course.
Cantwell just little brother’s #96. Buch really struggled with getting over his ski’s in this game. He tended to lunge and get really wide in his base, causing him to fall forward and lose his grip.
Mensah had to get rid of it a bit early, but Mali has enough space to run to it because the S is scared to death of the vertical here. Better safeties will stay in their bracket better and the loss up front might hurt more.
Cantwell forklifts his defender, McCoy misses his block at the second level but Brown makes #10 miss. #76 washes down the NT and Buch gets to second level.
Cantwell pulls and just swallows the edge. Ruskavich washes his guy down so hard he gets two blocks in one and Brown scores easily.
Lofton washes down #0 and gets a pancake. Then look at Ruskavich who helps with #95 and then gets to #10 and #5. Woah. That’s a ridiculous blocking effort from him.
Another bad snap that Mensah has to jump for. Barkate stalks across the LOS and crushes a defender all the way over at LG. SJ probably takes the wrong guy because Barkate has an angle to stalk block this and SJ can take #0. Instead no one does and it’s stuffed. Brown doesn’t really get his block, either. Timing was messed up off the snap and Rodriguez was kind of in SJ’s way, so it really could be that was where things went wrong overall.
Want to highlight both the tackles here. Samson with excellent independent hand usage here. He steers with his left while keeping his right clean in case the defender tries to cross his face. I see so many college T’s who are two-hand punchers and that leaves them more vulnerable to inside moves or falling off-balance if it doesn’t land. Great base and athletic feet. McCoy uses his length to control here and still has his right free to push wide and has the inside covered. This pocket is perfect and Mensah hits Moore on the mesh concept coming right into his vision.
This was a cluster from the beginning. Fletcher was shoving Rodriguez to get upfield and Rod blocks no one. Fletcher runs into Buch who gets spun around. Just a really poor rep on tape here. Josh Moore got his, though.
This play is just filthy. As a former DB I feel for the defender as he gets shaken so badly he almost falls on his face. Just zero chance in man-press against Toney in the slot.
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