The Miami Hurricanes kept their ACC title and College Football Playoff dreams alive with a crucial win over Wake Forest on Saturday.
Miami reached 10 wins for the first time since 2017. Here are 10 things we learned from their penultimate game:
Defense came to play
The Hurricanes defense was the biggest question on the team, and they took care of business in the win. After the Demon Deacons scored on their opening drive, UM did not allow another offensive touchdown.
Wake Forest tried to replicate Georgia Tech’s strategy and use the running game to beat UM, but Miami kept them to 94 rushing yards on 40 attempts.
The Hurricanes got several key stops in the second half in their own territory, keeping the Demon Deacons off the scoreboard for the entire second half — the first second half shutout UM has notched in conference play in nearly four years.
Explosive offense still there
For three quarters, Miami’s offense was out of sync. After a good first drive, the Hurricanes stalled and could not find the end zone again till the fourth quarter.
But the offense caught fire in the game’s final minutes, notching three touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Those three late touchdowns turned a dreary 20-point performance into a strong 42-14 win.
Meesh Powell, Francisco Mauigoa in form
Defensive back Meesh Powell and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa have had inconsistent seasons, but they both had arguably their best games in their final home game.
Powell had a crucial pick-six — his team-best fifth interception of the season — and added three tackles and a sack. Pro Football Focus gave him an 81.4 defensive grade with an 83.8 coverage grade. Both of those were his best grades since Week 1.
Mauigoa, who was a stalwart last season, had a season-high 12 tackles this week. Perhaps more importantly, he did not miss any tackles — just the third time this season that he has made all his tackles. PFF gave him a 78.8 defensive grade with an 84.7 tackling grade. Both were season highs.
Cam Ward is having the best season by a UM quarterback
Cam Ward seized another UM single-season record on Saturday, passing Bernie Kosar to become Miami’s single-season passing-yards leader. Ward had already claimed the single-season passing touchdown record.
The Hurricanes have produced several NFL quarterbacks, including Kosar, Jim Kelly and Ken Dorsey. Gino Toretta and Vinny Testaverde won Heisman Trophies at UM.
Those quarterbacks all played their whole careers at Miami, and they played in different eras of college football. But in his sole season as a Hurricane, Ward has surpassed them in this part of the record book.
Jordan Lyle sparks offense
Freshman running back Jordan Lyle has seen the field sparingly in conference play, but he provided a jolt when he came on late.
Lyle had a team-best 115 rushing yards on just seven carries, scoring an 18-yard touchdown and breaking off a 61-yard run. He had an 88.4 offensive grade in his time on the field.
Offensive line blocks well
Miami’s offensive line had a strong performance despite allowing a sack in the win Saturday. All six offensive linemen who played 30 or more snaps had pass-blocking grades over 75, according to PFF.
Markel Bell, who played 31 snaps at left tackle, had the best pass-blocking grade (84.7).
Strong Elijah Arroyo performance
Veteran tight end Elijah Arroyo continued his strong season, notching 79 yards on six catches.
Arroyo has racked up 482 yards and five scores on 26 catches this season. Pro Football Focus gave him a season-best 84.1 offensive grade for his performance Saturday, and he has a 73.9 offensive grade for the season.
Special teams freshmen
Dylan Day has been making plays on special teams throughout the season, and he had another big one this week. He forced a fumble on a kickoff return, and fellow freshman Bobby Pruitt picked it up.
Day, a former three-star prospect, has played only 10 snaps on defense, but he has earned praise from coaches for his work on special teams.
Home cooking
In Mario Cristobal’s first year at UM, Miami was winless in conference play at home and suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Middle Tennessee State at Hard Rock Stadium.
Two years later, the Hurricanes went undefeated at home and outscored opponents 290-102.
“They closed out a regular season at home undefeated which was a big feat for us. Lot of progress,” Cristobal said. “I know there’s a lot of people that I’ve known for a long time since I played that (say) defending home base and playing winning football at home was always right at the top of the food chain and top of the priority list.”
Winning is hard
At this point in the season, style points are less important. Getting wins is hard enough, no matter the opponent. That was on display in the SEC, as playoff contenders Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all lost to unranked opponents.
The Hurricanes had a hiccup against Georgia Tech. They came back and handled their business — despite a slow start — in their penultimate game. They are one win away from the program’s second trip to the ACC title game and two wins away from its first appearance in the College Football Playoff. That is all within reach, as long as the Hurricanes just win.
“In November, you always want to get the victory,” Cristobal said. “Games are going to be funny. Scores are kind of all over the place. With that being said, I love the way our team just finds a way to dig deep, to hold each other accountable and find a way to get it done.”