The Miami Hurricanes bounced back from their disappointing loss to SMU with a four-touchdown win over a struggling Syracuse team, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Miami needed the win, and ultimately got the victory.
Here are five things we learned from Saturday evening’s win:
The offense started poorly . . .
Hurricanes fans were getting restless in the first half of the game, as Miami’s first four drives ended in punts. UM did not get on the board through the first 27 minutes of the game against a defense that has been one of the worst in the Power 4.
Several things tripped the Hurricanes up. A potential big play got batted down at the line, and UM made mistakes like dropped passes that caused drives to stall. As halftime neared, Miami’s offense was struggling. It was a bad look for an offense that was hovering just above 50th in the nation.
Going forward, the Hurricanes will need to put pressure on teams early.
“I thought the players attacked the opportunities with a lot of energy and I think after some moments of (struggling). I think we finally just cut it loose,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “I think it’s that simple. I do. I think we called it more freely. I think we played more freely. I think we just cut it loose and stopped worrying about the outcome and started focusing more on the process.”
. . . But it ultimately showed up
After a slow first half, UM did start putting up points. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson reached into his bag of tricks and pulled new plays out, including running wide receiver Malachi Toney as a Wildcat quarterback, having Toney throw a touchdown pass to quarterback Carson Beck and having Beck toss a backwards pass to offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa for a touchdown.
The Hurricanes ultimately ended the game with 385 total yards, which is a little below average for them this season. They scored 31 points and put the game well out of reach by the start of the fourth quarter.
UM also got a spark on offense from freshman running back Girard Pringle Jr., who averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored his fourth touchdown of the season.
“Great eyes. He sees it really well,” Cristobal said. “Very explosive, you saw that. (He) has as a different gear as well.
Defense wins games
While Miami’s offense struggled early, the defense dominated. The Orange’s offense is not the toughest test Miami’s defense has faced, but the Hurricanes aced that test all the same.
Miami held Syracuse scoreless until the third quarter, and the Hurricanes were constantly causing havoc. UM finished the game with a season-high three sacks with 11 tackles for loss. Miami had three takeaways: two interceptions — including a pick-six by Keionte Scott — and a fumble recovery.
“At the end of the day, (if the opponent doesn’t) score, they don’t win,” defensive end Akheem Mesidor said. “That’s the mindset.”
The one blemish on the defense’s record on Saturday was the run defense. Syracuse rushed for 161 yards — 214 yards when adjusted for sack yardage. It is UM’s worst performance against the run this season.
Penalties cleaned up
The Hurricanes have had issues with penalties all season, but fouls were not a big issue for UM this week.
Miami ended the game with five penalties for 54 yards, which is not an excellent number. But it’s far better than the eight penalties for more than 60 yards they were averaging entering the game.
“I think when all three facets of the game — special teams, defense, offense — are all working hand in hand, it creates those type of clean games,” Beck said. “You eliminate the penalties, you eliminate the turnovers, and usually you have efficient plays that are going forward and moving in a positive direction, which ultimately leads to wins.”
Importantly, the offensive line cleaned up its penalties. That unit did not have a single penalty called against it on Saturday after having five pre-snap penalties in the loss to SMU.
Akheem Mesidor dominates
UM defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. has gotten much of the attention for his excellent season, and it is well-deserved. But Bain’s counterpart on the opposite end of the defensive line deserves just as much love.
Mesidor has been excellent this season, and he had one of his best games as a Hurricane. Mesidor finished the game with five tackles and a team-leading 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave Mesidor a team-best 87 defensive grade.
Mesidor has a 90.3 defensive grade this season, which is 19th nationally among defensive players with 200 or more snaps.
“As a defensive lineman, the best thing for me is getting sacks,” Mesidor said. “So to be able to do that and then have (defensive line coach Jason Taylor) come out and celebrate with me is amazing.”