You are gonna see huge improvement in almost every category. It is startling:
WHERE MIAMI IMPROVED
in the national rankings of the 128 FBS teams
Rushing yards per carry allowed +94 spots
Tackles for loss +91
Red-zone defense +77
Yards per play allowed +74
Points allowed +63
Rushing yards per carry +57
Kick return average +53
Punt return average +46
Sacks +42
Long offensive plays +35
Points scored +34
Punting average +22
Penalties +19
Passer rating +16
Third-down offense +14
Long defensive plays +11
Third-down defense +10
Red-zone offense +7
Passer rating allowed +4
WHERE MIAMI REGRESSED
Interceptions -60
Tackles for loss allowed -35
Sacks allowed -28
Field goal kicking -13
Turnover margin -5
OFFENSE
Scoring
This year: 37th – 34.6 points
Last year: 71st (27.8)
Brad Kaaya, who was recruited to play in James Coley’s system, seemed to get more comfortable in Mark Richt’s scheme as the season wore on. He was not protected well for most of it, but was able to find his playmakers regularly. UM scored more than its opponent’s season-average points allowed total six of 12 times. It averaged 29.4 points in ACC games (sixth of 14 teams). Generally, Miami was better than average offensively; it had its way with weaker teams but couldn’t score 20 against Florida State, North Carolina or Virginia Tech. And like 2015, it attempted too many field goals — 25, the sixth-most nationally.
Rushing
This year: 55th (4.72 yards per carry)
Last year: 112th (3.68)
Second-worst in the ACC to fifth-best. That’s good. Mark Walton, Joe Yearby and Gus Edwards got rolling in some games, and were tough to stop. Like the rest of the offense, they struggled in October.
Passing
This year: 32nd (147.08 passer rating)
Last year: 48th (136.29)
We use passer rating here, rather than pure yardage, because it takes into account several major passing categories (yards, completion percentage, touchdowns, interceptions). Kaaya didn’t light up the ACC, as many thought he would under Richt, but he fared well. Also, 8.4 yards per attempt (tied with North Carolina and Arkansas for 18th) shows Miami’s big-play ability.
Yards per play
This year: 22nd (6.52)
Last year: 48th (5.91)
Miami’s pass-heavy attack (almost a 3-to-2 pass-to-run yardage ratio) thrived on big plays, which boosted this number. As a result, UM’s time of possession stats were not impressive. The Hurricanes ranked 105thin that category. Of Miami’s 67 scoring drives, three lasted longer than five minutes, and 12 went longer than three minutes.
Third-down conversions
This year: 93rd (37.11)
Last year: 107th (34.97)
A slight improvement, but still a weak area. Generally, Miami’s offense prefers to go down the field with big plays rather than long marches, but you’ve still got to convert third downs at a better rate than this.
When it went for it on fourth-downs, Miami was 6-for-12, which was middle-of-the-pack (T-62nd).
Red-zone conversions
This year: T-77th (82.35)
Last year: 84th (81.67)
Not great. When it did score, Miami scored touchdowns 58.82 percent of the time, a figure that ranked in the bottom third of 128 FBS teams. A pair of end-zone interceptions hurt UM’s efforts in this category.
Clearly a more explosive offense this year, with Ahmmon Richards and David Njoku having breakout seasons and Walton taking over as the starting back. Had half as many 50-plus plays last year, and UM has one more game to add to that total.
Breaking that down further:
Miami finished a respectable 30th in rushing plays of 40-plus yards (seven), after finishing 85th in that category last year (three). Its longest rush of last year was Braxton Berrios’ 60-yard reverse in the Sun Bowl. This year, it was Walton’s 80-yard touchdown against Appalachian State.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes had one of the most explosive passing attacks in the country, ranking T-13th in 50-plus plays (eight). They had five last year, which was T-40th.
(A note on the “+35” figure from the opening section: to get that number, I took the average of Miami’s movement in the rankings in each of the big-play categories. I did the same for defense.)
Sacks and tackles for losses allowed
This year: 62nd in sacks allowed (2.0 per game), 43rd in TFL (5.33 per game)
Last year: 34th in sacks allowed (1.46 per game), eighth in TFL (4.39)
A regression up front, clearly, but it can be mostly traced to one four-game losing in October. Miami allowed 18 of its 24 sacks in games against Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. The offensive line, and the Hurricanes, struggled in the first three of those games, all of which came in a 12-day stretch. The defense mostly held up through the first two, while the offense sputtered through the first three-and-a-half (you’ll remember the second-half comeback against Notre Dame).
DEFENSE
Scoring
This year: 14th (18.9 points per game)
Last year: 77th (28.2)
Everyone in Coral Gables is encouraged by this. Miami’s defense held 11 of 12 opponents under their season scoring average and gave up 30 points twice. Its worst performance on defense was against Virginia Tech, when Miami played its third game in 12 days and was missing three defensive starters. UM allowed a season-high 37 points to the Hokies, which averaged 35.
Run defense
This year: 21st (3.51 yards per carry allowed)
Last year: 115th (5.26)
The Hurricanes’ most drastic improvement. That 3.51 mark is Miami’s best since at least 2008 (UM’s YPC against was surprisingly good in its 6-7 season of 2014, when it allowed 3.58. Then again, it had a host of NFL-bound players on that defense).
Pass defense
This year: 32nd (120.78 opponent passer rating)
Last year: 36th (119.17)
Miami should be patting itself on the back for this one. Given the turnover and youth on defense, especially in the secondary, to hold its position in this category is a major achievement.
Miami was 38th in passes defended per game (4.75), and could have had several more interceptions if it was able to hold onto the ball (Diaz said recently it seemed like his team “[dropped] an interception per game”).
Yards allowed per play
This year: 13th (4.84)
Last year: 86th (5.78)
Again, a monumental change in the Hurricanes’ defense. The numbers show what you saw on TV: a unit that held Miami in games where its offense struggled, was very good aside from a few busts.
Another measure: opposing punters were busy against Miami, which tied for 27th in punts forced (5.9 per game, 71 total).
Sacks
This year: T-22nd (2.75 per game)
Last year: T-64th (2.00)
A major jump. Miami’s best total (33) since 2010, when it had 37. If it draws a bowl opponent that can’t protect its quarterback, it could add a few more.
Tackles for loss
This year: fifth (8.25 per game)
Last year: 96th (5.08)
A remarkable improvement, and another reason Diaz was nominated for the Broyles Award (top assistant coach). UM’s best total (99) since 2010, when it led the nation with 115.
Interceptions
This year: 83rd (0.67 per game)
Last year: 23rd (1.15)
Miami lost playmaking corners in Artie Burns (the ACC’s interception leader) and Tracy Howard, and Corn Elder returned as the only experienced corner. The secondary got help from a much-improved pass rush. There were plenty of dropped would-be interceptions (and in Jamal Carter’s case, ones a toe-length shy of counting, in the end zone). It’s also worth noting Miami was tied for 38th in pass break-ups per game (4.75), and some of those were from long-limbed linemen with active hands (Chad Thomas, RJ McIntosh, Joe Jackson).
Third-down defense
Last year: 57th (38.86 percent)
This year: 67th (39.26).
Sort of average in this category, though slightly improved. Miami held teams to 19.5 first downs per game, which tied for 44th.
Miami allowed 7-of-22 fourth-down conversions (31.82), which ranked ninth.
Red-zone defense
This year: 34th (78.38 percent of chances turned into points)
Last year: 111th (90 percent)
Another major jump. Not only did Miami rank highly in stops, opponents who entered the Hurricanes’ red zone scored touchdowns less than half the time (48.65 percent, 16th-best). They also held opponents to field goals at the 21st-best rate (29.73 percent).
Big plays allowed
This year:
41st in scrimmage plays of 10-plus yards allowed (157 of 880 plays)
49th in 20-plus (52)
T-25th in 30-plus (20)
T-31st in 40-plus (10)
T-34th in 50-plus (5)
T-5th in 60-plus (1)
T-23rd in 70-plus (1)
T-1st in 80-plus (0)
T-1st in 90-plus (0)
Last year:
T-84th in scrimmage plays of 10-plus yards (188 of 911 plays)
T-71st in 20-plus (61)
T-77th in 30-plus (29)
T-19th in 40-plus (9)
T-20th in 50-plus (4)
T-18th in 60-plus (2)
T-21st in 70-plus (1)
T-1st in 80-plus (0)
T-1st in 90-plus (0)
Last year, Miami did a good job limiting long-range plays – owing in large part to a veteran secondary – but got dinked-and-dunked underneath quite a bit. Replacing a passive, read-and-react scheme with an aggressive, get-upfield system helped. Better tackling, often with a gang of Hurricanes surrounding the ballcarrier, played a major role. Last year, Miami seemed much more likely to allow a 4-yard play to become a 14-yard play. The stats back that up.
Breaking that down more: UM allowed two rushes of 40-plus yards (T-16th) and none longer than 60 (one of 33 teams). Miami was statistically better at limiting passing plays of 10-39 yards, but a 75-yard touchdown allowed to Pitt’s Jester Weah in a blowout win hurt its stats.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punt returns
This year: 12th (12.89 yards average)
Last year: 58th (9.0)
WHERE MIAMI IMPROVED
in the national rankings of the 128 FBS teams
Rushing yards per carry allowed +94 spots
Tackles for loss +91
Red-zone defense +77
Yards per play allowed +74
Points allowed +63
Rushing yards per carry +57
Kick return average +53
Punt return average +46
Sacks +42
Long offensive plays +35
Points scored +34
Punting average +22
Penalties +19
Passer rating +16
Third-down offense +14
Long defensive plays +11
Third-down defense +10
Red-zone offense +7
Passer rating allowed +4
WHERE MIAMI REGRESSED
Interceptions -60
Tackles for loss allowed -35
Sacks allowed -28
Field goal kicking -13
Turnover margin -5
OFFENSE
Scoring
This year: 37th – 34.6 points
Last year: 71st (27.8)
Brad Kaaya, who was recruited to play in James Coley’s system, seemed to get more comfortable in Mark Richt’s scheme as the season wore on. He was not protected well for most of it, but was able to find his playmakers regularly. UM scored more than its opponent’s season-average points allowed total six of 12 times. It averaged 29.4 points in ACC games (sixth of 14 teams). Generally, Miami was better than average offensively; it had its way with weaker teams but couldn’t score 20 against Florida State, North Carolina or Virginia Tech. And like 2015, it attempted too many field goals — 25, the sixth-most nationally.
Rushing
This year: 55th (4.72 yards per carry)
Last year: 112th (3.68)
Second-worst in the ACC to fifth-best. That’s good. Mark Walton, Joe Yearby and Gus Edwards got rolling in some games, and were tough to stop. Like the rest of the offense, they struggled in October.
Passing
This year: 32nd (147.08 passer rating)
Last year: 48th (136.29)
We use passer rating here, rather than pure yardage, because it takes into account several major passing categories (yards, completion percentage, touchdowns, interceptions). Kaaya didn’t light up the ACC, as many thought he would under Richt, but he fared well. Also, 8.4 yards per attempt (tied with North Carolina and Arkansas for 18th) shows Miami’s big-play ability.
Yards per play
This year: 22nd (6.52)
Last year: 48th (5.91)
Miami’s pass-heavy attack (almost a 3-to-2 pass-to-run yardage ratio) thrived on big plays, which boosted this number. As a result, UM’s time of possession stats were not impressive. The Hurricanes ranked 105thin that category. Of Miami’s 67 scoring drives, three lasted longer than five minutes, and 12 went longer than three minutes.
Third-down conversions
This year: 93rd (37.11)
Last year: 107th (34.97)
A slight improvement, but still a weak area. Generally, Miami’s offense prefers to go down the field with big plays rather than long marches, but you’ve still got to convert third downs at a better rate than this.
When it went for it on fourth-downs, Miami was 6-for-12, which was middle-of-the-pack (T-62nd).
Red-zone conversions
This year: T-77th (82.35)
Last year: 84th (81.67)
Not great. When it did score, Miami scored touchdowns 58.82 percent of the time, a figure that ranked in the bottom third of 128 FBS teams. A pair of end-zone interceptions hurt UM’s efforts in this category.
Clearly a more explosive offense this year, with Ahmmon Richards and David Njoku having breakout seasons and Walton taking over as the starting back. Had half as many 50-plus plays last year, and UM has one more game to add to that total.
Breaking that down further:
Miami finished a respectable 30th in rushing plays of 40-plus yards (seven), after finishing 85th in that category last year (three). Its longest rush of last year was Braxton Berrios’ 60-yard reverse in the Sun Bowl. This year, it was Walton’s 80-yard touchdown against Appalachian State.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes had one of the most explosive passing attacks in the country, ranking T-13th in 50-plus plays (eight). They had five last year, which was T-40th.
(A note on the “+35” figure from the opening section: to get that number, I took the average of Miami’s movement in the rankings in each of the big-play categories. I did the same for defense.)
Sacks and tackles for losses allowed
This year: 62nd in sacks allowed (2.0 per game), 43rd in TFL (5.33 per game)
Last year: 34th in sacks allowed (1.46 per game), eighth in TFL (4.39)
A regression up front, clearly, but it can be mostly traced to one four-game losing in October. Miami allowed 18 of its 24 sacks in games against Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. The offensive line, and the Hurricanes, struggled in the first three of those games, all of which came in a 12-day stretch. The defense mostly held up through the first two, while the offense sputtered through the first three-and-a-half (you’ll remember the second-half comeback against Notre Dame).
DEFENSE
Scoring
This year: 14th (18.9 points per game)
Last year: 77th (28.2)
Everyone in Coral Gables is encouraged by this. Miami’s defense held 11 of 12 opponents under their season scoring average and gave up 30 points twice. Its worst performance on defense was against Virginia Tech, when Miami played its third game in 12 days and was missing three defensive starters. UM allowed a season-high 37 points to the Hokies, which averaged 35.
Run defense
This year: 21st (3.51 yards per carry allowed)
Last year: 115th (5.26)
The Hurricanes’ most drastic improvement. That 3.51 mark is Miami’s best since at least 2008 (UM’s YPC against was surprisingly good in its 6-7 season of 2014, when it allowed 3.58. Then again, it had a host of NFL-bound players on that defense).
Pass defense
This year: 32nd (120.78 opponent passer rating)
Last year: 36th (119.17)
Miami should be patting itself on the back for this one. Given the turnover and youth on defense, especially in the secondary, to hold its position in this category is a major achievement.
Miami was 38th in passes defended per game (4.75), and could have had several more interceptions if it was able to hold onto the ball (Diaz said recently it seemed like his team “[dropped] an interception per game”).
Yards allowed per play
This year: 13th (4.84)
Last year: 86th (5.78)
Again, a monumental change in the Hurricanes’ defense. The numbers show what you saw on TV: a unit that held Miami in games where its offense struggled, was very good aside from a few busts.
Another measure: opposing punters were busy against Miami, which tied for 27th in punts forced (5.9 per game, 71 total).
Sacks
This year: T-22nd (2.75 per game)
Last year: T-64th (2.00)
A major jump. Miami’s best total (33) since 2010, when it had 37. If it draws a bowl opponent that can’t protect its quarterback, it could add a few more.
Tackles for loss
This year: fifth (8.25 per game)
Last year: 96th (5.08)
A remarkable improvement, and another reason Diaz was nominated for the Broyles Award (top assistant coach). UM’s best total (99) since 2010, when it led the nation with 115.
Interceptions
This year: 83rd (0.67 per game)
Last year: 23rd (1.15)
Miami lost playmaking corners in Artie Burns (the ACC’s interception leader) and Tracy Howard, and Corn Elder returned as the only experienced corner. The secondary got help from a much-improved pass rush. There were plenty of dropped would-be interceptions (and in Jamal Carter’s case, ones a toe-length shy of counting, in the end zone). It’s also worth noting Miami was tied for 38th in pass break-ups per game (4.75), and some of those were from long-limbed linemen with active hands (Chad Thomas, RJ McIntosh, Joe Jackson).
Third-down defense
Last year: 57th (38.86 percent)
This year: 67th (39.26).
Sort of average in this category, though slightly improved. Miami held teams to 19.5 first downs per game, which tied for 44th.
Miami allowed 7-of-22 fourth-down conversions (31.82), which ranked ninth.
Red-zone defense
This year: 34th (78.38 percent of chances turned into points)
Last year: 111th (90 percent)
Another major jump. Not only did Miami rank highly in stops, opponents who entered the Hurricanes’ red zone scored touchdowns less than half the time (48.65 percent, 16th-best). They also held opponents to field goals at the 21st-best rate (29.73 percent).
Big plays allowed
This year:
41st in scrimmage plays of 10-plus yards allowed (157 of 880 plays)
49th in 20-plus (52)
T-25th in 30-plus (20)
T-31st in 40-plus (10)
T-34th in 50-plus (5)
T-5th in 60-plus (1)
T-23rd in 70-plus (1)
T-1st in 80-plus (0)
T-1st in 90-plus (0)
Last year:
T-84th in scrimmage plays of 10-plus yards (188 of 911 plays)
T-71st in 20-plus (61)
T-77th in 30-plus (29)
T-19th in 40-plus (9)
T-20th in 50-plus (4)
T-18th in 60-plus (2)
T-21st in 70-plus (1)
T-1st in 80-plus (0)
T-1st in 90-plus (0)
Last year, Miami did a good job limiting long-range plays – owing in large part to a veteran secondary – but got dinked-and-dunked underneath quite a bit. Replacing a passive, read-and-react scheme with an aggressive, get-upfield system helped. Better tackling, often with a gang of Hurricanes surrounding the ballcarrier, played a major role. Last year, Miami seemed much more likely to allow a 4-yard play to become a 14-yard play. The stats back that up.
Breaking that down more: UM allowed two rushes of 40-plus yards (T-16th) and none longer than 60 (one of 33 teams). Miami was statistically better at limiting passing plays of 10-39 yards, but a 75-yard touchdown allowed to Pitt’s Jester Weah in a blowout win hurt its stats.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punt returns
This year: 12th (12.89 yards average)
Last year: 58th (9.0)
