Canes’ up-tempo offense ‘scary,’ whether on run or through the air
The Hurricanes are only three games into the Rhett Lashlee era, but coach Manny Diaz doesn’t think it’s too early to say the new-look Miami offense has found an identity it can rely on.
It’s not being run-heavy, even though the Hurricanes ran for more than 300 yards in a seasonopening win against Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 10. It’s not being passhappy, even though D’Eriq King threw for more than 300 yards in a win against then-No. 18 Louisville on Sept. 19.
Instead, it’s about the common thread in each of No. 8 Miami’s first three wins: the tempo, the efficiency and the way offensive coordinator Lashlee blends spread-out speed with physicality between the tackles.
“Absolutely,” Diaz said when asked whether he felt the Hurricanes have established an identity. “You can say that after three games.”
Miami (3-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) now ranks No. 15 in total offense at 498.0 yards per game and No. 14 in yards per play at 6.7.
The Hurricanes have the 17th-best third-down percentage in the country, lead the nation in fourthdown conversions and are averaging 44.3 points per game after blowing out Florida State 52-10 on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
A year ago, the Hurricanes barely cracked the top 100 nationally in total offense. They averaged 367.4 yards per game and 5.7 yards per play. They had the second-worst third-down conversion rate in the country.
The transformation in 2020 has been all-encompassing.
Those numbers might tail off as the season goes on — the toughest game on the schedule looms as Miami faces top-ranked Clemson following a bye week — but the Hurricanes have found the sort of identity they sorely lacked the past two seasons.
To Diaz, the identity was evident in Week 1, when Miami pummeled UAB on the ground for a convincing win at Hard Rock Stadium. The sheer number of rushing attempts surprised even the players, but the Hurricanes showcased their up-tempo pace, and their commitment to finding an opponent’s weakness and exploiting it as much as possible.
The coach compared it to the first game of former coach Mark Richt’s tenure in 2016, when Diaz debuted as defensive coordinator and Miami blew out the FCS Florida A&M Rattlers. The Hurricanes had three sacks, 15 tackles for loss and two interceptions and set the tone for what Diaz’s defenses would look like.
“We established an identity of what we were trying to see ourselves as,” Diaz said. “Obviously, playing fast and playing physical is what we want to do, and I think that’s why that UAB game was very important in terms of how fast and how physical that we could play.”
Against the Blazers, Miami simply overpowered an overmatched team. Against Louisville, the Hurricanes let King loose to pick on the Cardinals’ porous secondary.
To blow out Florida State, Miami picked apart the Seminoles with the complete offensive package. King completed passes to 10 different receivers, and nine players contributed at least 40 yards from scrimmage. The Hurricanes
went 11 of 18 on third down, 3 of 4 on fourth down and didn’t punt until the fourth quarter. Even in the blowout, Miami ran 85 plays — its most in a game since 2010.
“We’re still getting better week in and week out, and I think the really cool thing is — this sounds scary — they’re starting to get into game shape,” Diaz told WQAM.
“And I think they’re starting to realize how fast they can really push the envelope on these other teams and start to see the other teams start to wear down. And that gives you another confidence boost when you can look in your opponents’ eyes and realize they’re struggling to catch their breath, and we feel good to keep the gas pedal down on them.”
The challenge now will be sustaining after the bye week — the Hurricanes were 0-5 last year when they had more than a week to prepare — and when the schedule gets tougher, beginning with Clemson next month.
The good news for Miami: Diaz and Lashlee already think the Hurricanes are getting better each week, and the results bear it out.
“I do think we’re getting more confidence, not just in terms of getting results that make us feel better about ourselves, but just from a conditioning level and understanding you have to believe that you can push yourself through some things offensively to be as relentless as we are,” Diaz said.
“Ultimately, what you’re doing is taking the defense to a place of discomfort that they’re not used to, so I think our guys are getting a better hang of it and I think they saw it Saturday night, especially when we can stay on the field and that’s as the efficiency grows.
“A 13-play drive, an 18-play drive — that’s a lot of body blows that you’re landing to that opposition, so, like you said, it’s early, but in terms of at least seeing what it’s supposed to look like, I think we’ve accomplished that.”