Rematch will require a regrouping
To see Clemson again, ’Canes must forget loss
After the No. 13 Miami Hurricanes’ promising start to the 2020 season took a hit with their 42-17 loss at No. 1 Clemson last Saturday, the goal now is to win out the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference slate to get another shot at the Tigers in the ACC Championship Game.
Those aspirations begin on Saturday afternoon as UM hosts a tough, gritty Pittsburgh team in a noon kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium.
“We’re going to have a chance to play [Clemson] again, hopefully, at the end of the season,” defensive end Jaelan Phillips said, “but we just have to focus on Pitt right now. That’s obviously what’s prevalent to us.”
In order to rebound, the Hurricanes (3-1, 2-1) can lean on an in-game motto as a microcosm of how to progress forward.
“Play the next play,” striker Gilbert Frierson said. “That’s our motto this year, always.
“Whatever happened, last play, that’s last play. You can’t go back and fix that. You only can control what’s next.”
Said center Corey Gaynor: “We’re not going to let one week define this
team.”
Miami has a chance to put that defeat behind it in a game the Hurricanes, as 13 1⁄2- point favorites, should win. But that’s exactly the mentality coach Manny Diaz is trying to guard against, especially with UM losing to FIU, Louisiana Tech, Duke and Georgia Tech last season.
“Inside this program, we’re taking an approach of having respect for everybody that we play,” said Diaz. “Because what we’ve proven is, when we play well, we can beat anybody and, when we don’t play well, we can get beaten by anybody.”
To beat Pitt, which is 3-2 and 2-2 in the ACC after consecutive one-point losses to N.C. State and Boston College, the Hurricanes will likely face a similar game plan that Clemson exposed. The Tigers stacked the box defensively, eliminating Miami’s run game and effectively played receivers one-on-one on the outside.
“Knowing [Pittsburgh coach] Pat Narduzzi very well, that’s what he’s been doing since he was at Michigan State,” Diaz said. “That’s what they’ve been doing every year they’ve been at Pittsburgh.
“They’re going to put as many people as they can find close to the line of scrimmage. They’re going to play press man-to-man on the outside, and they’re going to force you to throw the ball down the field and win some one-on-one matchups down the field.”
Miami quarterback D’Eriq King and his receivers — he may be without star junior tight end Brevin Jordan, who is questionable with a shoulder injury — will look to be better in that regard.
“We came here this week, and everybody was honest with each other,”
King said. “I was honest with myself, and they were honest with themselves. They know, and I know, that we got to get better throwing and catching one-onone balls.
“If not, teams are going to play us like that every single week.”
The Hurricanes offensive line will have to protect King and get a push to establish the run game against a Panthers defensive front that leads the nation with 25 sacks and 52 tackles for a loss. That unit is led by redshirt senior defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver, a Cooper City alum.
“They have two good defensive ends, probably two of the best defensive ends in our league,” Gaynor said. “We got to have a great week of pass protection and blitz pickup and get ready for these guys.”
Pitt senior quarterback Kenny Pickett is dealing with an ankle injury but is likely to play.
He’s completing 60% of passes for 1,389 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions through five games.