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| James Coley (Photo Credit: CaneInsider) |
Canes Rising Contributor
There's very little that can be taken from Miami's victory over FAMU. That said, everyone saw a team that struggled to put drives together and it wasn't the Rattlers. There's no excuse why this Miami team, a team with talented backs, receivers, and tight ends should be struggling to score against a team that is slated to finish in the bottom half of the MEAC. The 'Canes have been at the cutting edge of offensive football for the better part of the last 30 years, and it's about time fans started asking questions about James Coley and his inability to install a coherent, functioning offense.
Offensive playcalling is an art. It requires the playcaller to not only understand the defense's tendencies, and game situation, it also requires an understanding of timing. James Coley has never shown an understanding of any of these concepts. The Miami offense has been awful on 3rd down going a pathetic 3 / 23 through two games. The reason why this team is struggling to convert falls on Coley's inability to understand the defenses he's facing. Against Louisville and a defensive coordinator who was run out of Georgia, Coley refused to grasp the obvious. The sensible plan, and the plan that worked was to use Louisville's tremendous team speed, and aggressiveness against them by running an endless array of misdirection runs, screens, and play action passes. That strategy would have helped Brad Kaaya by giving him easier throws, and fewer reads to digest. Instead, Coley chose to run an undersized speed back into the teeth of a blitzing, overloaded unit, and throw flanker screens. That led to the 'Canes being consistently behind schedule in regards to down and distance, which forced Kaaya to make plays that a young player shouldn't be expected to make. Coley's gameplan forced Kaaya, who was playing in his first collegiate game, into obvious passing situations, situations that allowed Louisville to key the young signal caller.
Coley's issues go beyond understanding the defenses that are right in front of him. Competent coaches tend to know the strengths and weaknesses of his players. Duke Johnson isn't a power back, he most likely never will be. He is a quick, talented back who can catch the ball out of the backfield, and is very good in space. Why run him between the tackles on most plays, and not allow him to run pass patterns? Maximizing the number of times Duke Johnson touches the ball in space should be a point of emphasis. Why take your power back, and run him on stretch plays? Gus Edwards doesn't have the cutting ability to make that play work, yet Coley continues to call a play that has rarely worked in two years. This offense has also lacked consistency in regard to exposing the defense. If by some accident Coley comes across a play, or concept that works, he will intentionally discard it, never using it again. During the Louisville game, the 'Canes scored their first touchdown by using play action, and finding tight end Clive Walford. After that big drive, Coley never went back to that formula, even though it was obvious that Louisville's defensive philosophy had a glaring weakness, a weakness that Coley had exploited once before.
Great offenses have an identity, a set of concepts that they lean on. Oregon is an uptempo team that relies on speed and deception, Alabama is a power team that relies on superior talent at the running back position and a controlled passing game. What is Miami's offensive identity? The 'Canes haven't shown an ability to do anything well. Is Miami a power team, that will impose its will on opponents? Is Miami a traditional pro style offense that features a multitude of formations and concepts? Is Miami a spread team that relies on running multiple concepts simultaneously? So far this season, Miami hasn't answered that question, it's been a hodgepodge of offensive philosophies, with little rhyme or reason. Coley has to figure out what the 'Canes can do, and then feature it. Under former OC Jedd Fisch, the 'Canes were a team that used pro concepts, a team that countered everything defenses did, and was balanced. This team has outstanding talent on the perimeter, and in the backfield. This team should feature Duke Johnson and Joe Yearby, and then use the elite talent at wide receiver and tight end to form a controlled passing game that allows Brad Kaaya to make simple reads. As Kaaya gains confidence, he should be given more responsibility, including the ability to audible at the line of scrimmage.
The U will play Arkansas State on Saturday. Fans should pay close attention to the offense, and to James Coley. Fans need to start seeing improvement, and fast. This team needs to have a functioning offense if it wants to contend for a conference title, and cannot overcome an offensive coordinator who is unable fulfill the basic requirements of his job. Coley is a great recruiter, but a man who is allegedly drawing the highest salary ever given to an assistant at Miami has to do more than recruit. This situation has the ability to torpedo the Golden tenure, and needs to be closely monitored.
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