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| Gus Edwards (Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
There's nothing more satisfying than a dominating win over a rival. The 'Canes accomplished that Thursday night, crushing Virginia Tech 30-6. While this isn't the best team Frank Beamer has trotted out, this win was one of the best performances of the Golden era. It was a team effort, with the 'Canes dominating in all facets.
Offense
Quarterback--Brad Kaaya wasn't asked to do much, but he did manage the game well. Kaaya didn't turn the ball over, he didn't force throws, and he kept the Miami offense on schedule. While Kaaya's statistics aren't impressive, he made all the proper pre-snap adjustments. Kaaya's best throw was early in the game when he withstood a heavy rush, and found Duke Johnson on 3rd down. Those are the kind of throws that prove that this young man has a bright future ahead of him. This won't go down as an outstanding performance, but he did what he was asked to do. Grade:B
Running Backs--What a night for this unit. Duke Johnson may have made himself a 2nd round draft pick with this performance, as he ran over, through and around the befuddled Hokies. The Duke rushed for 249 yards, a career high. Johnson wasn't the only person to run roughshod in Blacksburg. Gus Edwards was also dominant, rushing for 115 yards, with 2 touchdowns. Edwards, who has been inconsistent stepped up, and finally showed some flashes. He still runs a little too high, but he ran with power between the tackles, breaking tackles on numerous runs. This was an outstanding performance, the best of the season from this unit. Grade: A
Wide Receivers--Like Brad Kaaya, this unit wasn't asked to do much, making it hard to draw concrete conclusions. Stacy Coley continues to struggle, and looks like a player who has no business being on the field. Philip Dorsett missed out on a big play, by failing to notice that the football was right in front of him. That said, the receivers blocked for Duke Johnson and Gus Edwards, which is something that has been missing all season. Grade: B-
Tight Ends--Clive Walford didn't make a reception, but proved to be valuable in the running game. Duke and Gus were untouched for most of the night, some of that is due to Clive having a great night as an in-line blocker. This wasn't a flashy performance, but it was a solid, efficient one. Grade: B
Offensive Line--For a team to rush for 364 yards and average 6.9 yards per carry, the offensive line has to be involved. Virginia Tech is thin on the defensive line, but that shouldn't take anything away from what this O-Line did Thursday. Art Kehoe's unit crushed the Hokies, running backs were rarely challenged at the line of scrimmage, and Brad Kaaya was untouched for most of the evening. Quality of opponent should come into play, but this type of dominance doesn't happen often. Grade: A
Defense
Defensive Line--While the 'Canes can't get pressure with only three down linemen, this unit wasn't the sieve of previous weeks. Tech quarterback Michael Brewer was forced from the pocket on numerous occasions with Anthony Chickillo being a constant pursuer. Michael Wyche, long a non factor was finally active on Thursday, and showed that he will be a player, once his conditioning issues are corrected. This unit has talent, but lacks the depth to be a consistent force. Grade: B-
Linebackers--This unit stood out all night. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio finally allowed these young men to play with reckless abandon. Raphael Kirby and Jermaine Grace were active, thanks to an array of blitz packages. Thurston Armbrister and Denzel Perryman continued to impress, with Armbrister spending most of the night in the Hokie backfield. This unit has rarely played this well during the Golden era, and fans should expect this unit to consistently play at this level, provided D'Onofrio puts them in position to succeed. Grade: B+
Secondary--When your front 7 performs well, the secondary should be able to execute. That's exactly what happened Thursday night. Michael Brewer didn't have time to throw, and he didn't find open receivers when he did. When receivers did get receptions, tackles were immediate, and sure. Artie Burns continues to improve each and every week, along with Corn Elder. Virginia Tech is awful offensively, but to limit any team to 142 yards passing is an accomplishment. This unit benefited from a well executed game plan, and did outstanding work. The question is whether this unit can continue to improve over the long term. Grade: A-
Coaching
Offense--In a previous article, I mentioned that James Coley needed to grasp the obvious. Last night, he grasped the obvious, and he didn't let go until the final whistle. Virginia Tech has not stopped the run all season, and Coley exploited that. Duke Johnson, and Gus Edwards were allowed to dominate the game, and Brad Kaaya was a peripheral figure. The only problem with Coley's gameplan was his over -reliance on the wildcat formation. The formation is effective when run in certain situations, but when your offensive line is dominating at the line of scrimmage, it's better to stick with what is working. Coley also has to understand his personnel, and when to substitute. There's no reason why Duke Johnson should have been allowed to play once this game was safely in hand. He's the most dynamic weapon this team has, he shouldn't be in the game during routs. This is something that has to be addressed, and corrected. Grade: B+
Defense--It looks like Mark D'Onofrio finally took the training wheels off of this defense. D'Onofrio called one of his better games, and allowed this team to play winning football. Yes, Tech is awful, but this defense dominated from beginning to end. For the first time this season, D'Onofrio's blitz packages actually reached the quarterback, the blitz packages actually involved multiple levels of pressure, and the packages were used in high risk situations. What Miami fans were treated to on Thursday is what proponents of this system have been expecting for years. The multiple front 3-4 can be highly disruptive, and can be exciting to watch, when it's managed properly. For one of the few times in his Miami career, D'Onofrio managed the scheme and his players properly. One wonders if he can manage it correctly for the remainder of the season. Rumor has it that Al Golden was heavily involved in this game plan, a drastic change from previous weeks. If so, then this should become standard operating procedure, because this defense wasn't dreadful. Grade: A-
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