The 2017 college football season will feature a number of fascinating teams, the teams that could be good but aren’t locks to be good. Michigan will be good. Ohio State will be good. Miami is a team many think will be good, but the Hurricanes still need to prove it on the field. There’s certainly cause for optimism in South Florida. Miami could be on the cusp of developing a defense which can hang with the best in the country. Here are a few reasons why The U might have the level of defense it has coveted for a long time.
Points Allowed
The Hurricanes allowed just under 19 points per game, which is great in its own right, but is also notable because it’s the fewest points per game Miami has allowed since 2006. Miami never really found the sweet spot under Randy Shannon and then Al Golden, floundering on defense with units that never could sustain production from one year to the next. This group seems to be ready to put an end to that trend, and the other reasons on the list will help explain why. Miami took a big step forward last season, and team improvements can’t happen until that first step of progress is made. The Hurricanes made that step, so now they can build on it.
Negative Plays Created
The Hurricanes ranked second in the country in negative plays, otherwise known as plays which didn’t generate any positive yardage. Roughly 33 percent of plays were stuffed by Miami’s 2016 defense, a simply sensational rate which, if increased next year, would make the Hurricanes even tougher. Merely maintaining that rate at 33 percent would be a significant achievement, enabling Miami to put opposing offenses behind schedule in terms of down and distance. When teams choose to run the ball on first down and 10, a negative play ensures that a team has at least 10 or more yards to make on second down. This will almost always force a team to pass on second down. The predictability of the play call will make a defense that much more able to snuff it out and respond to it. If a team throws a short pass on first and 10 to get second and five, a negative play will create third down and at least five, possibly seven or eight. Again, the offense has to throw. The defense puts itself in a better position.
Depth And Experience
When Miami goes to spring ball, the two-deep will feature defensive linemen and linebackers who all played last season. Getting the entirety of the front seven to return for defensive coordinator Manny Diaz should help Miami a lot. Familiarity with the system and continuity within the program are hugely positive attributes which should make it a lot easier for Diaz to coach his players and make The U’s defense infinitely more complex.
Freshmen Were Excellent, Should Only Get Better In 2017
This is the really big key for Miami. The Hurricanes played a lot of freshmen last season, including all three linebackers. Getting such great production out of very young players offers considerable reason to trust that Miami’s defense is being coached the right way. Players developed within the program should have no trouble in terms of understanding how they fit into the larger whole. The Hurricanes don’t have to worry too much about transfers upsetting team chemistry.
The Running Game Should Be Strong
One of the best friend’s of a good defense is a strong running game. The Miami Hurricanes might have that with Mark Walton returning. When you take a look at the landscape in the ACC, Walton could be the top back coming back next season. He was named the offense’s MVP last season after rushing for 5.3 yards per carry, 1117 yards and 14 touchdowns. If the Hurricanes are able to run the ball and move the chains, that will allow them to be much fresher on the defensive side of things. We saw what happened in a couple of games against elite competition when the defense got worn down. Having Walton around will help them succeed in 2017.
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