It’s always the same themes when going through the performance of the ‘Canes defense week to week. Giving up big plays and getting off to slow starts. Last week against Duke was no different, specifically in the first half.
The ‘Canes defense has been criticized all year for keeping weaker opponents in games against the high powered Miami offense. Still remaining undefeated, the question should be asked, is the ‘Canes defense just good enough to keep winning games?
Going through their performance against the Blue Devils, they’re are positives and negatives. Focusing on the negatives to start, Miami allowed Duke to go on a 28-to-3 run from late in the first quarter into the first drive of the third.
Throughout that run, Duke was able to produce four touchdown drives, with each of them having big plays all over the place. The first drive in particular, Duke scored on four plays. They went 21 yards, two 27 yard plays, and then an eight yard touchdown. Drives like that kill the confidence and momentum of a team, especially when they were leading by 14 before that.
Another drive that should be highlighted was Duke’s third touchdown drive. The drive started on Duke’s 25 yard line, and within that drive, Miami gave up three penalties for 40 yards, basically driving down the field for the Blue Devil’s. The drive ended in a six yard touchdown pass and gave Duke a 21-17 lead going into halftime.
The last problem with the ‘Canes defense seemed to be star linebacker Francisco Mauigoa’s inability to play man coverage. Although Mauigoa is probably the best tackler on the team, the Blue Devil’s offense was tearing him apart when he was responsible for who they wanted to get the ball. Duke’s longest play of the game happened against Mauigoa one on one against Peyton Jones that ended up going for 40 yards in the air. “I think he’s a pretty good running back, he’s fast,” said Mauigoa. “I should’ve played him off and gave him a little space, those are the things you watch and learn from and get better.”
Misdirection plays in man coverage also fooled Mauigoa twice, both of them resulting in touchdowns where he was seemingly stuck in no man’s land. Although coverage was a problem, he led the team with nine tackles and nearly had an interception that slipped through his hands.
The positive point of last Saturday was turnovers. The ‘Canes defense was able to force four turnovers including three interceptions and one fumble recovery. The biggest one of them all was in the middle of third immediately following a Miami touchdown, bringing Miami within a field goal. True freshman O.J. Frederique came up huge with an interception and 30 yard return that gave Miami easy field position to take the lead later in that drive that they would not give up.
It’s easy to criticize the secondary, but Blue Devil receivers were making impressive catches down the field all game including a crazy one hand catch by Jordan Moore for 25 yards.
As heavily criticized as the defense is, they always come through and get the big stop. Each of the last three games, the defense has been able to make huge plays to keep Miami in position to win games. They held Cal to three points in the amazing fourth quarter comeback. A huge fumble recovery in the endzone against Louisville. And last week, held Duke to just three points in the last 25 minutes of the game. Clutch, momentum shifting stops have been on display all season, but are hidden by blemishes of early game struggles.
With the next two games on the schedule being Georgia Tech with possibly a backup quarterback, and a four win Wake Forest team, Miami’s defense has a chance to find their identity and get back to dominating weaker teams.