UM vs. FSU: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricanesSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The annual rivarly matchup is finally here, as the Miami Hurricanes are set to take on the Florida State Seminoles.
Coming off a 47-10 win over North Carolina at Hard Rock Stadium in its ACC opener last time out on Sept. 27, No. 17/17 Miami opens its month of October with its annual rivalry game against Florida State on Saturday, Oct. 6. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. from Hard Rock Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
The Hurricanes carry a slight 32-30 lead in the rivalry series all-time, with Florida State leading, 20-16, in games played in Miami or Miami Gardens. In the 2017 matchup between the two teams, a touchdown grab from wide receiver Darrell Langham with six seconds left gave UM a miraculous 24-20 win.
Florida State is under the direction of head coach Willie Taggart who has a compiled a 50-52 overall record and a 3-2 mark with the Seminoles. The Seminoles are coming off a 28-24 win at Louisville last time out; Florida State has won back-to-back games entering Saturday’s matchup. The Seminoles’ offense is led by wide receiver Nyqwan Murray (25 catches, 345 yards), quarterback Deondre Francois (1,377 passing yards, 9 TDs) and running backs Cam Akers (316 yards, 1 TD). Defensively, Florida State is paced by defensive back Hamsah Nasirildeen (40 total tackles) and defensive end Brian Burns (6.5 TFLs, five sacks).
Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Miami vs. Florida State at the line of scrimmage
The battle at the line of scrimmage is always one to watch and this Saturday is no different. Miami enters the game as the national leader in tackles for loss, averaging 12.0 per game. Gerald Willis III, who was named the Outland Trophy National Defensive Player of the Month on Friday, ranks third in FBS with 10.5 tackles for loss (2.1 TFL per game), while Jonathan Garvin is not far behind at 9.5 TFLs. The Hurricanes will look to attack a FSU offensive line that is allowing 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.40 sacks per game.
“If you really look at the way they played against Louisville, [Deondre] Francois was pretty clean in that game,” Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said of the FSU offensive line. “I think they feel like they’re improving. I think we have to go play Miami Hurricanes football. We try to take the things that we think are important for us to win a football game and the way we have to play defense, regardless of opponent. But it’s Miami / Florida State. Everyone is going to play their best on Saturday. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
When Miami has the ball, they will need to contain FSU defensive end Brian Burns. The junior leads the Seminoles with 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. Demarcus Christmas, Fredrick Jones and Marvin Wilson are stout defenders in the middle, while Janarius Robinson and Joshua Kaindoh add speed off the edge opposite Burns.
Miami’s wide receivers vs. Florida State’s defensive backs
One of the more exciting matchups to watch, Miami features a deep wide receiving corps that has seen seven different receivers catch a pass this season while four UM wideouts have caught touchdowns in 2018. Lawrence Cager leads the way with four touchdowns and is second on the team with 174 receiving yards. Mike Harley leads the Canes with 15 catches and is third on the team with 173 yards, while Jeff Thomas is second with 13 catches for a team-high 320 yards. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown believes the depth and competition at wide receiver has helped elevate the group collectively.
“I think that’s why it’s important for us to have depth and continue to recruit the best in the country to come in and compete,” Brown said. “Not just the best talent, but guys who aren’t scared of the competition, that aren’t afraid of who’s there and who’s in front of the guy. We want them to come in and prove their worth and also unselfish guys. There were a bunch of guys, receiver wise, who didn’t catch a ball last week, but blocked their butts off, continued to do that down after down. I think the more guys we have that can help us win, the better off we will be.”
The Seminoles feature an athletic and talented defensive secondary, led by projected first round draft pick Levonta Taylor at cornerback. The junior as one interception and two pass breakups on the year, while fellow cornerback Kyle Meyers has two interceptions, two pass breakups, two sacks and four tackles for loss on the year. At safety, Hamsah Nasirildeen lead the team with 40 tackles, while AJ Westbrook is third with 25 tackles and is tied with Meyers for the team lead with two interceptions. Sophomore Stanford Samuels and freshman Jaiden Woodbey add depth to the talented FSU secondary.
Miami’s run defense vs. Florida State’s running backs
The Hurricanes will face a talented two-headed monster at running back for the Seminoles, as senior Jacques Patrick and sophomore Cam Akers combine to make up one of the most dangerous running back tandems in the country. A year ago the duo combined for 212 rushing yards against the Hurricanes. Miami struggled to stop the run a week ago, allowing North Carolina to amass 215 yards on the ground, but linebacker Zach McCloudbelieves the Canes will be much better stopping the run this week.
“It’s always a huge focus that’s why I think over the years we have been doing very well with it,” McCloud said. “But, you know, it’s something that’s mentioned and that we have to tighten up on but the standard remains the same. Last week, it just didn’t show in the game, but this week we are planning on showing a difference in that.”
Miami’s aggressive style of defense helps them consistently penetrate into the opposing backfield and generate tackles for loss. The Canes, who are allowing 106 rushing yards per game, will look to limit the effectiveness of Patrick, Akers and the rest of the FSU ground attack that is averaging 97.4 yards per game.
“We’re all chasing the ball, we all pride ourselves on TFLs,” linebacker Michael Pinckney said. “We got great guys on the defensive line and linebackers. Gerald Willis…Those guys getting upfield; All of us are getting upfield. We pride ourselves on those things. That changes the game. That changes the momentum. We take plays out of their playbook, we get TFLs. It’s an opportunity just to shut them down and get the offense back on the field so we can score.”
