UM at Georgia Tech: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricanesSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Canes hit the road hungry for a victory, but they know it will take 60 minutes of execution to earn it.
Coming off a 20-12 loss to Duke last time out on Sat., Nov. 3, the Hurricanes continue their month of November with a trip to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech, as they seek their fourth straight win over the Yellow Jackets. Kickoff for the matchup is set for 7 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Miami carries a slight 12-11 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, but have won four straight and eight of the last nine dating to 2009. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series in games in Atlanta, 9-5, but the Canes have won three of the last four games played at Bobby Dodd. Aided by late theatrics from wide receiver Darrell Langham, Miami won the 2017 matchup, 25-24, on a game-winning field goal with four seconds left.
Georgia Tech is under the direction of 11th-year coach Paul Johnson who has compiled a 80-58 record in Atlanta and a 187-97 record as head coach. The Yellow Jackets are coming off back-to-back wins entering Saturday’s matchup, including a 38-28 win last time out at North Carolina on Nov. 3. The Tech offense is led by quarterback Tobias Oliver (780 rushing yards, 14 total TDs), quarterback TaQuon Marshall (1,304 total yards, 12 total TDs) & B-Back Jordan Mason (659 rushing yards, 7 TDs). Defensively, GT is led by defensive back Malik Rivera (45 total tackles) and defensive lineman Anree Saint-Amour (10.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks).
Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Miami’s defense vs. Georgia Tech’s running game
The Miami Hurricanes have held opponents to 123.6 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth in the ACC, but the Canes have not faced an offense as effective at running the ball as they will this week at Georgia Tech. Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has been preparing his defense meticulously for this week’s matchup and he has instilled two main keys to success in his defensive unit.
“It’s two things, really,” Diaz said. “One, tactically being ready for everything they have which is going to be different from what you do week in and week out. And secondly, and probably more importantly, it’s your attitude and being ready to match them, and to match their toughness, and to match their physicality. It’s a game where you certainly have to have your tactics right, but it is still a blocking and tackling day at the office, and the team that blocks better or the team that defeats blocks better and tackles better versus the team that breaks tackles better usually wins.”
The Yellow Jackets lead FBS in rushing offense, averaging 377 yards per game on the ground. They are also among the nation’s leaders in time of possession, ranking fifth at 34:28 per game. Both quarterbacks rank in the top 5 in the ACC in rushing yards per game, with Tobias Oliver ranked third (97.5) and TaQuon Marshall fifth (82.4). B-Back Jordan Mason is 12that 67.1 rushing yards per game.
Miami’s defensive line vs. Georgia Tech’s offensive line
There is no secret about the difficult battle Miami’s talented defensive line will face this weekend. The Hurricanes’ front four features three of the top players in the country in terms of tackles for loss, led by ACC leader Gerald Willis III and ACC runner-up Jonathan Garvin. But Miami’s defensive line will consistently have to battle to beat Georgia Tech’s cut blocks as the Yellow Jackets’ linemen will routinely try to take out UM’s line while trying to open holes for GT’s ball carriers.
“We’re up for the challenge like every other week,” Willis said. “We just have to get ready for the cut blocks and these double teams, but we’re ready.”
While the cut blocks are most prevalent at the line of scrimmage, Miami’s linebackers and secondary will also need to be ready to battle cut blocks. Defensive back Michael Jackson has been emphasizing the importance of playing physical and being a sure tackler this week to his fellow secondary mates, as those two things will play key roles in Miami’s success stopping the Yellow Jackets.
“I’m not a corner, I’m a football player,” Jackson said. “They’re going to test and see if you tackle. They’re going to see if you’re scared to get cut. You can get cut 10 plays in a row and you still have to come back and be as physical as possible on that 11th play because that one could change the game.”
Miami’s offense vs. Georgia Tech’s defense
This matchup may seem broad or simple, but it is very relevant. Georgia Tech dominates the time of possession every week, so the Canes will need to be efficient and effective with every possession on Saturday.
“I was watching Clemson’s offense vs. Georgia Tech’s defense, and the first time they saw the ball it was 7:13 left in the first quarter and it was still 0-0,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “They ate up seven minutes and 30 seconds, 40 seconds, whatever it was – on the first drive of the game and Clemson finally got the ball. Their third time they touched the ball was about 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. I didn’t count the total possessions, but at that rate, it’s going to be four or five per half. Playing against them, for the last 10 years of my career, it is tough on an offense to be sitting there waiting, waiting, waiting for an opportunity, if it holds true to form. But our defense has played well against them in the past and I have a lot of faith and confidence in this week. Bottom line is, the best way to beat them is somehow get turnovers or get them behind the sticks a little bit – whether it’s through a penalty or whether it’s through a negative yardage play, which is hard to do, because most everything is downhill coming at you. Paul [Johnson] is very patient. He doesn’t mind going for it on fourth down. He doesn’t mind getting two [yards], three, four and two yards on fourth down, getting a first down, and keep doing it. You always have to be ready for that shot. You never know when they’re going to take that deep ball. Just like last week, it went 86-yard touchdown on the first pass of the game, and I don’t even know if they threw any more passes – I didn’t watch every minute of it, but they don’t throw it very often. But when they do, it’s usually some type of a deep shot. You have to be ready for that, too.”
The Yellow Jackets defense will not make it easy on Miami, as it ranks fourth in the ACC in total defense. Defensive back Malik Rivera leads GT with 45 total tackles, whle defensive lineman Anree Saint-Amour (10.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks) will look to penetrate into Miami’s back field and disrupt UM’s ground and passing attacks.
