UM vs. Wisconsin: Pinstripe Bowl Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
NEW YORK – The Miami Hurricanes will close the 2018 season against the same opponent they wrapped up the 2017 campaign against, the Wisconsin Badgers.
The Canes are looking to extend their winning streak to three straight games when they face Wisconsin in the 2018 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, N.Y., on Thursday. The Hurricanes will be playing in the game for the first time in program history.
The Hurricanes trail the all-time series, 3-2, including a 34-24 loss in the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Dec. 30, 2017. Wisconsin also won the head-to-head matchup in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando – the only other neutral site meeting between the two programs. Miami trails, 0-2, in bowl games vs. the Badgers. In the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football (since 1979), the series is tied, 2-2
Miami has a 20-21 all-time record in 41 bowl games in program history, and is 1-1 in bowls under head coach Mark Richt. UM’s only other bowl game in New York was the 1962 Gotham Bowl, a 35-34 loss to Nebraska at Yankee Stadium – broadcast on ABC and played in front of 6,166 fans.
Wisconsin is under the direction of fourth-year coach Paul Chyst, who has compiled a 41-12 record in Madison and a 59-31 overall coaching record. The Badgers finished the 2018 season with a 7-5 record and a 5-4 record in Big Ten play; last time out, UW loss to Minnesota, 15-37, on Nov. 24. Wisconsin’s offense is led by the nation’s rushing leader, running back Jonathan Taylor, who has compiled 1,989 rushing yards this season and 3,966 rushing yards in just two seasons. The Badgers’ defense is led by linebacker T.J. Edwards (104 total tackles) and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (team-leading 4.5 sacks)
Here are three matchups to watch in Thursday’s game.
Miami’s defense vs. Wisconsin’s running game
There is no secret that the Hurricanes will need to stop the run if they want to win on Thursday, while Wisconsin’s success will largely be tied to how well the Badgers can run the football.
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor is arguably the best running back in America. The sophomore won the Doak Walker Award and was unanimous first-team All-American in 2018. Taylor has rushed for a nation-leading 1,989 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 165.8 yards per game — nearly 20 better than No. 2-ranked Darrell Henderson of Memphis (146.9).
Taylor is on pace to rush for 2,155 yards this season, which would be the 10th-best single-season total in FBS history. With 1,989 yards on the year, Taylor has out-gained more than half of the teams in the nation — out-rushing 66 of the 130 FBS programs. Taylor’s average of 7.1 yards per carry is the best of among running backs who average at least 17.0 carries per game.
Clearly the Canes will face a tall task in stopping Taylor, but they enter the game with one of the top defenses in the country. According to Football Outsiders, Miami’s “havoc rate” – calculated by adding total tackles for loss, passes defensed and forced fumbles and diving it by total plays) – of 24.7% ranks No. 1 in the nation while its “front seven” havoc rate (16.6%) also ranks No. 1 overall in all of FBS.
The UM defense ranks among the best in FBS in several categories, including No. 2 in total defense (268.3 yards per game) and No. 1 in tackles for loss per game (10.5). The Canes are strong stopping the run, holding opponents to 127.5 rushing yards per game.
Eight defensive players were All-ACC picks, led by Shaq Quarterman (first team), and they will be playing inspired football as they are guided by coordinator Manny Diaz, who will be coaching his final game at the helm of the unit in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
Miami vs. Wisconsin at the line of scrimmage
Winning the battle in the trenches is essential to success in football and Thursday’s Pinstripe Bowl matchup will be no different.
Wisconsin is known for playing a physical brand of football and that lends to success, especially in cold weather games like the one expected to take place tomorrow. With a game time temperature forecasted in the upper-30s, Wisconsin will look to dominate the line of scrimmage and clear a path for Jonathan Taylor to run wild. Defensively, Wisconsin’s defense will likely have a similar game plan to last year’s Orange Bowl in which they tallied four tackles for loss and three sacks.
The Canes will need their offensive line to excel against the Badgers. When Miami succeeds up front, the offense’s dynamic playmakers can shine. Running backs Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas will be counted on to keep the offense moving, while quarterback Malik Rosier will throw the ball to a deep group of receivers, but none of that will be possible without strong play from the offensive line.
Miami’s defensive line will be without second team All-American Gerald Willis, but defensive ends Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin will lead the nation’s most disruptive line against Wisconsin’s mauling offensive line.
Miami quarterback Malik Rosier vs. Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan
An untraditional matchup because they don’t directly face off, both teams will enter the game without their regular quarterback under center. The team that gets the best performance from their signal caller will likely be the one to come away with a victory on Thursday.
A year ago Rosier struggled mightily against Wisconsin, throwing just one touchdown compared to three interceptions and completing 42-percent of his passes for 203 yards. The redshirt senior has had an up-and-down final campaign with the Canes, but he will start against the Badgers when Miami takes the field on Thursday. If Rosier plays like he did earlier this season against Toledo, a game in which he became the first Hurricane to score five touchdowns in a game since Brad Kaaya against Pitt on Nov. 5, 2016, then Miami should be in great shape.
Wisconsin’s Jack Coan will start in place of injured starter Alex Hornibrook and that could be great news for Miami fans. A year ago, Hornibrook torched Miami’s defense for 258 yards and four touchdowns. A New York native, Coan has made 3 starts, and 4 appearances in total, in relief of an injured Hornibrook this season. Coan made his starting debut Oct. 27 at Northwestern and went 20-for-31 (64.5%) for 158 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions. He entered in the relief of Hornibrook due to injury in the second half vs. Rutgers on Nov. 3 and went 5-for-7 for 64 yards and a touchdown. Coan led the Badgers to three touchdowns on his 4 second-half drives vs. Rutgers. After throwing for just 60 yards at Penn State on Nov. 10, Coan put together a career day in UW’s triple-overtime win over Purdue on Nov. 17, going 16-for-24 for a career-high 160 yards.
Kickoff against the Badgers is set for 5:15 p.m. from Yankee Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
