Canes Look to Continue Home Dominance vs. Chippewas
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The pomp and circumstance of last week’s home opener is in the past and this week is all about football at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Miami Hurricanes will host the Central Michigan Chippewas at 4 p.m. Saturday in the first meeting between the two schools and the second of five straight home contests for the Canes, marking the longest single-season homestand since Miami closed out the 1987 season with five straight games in the Miami Orange Bowl.
“The big thing for us is to be back at home, back in our stadium,” head coach Manny Diaz said. “I thought our fans were outstanding last Saturday, where you had very high temperatures and I don’t know if anyone looked at the future radar, but the radar wasn’t looking very good on Saturday afternoon. The fact that we stayed dry and without a delay was sort of a blessing. It’s good to get back into a routine, good to get back at Hard Rock Stadium and we’re really looking forward to getting back there this Saturday, again at 4 o’clock.”
Miami’s fans were treated to a 63-0 win over Bethune-Cookman in last weekend’s home opener. They also had the opportunity to watch a team that ranks among the best in the ACC in several statistical categories and has been showcasing an offense that can succeed on the ground and through the air.
Running back DeeJay Dallas has been one of the biggest offensive stars for Miami early in 2019,, rushing for a craeer-best three touchdowns last week against Bethune-Cookman. The junior has flourished in his first season as the Canes’ lead back, ranking fifth in the ACC with an average of 103.0 yards per game and third in all of FBS among backs with 35-plus carries with an 8.5 yards-per-rush average.
“DeeJay Dallas continues to be the identity of our offense with his ability to hammer it in there when he needs to hammer it in there, and also to break the long one,” Diaz said. “It was a great example of a game where we were a little slow in starting. You never really know which play is going to get it, and, bang, it’s a simple inside zone play that DeeJay takes to the house and that really got us going. I’m not sure that we were stopped much after that.”
Another standout for Miami has been redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams. The reigning ACC Rookie of the Week, Williams has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in three games as the Canes’ starter and his ACC-best 73.1 completion percentage ranks 12th in FBS.
“My confidence has always been there but the word I’m really looking for is comfortable, I am more comfortable in the offense than I was in Game 1,” Williams said. “I kind of got a better understanding and in those clutch situations I have a better understanding of where to throw the ball.”
Williams has benefitted greatly from a talented and deep receiving corps led by redshirt senior K.J. Osborn and junior Mike Harley, who caught his first career touchdown in the win over Bethune-Cookman. Thirteen different Hurricanes, including seven different receivers, have caught a pass this season and that is a product of an offensive scheme that allows everyone to get a chance to make a play.
“It’s just opportunity,” Harley said. “You see the offense, everyone gets the ball. Jarren does a great job spreading the ball around so everyone leaves the field happy.”
While Miami’s offense has averaged 36 points per game, its defense has been stout stopping the run and strong on third downs. The Hurricanes lead the ACC in and are fifth nationally in third down conversion percentage defense and are the best rush defense in the conference, holding opponents to 69.3 yards per game. Despite all the success, the Hurricanes hold themselves to a high standard and expect to be even better.
“Well in the run we have to do a little bit better, we want to be number one in the country when it comes to run defense,” linebacker Shaquille Quarterman said. “It’s all about getting vertical. If the D-line attacks, it allows the linebackers to attack and we have to have a great secondary that knows how to tackle. We didn’t start so hot with that the first game, but I feel like we have been emphasizing that . Our corners have been coming to play, our safeties are coming to tackle, so when you have a great tackling team that really helps when you want to be the best defense in the nation.”
“When it comes to third down, it’s a big down for us you don’t just want to go through the motions,” Quarterman said. “First and second downs are considered normal downs for us. But third down, when we bring our personnel on the field we only have one goal; we’re trying to get off the field. Whether it’s trying to get to the quarterback or just playing coverage, the thing is I will not allow something to be caught on me, I will not allow myself to miss this sack when I have my brothers in coverage, so it’s all about accountability and holding the chain.”
While there has been plenty of defensive success, Diaz is eager to see defense continue to develop with every coming week.
“Defensively, I think the run defense this season is off to a great start. Third down defense is off to a great start,” Diaz said. “There’s obviously things we’re still looking to clean up. We feel like there’s some plays, in terms of tackles for loss and sacks that we’re leaving on the field. This is not uncommon for our defense, if you look back at the last four years now. Early in the season, you have to develop that trust and guys just going and doing their job and letting the other guy eat when it’s his turn to eat, and you know that it’ll be your turn, too, in this defense. I expect that to continue to improve as the year goes on.”
Miami’s defense will be tasked with slowing a Central Michigan team led by head coach Jim McElwain, who previously won a national championship as the offensive coordinator at Alabama and led Florida to consecutive SEC championship game appearances as the Gators’ head coach.
“This week, the only thing we can get done is beat Central Michigan,” Diaz said. “Central Michigan, is, like us, a new staff. Game 3, it felt like they played their best game. It’s kind of the same thing, they’re finding their sea legs in all three phases. Obviously, we know with Jim McElwain, they’re going to have a well-designed offense. They’re very multiple, like us. They present a lot – a lot of personnel groups, formations, motions, shifts – a lot to have to adjust to on defense. And then their defense does a great job. They play very hard and they can go back from playing an even front and a ‘bear’ front. Outside, they’ll play man coverage, they’ll play split safety coverage. It’s a game where we have to make sure we know what we’re doing on both sides of the ball, because they’ll present some issues.”
The Hurricanes have won 18 straight nonconference home games, a stretch that began on Oct. 1, 2011 with a 45-14 win over Bethune-Cookman and most recently the 63-0 thrashing of the Wildcats that also served as Diaz’s first win as head coach.
“It was all smiles, all smiles and joy, but it was a special moment,” defensive lineman Pat Bethel said. “We were just excited for the win, excited to get something going.”
But Central Michigan knocked off Akron, 45-24, in its MAC opener in Mount Pleasant, Mich., last weekend, proving the Chippewas can put points on the scoreboard in a big way and that has Miami fully focused on their upcoming opponent.
“We are not really looking at the future or looking at the past we are just focused on this week,” cornerback Al Blades, Jr. said. “When Sunday practices come, the last week is over and we’re moving on to the next team. Like I said, every week, we’re just trying to get better and we’re just trying to focus on just keep getting this thing going up and up and up.”
