Everything You Need To Know: Miami

By: Kris Wright |
2014FB_richmond_jennings001b
Darius Jennings will wear No. 17 to honor fellow senior Miles Gooch this week. ~ Mike Ingalls

With two games left in the regular season, the Virginia football team needs two wins to become bowl eligible. The first opportunity to grab a victory comes on Saturday when Miami travels to Charlottesville. The Cavaliers and Hurricanes both lost to Florida State in their last outing, but the Hoos have had a bye week to regroup.

Essentials

Game Nuggets

  • This is the 12th meeting between Miami and Virginia. The Hurricanes own a slight 6-5 lead in the series.
  • This game is senior day for Virginia and 34 fourth and fifth-year players will be honored prior to the game. Senior receiver Darius Jennings will wear No. 17 in honor of fellow senior Miles Gooch, who had a season-ending injury in the last home game against North Carolina.
  • The Cavaliers had a bye week before this contest with Miami. The Hoos are 26-29 all-time after a bye week, but 4-2 in that scenario under Mike London. However, they have lost two straight post-bye games under London.
  • This is Virginia’s first-ever Saturday night home game in the month of November. UVa’s two previous November night games at Scott Stadium occurred on Thursday night (Florida State, Nov. 2, 1995 and North Carolina, Nov. 15, 2012).
  • Miami’s defense is tied for 19th nationally in turnovers gained with 22, while Virginia’s offense is tied for 109th nationally in turnovers lost with 22. Miami’s offense is tied for 93rd in turnovers lost with 20, while Virginia’s defense is tied for 13th nationally with 24 turnovers gained.

Spotlight on Duke Johnson

As noted in the last “Everything You Need To Know” preview, the Virginia defense has had some trouble containing receivers this season. FSU’s Rashad Greene became the eighth receiver with at least 75 receiving yards when he hauled in 13 catches for 136 yards and one touchdown in UVa’s last outing.

Running backs, on the other hand, haven’t had as much success. The Cavaliers rank 15th nationally in run defense by allowing just 118.6 yards per game this season. Only Georgia Tech’s Synjyn Days broke the 100-yard barrier when he gained 147 yards with one touchdown in the Yellow Jackets’ win. The Hoos even held Pittsburgh’s James Conner, the ACC’s leading rusher with 1,562 yards, to 83 yards back on Oct. 4 in a Virginia win.

The next challenge for the run defense may be the biggest yet, though. Miami’s Duke Johnson brings a rare combination of speed, power, and balance to the field. He is the ACC’s second-leading rusher behind Conner with 1,343 yards (only 219 yards behind despite having 65 less carries) and he leads the league in yards per carry at 7.3. With 310 receiving yards to boot, Johnson is the league leader in all-purpose yards with 1,653.

Johnson is No. 2 on Miami’s all-time rushing list with 3,210 yards. He needs just 122 yards to surpass Ottis Anderson (3,331) for the program record. He’s already the all-time all-purpose yards leader. Johnson has ripped off six straight 100-yard rushing games and has 12 in his career, one short of matching Anderson’s record in that category.

UVa faced Johnson in Charlottesville during his freshman season. It didn’t go well, though the Hoos did manage to steal the 41-40 win. Johnson piled up 150 rushing yards on 16 carries (9.4) and 214 kickoff return yards on four touches, which included a 95-yard touchdown return. Johnson also threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Allen Hurns.

“Well, he is definitely one of the more talented backs in college football. I mean, you look at him, he runs hard. He’s a physical runner. He’s a downhill runner who can also jump cut and run to the outside. So he’s a special talent,” Virginia coach Mike London said. “In the games that you watch, you know he gets his yardage, he creates yardage. He runs away from guys, he runs through arm tackles. So you see why he is one of the best running backs in the country, and I will give him that. He’s a talented young man and not just arm tackling or guys getting around the ball. I mean, you’re going to have to hit and wrap up on him because he is a guy that can make extra yardage for himself just by sheer effort alone.”

2014FB_unc_coley001b
Virginia’s defense needs to prevent big plays against Miami’s offense. ~ Mike Ingalls

Match-Ups To Watch

Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett vs. the Virginia secondary. As mentioned above, eight different receivers have finished with at least 75 receiving yards against the Hoos and Dorsett is a speedster with solid route-running skills. He’s a deep pass threat, averaging an ACC best 28.8 yards per catch this season. He has 23 receptions for 662 yards and seven touchdowns this season, which is tied for the league lead for TD receptions.

Miami tight end Clive Walford vs. the Virginia linebackers and safeties. Tied with Dorsett, DeAndre Smelter (GT), and Mack Hollins (UNC) for the touchdown receptions lead is Walford with seven of his own. He leads the Hurricanes with 33 catches this season for 522 yards. They use him as a stand-up receiver not just as an on-the-line tight end. That includes time in the slot position and opponents have figured out ways to get that spot matched up on UVa linebackers this season.

Virginia’s offensive line vs. Miami’s edge defenders. Defensive ends Tyriq McCord and Anthony Chickillo along with outside linebacker Thurston Armbrister can be disruptive for the Hurricanes. Armbrister has seven tackles for loss, including five sacks this season. McCord has added 4.5 tackles for loss with two sacks, while Chickillo has 3.5 tackles for loss with two sacks. UVa’s line has allowed just 12 sacks this season, but FSU picked up four of those last time out. With injuries still a concern on the line, pass protection remains a concern this week.

Virginia running back Kevin Parks vs. Miami’s Denzel Perryman. The Cane linebacker enters this game as the team’s leading tackler with 81 stops on the season, including six tackles for loss. Perryman is tough between the tackles and pursues laterally well too. He will get a chance to take on Parks in the senior’s final home game. The Cavaliers need to get the ground game going again, though. Parks has 669 rushing yards on 165 carries this season, but just 242 yards over the last four games. That’s a drop from 71.2 yards per game over the first six contests to 60.5 in the last four.

Kris’ Keys

1. No big plays. North Carolina got the win in Charlottesville thanks in large part to big plays. The Heels scored touchdowns on three plays of more than 50 yards. Miami presents a similar threat this week. The Hurricanes have posted 39 plays of 25 yards or more this season, 15 of which went for touchdowns.

2. Red zone battle. Both offenses struggle in the red zone. Miami enters this game tied for 87th in touchdown percentage in the red zone (55.3%), but that’s better than Virginia, which is tied for 103rd (50%). UVa’s defense is tied for 64th nationally (60%) in touchdown percentage allowed in the red zone, while Miami’s D is tied for 77th (62.5%). If either team can improve on those mediocre (at best) touchdown numbers on both sides of the ball, it could be a big piece of the outcome.

3. High and tight. Miami is tied for sixth nationally in fumbles forced with 14, a big reason the defense has 13 fumble recoveries this season (also tied for sixth nationally). Virginia has lost eight fumbles this season (tied for 63rd nationally) as part of its ongoing turnover issues. UVa players need to be secure with the football this week, especially when fighting for extra yards.

The Pick

Four games and counting. Will this year’s team win again?

Virginia can win if … the offense can keep up. Miami is tied for 48th in the nation at 32.3 points per game and while the UVa defense likely can lower that number some, the offense needs to hold up its end of the bargain. The Hoos average 26.0 points per game this season.

Virginia can lose if … it finds a way to lose. Week to week, it seems like UVa figures out a different way to end up on the short end of the scoreboard. Against Duke, missed opportunities in the passing game and a late touchdown drive allowed. Against UNC, big plays and a special teams mistake. Against Georgia Tech, the offense couldn’t get going. Against FSU, turnovers ruined upset chances.

And the winner is … Miami. I want to pick Virginia. The Hoos have played well against Miami in recent years and it is Senior Night where Kevin Parks, Henry Coley, Anthony Harris, and others get a chance to leave Scott Stadium with a win. It’s arguably Mike London’s last stand and that means something to some of the players I think. Still, I just don’t think there’s enough offense or enough consistency, execution, or focus to get it done. Duke Johnson has a big game and the Hurricanes win 30-24. Prediction record to date: 7-3.