Mark Richt said after Saturday’s 16-13 loss at Virginia that he and his assistant coaches were going to spend the team’s bye week this week “assessing everything top to bottom” that’s wrong with the Miami Hurricanes.
“Soul search, everybody has to do that and make sure that whatever responsibility they’re in charge of, that they’re doing the very best they can,” Richt told WQAM radio Monday during his weekly appearance on “The Joe Rose Show.”
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“And then if things gotta be changed, change them. If things just gotta get done better, then set it up where you can get better at it.’’
Of course, not all of it has been bad for Miami (5-2, 2-1 ACC).
For example, Manny Diaz’s defensive unit leads the nation in total defense and tackles for loss and is tied for third in turnovers forced (17).
With Miami off this week, we’ve decided to take a closer look at the good and the bad thus far — by position group — with the help of some numbers from Pro Football Focus’ grading system (as well as some nuggets I uncovered myself).
Quarterbacks
No position is under more scrutiny than Jon Richt’s quarterback room. And deservedly so.
While Miami’s quarterbacks rank 58th nationally in quarterback rating (138.19), better than last season’s 129.03 (73rd), that’s more a product of having played Savannah State, FIU and Toledo in the first seven games this season than of any real improvement.
Against Power 5-conference opponents, Miami’s quarterbacks have regressed, performing worse than they did in 2017. Last season, with Malik Rosier handling all but 11 of the team’s 426 pass attempts, Miami ranked 39th in passing yardage (245.0) and completed 49.9 percent of its passes (104th out of 127 programs) for 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
This season, with redshirt freshman N’Kosi Perry in the fold, Miami’s completion percentage against Power 5 foes is down (47.2 percent, 112th), its yardage is down (194.5) and the touchdown-to-interception ratio (6:6) is not nearly as good.
Perry has taken more snaps (244) than Rosier (219) and rates higher (148.59) than the fifth-year senior (131.35) with 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and a better completion percentage (56.2). But Rosier (52.1 percent completion percentage, 5 TDs, 3 INTs) is averaging more passing yards per game (156.2) than Perry (111.0) and has posted the team’s only elite performance (a grade of 85 or higher according to PFF) of the season by a quarterback with his five-touchdown game at Toledo.
Richt has started Perry each of the last three games, and UM’s offense has produced a combined 26 first-half points with Perry at the helm (19 versus North Carolina; 7 versus Florida State) in each of them.
Running backs
For all the talk about a two-headed backfield, junior Travis Homer has taken close to 100 more snaps (264) than sophomore DeeJay Dallas (167) has this season at running back.
Homer has warranted more work of late. After grading below average in four of Miami’s first five games, he’s outproduced Dallas over the last two weeks, rushing for 165 yards on 29 carries. Of course, 70 of those yards came on one carry at Virginia.
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But still, Dallas, who has graded out above average in five games and had an elite performance against North Carolina (114 yards, 1 TD, 11 carries), has put up back-to-back below-average games against FSU and Virginia, according to PFF. And he’s run for only 55 yards on his last 20 carries.
Freshman Lorenzo Lingard, who had Miami’s only other elite running back performance this season with 82 yards and two scores on four carries against lowly Savannah State, has not had an offensive snap since he last carried the ball against FIU. He had 50 yards on 10 carries in that game, and he likely deserves another shot soon if Dallas continues to struggle.
Senior fullback Trayone Gray is the only player on Miami’s offense not to score below average in a single game this season, according to PFF. Although he’s played only 59 snaps and run for 51 yards on 20 attempts, he’s picked up a first down on third- or fourth-and-short on eight of 12 carries. Last season, Miami was 9 of 19 when it ran the football on third-and-short.
Wide receivers/tight ends
Sophomores Jeff Thomas and Mike Harley are the only two receivers who have received elite grades from PFF in a game this season.
Thomas earned a season-best grade of 93.1 when he had five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against Toledo. And Harley received his elite grade of 92.1 when he had seven catches for 76 yards on only nine offensive snaps against FIU.
But Miami’s most consistent receiver — grade-wise, at least — has been redshirt junior Lawrence Cager. He’s produced five above-average games, scoring below average thanks to four drops against FSU and for going without a catch in 37 snaps against North Carolina.
Freshman Dee Wiggins ranks fourth on the team in snaps (171) among receivers, but has graded out below average in all seven games because he has just three total catches for 25 yards. Miami values him, though, for his perimeter run blocking.
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As for the tight ends, nobody has more snaps among skill players on offense this season than freshman Brevin Jordan with 419. Cager is the next closest at 302. Jordan ranks third on the team with 18 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns, but he has graded out below average in four of his seven games, according to PFF, largely because of his subpar blocking.
Offensive line
Moving 2017 freshman All-American Navaughn Donaldson from right tackle back inside to right guard was the right move by Richt.
Since grading out below average in his first career start at right tackle in the opener against LSU, Donaldson has been graded above average in each of his last six games.
While no Miami offensive lineman has graded out elite, left tackle Tyree St. Louis and left guards Venzell Boulware and Jahair Jones have each scored below average in five of Miami’s seven games.
Center Tyler Gauthier and guard Hayden Mahoney have been far more consistent than those three, grading out above average five times each.
Mahoney received the most work of any left guard against Virginia. He saw 38 snaps compared to 35 for Jones and six for Boulware, who lost the starting job.
Freshman DJ Scaife, Miami’s new right tackle, came closest of all the linemen to an elite grade when he scored an 83.4 against Savannah State. He’s scored below average in each of Miami’s last three games but has seen his snap count go up from 11 to 39 to 47 over that span.
Defensive line
Gerald Willis has had a monster season and is the only player on the Hurricanes roster to receive two elite grades this season (88 at Toledo; 90.2 vs. FSU).
But he hasn’t been Miami’s most consistent lineman. Sophomore Jonathan Garvin, who is tied with Willis for the team lead in tackles for loss (13) and Joe Jackson for the team lead in sacks (five), has graded out above average six times this season, best on the entire defense.
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Jackson, meanwhile, graded out a team-best 95.5 against North Carolina with a sack, two forced fumbles and an interception return for a touchdown. His two slightly below-average performances came against FIU (58.5) and last week at Virginia (62.6).
After Miami’s top three defensive linemen, Pat Bethel (215 snaps), Tito Odenigbo (125), Scott Patchan (116) and Jon Ford (88) have received the most work. All four have scored above average more times (four) than below.
Freshman defensive tackle Nesta Silvera received an elite grade against Savannah State (88.3) in part because of his blocked punt. He’s played 55 defensive snaps and graded out above average in three of his four games.
Linebackers
Diaz has used Romeo Finley at striker more snaps this season (193) than he has Zach McCloud (151) at weak-side linebacker. Finley had an elite performance (84.6 grade) with his pick-six against North Carolina, while McCloud has scored above average more times than below.
Juniors Shaq Quarterman (308 snaps) and Michael Pinckney (348) have been solid, consistent contributors all season long. They rank second and third on the team in tackles with 38 and 37, respectively.
Quarterman had an elite performance against North Carolina (90.1) and has scored above average four times. Pinckney and senior Mike Smith (115 snaps) lead UM linebackers with five games graded above average. Smith received an elite grade of 88.4 for his performance against North Carolina.
If you’re wondering about the future should Quarterman and Pinckney forego their senior seasons, sophomore Bradley Jennings has played a total of 48 snaps this season. Redshirt sophomore Waynmon Steed has played 16. They both had their best games, grade-wise, against Savannah State.
Defensive backs
Four members of Miami’s secondary have produced elite games this season, and none of them are named Jaquan Johnson.
We already mentioned Finley. Senior safety Sheldrick Redwine had his elite performance (89.7) against Savannah State, and senior cornerback Michael Jackson had his (90.8) against FIU. Sophomore corner Trajan Bandy posted his highest grade (89.9) against Virginia last week with two interceptions.
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Johnson, who missed two games with a strained hamstring, did not score below average in his five games. No other Hurricanes defensive player has managed to avoid grading below average at least once.
While Miami’s top five defensive backs have taken the bulk of the snaps, senior cornerback Jhavonte Dean (174 snaps), sophomore safety Amari Carter (136 snaps) and redshirt junior Robert Knowles (88 snaps) have played a lot, too.
Dean played a season-high 48 snaps last week against Virginia after Jackson was ejected for targeting. He played 41 snaps when Bandy was ejected for targeting against LSU. Dean has graded out above average three times this season (Savannah State, FIU, Virginia).
Carter played a season-high 49 snaps when Johnson missed the North Carolina game and had his roughest performance of the season (48.7 grade).
Knowles struggled badly in coverage at Toledo, but he had a better game than Carter against UNC. That night, Knowles graded out slightly above average (65.7) and played 42 snaps.
Among Miami’s talented freshmen, DJ Ivey (78 snaps), Al Blades (61 snaps) and Gurvan Hall (47 snaps) have seen more action than Gil Frierson (17 snaps) and Nigel Bethel (10 snaps). Of that group, only Hall has played more than one game in which he graded out above average (Savannah State, FIU).
As a unit, the Hurricanes rank second nationally in pass defense (130.9 yards per game) behind only Michigan. UM has nearly twice as many interceptions (11) as touchdown passes allowed (six). UM ranks fourth in the country in opposing QB rating (94.72).
(Top photo: Raj Mehta / USA TODAY Sports)
