The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes survived yet again with a Week 8 victory in ACC competition against the Louisville Cardinals. In yet another nail-biter for this year’s Miami (FL) football team, they found themselves in a shootout with Louisville, ending in a 52-45 win.
The Hurricanes scored 14 points in each of the final three quarters to hold off the Cardinals. This was the kind of outcome expected for the game, especially with the way Miami has played over the last month, finding ways to secure victories despite setbacks early and throughout games.
Of course, it helps that they’ve had Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Cam Ward this season. Ward has made the Hurricanes’ offense electric in every fashion this year. Whenever he’s on the field, anything seems possible — which can sometimes be to the detriment of the team.
Now, at 7-0 for the first time since 2017, Miami will move on to face their biggest rival, a struggling Florida State team in Week 9 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Seminoles have secured just one win all season, putting even more emphasis on Miami to win the upcoming game.
While Miami’s undefeated record is certainly impressive, the manner in which they’ve achieved it remains a concern.
Too much reliance on Cam Ward
Cam Ward has brought an energy back to Miami that hasn’t been seen in decades. While hype has surrounded the Hurricanes in the past, it rarely lived up to expectations. Ward has likely exceeded any hype placed upon him, and in doing so, has made the Hurricanes relevant again in college football. Miami has now become must-watch television and is a top 10 team in the country.
While it’s definitely not all Ward, he is undoubtedly the star of the team, and Mario Cristobal and the coaching staff are treating him as such. Ward has been allowed to continue his unorthodox, gunslinger-style of play at Miami. That’s led offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson to open up the playbook this season, which Ward has taken full control of.
Miami currently ranks No. 1 in total offense, No. 2 in scoring offense, and No. 1 in third-down offense in the country. Meanwhile, Ward leads the nation in passing yards (2,538), passing touchdowns (24), and is second in passing efficiency. Against the Cardinals, he continued he historic season, throwing for over 300 yards in his seventh straight game, going 21-for-32 for 319 yards with four touchdowns.
For Miami fans, it’s scary to imagine where the team would be without him. Ward compensates for a lot of the Hurricanes’ shortcomings. His ability to extend plays with his feet and his elusiveness is unmatched by anyone else in the country. Cristobal is relying not only on Ward to carry the team out of difficult situations offensively—like against Virginia Tech and Cal—but also defensively, as seen in the game against Louisville this past Saturday.
There’s a reason why Ward is a Heisman candidate: he consistently puts Miami in a position to win games. Through seven games, despite his feast-or-famine style of play, the Hurricanes have mostly feasted. He was turnover free against Louisville. The question is, can Miami keep relying on Ward like this for the rest of the season?
Where is the defense?
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As mentioned, Ward has not only had to bail out Miami for any offensive woes, but he’s also had to do just as much to overcome the defensive issues the Hurricanes have had lately.
Through Miami’s first three games, they allowed no more than 17 points. However, since then, starting with Virginia Tech, they’ve given up 34 or more points in every game, including a season-high 45 against Louisville in Week 8. Granted, this shift can be partly attributed to the stronger competition that came with the start of ACC play, with the exception of the Florida game in Week 1. Still, the defensive struggles are surprising.
Cristobal and his staff heavily invested in the transfer portal to rebuild much of the defensive line to support ACC Rookie of the Year Rueben Bain Jr. this season. Bain has just recently returned from injury dating back to the Florida game, but the pressure up front has been lacking lately, allowing opposing quarterbacks plenty of time to find open receivers. That said, Miami did manage to apply pressure against the Cardinals, notching three sacks when it mattered most.
The biggest issues for Miami defensively have been missed tackles and allowing explosive plays, which often go hand in hand. It’s as if, once the ACC schedule started, the Hurricanes forgot how to tackle. Against Louisville, Miami defenders missed 10 tackles (per Pro Football Focus) and allowed 14 plays of 15 or more yards, including one for more than 30 yards, according to InsideTheU.
These defensive lapses are what kept Louisville in the game on Saturday, just as they did with Virginia Tech and Cal in the previous two, with a combined 38 missed tackles. Many of these explosive plays are a result of the team’s weakest unit—the secondary. However, Miami’s lack of pressure up front, combined with poor tackling, hasn’t done the defensive backs any favors either.
