A watershed year for the Miami Hurricanes is finally coming to an end.
Historic losses to Cincinnati and Clemson, an improbable win over Duke that was the topic of seemingly never ending controversy, another close loss to Florida State, and the long awaited firing of Al Golden; the program had finally reached an all-time low.
The hiring of Mark Richt has lifted the spirits in Coral Gables, however. The ride is almost over and will hopefully end with the final dip with an appearance in the Sun Bowl versus Washington State.
2015 Sun Bowl
On Saturday, Miami will take on the Cougars who come into the game at 8-4. Wazzu’s season started on a low note with an upset loss to FCS Portland State 24-17 on opening day, but wins over Pac-12 powers Oregon and UCLA along with a narrow defeat to Stanford have practically erased the upset from memory.
Head coach Mike Leach seems to have the program headed in the right direction, finishing third in the Pac-12 North – the Cougs have ended the season a spot higher each year since his arrival in 2012.
Vegas has the Cougars favored by a narrow margin of 1.5 at the time of writing and have a 51.1% chance to win based on ESPN’s confidence index, but the Hurricanes have an advantage that can lead to an upset by the ‘experts’ accounts.
Miami’s Offensive Firepower
Miami’s offense has shown flashes of being explosive with the weapons of Brad Kaaya, Stacy Coley and the emerging freshman David Njoku in the passing game. This explosiveness was on display throughout the first half versus Nebraska, and with Wazzu surrendering 223 yards per game, Miami should have just as many big plays to set the tone early.
Though Kaaya and his receivers give the offense their pop, Miami has depended on the legs of Joe Yearby and Mark Walton to carry the team as the season has worn on. The Hurricanes average 120 rushing yards per game and should have no problem running on a Cougars defense that allows 200 yards a contest.
Defense Should Dominate
Washington St. has fully immersed itself in the pass happy spread offense that Mark Leach is known for, averaging an FBS leading 397 yards per game on the arm of quarterback Luke Falk. Faulk wasn’t able to play in the Apple Cup against Washington after being carted off the field the previous game against Colorado but will get the start Saturday.
Though Miami was gashed on the scoreboard by the spread based offenses of Clemson and North Carolina, the Hurricanes never gave up more than 200 yards through the air. Both schools offense are predicated on the run, a facet that is virtually nonexistent in the Cougars offense.
The Cougars average an FBS worst 80 yards per game, making their running game a non-factor. Miami can play off of Washington St., and dictate the pace of the game if they are able to slow down the pass game early. With a defensive backfield made up of Artie Burns and Rayshawn Jenkins, along with a good pass rush against an offensive front that allows three sacks per game, the Miami defense will be able to slow down the pass happy Cougars.
A Much Needed Victory
With everything the Hurricanes have been through this season and with the potential that the future is showing, it will be more than fitting that they are able to end this season with a win to build off of heading into 2016. The underdog yet again, a slept on Miami team will be able to pull out a victory in the Sun Bowl as they begin to wake up from the suspended animation of the past decade.
