When the season started not many predicted the Miami Hurricanes to have three losses at this point. So to say Miami has fallen short of expectations would be the honest truth. It has to be remembered they are coming off of a ten win season, where at one point they were number two in the playoff rankings.
Nonetheless Miami is now on a two game losing streak, looking to fix the mistakes against Duke. The season is still yet very much alive in terms of winning the division, although Miami no longer controls their own destiny. So let’s focus on the things that Miami can control to finish this season strong.
Show Growth
In recent weeks coach Mark Richt has been the subject of much criticism, not just by fans but by alumni also. Legendary Hurricane and NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp even took to Twitter to declare Miami as dead under the head coach.
It’s official!! The U is Dead Under @MarkRicht !!!
— Warren Sapp (@WarrenSapp) October 27, 2018
And he wasn’t the only one. Fans are lobbying for Richt to give up play calling. After back to back performances of 13 and 14 points against Virginia and Boston College, the claims are justified. The reason is because no one sees any growth coming from that part of the team. If Miami is going to lose, it would be to the benefit of the team’s future to lose with a younger player at quarterback. Against Virginia N’Kosi Perry was pulled in the first half for Malik Rosier, just one week after throwing four touchdowns. Afterwards Richt announced Rosier as the starter for Boston College and maintained that Perry would still play. That never happened.
It has created doubt as to whether Richt believes Perry to be the quarterback of the future. If he i not, fans would much rather see Jarren Williams play the final four games of the season then Rosier. Miami’s offense continues to look stagnant under Rosier but the blame ultimately falls on Richt for continuing to play him.
Win Out
It sounds simple enough and it is something Miami is actually capable of doing. In Richt’s first season at Miami, the Hurricanes lost four games in October and ended the season on a five game winning streak. Even after winning 10 games in a row, the three game losing streak helped offset some of the excitement. Consequently, Miami’s goal of winning the Coastal Division can only be attained by winning out. Although the team would need Virginia to falter down the stretch, the goal is still in reach. The ACC Coastal is unpredictable and could very well turn back into Miami’s favor.
The path to winning also could benefit Miami because two of the last four games are on the road. A road win against a power five team could potentially help gain confidence on what is relatively a young team. If the team is able to revamp it’s play, there are plenty of bowl games against formidable opponents that could help end Miami’s season on a high note.
Final Thoughts
The Hurricanes began the season as the number eight team and so far have proven the doubters right. However the team is not as bad as they’ve played recently. Miami could very well be a quarterback and new offensive play caller away from reestablishing itself as a premier team. Last season when Miami won, everyone was happy with the result but there were still lingering issues that weren’t addressed. With back to back losses and heat coming from every direction, it could be rewarding to Miami’s future to now address these issues.
Miami just had it’s first ten win season. It took Clemson four years of ten or more wins before they were able to reach the playoffs. If Miami is able to finish with double digit wins for two consecutive seasons, the season can still be salvaged.
