Across the Beat: Getting to know Miami

Miami, it seems, was not the ready-made powerhouse some people (*looks in mirror*) thought it to be when Mario Cristobal left Oregon to come home.

The Hurricanes are 3-3 and while losing at Texas A&M and to UNC are hardly catastrophic losses, the middle game in that three-game slide – a 45-31 loss to Middle Tennessee – will be a blemish no matter what happens in the second half of the season.

Miami’s 47-10 win against Duke last season spelled the end of David Cutcliffe’s tenure as coach, and we know how different of a team the Blue Devils are this season.

To get to know more about the Hurricanes, we’ve enlisted the help of Marcus Benjamin, publisher of Canes County on the Rivals network.

Here is our five-part Q&A:

1. I like to start these with a simple vibe check so … where exactly is Miami in Year One of Mario Cristobal?

Answer: Well, you are what your record says you are and at 3-3, Miami is an average team. The Hurricanes have perhaps underachieved because of the loss to Middle Tennessee which is still a tough one to swallow, but there are still questions as to how good (or bad) this team is.

Miami has yet to put together a complete game. At times the defense looked great (Virginia Tech, Texas A&M), and other times atrocious (Middle Tennessee). The running game looked great for the first few games but has become invisible in the last two.

Miami came into last week as the least penalized team in the ACC and ended the game committing 17 penalties. Week after week it seems they just can't put it all together.

Cristobal learned that there are depth issues that he is looking to resolve in recruiting and with the transfer portal in years to come. But this year is a clear indication that this is a rebuild and the Canes are a long ways away from bringing 'the U' back.

2. One week I’m seeing that quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was benched in the loss to Middle Tennessee; the next game he throws for 496 yards (albeit against UNC’s league-worst defense). Which version will Duke be facing when it travels to Miami?

Answer: Definitely the latter. Tyler Van Dyke has definitely turned the corner and then some from that Middle Tennessee debacle. In his last two games, Van Dyke has lit it up to the tune of 847 yards, completing 68% of his passes and throwing for five TDs and one pick.

After the first two games he lost his go-to wide receiver Xavier Restrepo to injury and struggled to find a new primary target. He's spread the ball around since then completing passes to a bevy of pass catchers that includes Will Mallory, Colbie Young, Michael Redding III, Brashard Smith, Key'Shawn Smith and Frank Ladson.

He definitely resembles the projected first-round pick that we thought he would be coming into the season. That Middle Tennessee game seems as if it was the wake-up call he needed. He's back to 'Tyler Van Dimes' again.

3. I know Van Dyke has been limited in what weapons he has to work with – most notably the absence of Xavier Restrepo. Are the Hurricanes getting healthier, or will this still be a diminished group?

Answer: Still no Xavier Restrepo in this game, and a couple of weeks ago, Miami lost its promising backup tight end Elijah Arroyo. It's been a next-man-up mentality for the wide receivers and tight ends.

The talent is there, it's just a young group that had to grow up pretty quickly.

4. The averages say Miami’s defense has been … decent? How heavily do the Hurricanes rely on that unit, and how confident are you that it continues holding up and giving them chances to win games?

Answer: As I eluded to earlier, the defense has been hit or miss.

The secondary has given up some big plays this season, but last week against Virginia Tech they seemed to fix those issues. The defense has been solid overall and played well enough to win games. They have yet to prove that they put they can put a team on its back to win a game.

Against North Carolina, Miami could not stop the Tar Heels from engineering a 17-play 81-yard drive in the fourth quarter. The drive resulted in a field goal, the difference in the game.

I’m not confident that this group would prevent a situation like that from happening again.

5. What I watched of last week’s game against Virginia Tech, Miami was much more in control of the game than to win 20-14. How concerning is it that the fourth quarter performance bleeds into this game?

Answer: Penalties almost allowed Virginia Tech to steal that win. Those mental errors don't usually continue at home games.

What does concern me is a lack of running game in the last two games. Miami's top rusher Henry Parrish Jr. should be back in this game which should bring back success in this area.

There were some time management issues from last week that I'm sure were addressed in the film room, but Miami should not rely on the passing game to close out games, it's a recipe for disaster. The lack of a strong running game allows teams to construct comebacks. The running game needs to get better.

Bonus: Who wins and why?

I think Miami has found something on offense in its win last week against Virginia Tech. As long they do not beat themselves, Miami should win its second conference game Saturday. I think it's close but Miami should walk away with the win.

Miami beats Duke 27-24.