Tua Tagovailoa greets Kyle Van Noy after the Dolphins' win at New England.

Pressure Point: Xavien Howard saves Miami Dolphins from gut-wrenching defeat

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This is why the Miami Dolphins had to pay Xavien Howard and make their star cornerback happy.

Their best player saved them from a gut-wrenching loss Sunday at New England.

The Patriots avoided throwing in his direction all day. Then, with a one-point lead slipping away, Howard dislodged the ball from Damien Harris and dug it out at the Miami 9 with 3:31 remaining.

Thanks to the timely takeaway in the red zone, the Dolphins ended up with an uplifting if somewhat unlikely 17-16 victory.

It was nice to see Bill Belichick in the role of Charlie Brown with the football yanked away at the last instant, for a change.

But it was a victory to leave Dolfans feeling somewhat queasy.

Patriots’ Jones impresses in first NFL start

Consider the Patriots’ lopsided advantage in yards gained, 393 to 259, and in time of possession by nearly 13 ½ minutes.

And that they didn’t have an answer for rookie Mac Jones, who played like a seasoned veteran in his first NFL start.

Jones led an offense that converted 11 of 16 third-down situations.

Tua Tagovailoa gets the W in the Battle of Bama quarterbacks. But Jones had the advantage. He completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards, a touchdown and passer rating of 102.6.

As the afternoon turned to dusk, it felt like many Dolphins-Patriots games throughout the Tom Brady era. Except it was Mac Jones playing pitch-and-catch with his receivers. Making every correct decision. Stepping up to avoid the rush or letting it go just in time — on time and on target. Time and time again.

Even though Miami held the lead most of the second half, a New England victory seemed inevitable until Howard’s heroics.

Tagovailoa wasn’t bad. He led impressive touchdown drives on the first Miami possession of each half. He capped an 80-yard drive with a three-yard keeper for the early lead. Then connected with rookie Jaylen Waddle from three yards out to end a 75-yard drive in nine plays for a 17-10 Miami lead after halftime.

Tagovailoa can’t quiet critics

Tagovailoa’s performance won’t quiet his doubters in Twitter land, though.

He ended the day 16 of 27 for 202 yards and a passer rating of 79.6. In addition to the touchdown to Waddle, he made a horrendous decision in throwing a desperation pass on the run that was picked off late in the fourth quarter.

That set up New England for a would-be winning drive until Howard intervened.

Tua would have gotten savaged on Twitter this week if that pick had cost the Dolphins the game. He still may. Not that it matters.

What does matter is that more flaws were revealed than Dolfans would have expected after a busy offseason, especially on offense. After that sublime opening drive, it was crickets from the offense for most of the rest of the half.

The Dolphins went a stretch in which they gained 17 yards over a span of 11 plays. Three consecutive possessions lasted less than a minute and a half.

Somehow tight end Mike Gesicki was targeted only twice all game and finished without a catch.

Dolphins leave much room for improvement

The offensive line still looks suspect. Pass protection was shaky and there wasn’t a lot of space for the running game.

Rookie tackle Liam Eichenberg got beaten badly for a sack and was flagged for a penalty that wiped out a gain. Guard Solomon Kindley got caught downfield on a pass, negating a first-down reception.

But credit the men up front on the final possession when they ground out the first down needed to kill the clock. Tua also had a first-down toss to DeVante Parker on that drive.

The most positive sign of the day was rookie Waddle showing evidence of the dynamic weapon envisioned when Miami selected him sixth overall in April. He finished with four catches for 61 yards, including a leaping grab for 36 yards. That made up for a bad drop on a third-down pass that killed one possession.

On the short touchdown catch, Waddle did a nice job slipping the ball inside the pylon.

Defensively, the Miami pass rush was lacking except for Emmanuel Ogbah, who looks like a monster.

Xavien Howard saves day for Dolphins

Overall the defense gave a lot of ground but on three occasions made the Patriots settle for field goals after lengthy drives. They had two takeaways, extending their streak to 23 games with at least one, longest active in the NFL.

Then Xavien Howard showed why he is indispensable by making the kind of play it takes to win at New England.

Any win at Gillette Stadium is an accomplishment not to be taken lightly.

It’s always preferable to be trying to fix shortcomings coming off a win. Especially when the other three teams in the AFC East lost on Sunday.

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Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Road to the Orange Bowl: Oregon upset paves playoff path for Pac-12

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The Pac-12 has been left out of the college football playoff picture for many years. The only two teams from the conference to reach the playoff have been Oregon in the first edition and Washington in 2016. 

Yet after five years on the outside looking in, there may finally be hope for the Pac-12 in the form of Mario Cristobal’s Ducks. 

There were originally some concern after beating Fresno State by only a touchdown but Oregon’s 35-28 upset win over No. 3 Ohio State has the newly ranked No. 4 Ducks in the CFP hunt as the Pac-12’s flagship program. 

Ohio State hasn’t lost a regular season game since 2018 against Purdue but the Buckeyes’ were shown to be vulnerable to the ground game. Minnesota senior running back Mo Ibrahim ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State last week.  

The Ducks were carried by junior running back CJ Verdell, who ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns and also caught three passes for 34 yards and a score. 

“We saw the Minnesota running back was having a good game, and we wanted to do the same thing,” Verdell said after the game.

It seems like an entire NFL big board could be compiled of running backs on Ohio State’s schedule. 

It’s not quite a fatal loss for the Buckeyes, but it does leave with running the conference table as their only remaining path. Ohio State, now on the outside looking in at No. 9, will take on a Tulsa team that nearly defeated Oklahoma State after losing to UC Davis of the FCS ranks the week before. 

As for Oregon, all that’s left is to win the Pac-12 title. The Ducks have a good chance of running the table but a midseason matchup with No. 13 UCLA, led by former Ducks coach Chip Kelly makes for an interesting obstacle. 

Outside of Stanford, who avenged its lopsided loss to Kansas State with a convincing win over then ranked No. 14 USC, the Pac-12 North Division is entirely winnable. Whoever comes out of the South Division to meet in the Pac-12 title game maybe a harder challenge. As of now it’s race between UCLA and No. 19 Arizona State, who took care of UNLV. The two teams face off on October 2 in the Rose Bowl.  

Rat poison proof

After dismantling Miami last week, No. 1 Alabama mauled Mercer 48-14 on Saturday. As seemingly customary during the week against an outmatched opponent, head coach Nick Saban goes on his yack-fest calling the media and other outside influences “rat poison.” 

The schtick is getting old, especially coming off a season in which the Crimson Tide won the national championship playing an all-conference schedule. With Mercer, Southern Miss and New Mexico State slated this season, maybe the schedule is the rat poison. Why waste money scheduling those teams when there are fourth other conferences littered with worthy opponents (in name only)?

As usual, there seems to be no stopping Alabama this season. At least the upcoming games against No. 11 Florida, No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 7 Texas A&M will make for interesting potential roadblocks. 

Closing the gap

There has been a growing trend this season of Power 5 teams having trouble against lower level counterparts. 

The first week of the season saw FCS beat six FBS opponents including Montana upsetting Washington, who were ranked No. 20 at the time. The opening week also saw Washington State, Duke, Cal, Illinois and Georgia Tech fall to FBS opponents. 

There weren’t as many upsets this week but there were a lot of close calls. No. 22 Miami almost followed up an embarrassing loss to Alabama with an even more embarrassing loss to Appalachian State. It took a game winning field goal to save the Hurricanes’ hide. 

No. 12 Notre Dame also needed some fourth quarter magic to topple Toledo 32-29. South Carolina needed a game winning field goal just to beat East Carolina. Same goes for Vanderbilt against Colorado State. Oklahoma State and Minnesota both won by only five points against Tulsa and Miami OH. Kansas State had a harder time with Southern Illinois than it did against Stanford the week before. 

There was one upset and if involved Florida State. Jacksonville State shocked the Seminoles  20-13 by scoring 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Florida native Damond Philyaw-Johnson’s only catch in the game was a 59-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the game. 

Just goes to show in 2021, you can’t take a victory over a G5 or FCS team for granted. 

Welcome to the SEC

The season started with the shocking news of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, making the already power packed conference even more powerful. 

While the move won’t happen until 2025, Texas got an early look at what its new life will be like with a Week 2 matchup against Arkansas. It wasn’t pretty as the Razorbacks stampeded over the Longhorns 40-21. 

Arkansas ran for 333 yards against Texas. The last time the Razorbacks had a run game that prolific was in 2016, which was also their last winning season. 

Texas started the Steve Sarkisian era with a win over then ranked No. 23 Louisiana but a blowout loss to one of the SEC’s weaker teams brought the Longhorns back down to Earth.

“This was not a performance I was anticipating,” first-year coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“Welcome to the SEC, I guess,” Arkansas linebacker Hayden Henry said. 

Despite the loss, the Big 12 may still be a race between Texas and Oklahoma. 

Potential party crashers

No. 23 BYU hast started the season with wins over Arizona and No. 21 Utah and could crash the playoff party this season before entering the Big 12. 

The Cougars already snapped their long losing streak against their arch rivals with a 26-17 win over the Utes. A win over Arizona State would position them nicely for a potential perfect season ending with a trip to USC.

BYU is certainly taking advantage of its independence this season with seven Power 5 opponents on the schedule. Running the table this time around could give the Cougars their best chance at the playoff since leaving the Mountain West Conference a decade ago.

Dolphins

Dolphins 3 keys to the Season: Defense

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As the Miami Dolphins prepare to begin the regular season, hopes are undeniably high among the fan base.

So with this in mind, here are the three keys to defensive success this season.

Scoring Defense

The Dolphins were ranked the majority of the 2020 season ranked near the top of several key defensive categories. The most important category, points per game (PPG), Miami finished sixth in the league, giving up only 21.1 PPG. 

 

Miami recorded 41 sacks ranking in the top half of all NFL Teams, 10th overall. The Dolphins led the NFL with 29 takeaways and continued their takeaway streak from 2019 to 22 games last season. Currently, it is the longest active streak in the NFL and third longest streak in team history.

Miami’s 3rd down defense was the best in the NFL last season, limiting opposing teams to a 31.2 conversion rate. That is the best mark since 1999 (28.8%). 

 

Not to mention they did not allow a touchdown in three different games in 2020. Two coming against the New York Jets and against the New England Patriots.

If the Dolphins defense was able to accomplish this while starting three different rookies in 2020, having this defense return along with new rookie additions we should expect this defense to continue their dominance.

Raekwon Davis and the DL

Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis was one of the league’s best rookie defensive linemen in 2020, earning All-Rookie team honors. Despite primarily playing the nose position in Flores’ defense he collected 40 tackles, the second most by a rookie D-lineman in 2020. 

The Dolphins beefed up front by adding DL Adam Butler and DT John Jenkins. In 63 career games with the New England Patriots, Butler has 15 sacks.  Jenkins enters his ninth NFL season and had 34 tackles for Miami in his first stint with the team in 2019. Jenkins and Butler will add extra depth and keep Wilkins and Sieler’s legs fresh in crucial moments.

Davis, Wilkins, and Sieler are stout run defenders, per PFF they were three of the Top 5 run defenders on the team last season. These 3 will be critical in helping to stop the run and allow Linebackers to clean up tackles and make plays in space.

Furthermore, it should open up avenues for the pass rush to get better with the addition of first round rookie Jaelan Phillips. He’s fundamentally sound and has the toolkit to wreak havoc against opposing offensive line in Brian Flores’ scheme.

Emmanuel Ogbah was able to become one of the league’s most productive pass rushers in 2020, his first season as a Dolphin. If Ogbah can continue the same success, the Dolphins Defense could look scarier compared to last season. He saw a six-game sack streak come to an end in Denver. The streak was tied for the second-longest in team history behind Hall of Fame LB/DE Jason Taylor’s eight-game streak in 2002. 

Brian Flores and Josh Boyer create pressure through exotic schemes and blitzes, but with the addition of new talent and returning players it may become effortless.

Weapon X

Cornerback Xavien Howard led the league with 10 interceptions last year, earning a Pro Bowl selection and being named first-team All-Pro. He became the first NFL player since 2007 to record double-digit INTs in a season. He also bailed out the Dolphins countless times, at times leading them to wins.

 

Howard had two interception streaks during the season, one being a four-game streak and the other a five game streak, which is tied for the longest in team history. Howard was limited to five games in 2019 and 12 in 2018 due to injury. Currently, he still leads the NFL in interceptions dating back to 2017.

 

In 2020, his 20 passes pass breakups were a career high and also led the NFL. It was the most by a Dolphins player in a single season since CB Patrick Surtain had 21 in 2000.

Having Howard back for this season amid an offseason controversy regarding his contract is huge as the secondary would have taken a big blow without him.

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Tua Tagovailoa should have competition to push him for the Miami Dolphins starting job next season

Pressure Point: Opening at New England perfect gauge for Miami Dolphins

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No NFL team relishes making a road trip to New England — certainly not for the past couple decades. For the Miami Dolphins, facing the Patriots at Foxborough in Sunday’s opener is the perfect challenge to begin one of the most important seasons in franchise history.

The Buffalo Bills are the team to beat in the AFC East, a bona fide Super Bowl contender. But the Patriots are the best gauge for where the Dolphins stand right now and what was achieved during the offseason.

It will be tough as hell. It always is going into Gillette Stadium.

And that’s the point: It will give an indication if the Dolphins really are moving beyond rebuilding mode into not only attaining but being capable of advancing in the playoffs.

It is a prime opportunity for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins to shred the doubters and begin the season with a significant statement.

The Patriots are coming off their first losing season (7-9) since 2000, their first missing the playoffs since 2008.

Patriots aim for bounce back

Worse, for Bill Belichick, he had to watch Tom Brady win the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. Then he got busy retooling his roster, doling out more than $150 million guaranteed in free agency with particular attention to fortifying a substandard offense, especially the receiving corps and line. Then he went all in on rookie quarterback Mac Jones (drafted 15th overall) and cut ties with Cam Newton.

Most of the so-called national experts are already ranking the Patriots above the Dolphins, who went 10-6 in 2020 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
Nine of 11 of ESPN staff members are picking the Patriots in the opener. Home-field advantage certainly factors into that. But what about the Patriots starting a rookie quarterback in his first NFL game?

Already national sentiment is favoring Jones over Tua Tagovailoa, who preceded him at Alabama.
Michael David Smith, of Pro Football Talk, wrote: “I’m looking forward to the Mac Jones–Tua Tagovailoa quarterback matchup, one in which I see Jones coming out on top.”

The offseason has been rife with silly Tua drama, from a flurry of interceptions in one OTA practice to concern now that him not being voted offensive captain indicates he’s not a leader.

Tua can lead on field

Wide receiver Mack Hollins, who was voted offensive captain, said this week, “Just because you’re a quarterback or just because you’re this doesn’t mean you have to be the captain or you have to be this.

“Tua is an excellent leader, an exceptional leader. The transformation he’s made from last year to this year is incredible. I think you all have seen that in how calm he feels in the pocket now versus last year.

“If you put a clip side-by-side, the changes he’s made are really night and day. That goes to leadership. It’s not like his arm magically got 10-times better. It goes to his confidence, his ability to lead and feel comfortable in the huddle.”

Brian Flores puts Dolphins quarterback controversy to rest

Tagovailoa will have a chance to add validity to all of that on Sunday. He will be on the spot to do so.

He certainly has a lot to prove. Based on what he showed in training camp and two preseason games, I’m confident in Tua — that he will distinguish himself, that the Dolphins can win with him. That he will prove to be the leader of the offense that they need.

And that over the course of the season his performance will provide a serious dose of “Shut the F up” to the critics.

He has more play-makers to work with now. I can’t wait to see No. 6 overall pick Jaylen Waddle unleashed in the regular season.

Offensive line Dolphins’ biggest question

To me, the key to the Dolphins’ success this season — the No. 1 area of concern — is the offensive line. The Dolphins have invested heavily in trying to build that unit with five picks since 2019 on the roster. It remains a bigger question mark than Tagovailoa.

If GM Chris Grier and Co. got it wrong with those players, that will stunt the progress on offense.

The defense is already good enough — the Dolphins allowed the sixth-fewest points in 2020 — and has every reason to be better this season.

Scanning the roster, the lack of star players is undeniable. But there is more quality depth than the Dolphins have had in years.

The 10-6 season gave credence to Grier’s roster building and to coach Brian Flores’ system. But taking the next step to elite will be tougher.

Standing in Miami’s way in the division are those formidable Bills and likely improved Pats.

Certainly, Tagovailoa and the offensive line have to perform a lot better than in the past. But the same can be said for much of the roster.

Dolphins’ mission clear

Judging from all the predictions, there’s not a lot of belief in these Dolphins. It borders on disrespect.

It’s up to them to change the conversation.

If you’re embarking on a mission of “Shut the F Up” in the NFL, can’t think of a better place to start than at New England.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Led by Boca native Michael Pratt, nomadic Tulane a potential AAC contender

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As a Group of 5 program with minimal success in the face of the No. 2 team in the nation, if victory is unattainable, the next best thing is to win respect. 

Tulane fell to No. 2 Oklahoma 40-35 but has come away as a team worth respecting this season. The Green Wave entered the season aiming for a fourth straight bowl appearance but their performance on the road has broaden aspirations. 

One of the main reasons why is the emergence of Boca Raton native Michael Pratt. Prior to joining the Green Wave, Pratt led Deerfield Beach High School to the Florida Class 8A Semifinals as a senior in 2019.

The freshman quarterback made his debut last season in a year that doesn’t count towards eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic. After taking the reins in Week 3, he finished the year with 1,806 yards passing and 20 touchdowns, the most among any true freshman quarterback in the nation. He also scored eight touchdowns on the ground. 

With Pratt under center, Tulane went from 2-4 to 6-4 going to its third straight bowl game. The Green Wave offense scored at least 21 points or more each game throughout the season.

Pratt was practically the entire offense against the Sooners last week, throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Green Wave in rushing with 34 yards and a touchdown. An argument could be made that he out-dueled Heisman Trophy frontrunner Spencer Rattler, who throw form 304 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. 

The Sooners led 37-14 at halftime and normally a score like that in Week 1 would mean it’s time to hit the clicker and find a more compelling game. Tulane outscored Oklahoma 21-3 in the second half to nearly pull off the comeback. 

For not winning by a higher margin, Oklahoma dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 in the rankings this week.

“That was one of the hardest hitting teams, one of the most physical teams I’ve played,” Rattler said after the game. “They came out there, and they played great, better than us, for sure. They wanted to win more than us. You could tell it.”

Tulane has gone from one crazy season to the next. After a year that kept fans away from the stadium, Tula has yet to play in their home turf due to Hurricane Ida. The opener against Oklahoma was supposed to be in New Orleans and this week’s game against Morgan State has been moved to Birmingham, Ala. 

“It’s an unusual story what we’re doing right now,” Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “We’re in a hotel and I don’t know how long were going to be here. We’re well taken care of, and I think I’ve mentioned it the other day in our team meeting, I told the guys that I haven’t been in a hotel this nice until I was over 40 years old, I mean this is a nice place here this Sheraton. We’re getting feed well and everything else, but we are a bit disconnected from what normal is right now. We just want to get better and its easy for me to do that, but I must convince a bunch of 18–22-year old’s that every day we got to get out there and focus, concentrate, and get better.”

Assuming the Green Wave dispatches their FCS opponent on Saturday, the next true test will come at Oxford against No. 20 Ole Miss. Even if that game also results in a close loss, Tulane could go into the American Athletic Conference slate with every game seen as a winnable one. 

No. 7 Cincinnati is seen as the favorite to run the table and win the conference title again but it might have competition this time around. 

Hurricanes Flub Their Lines in Opener

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The stage was set.

The once proud Miami Hurricanes were going to take on Goliath, a college football dynasty, at its peak.

We were under no illusion of victory. That was a bridge too far.

But we certainly were reasonable in assuming Miami would try and get some punches in. When I go to a Fast and Furious movie, I don’t expect to see some sort of life changing move a la Schindler’s List. But I do expect Vin Diesel and cars.

I didn’t get that on Saturday. I got Gigli.

The biggest crime the Hurricanes committed on Saturday wasn’t that they were outclassed, although they were.

The biggest crime the Hurricanes committed on Saturday wasn’t that they missed tackles, although they did.

The biggest crime the Hurricanes committed on Saturday wasn’t that they were physically dominated, although they were.

No, to a certain extent, sans the missed tackles, a lot of that was expected.

The Hurricanes crime on Saturday was they were boring. Everyone knew it would take something extraordinary, other-worldly for Miami to win that game. So, you expected them to throw the kitchen sink at Alabama.

Instead, we got run plays on 3rd and 7, we saw no trick plays, we saw very vanilla offense and defense. Miami didn’t just get destroyed by Alabama, they set up to get destroyed, accepted their fate. They capitulated. I wanted them to empty the clip, and instead they waved the white flag.

I wanted Tony Montana telling Alabama to say hello to our little friend, and instead I got the lawyer from Jurassic Park abandoning children in an unsuccessful attempt to save himself. The lasting memories of this game for Canes fans will not be the displays of brilliance from Alabama, but the shameful cowardice of the Hurricanes’ approach.

The Shame of It

The saddest part of the game was actually the 2nd half, when the Canes opened up offensively and defensively. Granted, the game was over. Granted Alabama had taken their foot off the gas. But they were plays to be made, and Miami made some of them. They drove multiple times, they scored, they played some defense.

Some dubious officiating is likely what prevented the Hurricanes from playing an even second half (or maybe even winning it) on the scoreboard.

Of course, context matters. Had the game been moderately competitive, you knew Alabama would always be able to crank it into high gear and pull away. So certainly that the Hurricanes play making started after the game was essentially over was far from a coincidence.

But there were 2 parts that went into that, and only one is that Alabama naturally let up. The other part? Miami didn’t actually try to threaten Alabama until the game was over.

As the game unfolded, you saw our players put in a position to fail, and compete their butts off. Rallying to tackles, almost oblivious to the score. Late in the game. The effort was there, the pride was there.

What was lacking was basically everything the coaches are responsible. When the Canes weren’t missing tackles and blocks, their defensive leader was getting ejected for a brain-dead, completely unnecessary targeting penalty that was so difficult to actually accomplish it looked like he was trying to get ejected. You can’t blame the player, though. Because it’s never one player, and it’s never the same one. It’s always multiple players exhibiting committing similar mistakes. When it is a one off, that could be a player. When it is systemic, that’s the coaches.

The players wanted to rise to the moment, but the coaches did not give them the ability to even attempt to do that.

Never Again

This has been a rolling pattern for Manny Diaz’s Canes…poor preparation when there was additional time to prepare, big game yips, blown out at the critical moment.

Some of that is the opponent, but most of it rests squarely on the coaches’ shoulders. Whatever they’re doing is not working.

This can’t happen again. Manny Diaz’s administration is teetering. You’d have to bury your head in the sand to not have doubts. But he has 11 games to right the ship. The task in front of him is arduous. He needs to win enough to arrive at the big stage (the ACC Championship game, likely against Clemson), then deliver on that stage. Not necessarily win, but at least show the team has a clue, that they are capable of competing against college football’s elites.

Miami’s test on Saturday was not to beat Bama, but to prove they belonged. They didn’t do that. To say, “well Bama does this to everyone” is to jettison Miami to the scrap heap of college football, defining them as an also ran. If that is the desire of this school, this fan base, then so be it and we’ll stop pretending we’re trying to “Build Champions.”

But if not, then the next time Miami enters this stage, they must show they at least belong on the field. Otherwise, administration-level changes need to be made. The sands in the hour-glass are truly accelerating, time is short. The sun is setting on the historic remains of a once proud program.

For Miami to pass the test in their next go ’round, they actually have to show up to take it. Against Alabama, the coaches decided they weren’t good enough to do that.

The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit. –Morgan Freeman

The players certainly didn’t quit on Saturday, but the coaches appeared to do so before the game even started, never preparing to win. You only get so many chances, and Miami can’t afford to waste any more.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports and generally covers the Miami Hurricanes. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Accept This as the new Standard for the Miami Hurricanes

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The standard set two decades ago by the Miami Hurricanes football team is unrealistic today.

Fans who are old enough to remember the last great era of Hurricanes football have been waiting.

And waiting.

Year after year, preseason expectations soar.

While season after season, the final results crash and burn.

The fact of the matter is, the Miami Hurricanes are just another team in college football.

Just another mid-tier ACC team.

Which at this point in the Manny Diaz era should be expected.

Preseason accolades fuel evasive goals and status, like the facade of Miami entering the game ranked 14th in the country.

An arbitrary, vaguely assigned numeric value which means absolutely nothing.

Stop buying into it.

Treadmill of Coaching Mediocrity

Since Larry Coker’s last season in 2006, the Hurricanes have had three full time coaches prior to Diaz.

Randy Shannon (28-22)

Al Golden (32-25)

Mark Richt (26-12)

Richt’s record at Georgia from 2001 through 2015 was a stellar 145-51, and he led the charge for the new indoor practice facility at Miami.

Shannon would eventually lose control of the program, while Golden’s tenure took it completely off the rails.

Both saw scandal and poor on-field play undermine almost any positives.

Richt brought stability, pedigree, and a foundation of structure from a career competing against the top coaches in the SEC.

Enter Diaz, who like the names before him can recruit at a high level.

His record sits at 14-10, a similar trend to Shannon and Golden.

How soon is too soon to overreact?

Miami has shown so far in his tenure that they are several rungs below the upper echelon in college football.

Good news…so is almost every other team in the land.

Protect Your House

When Miami left the Big East after the 2003 season, the ACC was supposed to be their playground.

The Hurricanes decimated opponents in the Big East, leaving a catastrophic wake as their namesake implies.

However since joining the ACC, Miami has become just another team bowing at the alter of Clemson.

Richt took the Hurricanes to their only ACC Championship appearance, where they were summarily destroyed by Clemson 38-3.

Supporters of the Hurricanes should not expect the team to compete with the likes of Alabama.

When the memory of giving up 62 points to North Carolina is still vivid.

However, all is not lost in Coral Gables, as one game does not make a season.

Especially one few thought Miami had any prayer of victory in to begin with.

The Atlantic Coast Conference could be down this year, as both Clemson and North Carolina already have losses as well.

Realistically, ACC championship game appearances on the regular should be one of the first goals.

The Hurricanes are building a talent base, but are lacking the cache to compete with the chalk of college football.

First they must start winning the games they should, easily.

Starting with Appalachian State.

Take care of the ACC pack, then extinguish a rebuilding UNC team like a Category 5 monster.

Peak late instead of early.

While far away from programs such as Alabama and Georgia, Miami is still on the precipice of being an ACC contender.

Which is all anyone could ask of them at this point.

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Tua Tagovailoa should have competition to push him for the Miami Dolphins starting job next season

Dolphins 3 keys to the Season: Offense

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As the Miami Dolphins prepare to begin the regular season, hopes are undeniably high among the fan base.

So with this in mind, here are the three keys to offensive success this season.

Possession and Scoring

In 2020, Miami was one of the NFL’s fastest-starting teams. In the first quarter of games, the Dolphins outscored opponents 103-55. The +48 point differential in the opening frame was the second best in the NFL.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Dolphins were third in the NFL in first-quarter scoring, averaging 6.4 points.

The 2020 Dolphins offense was one of Miami’s most productive offenses in recent years, despite having several rookie starters. The unit averaged 339.0 yards per game, the highest since 2014. 

Miami gained 345 first downs, which was tied for the second-most the team’s had since at least 1991 and was the most since the 2014 season. The Dolphins also recorded their best time of possession (31:16 average) since 1999.

If the Dolphins can continuously get out to fast starts with a brand new offense that looks to score early and often this season it will stress opposing teams to score and make mistakes.

Sort of like the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mike Gesicki and the TE Unit

The tight end unit was the most productive group in Dolphins history. TE Mike Gesicki led the TE room with 53 receptions for 703 yards, and six touchdowns. His 703 receiving yards were the fourth best among all tight ends in 2020 and trails only Randy McMichael in Dolphins History.

The Tua to Gesicki connection will be one of the most important things to watch out for this season. An offseason together should have both Tua and Mike in sync. Along with former TEs coach George Godsey as the co-offensive coordinator, the offense could be predicated on getting Gesicki moving the chains early and often.

The rest of the tight end group compliments Mike Gesicki really well. Durham Smythe is primarily known as the run blocker of the group who will look to be a key blocker in the RPO game. Smythe can also catch as an in-line tight end. He had 26 receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Furthermore, Adam Shaheen is more of a red zone threat who hauled in 12 catches for 150 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Lastly, the TE room is rounded off with third round rookie Hunter Long. At Boston College last season, Long was actually their leading receiver. And finally, Cethan Carter, who was signed as a free agent looks to be a fullback in personnel groupings.

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Running game and the OL

Obviously, Miami has one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL. They made history last year against the Cincinnati Bengals as they started three rookies on the offensive line. First-round pick Austin Jackson, second-round pick Robert Hunt, and fourth-round pick Solomon Kindley combined to start 37 games last season and allowed 34 sacks, finishing 15th in the league. In spite of that, there’s still lots of room for improvement.

The Dolphins injected more youth into the offensive line this season, drafting Liam Eichenberg in the second round who looks to play right tackle this season. Michael Deiter won the center job, not that it was a competition anyway. Jesse Davis rounds it out as the 6th man– he’s the oldest player on the line at just 29 years old. Undoubtedly, he’ll start at right tackle until Eichenberg is deemed ready.

Despite missing six games last year, RB Myles Gaskin was very productive in the games he played in 2020, finishing in the top 10 in scrimmage yards per game. Gaskin averaged 97.2 scrimmage yards per game. To put it another way, he’s better than he’s given credit for.

RB Salvon Ahmed played in only five games last year and had the franchise’s two best rushing performances by an undrafted rookie. Ahmed gained 85 rushing yards in his second NFL game against the Chargers. It was the most rushing yards by an undrafted rookie in Dolphins history. He then beat that mark against the New England Patriots as he rushed for 122 yards, the team’s first 100 yard rushing performance since 2018.

In summary, the best way to help Tagovailoa this season is for the OL to protect him better than last year. The OL will need to open up holes in the run game. Austin Jackson struggled in the preseason and needs to go back to form in the regular season. The right side combo of Robert Hunt and Jesse Davis/Liam Eichenberg should provide stability on Tua’s blindside and continue to pave the way for the run game.

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Miami Looks to Their King for Salvation

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The kick to open the 4th quarter was low, but hooked over the bar. Chris Dunn, the NC State kicker, celebrated wildly after nailing the 53-yarder. Those celebrations included gesticulating wildly at the Hurricanes’ bench imploring them to fellate him. And as well he should. The kick put NC State up 10, with a Win Probability of 85.7%. Surely, the Wolfpack had the game.

The problem with that logic is you can’t put a percentage on D’Eriq King. He immediately responded, leading his troops back. But the most impressive thing was the completeness. On one possession it was the wild, darting scamper for 28 yards to set up a score, having seemingly been trapped multiple times. It was then that we knew D’Eriq wouldn’t be denied.

On the next possession, with the lead sliced to 4, and the Canes on a make or break drive, the Mighty King was sacked. 2nd and 18…no problem as he completed a 35-yard pass. A few plays later, on 3rd and 7, he completed the winning TD, a 54-yard strike. And that’s the thing, whether on the ground or through the air, D’Eriq was there. In an iconic performance, he was transcended football, etching his place in the program’s history.

He was not merely a quarterback or a football player or a student athlete…he was a force of nature, a superhero….OUR superhero.

The Search for the Quarterback

We always hear about Miami searching for the successor to Ken Dorsey, a 20 year hunt for the next great Canes QB. The problem with that is that many really good QBs have come through here since Dorsey graduated. I believe that now as much as I dreamed of them elevating this program when they were here.

So why is D’Eriq King different?

At a glance, he’s not. But then you see him play. He has that divine spark.

I admittedly took a while to realize what we had here, precisely because we’ve overall had fairly solid QB play even has the program has waned. But that NC State game was an awakening. It’s like listening to all the talent coming out of Motown and realizing they are really special, and then hearing Diana Ross and realizing you’re listening to a completely different entity. This is someone that sits among the most talented, and elevates above that.

D’Eriq plays QB like Picasso paints, starting with a blank canvas, and ending with a masterpiece, while onlookers are forced to wonder what they just witnessed, struggling to explain it, awed by its presence. So perfectly different.

But here’s the other thing….he’s more impressive off the field.

When D’Eriq King transferred to Miami, we knew we were getting at the very least a solid college QB with success in an up-tempo offense that new Offensive Coordinator Rhett Lashlee promised to bring. What we didn’t know we were getting was an elite-level human being. Since setting foot on campus, D’Eriq King has elevated the standards of the program not just on the field, but off it. He conducts himself in a manner fitting a person many years his senior, becoming the positive face of this program.

In one short year, he has forever put his stamp on this program, setting the standard by which we expect our leaders to conduct themselves. Something has been off about this program for quite a while, and King’s presence goes a long way towards righting this ship.

The Last Full Measure

On Saturday, Miami will head into a seemingly unwinnable game. Alabama is unparalleled in college football. They just cycle through NFL talent, repeatedly winning conference and national championships. No one gives Miami much of a chance.

And on paper, they shouldn’t. Much like the Chris Dunn, they should assume it’s over. Why even play the game?

But they forgot…we have D’Eriq.

The Miami football program was built on improbabilities. So what’s one more improbable outcome? What’s to stop them from them mustering one more miracle for a miracle program…magic from the Magic City?

That’s what King has restored to the 305. Hope. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. We’ve seen this program do extraordinary things, against long odds. And we’ve seen D’Eriq do so as well.

The meandering road travelled by D’Eriq King, where COVID granted him an extra year of eligibility, where a knee injury threatened everything, by to end up leading this program at this moment is the stuff of fairy tales. Improbable in its own right. He shouldn’t be here to lead Miami, but he is.

Everyone expects Miami to get killed. D’Eriq is there to win.

And when he takes that field, leading his team out through the hallowed smoke, that simple U which elicits so much emotional pride in all of us adorned on his helmet, he represents all of Miami. He takes our hopes and dreams with him, our program, on his diminutive frame. He’s up to the challenge, and we’re privileged to have him in our corner.

Miami’s King.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports and generally covers the Miami Hurricanes. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Tua Tagovailoa should have competition to push him for the Miami Dolphins starting job next season

Dolphins fans need Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones story instead of Watson saga

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Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones will take center stage in Week 1 as Dolphins visit Patriots. With the release of Cam Newton, the Patriots ushered the Mac Jones era in with brute force.

The Patriot Way!

Nobody will feel sorry for Bill Belichick on the Miami sideline, as Brian Flores and his defense will set sights on the statuesque Mac Jones. So now perhaps the media can focus on an interesting story of two Alabama quarterbacks. Competitors from the same college team now competing at the highest level.

Instead of this:

The Watson situation has cast a pall over an otherwise triumphant preseason for both Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. Miami finished the exhibition season in spectacular fashion, with a roster for the most part intact and ready.

Jones got his first shot as a starter at Alabama when Tua suffered his hip injury during the 2019 season. When Tua departed for the NFL in 2020, the reins passed to Jones who took full advantage. Now they meet again in what should be the first of many matchups to come.

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A pretty fascinating tale if you look at it. The backup in Jones, who waited for his time while Tua was front and center. It was actually Jones who took Alabama wire-to-wire for a National Championship.

Although Tua’s relief performance in 2018 was one for the ages.

So both come in with pedigree and moxie, arriving at this moment in different yet overlapping ways.

This should be one of the leading storylines heading into the 2021 NFL season, at least in the AFC East.

But instead, fans of the Dolphins have been made to wait and wonder.

Now finally, it appears the Watson saga on and off the field may be confined to the great state of Texas.

If so, let’s embrace a nice and easily palatable story of two Alabama quarterbacks facing each other instead.

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at everythingtradeshows.com or call 954-791-8882

 

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