The Hurricane train kept rolling on Saturday as they invited Florida A&M University to Hard Rock stadium for an early season tune up where many of the young players lower on the depth chart were able to get snaps and experience throughout the game. Miami beat the orange and green clad Rattlers of Tallahassee in a manner that was consistent with how a money game like that is supposed to go. The Hurricane’s defense got off to a great start with the interception by outside linebacker Wesley Bissainthe in coverage. Miami quickly capitalized on that turnover by turning that interception into 7 points via a touch pass from Cam Ward to Elijah Arroyo. Before we blinked and had butts in seats, it already looked like it would be a long evening for the reigning HBCU national champions.
Cam Ward was brilliant once again. The Miami triggerman had 20 completions on 26 attempts for 305 yards with 3 touchdown passes, 1 rushing touchdown, and no turnovers. He played a clean, efficient game with a perfect passer rating and led the offense effectively. The arm angles were on display once again as he flicked short passes around up field opposing defensive linemen. Cam Ward is off to the best two-game debut of any Miami Hurricanes quarterback of all time. With this historical production Cam Ward is certainly solidifying himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate but there is a lot of time to go before we can seriously start those discussions. The scary thing is there is actually a higher level that Cam Ward can get to because he does have some attributes that he can clean up and improve on including setting his feet better for increased accuracy and no longer taking unnecessary hits by throwing the ball away instead of holding onto it.
Xavier Restrepo has cemented himself as one of the best wide receivers to come through Coral Gables ever and certainly one of the top athletes we have ever seen catch passes from the slot. It is clear that it does not matter who is throwing the ball to X, he is going to get open, and he is going to make the catch. Restrepo is now in the top 10 all time in receiving yards at the University of Miami and will continue to climb the ladder with every game he plays. Isaiah Horton had a good pass catching game as well and Chris Johnson was able to show off his speed on a few kick returns and on a touchdown pass reception. I look forward to seeing more from the speedy diminutive running back as I do believe that his world class speed can be a game changer for this offense.
There was a Reese Poffenbarger sighting during the 2nd half of the game! It is clear that Miami intends to redshirt Emory Williams this year which means we will only see him play in a maximum of four games plus the bowl game, if needed. As a result, Poff was the one called up to take the backup QB snaps. There is not much that we could ascertain from his play in this game due to the asymmetrical talent on the respective team rosters, but it is evident that Reese is effective running the ball from the quarterback decision. Whether or not Reese can spin it and hit downfield targets accurately from the pocket or while on the run is still a question that needs to be answered as the season progresses.
There are some fans complaining because the game was not perfectly executed. Unlike in week one against Florida, Miami had many penalties including procedural pre-snap ones. There was also a lack of focus that appeared in the first half which showed in limited run production, off target throws by Cam Ward, and a few moments where Cam Ward took unnecessary hits because he either held onto the ball too long or some of the backup underclassmen offensive linemen missed on a block. Miami only had 45 yards rushing on 12 carries in the first half and their passing defense had some uncharacteristic, busted coverages that led to chunk plays for the Florida A&M passing attack. These execution issues certainly gave the pessimistic fans amongst us something to complain about. I am not glossing over the poorly executed portions of the game. However, the main thing is still the main thing. As a program, the Miami Hurricanes did what they needed to do. They scored touchdowns on a majority of their possessions. They covered the spread. They did not allow a single touchdown by FAMU. They got snaps for their younger players who need experience for their development programs. Their offensive and defensive lines dominated. Most importantly, there were no major injuries at any of the key positions. On a day where a couple top 10 teams lost to lesser competition, I will take it.
Bring on Ball State!
