Miami Football: 6 Startling Statistics Through 6 Weeks
One game brought anomalies and two contests provided trends, but six outings have shown what the 2014 Miami Hurricanes are truly made of.
From offensive troubles to a frustrating defense to an uncharacteristic special teams problem, a handful—plus one—of startling statistics envelop the 3-3 'Canes.
After this weekend, every game is a must-win if Miami wants to contend for the Coastal Division crown. Al Golden's team is fighting for its ACC life, but a nonconference meeting with Cincinnati gives the 'Canes one final opportunity to correct some alarming shortcomings.
3rd-Down Conversions
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It's been covered ad nauseam, but the lack of third-down conversions is a significant reason Miami has lost three games.
A 1-of-13 clip at Louisville during the season-opener was supposed to be the result of a true freshman starting his first career game. However, 2-of-10 against Florida A&M, 2-of-13 during a win over Duke and 1-of-5 in a crushing loss to Georgia Tech proved that the Hurricanes have a major problem.
Ultimately, Miami has posted the nation's worst third-down mark, tied with the atrocity that is SMU at 23.8 percent.
"We have to execute better. We have to convert," Phillip Dorsett said, per Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "It bothers us. Of course it's going to bother us. Third down is such a big part of the game, but when it all comes down to it, we have to execute better."
Saturday afternoon, the 'Canes will oppose the country's worst third-down defense in Cincinnati, so maybe there is rest for the weary. Or, maybe the embarrassing number gets even worse despite a matchup with an inferior squad.
No. 99 Rushing Offense
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Duke Johnson has managed 104.2 yards per game, but Miami's rushing attack hasn't exactly been a mark of consistency.
In three losses, the 'Canes tallied 253 rushing yards on a total of 69 carries. Overlooking the victory against FCS opponent Florida A&M, Miami racked up 349 yards on 76 attempts during its pair of wins over Arkansas State and Duke.
Injuries to Taylor Gadbois, Kc McDermott and Alex Gall haven't helped, but Ereck Flowers and Danny Isidora trudged through slow starts, too. As of this writing, Johnson has accounted for 100 total carries, and 64 have resulted in five yards or less, per B/R research.
The result? The Hurricanes' potentially outstanding ground game rates No. 99 at the FBS level.
Red-Zone Touchdown Inefficiency
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Good: Brad Kaaya has engineered scoring drives on the opening possession of the past five games.
Bad: Miami's success in the red zone plummets following the first drive.
Overall, the Hurricanes have infiltrated the opponent's 20-yard line 25 times, but they've scored just 13 touchdowns. While those 25 drives represent the nation's 28th-most possessions inside the red zone, the 52 percent touchdown rate tumbles to 99th.
Field goals don't win championships—not even division titles, let alone those of the conference variety.
Yet, that's not even the biggest problem, since the offense didn't score anything five times. Miami needs to finish possessions with points every opportunity it gets, and finding the end zone more often wouldn't hurt.
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Opponent Kick Return Yardage
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The Hurricanes are currently surrendering 27.2 yards per kick return, which is a stark contrast from years prior. Miami ceded 19.8 yards in 2013, 18.2 in 2012 and 18.6 in 2011, each time finishing safely in the 75th percentile.
This year, that 27.2 clip is the sixth-worst against FBS competition—or 123rd overall. Additionally, the 'Canes gave up their first kick return touchdown since 2009.
Since then, Golden has adjusted by sending key defensive contributors like Deon Bush, Artie Burns and Dallas Crawford onto the unit, which has somewhat helped limit the yardage.
However, the ACC's No. 1 and 3 returners in Virginia's Darius Jennings and North Carolina's T.J. Logan await in November. Miami must show the improvement is real, lest it continue to lose the field-position battle.
Stacy Coley's Half-Season Slump
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Stacy Coley is undoubtedly mired in a sophomore slump.
After establishing himself as the team's breakout star when Dorsett injured his knee last season, Miami was excited to watch the talented duo together. Right now, though, the senior is registering long gains while Coley can only work to escape a discouraging cold streak.
The sophomore has recorded nine receptions, but a single 17-yard catch stands as his only first down. What's more, zero of the other eight reached double digits or resulted in touchdowns.
Coley has been targeted most often via screens, a simple way to give him touches. However, reeling in a vertical pass would do wonders for his psyche and hopefully get him and Kaaya on track.
The Defense That Makes No Sense
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During ACC media days, Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post noted senior linebacker Denzel Perryman said he believed the Hurricanes could be a top-10 defense in the nation.
Considering the troubles Miami encountered last season, the statement was brushed aside because of how unlikely that accomplishment would be. Yet six weeks through the year, the 'Canes boast the No. 16 overall defense and a sixth-best standing against the pass.
"I don't think talent is the issue," Perryman said, per Porter. "Guys need to be where they need to be. That one guy out of his gap could be a big difference in the game or a play."
And that's where numbers do lie. Gap control has been the predominant deciding factor in losses to Louisville, Nebraska and Georgia Tech—plus the win over Duke.
Unlike 2013, Miami hasn't been gashed, giving up touchdown after touchdown. Instead, opponents are sustaining drives and slowly tacking on extra yardage due to missed assignments.
Sometimes, stats don't tell the whole story.
Unless otherwise noted, stats and rankings courtesy of CFBstats.com.
Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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