Miami Football: What 'Canes Must Do in Bye Week to Prep for Florida State

The Miami Hurricanes have two weeks to prepare for the Florida State Seminoles, and the scheduling couldn't be more perfect.

Though skepticism will continue running rampant until the 'Canes can prove their sudden improvement is real, Al Golden's team appears to be turning a corner.

Of course, with Miami's next matchup being a contest with the undefeated, reigning national champion and rival Seminoles, that outing provides a perfect benchmark test for Golden and Co.

While FSU battles Virginia next weekend, Miami can take advantage of its bye week to prepare for the 'Noles.

Build Rapport on Offensive Line

According to Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post, Golden said starting left tackle Ereck Flowers isn't done for the season, but his return date isn't known.

Consequently, the focus remains on Jon Feliciano, Nick Linder, Shane McDermott, Danny Isidora and Trevor Darling. The two full weeks of practice reps come at a time when Miami needs them the most.

Yes, the 'Canes posted 364 and 295 yards against Virginia Tech and North Carolina, respectively, but FSU will be their greatest challenge yet.

Spearheaded by former 247Sports 5-star recruit Eddie Goldman, the Seminoles defensive line limited Clemson to 101 yards on 40 carries and Wake Forest to 40 yards on 39 attempts.

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Despite those impressive numbers, Florida State can be overpowered in the trenches. Louisville exposed some weaknesses, but it could not sustain the successes.

Between Michael Dyer and L.J. Scott, the Cardinals amassed 115 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries during the first half. During the latter frames, however, Louisville managed just 43 yards on 16 attempts.

Miami succeeding in the running game for 60 minutes is an essential part of springing an upset on the 'Noles.

Building familiarity on the offensive is crucial so the linemen can learn their teammate's habits. The zone-run offense is largely predicated on the timing of blocking schemes, and all extra practice time is invaluable heading into the rivalry clash.

Start Schemin'

If Twitter served as gospel, Golden and Mark D'Onofrio were definitely bound for pink slips within the last month. James Coley wasn't in as much danger, but he was still taking a fair amount of criticism on the social media site.

Where art thou now, ye naysayers?

The last two outings were perhaps the two most excellently all-around-coached games of the Golden era, and there's little evidence to dispute that opinion.

Defensively, D'Onofrio utilized previously unseen calls, most notably the weak-side cornerback blitz that resulted in two sacks against North Carolina. After allowing 45 percent of third- or fourth-down situations to be converted against six FBS opponents, Miami ceded just 28 percent to Virginia Tech and UNC.

Coley, on the other hand, employed the "Wild Cane" formation that provides more than a nifty wrinkle.

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When the ground attack briefly stalled against both the Hokies and Heels, Miami needed a way to break apart the defense. Quarterback Brad Kaaya, however, is not a running threat, so the read-option isn't available through the gunslinger.

But Duke Johnson is fast, and he's really good. After six Hurricanes rushes resulted in four yards versus North Carolina, Coley called the Wild Cane, which resulted in eight yards and a Duke-patented stiff arm. The offense's next three carries covered 110 yards and helped break the game wide open.

Florida State can be exploited in similar fashions, and the bye week gives the coaches critical additional time to find those vulnerable areas.

Don't Get Hurt

Want to knock off the No. 2 team in the nation? Well, the "all hands on deck" approach is for you.

Miami has already lost Rayshawn Jenkins, Rashawn Scott, Taylor Gadbois, Kc McDermott and Ronald Regula to season-ending injuries, so it can't afford any more.

Most worrisome, however, is that Johnson keeps getting nicked up during games. Perhaps the Hurricanes should bubble-wrap their star leading up to Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

According to Susan Miller Degnan of The Miami Herald, Golden said the schedule will be altered slightly so other priorities can be addressed.

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From our standpoint, this week is going to be about taking care of the academics, getting rested up, getting stronger, doing all those thing and once we get into game week, we'll focus on Florida State. This whole week is going to be about us taking care of the things we need to take care of and executing our plan.

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While all the on-field preparation is undeniably important, staying healthy is also imperative. Though not easily, Florida State has shown itself as beatable.

Miami needs all its currently available talent to remain that way if it wants a legitimate shot at defeating the 'Noles for the first time since 2009.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.