Miami Football: Surprises and Disappointments from Hurricanes in 2014 Season

The Miami Hurricanes might be adhering to the stereotypical "new year, new me" slogan, but we can't forget about their 2014 season just yet.

As we reflect on the 'Canes' roller-coaster year, a few surprises and disappointments stick out from the campaign that ended in a frustrating manner.

Individuals, overall units and in-game performances are included in the list, which is organized in alternating fashion.

Be sure to add your thoughts in the comments section.

Surprise: Brad Kaaya

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Brad Kaaya was supposed to take a redshirt season. Good thing he didn't.

The true freshman won the starting job after arriving in May, and Kaaya quickly established himself as worthy of the position. After rightly being eased into the playbook, the gunslinger showed he was capable of handling more than any Miami starter in the last decade.

Kaaya finished the season with the most passing touchdowns in the Atlantic Coast Conference, best passer rating and second-most yards. Additionally, he tossed just three interceptions over his final seven games.

He climbed on the leaderboard in the school record books for single-season completions and touchdowns, providing a glimmer of hope for the Hurricanes' future.

Disappointment: Stacy Coley

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Stacy Coley shined as a freshman, but his 2014 campaign was forgettable in the biggest way.

"My sophomore year will never ever exist in my football days again," Coley said, according to Christopher Stock of 247Sports (subscription required).

In 2013, Coley tallied 33 receptions for 591 yards (17.9 per catch) and seven touchdowns, adding three additional all-purpose touchdowns. He added 25.9 and 22.0 yards per kick and punt return, respectively.

This year, the highly touted sophomore managed just 23 receptions for 184 yards (8.0 per catch) and didn't score in any manner. Coley trudged to a 22.5-yard kick return average, recording a meager 7.0-yard clip on punts.

Since Phillip Dorsett is headed to the pros, Miami is heavily relying on Coley to turn it around next season.

Surprise: Clive Walford

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Perhaps Coley will take after Clive Walford, who was criminally misused last year before terrorizing opposing defenses in 2014.

The senior tight end was typically targeted at the line of scrimmage and rarely used down the seams in 2013, but he feasted near the hash marks this season. In turn, Kaaya had a true checkdown option in Duke Johnson.

Walford snagged a team-high 44 catches, tallying a career-best 676 yards and seven scores along the way. Additionally, 24 of his receptions resulted in a first down, including eight on third-down snaps.

Kaaya will miss his favorite target next year, but Walford earned a sizable NFL payday with his season performance.

Disappointment: Return, Blocking Units

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The special teams struggles started with a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown allowed to Louisville's Corvin Lamb in Week 1, and the coverage unit didn't get much better. Miami surrendered 24.6 yards per kick return, which ranked 117th in the nation.

Of course, the blockers didn't perform wonderfully, either. The Hurricanes recorded a 20.1-yard average on kick returns (81st nationally) and just 6.6 per punt return (87th).

Coley was unable to break through a handful of open running lanes, but that wasn't the whole problem, since there weren't many provided for him.

What's more, opponents blocked three extra points and one field goal. It's time to hire a special teams coach.

Surprise: Specialists

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The specialists, on the other hand, were outstanding.

Michael Badgley stepped in for Matt Goudis, who clearly hadn't fully recovered from offseason surgery. Nicknamed "Jersey Mike," the freshman converted on 14 of 18 field-goal attempts and 34 of 38 extra points.

Justin Vogel, a walk-on transfer from Florida, saved what looked to be a dire situation at punter. The sophomore recorded 42.8 yards per attempt, the fifth-highest average in school history.

Goudis will challenge Badgley for the placekicking position next season, but Vogel's job is all but locked up.

Disappointment: Situational Execution

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Had Braxton Berrios reeled in this pass, Miami might've beaten Florida State.

Three of the most important facets of a football game are scoring touchdowns in the red zone, converting third downs and winning the fourth quarter. The 'Canes, however, failed at each one.

Miami put points on the board in 78.7 percent of red-zone opportunities—90th in the country. Miami scored touchdowns 51.1 percent of the time—106th in the country. Miami kicked field goals on 27.7 percent of trips inside the 20—34th in a stat that no team wants to lead.

The Hurricanes moved the sticks on a putrid 36.8 percent of third-down snaps, facing an average distance of more than seven yards.

Lastly, Miami was outscored 104-65 during the fourth quarter. The team lost seven games this season, despite leading or trailing by eight points or less in five matchups.

Al Golden's team has plenty to improve next season, but addressing those three areas is absolutely necessary.

Surprise: Run Defense

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One year after finishing with the No. 78 run defense, Miami capped its 2014 campaign with a No. 32 standing, ceding a solid 137.1 yards per outing.

The 'Canes held opposing rushing attacks to 4.0 yards per carry or less eight times, including four showings of 2.0 or below.

Granted, Nebraska (led by Ameer Abdullah), Georgia Tech's triple-option offense and Pittsburgh (carried by James Conner) bulldozed their way to 887 combined rushing yards. But that total accounted for 49.8 percent of the yards allowed by Miami this season.

In other words, excluding the three terribly poor performances, Denzel Perryman and Co. only ceded 89.5 yards per game. Collective progression is obviously a need, but the 'Canes run defense has evolved from being a laughingstock.

Disappointment: Final 6-7 Record

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Following another encouraging start—this one at 6-3 with an immensely talented backfield—the Hurricanes dropped four consecutive games to end the year.

Miami sustained its first losing season since 2007 when it stumbled to a 5-7 clip. The 'Canes faced their toughest schedule since 2004, per Sports-Reference, but that's no excuse for the uninspired finish to a once-promising year.

The Independence Bowl loss marked the program's fifth consecutive postseason loss, with the most recent victory coming in 2006.

Worst of all, the 6-7 record sent program leaders like Johnson, Perryman, Walford, Dorsett and Ereck Flowers to the professional league on a sour note—one that cannot be fixed.

Note: Stats courtesy of CFBstats.com.

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