Miami vs. UCF: Head-to-Head Defensive Matchups

Two days ago, I broke down the head-to-head offensive matchups that I felt would be of note in the UCF/Miami game next Saturday. Today we are looking at how the sack, tackle, and interception leaders of both teams stack up against each other.

Sack Leaders: Bruce Miller and Jarvis Geathers (UCF) [WINNER] vs. Marcus Robinson and Allen Bailey (Miami FL)

So far this year, defensive end Bruce Miller and d-lineman Jarvis Geathers have each recorded 4.5 sacks (four solo and one assisted). Their efforts are ranked at No. 19 in the nation, and first in Conference USA.

Two of Miller's solo sacks were against Samford in Week One, and two came last week in a win over Memphis. If Miller can bring the same energy as last week next Saturday at the Bright House, Jacory Harris will be scrambling in the pocket.

Geathers hasn't had any sacks since the game at home vs. Buffalo, when he took down Zack Maynard three times, but he's been performing extremely well in other areas.

He leads the Knights in forced fumbles (two) and is second on the team in tackles for a loss (five). He has seven total tackles as well this season so far.

Marcus Robinson and Allen Bailey reign supreme in sacks on the Miami defense. They are ranked 58th in the country and fifth in the ACC. Last year vs. UCF, Robinson didn't net any sacks, but Bailey made two.

Look out for the twosome to bring a good amount of pressure to Hodges' game; however, Miller and Geathers are the kings of this head-to-head matchup. If the pair can pressure Miami QB Jacory Harris continuously, they should cut down on the amount of offensive gains Miami makes, lessening the pressure on UCF's offense.

Tackle Leaders: Cory Hogue and Derrick Hallman (UCF) [WINNER] vs. Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence (Miami FL)

UCF's Hogue and Hallman lead tackles for the defensive team. Together they are ranked 85th in tackles (40 each) in the NCAA, and ninth in C-USA. LB Lawrence Young isn't far behind with 38 tackles for the team.

Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence lead the Hurricanes' tackle board with 37 and 27 tackles, respectively. McCarthy is tied for 117th nationally in tackles, and is ranked sixth in the ACC.

This year so far, Hogue and Hallman have proved themselves to be more skilled than McCarthy and Spence. Thus, they are the winners of the tackle leaders matchup.

Interception Leaders: UCF (4) [WINNER] vs. Miami (2)

UCF's Josh Robinson, Cory Hogue, Lawrence Young, and Derrick Hallman have all stolen one ball this year, tying them all for 11th in interceptions in Conference USA. Their opponents have had six interceptions against them with one touchdown in addition.

Miami has two fewer interceptions than the Knights, with Randy Phillips and Brandon Harris getting one each. Their opponents have made seven interceptions against them, one resulting in a touchdown as well.

By number of interceptions, the Knights also win this category.

The Knights take the cake in every defensive area, but we must also consider strength of schedule. The Hurricanes have quite the hefty schedule this year, having already played Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma, and they have won three of those games out of four. UCF has played only Samford, Southern Miss, Buffalo, East Carolina, and Memphis this year, winning three-out-of-five games.

On October 11, 2008, the Knights lost a very close game against Miami at Land Shark Stadium, 20-14. If the defensive giants on UCF's defense can play to their caliber, we just might see the Knights pull one off at home for the first matchup in Orlando against Miami since 1936.

Photo taken by Jessica Reuter. Read all of Jessica's articles on the UCF Knights at Examiner.com Orlando