Missed tackles, secondary injuries, and offensive line struggles haunt the Miami Hurricanes despite a double-digit victory, forcing Mario Cristobal to address critical roster adjustments.
MIAMI, Fla. – After returning to South Florida from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a 33-20 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, No. 5 Miami Hurricanes had one simple message from head coach Mario Cristobal in the locker room:
“It’s better to learn from a win than a loss.”
Although the Hurricanes won, it wasn’t as clean as the first two this season. Here are three things to learn from Friday’s Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.
Wrap Up
Wake Forest forced 15 total missed tackles on the Hurricanes’ defense and freshman safety/nickelback JJ Dunnigan led the team with four. It led the extended drives for the opposing offense. Missed tackles were an issue for the Hurricanes last season. Although they’re getting hits, the opposing players are absorbing them and are standing rather than going down.
Coverage
The Hurricanes’ secondary is navigating through injuries, especially with the absence of Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas. Bryce Fitzgerald, Ethan O’Connor, and Omar Thornton (nickelback) started at cornerback against Wake Forest. The Hurricanes’ secondary allowed eight explosive plays through the air – at least a 15-yard gain.
Fitzgerald and O’Connor were the only defensive backs to finish with a 78-plus Pro Football Focus coverage grade. Thornton struggled significantly when he wasn’t rushing Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez. He allowed four catches on five targets, including two touchdowns.
As Frederique Jr. and Ja’Boree Antoine aren’t expected to return soon, Lucas has a timeline aiming for next month; the rest of the secondary needs to adjust to limit explosive plays and open looks.
Potential Lineup Change?
Left guard Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli struggled to contain Wake Forest’s defensive line. He finished with a 22.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Alofaituli allowed a pressure and a quarterback hurry in 70 snaps.
Neither freshman Ben Congdon nor Jackson Cantwell played against Wake Forest. They have primarily been slotted in the guard positions. Unlike Alofaituli – 6-2 and 298 pounds – Cantwell and Congdon possess great size that can be utilized in pass and run blocking.
The Hurricanes might need to re-evaluate Alofaitulu’s role and see how the freshmen can fit into the game plan. It always starts at Greentree Practice Fields and the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility. The Hurricanes will prepare to face Central Michigan at Hard Rock Stadium next Saturday.
Afterwards, the competition on the schedule is more meaningful, filled with ACC opponents and a primetime showdown against No. 3 Notre Dame. The Hurricanes have started the season strong, but now there are some mistakes to clean up.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
