UNC Film Room: Dissecting The Miami Debacle

No matter how many times you watch this game, no successive viewing becomes any easier. I’ve watched this game three times now in it’s entirety . No matter how I’d like to skin this cat and tell y’all that there were some positives to take away from a whoppin’, I can’t. North Carolina was outclassed in every phase of this game. Miami won the battle in the trenches, the speed on the perimeter, special teams, and coaching. This game was a complete domination in every facet. All credit to Miami executing a gameplan that kicked this team’s ass for 60 minutes.

Coming into this past Saturday’s game I looked for Carolina to implement these three strategies:

1. Jump on Miami Early

2. Use Miami’s Athleticism To Carolina’s Advantage

3. Make Miami Earn Every Yard

For the first 12 minutes of the game, you could make the argument that even with Carolina not moving the ball up and down the field at will, Carolina’s defense was doing enough to keep the Miami attack at bay. This all changed in the midst of a blown opportunity by the offense, to build off a forced three and out. Instead of putting together a drive, Carolina’s offense sputtered and Long Snapper, Conor Fry sailed his first of two snaps over Tommy Hibbard’s head. The next 35 minutes of gameplay were some of the worst of the Larry Fedora Era at UNC.

Miami won the battle in the trenches, the speed on the perimeter, special teams, and coaching.

Carolina looked completely lost and ineffective at anything that Miami through at the them. Not only was this disheartening, but also worrisome for the rest of the 2014 campaign.

1. Miami draws first blood, and turns the dagger

I was emphatic in my Miami preview about  how Carolina’s team needed to jump all over a very confident Miami team. Carolina did not take those words to heart. Following the blown opportunity, Carolina had a chance to rebound after the safety. Miami didn’t give the Heels a chance to deliver a counter punch. Starting with Duke Johnson showing off this best Duke Johnson impersonation:

Watch Miami’s blocking on the perimeter and upfront: Textbook. After that 90 yard sprint, Miami’s defense took over, forcing Carolina into ill advised throws, stonewalled Carolina’s run game and tee’d off on Marquise Williams. This was the one of the worst blows Marquise Williams took, it came on the first drive of the game, and they’re really starting to add up.

2. Use Miami’s Athleticism To Carolina’s Advantage

In my write-up from last Friday I also drove home how Carolina’s attack needed to hit Miami’s Achilles Heel: The Interior of the Defense. I was unhappy to watch Carolina rarely attack Miami’s defensive middle. In the first 4 offensive possessions I tallied a total of one play that went at Miami in between the tackles. Carolina took shots downfield, ran several stretch plays and went for quick screens at Miami’s edge. These plays found little success as Miami’s defense flew sideline to sideline and was excellent at tackling in space. Credit to Miami for their dominance.

3. Make Miami Earn Every Yard‘

Of the three recommended gameplan strategies, the phase that Carolina failed to execute was making Miami earn every success in the game. Miami dominance in this game looked clinical. Let’s look at the first score of the game:

Carolina forced Miami into a fourth and goal. Miami, lined in their goal line, jumbo set  blows Carolina off the ball and Duke Johnson tiptoes into the endzone. Carolina keeps their base defense in for this play and it’s inevitable that Miami would score. Miami’s massive OL blows Carolina’s DBs off the line with no no sweat. Another example of carolina helping Miami make things look too easy came early in the third quarter. In the vine, watch Miami’s offensive line. As a Carolina defender they should have felt how easy the line was giving up ground and felt them slip around to rush up field. Duke Johnson waits patiently for Quarterback Brad Kaaya dump the screen off to #8 only to have nothing but 3 big boys and open day light ahead of him.

This was a perfect play call by Miami to combat an increasingly aggressive defense.

Carolina looked completely lost and ineffective at anything that Miami through at the them.

This is one of the easiest screen scores I’ve ever witnessed. I fully expect Miami to use several plays from this game in recruiting tapes and highlight films.

Y’all may be asking “Hey Frat, where do we go from here?” My answer to those folks is simple: Get focused on Pittsburgh. We have the ability to win each of the last 3 regular season games on our schedule. That potential 3 game win streak has to start November 15th. Pitt brings to Chapel Hill a dominant run game behind James Connor. As you’ll see in the following vine, he’s a one-man wrecking crew.

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