Midseason Report Card – Miami Hurricanes

Oct 5, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris (17) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Hurricanes

QB: C+

Stephen Morris, for as big of an arm that he can display, has always had a problem with consistency. It’s one of those cases where you never know which player will show up, the good one or the bad one, which is never a good thing. Although the ‘Canes are having a tremendous season so far, Morris has again been inconsistent with a 9-to-4 TD-Int ratio. He still hasn’t fixed the issue neither of letting that cannon arm of his go off on its own and missing some wide open targets.

Rest of offense: B-

So far, the offense as a whole has been effective. They’re averaging 45.2 points per game which ranks ninth in the country, and put over 21 points on one of the best defenses in college football in their 21-16 upset over the Florida Gators back in September. They’re particularly doing well with the ground game, which isn’t much of a surprise, averaging 213.8 ypg, good enough for 27th overall.

Defense: C

This is where the cause for concern with this team lays, and also has in the past. They got off to a good start, but have been slipping in their last two outings. They gave up 14 points to South Florida, one of the worst overall teams around, and were scorched for 30 by Georgia Tech, a game in which they yielded 335 yards on the ground.

Overall: B-

Miami is enjoying being back in the Top 10 after the rankings were released this week and an undefeated record as they begin their trek through the second half of the season. But, they’ll have some stiff tests coming up with battles against Florida State, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh on the horizon.

Offensive spotlight: RB Dallas Crawford

After a great freshman season, it was assumed that sophomore Duke Johnson would be the backbone of the Hurricanes’ offense. While he has been effective yet again, it’s actually another sophomore, Dallas Crawford, that’s doing all the damage. Crawford has touched the ball just 28 times total on the year, but of those touches he’s found the end zone eight times. He’s been a nice addition to this offense that needs all the weapons it can get.

Defensive spotlight: LB Jimmy Gaines

The senior has stepped up in a big way so far as the ‘Canes make a run toward the ACC Coastal Division title. On the season, he’s recorded 29 total tackles and recovered two fumbles, one of which he took back for a score.