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Miami Football: Takeaways from Pinstripe Bowl loss to Wisconsin

By Justin Heisey

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Miami Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt looks on in the third quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Miami Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt looks on in the third quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

1. Miami’s defense was lost without Manny Diaz

Never underestimate the loss of a coordinator. Manny Diaz entered the season on many AD’s short lists to take over as their head coach. Temple has produced coaches such as Bruce Arians, Steve Addazio, and Matt Rhule and now Manny Diaz is doing the opposite of Al Golden and leaving Miami for Temple.

Losing a coordinator can be huge or minute. Penn State lost Joe Moorhead this season and even though their production dipped, they managed to compete against every defense they played not named Michigan. Miami’s defense simply looked lost.

Outside of the one turnover chain appearance when senior defensive back Jaquan Johnson picked off Jack Coan late in the first quarter, Miami’s defense couldn’t stop anything. The 25th rushing defense gave up 333 yards on the ground with 205 of those going to the player they should’ve known was getting the ball.

Jack Coan finished up the year with five touchdowns and three interceptions with six yards per attempt on average. Alex Hornibrook isn’t exactly Trace McSorley, but he made all the difference in games in which he was healthy. Coan was 1-2 as a starter with his lone win coming behind a 300-yard Jonathan Taylor running performance against Purdue.

Next. Ranking every bowl game by watchability. dark

The Hurricanes should’ve known to stack the box as heavily as possible and make Coan beat them. What we got was the most rushing yards that Miami gave up all season long.

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