Miami Hurricanes vs Florida A&M: Last Minute Preview

The Miami Hurricanes christen the Richt era and Hard Rock stadium’s first competitive game as they host in-state rival Florida A&M. The Rattlers are coming off a 1-10 season. Their one victory in 2015 was a 41-13 win in Tallahassee over Delaware State on October 17. The ‘Canes finished 2015 8-5 with a 20-14 loss in the Sun Bowl to Washington State.

The Hurricanes played their last six games of 2015 4-2 under interim coach Larry Scott after Al Golden was fired following their embarrassing 58-0 home loss to Clemson last October. Mark Richt’s hiring following his dismissal from Georgia was a home run, no-brainer hire. Now the honeymoon period is over and its time to play football.

One thing to expect under Richt is a balanced offense. In his last season at Georgia, the Bulldogs averaged 185 yards per game passing and 190 rushing. He has one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Brad Kaaya and a deep running back core with Mark Walton, Joseph Yearby, and Gus Edwards.

Yearby was the leading rusher last season with 1002 yards and Walton contributed 461 yards. Walton’s 3.5 YPC is a bit concerning. Edwards missed the 2015 season with an injury. Yearby and Walton are listed as the co-starters on Miami’s depth chart.

Stacy Coley leads the receiving corps. A lot was expected from the five-star recruit from the moment he walked on campus. Coley had 33 catches for 591 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. He practically disappeared as a sophomore. He bounced back last season with 48 catches for 689 yards and four touchdowns. He is the ‘Canes leading returning receiver.

When Miami was winning national championships they were known for their explosive and innovative offenses. It was their defensive that was dominating and played a major role in their championships.

Last year’s defense was very disappointing. The ‘Canes finished 69th nationally in total defense, one spot behind Miami (OH). They finished 38th against the pass. Georgia was the nation’s top-ranked team against the pass, allowing 156.5 yards per game. New defense coordinator Manny Diaz held the same job at Mississippi State last season. The Bulldogs were 57th nationally against the pass in 2015.

The Hurricanes rush defense is a huge concern entering 2016. They allowed 201.3 yards per game last season. That ranked outside the top 100. The loss of the top three tacklers from a year ago and three freshman linebackers in the starting lineup is a concern with the rush defense in 2016.

Georgia finished 42nd nationally against the run allowing 151 yards per game and Mississippi State 70th at 174.6. The ‘Canes have a young relatively inexperienced defensive line that is dealing with multiple injuries and suspensions heading into the opener. They return an experienced secondary with four senior starters.

Miami holds a 9-1 series edge head to head with Florida A&M. The ‘Canes won the last meeting 41-7 in 2014 in Miami Gardens, Fl. The Rattlers lone win was 16-13 in 1979.

Alex Wood, a former UM assistant is in his second year at FAMU. He has a career record of 26-34 after previous stops at James Madison and Buffalo.

The Rattlers were outscored 369-161 last season. They had just 2876 yards in total offense last season. They had 2033 yards through the air and just 843 on the ground. The FAMU defense gave up 5143 total yards. They gave up 2627 rushing and 2536 passing. With their bevy of running backs and RIcht’s history, watch for the ‘Canes to try and establish the run early.

Kenneth Coleman and Brandon Norwood are the Rattlers players to watch through the air and Devin Bowers will be the Rattlers man on the ground.

Miami and Florida A&M Kickoff at 6pm EDT on WQAM 560 in Miami and on ESPN3 streaming live.