Clemson will continue its three-game homestand Saturday when Miami visits Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Clemson’s defense vs. Miami’s offense: Clemson’s defense spent some time bending last week against Louisville but didn’t break. The Tigers allowed just one touchdown and slowed the Cardinals down on the ground, but Louisville still racked up 400 yards of offense with most of that coming on chunk plays (seven of at least 19 yards) that continue to be an issue for the defense.
But is Miami equipped with the kind of offense that can take advantage of some of the Tigers’ defensive inconsistencies?
It’s hard to make that case for the Hurricanes, who’ve struggled all season to score points. Their 25 points per game rank near the bottom third of the ACC, and now it appears Miami will have to turn to true freshman Jacurri Brown at quarterback. Miami coach Mario Cristobal was mum on the topic earlier this week, but Brown started against Georgia Tech last week in place of the injured Tyler Van Dyke.
Brown is more of a runner than a passer at this point of his young career, and, with no pass-catchers with more than 31 receptions this season, the Hurricanes don’t have a group of wideouts that’s going to scare many folks. While Brown is certainly dangerous with his legs, can Miami produce consistently enough on the ground against the nation’s No. 14 run defense? This feels like a game where Clemson will stack the box and force the youngster to try to beat it with his arm. Advantage: Clemson
Clemson’s offense vs. Miami’s defense: It’s still hard to know which version of D.J. Uiagalelei is going to show up each week. Clemson’s quarterback played better against Louisville, but the passing game once again lacked explosiveness. And a late-season turnover barrage (nine in the last three games) continues to plague the offense.
The good news for Clemson is it has a running game it’s been able to lean on. The Tigers have largely had a productive running game all season – their 182 yards per game rank 44th nationally – but Clemson has taken it up a notch of late at home, amassing more than 500 yards on the ground in its last two games at Memorial Stadium. It’s an interesting matchup against a Miami defense that’s allowing just 128 yards per game on the ground and ranks in the top 10 nationally in tackles for loss (7.8 per game).
That’s primarily because the Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the country at getting to the quarterback. Miami’s 34 sacks are tied for the fifth-most in the FBS. But Clemson just got done playing a Louisville team that leads the country in that category and also had a top-25 run defense, and the Tigers still had 450 yards of offense, including more than 240 rushing.
Look for Clemson to continue to use a mix of the screen game and the ground game to try to stay ahead of the chains and keep the offense out of as many obvious passing situations as possible. Because if those pop up too frequently, things could get dicey against a Miami defense that’s forced 17 turnovers.
Keep a close eye on Kam Kinchens, a ball-hawking safety for Miami who leads the country with six interceptions. He had half of those last week against Georgia Tech. Advantage: Clemson
Special teams: Both of these teams are capable of producing momentum-swinging plays in this facet of the game.
Clemson has blocked four kicks this season, which still ranks in the top 10 nationally. Meanwhile, Miami leads the nation in kickoff return yardage (27.6 per return).
And if this one happens to come down to a field goal, each team has a kicker making at least 80% of his attempts. Clemson’s G.T. Potter has knocked in 16 of 18 field goals while Andres Borregales isn’t far behind for Miami, connecting on 15 of 18 attempts. Advantage: Draw
Bottom line: If Miami does go with Van Dyke at quarterback, he won’t be 100%. And if the Hurricanes again turn to Brown, he’s a true freshman playing on the road in front of likely the most frenetic environment he’s seen away from home this season. Clemson’s offense is too sporadic to expect the Tigers to go crazy on that side of the ball, but the Tigers will be able to score more than Miami.
Prediction: Clemson 30, Miami 20
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