Miami Hurricanes 2019 College Football Preview

College Football Predictions – Miami Hurricanes 2019 College Football Preview

2018 Recap

Record – 7-6

ATS – 5-8

YOUR Miami Hurricanes appeared to be on the road to another 10-win season after they mounted a thrilling comeback victory over Florida St. Their record of 5-1 quickly morphed into 5-5 after they lost four consecutive ACC games (at Virginia, at Boston College, Duke, at Georgia Tech). The Hurricanes finished strong by clubbing Virginia Tech and Pitt by a combined score of 62-17. And then, the cold weather game, yo. Wisconsin blew them to bits 35-3 in the Pinstripe Bowl but at least it was a 100,000 STAR TWITTER BOWL MOVE OF THE DECADE winner.

Former DC Manny Diaz takes over the head coaching duties and will try and get Miami back to being MIAMI.

2019 MEGALOCKS Opening Power Rating

Coastal Division – #3

ACC – #4

Miami Hurricanes 2019 Outlook

OFFENSE

Miami was embarrassing on offense last season finishing up averaging a mere 359 YPG which was 2nd last in the conference next to the horrible Louisville Cardinals. The QB play was some of the worst that college football observers have seen in recent times (passing efficiency #114 FBS) but thankfully there is hope on the horizon. Ohio St transfer Tate Martell is the leading candidate to take over the starting QB gig, and if so, he could provide the Hurricanes with their first legitimate star at the position since…….<thinks hard> <gives up>. Sophomore N’Kosi Perry was inconsistent last season but is still in the mix. A longshot to get a look is redshirt freshman Jarren Williams. The smart money is on Martell to win the job but it’s not settled yet. Stay tuned.

If the depth charts are to believed, the pecking order in the RB group is something along the lines of DeeJay Dallas, Cam’Ron Harris, and the highly-touted specimen Lorenzo Lingard who is coming off a serious ankle injury sustained last October. There is potential to be sure, but it’s unclear how much actual production will be provided by the group. Whomever wins the QB battle during fall camp will be thrilled with the options at WR and TE. Jeff Thomas is a legit #1 weapon, KJ Osborn could be a big part of the THROW GAME after his transfer from Buffalo, and TE Brevin Jordan is a budding star. The offensive line is a bit of a worry as they only return a pair of starters to the unit and the Hurricanes haven’t exactly produced top-notch offensive lines over the past number of years.

Miami has only averaged 30+ PPG once in the past five seasons but we think they can get over the hump this year. There are going to be some bumps in the road but there is too much talent on board to think otherwise.

DEFENSE

The Hurricanes were rock solid last year and ended the previous season ranked #4 in total defense allowing just 279 YPG. They bagged 40+ sacks for the second consecutive year, were fantastic vs the pass (#1 FBS pass efficiency D) (!) and led college football in TFL/game by a wide margin. What can they do for an encore?

New DC Blake Barker did a fine job at Louisiana Tech and has a lot of talent to work with in Miami. There are six starters returning to the stop unit including a fantastic-looking LB unit. All three starters are back including #2 tackler and 1st Team ACC honoree Shaquille Quarterman. The DL looks talented but might be down a notch with the departure of AA Gerald Willis (18 TFL LY). The biggest concern, as strange as it might be to say about Miami, is a secondary that loses THREE starters to the NFL. Again, there is a lot of talent on hand, but it’s probably unrealistic to expect something close to the elite performance that we saw last season.

This won’t be the same lock-down squad as last year but they are still one of the best defenses in the conference.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Things look fine. The return game is excellent, particularly from a PR perspective, as the Canes return two guys that had PR TDs a season ago (Dallas, Thomas). PK Bubba Baxa was 9/12 on FG attempts, although just 1/3 from 40+ yards. We are most pleased to see an AUSSIE punter! Louis Hedley is a tattoo-laden 24-year old who just might be the most intimidating punter in the history of college football. Just kidding. Not really.

Schedule Analysis

Overall – Things set up pretty well. Their toughest game of the season is most likely their season opener when they take on the Gators in Orlando. They get both of their prime division rivals (Virginia, Virginia Tech) at home. There are plenty of FREE SQUARES on the slate.

Potential ATS Trouble Spot – at Pittsburgh (October 26)

We aren’t high on Pitt this season but the Panthers have beat the Hurricanes twice in their last five meetings including the last one at Heinz Field. Miami has their yuuuge rivalry game with Florida St the following week. We will almost certainly avoid laying road chalk with Miami in this spot.

Season Win Total

Over 8.5 -130

Under 8.5 +110

MEGALOCKS says:

Slight lean to the over. The schedule is pretty light overall and there is a lot of talent on this roster.

MEGAmazing Tidbits

Legend has it that in 1984 during halftime of the Miami vs FSU game a Miami student threw up what is considered to be the first “U” hand sign. This is now a common gesture used to identify the University of Miami.

Miami has won just one of their last nine bowl games.

MEGALOCKS ATS Outlook: Neutral

The Hurricanes definitely appear to be on the right track. The defense is back to MIAMI quality. We like the hire of Manny Diaz. The only ingredient missing is a legit ACC starting QB. Tate Martell may not be a star right away but he has fans and the program is really excited. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him struggle vs the Gators in the opener but then gain confidence in the following weeks when they are facing lesser competition. Things are lined up perfectly from a scheduling perspective. If Miami can run the ACC table in October they will be in great shape to win the division. That is easier said than done.

The Hurricanes were just 10-16 ATS over the past two seasons and they will likely be top of mind with bettors as we enter the season. We like the look of this squad but recommend taking a cautious wagering approach given the uncertainty at QB, the reload in the secondary, and their annoying habit of delivering disappointment.

Let’s go! It’s All About the U.

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NEWS

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