I expected more than a two-win improvement from Miami this season. The Canes finished 7-5 this year after a disastrous 5-7 finish in 2022.
My prediction for the season was 8-4. Miami literally knelt against Georgia Tech doing just that.
To me, eight wins would be a better indication of where Miami stands in Mario Cristobal’s second season at the helm.
Miami can still reach eight wins if they can win the bowl game. The team was not bowl eligible last season.
My podcast listener BP brought this important statistic to my attention:Miami in 2022 – 7 losses with an average of 21 pointsMiami in 2023: 5 defeats with an average of 8.2 pointsRadio personality Jeremy Marks-Peltz offered some more tidbits about Miami’s improvementAnd perhaps the best overview available comes courtesy of Jason, aka Canes Chief. The biggest positive change for me came from Miami’s offensive line.
This season, the Hurricanes have given up just 1.2 sacks per game. This places them 14th in America. Miami allowed 3.3 sacks per game last year.
I believe Miami can at least compete for an ACC championship next season if they can clean up two areas. 1) Quarterback play needs to be more consistent. 2) Mario Cristobal and staff’s game decisions need to be sharper.
If Miami had been better in those areas, we’d probably be talking about a nine- or 10-win team right now.
