Miami versus Notre Dame is among the most talked-about matchups of Championship Week, although neither workforce is definitely enjoying this weekend. However the two colleges, every at 10-2, are in the midst of the Faculty Soccer Playoff’s hottest debate.
In response to the newest (and penultimate) CFP rankings, Miami is No. 12 and Notre Dame is 10. The Irish have been ranked forward of the Hurricanes each week because the preliminary CFP rankings got here out in early November although Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 in Week 1.
The groups have 4 frequent opponents and each crushed all 4 by at the least three touchdowns: Syracuse, NC State, Stanford and Pittsburgh. Notre Dame, which beat Syracuse by 63 factors in comparison with Miami’s 28-point victory, owns the larger margin of victory over the 4 video games, whereas Miami received by extra in opposition to the opposite three opponents.
In hopes of getting a greater sense of which workforce is healthier, The Athletic reached out to 5 ACC coaches of these 4 frequent opponents to get their perspective (after which heard from a sixth after publication). As anticipated, it wasn’t a straightforward query.
“It’s actually splitting hairs,” mentioned one offensive coordinator. “They’re actually that evenly matched. These defenses are each so constant and so dominant. I feel they each ought to be within the Playoff.”
Miami is ranked No. 9 within the nation in yards per play allowed. Notre Dame is ranked No. 14. Notre Dame is No. 13 in go protection score whereas Miami is No. 19.
“Notre Dame’s linebackers have been the very best we performed,” mentioned the OC. “We needed to assault (Drayk Bowen) however we realized he can cowl tailbacks. All of their backers are actually good. Jaiden Ausberry and Jaylen Sneed and Bowen all have pace and physicality. Their entrance can also be actually good. They play so exhausting however they don’t have the standout guys like Miami does. Donovan Hinish and Gabriel Rubio are very bodily and Boubacar Traore can actually rush the passer. He’s elite, and (Leonard Moore is pretty much as good as any cornerback we’ve gone in opposition to.”
Moore, a 6-2, 195-pound sophomore, drew raves from nearly all of the coaches.
“He’s so lengthy,” mentioned a receivers coach. “He seems to be like he’s 6-3. They get away with loads of grabs. That’s simply a part of their sport — they seize. They tug. They know the best way to get away with it however he reads the ball within the air rather well. He’s pretty much as good as marketed.”
The receivers coach mentioned ND’s safeties — particularly 6-0, 207-pound sophomore Adon Shuler (30 tackles, two INTs, two pressured fumbles) — are nearly as spectacular. “They’re all massive and lengthy and athletic,” he mentioned. “They set off on the run sooner than any safeties that we’ve ever performed in opposition to. They diagnose performs quick. They usually’re an especially well-coached, gifted workforce.”
What this wideout coach sees from the Irish secondary is emblematic of why he thinks Notre Dame is healthier than Miami.
“Palms down, Notre Dame is healthier,” the coach mentioned. “They’re one of the crucial full groups within the nation. Bodily, whenever you take a look at them, they’re so spectacular. They’re an even bigger, stronger they usually’re a sooner workforce than Miami. I do know Miami received that sport earlier within the 12 months, however I feel the place Notre Dame is now, their confidence is thru the roof. They made us appear to be a JV workforce on the market. We have been capable of dangle in there for like a half in opposition to Miami. We didn’t stand an opportunity in opposition to Notre Dame from the time we obtained off the bus.
“It’s the size of their corners, the dimensions of their safeties. Their linebackers and defensive ends have been so bodily. They have been a lot greater in particular person than we really thought. We obtained there and have been like — whoa, this can be a good-lookin’ workforce. that about their O-line however to see that from their secondary, actually stood out. I didn’t really feel that approach about Miami. They’re simply not as bodily spectacular.”
A second assistant, this one a operating backs coach, additionally mentioned that Notre Dame is healthier.
“Notre Dame impressed me extra once we performed in opposition to them,” he mentioned. “Once we performed these dudes, these guys have been able to go. They have been locked and dialed. They have been extra full, at the least once we performed them. I didn’t really feel like there was any true weaknesses.
“Miami was higher up entrance defensively however Notre Dame was at all times in the proper spot. I felt like we needed to play a near-perfect sport to beat them. They’ve at all times had athletic and bodily linebackers. They’ve actually good depth; they don’t get out of gaps within the run sport they usually don’t miss many tackles.”
A head coach who confronted each groups disagreed, saying he thinks Miami is healthier and ought to be ranked forward of the Irish.
“To start with, Miami beat Notre Dame, so I don’t know why Miami wouldn’t be forward of Notre Dame,” he mentioned. “That’s the dumbest factor that I’ve ever seen. I don’t perceive that.”
The pinnacle coach added that the Hurricanes have extra expertise than the Irish. “Miami’s offensive line is gigantic,” he mentioned. “Notre Dame’s O-line is nice, but it surely ain’t Miami’s. And Miami’s line of defense is approach higher than Notre Dame’s. ND’s D-line is nice, but it surely’s not Miami’s. Their D-line is ridiculous. And that’s why Miami beat them. The trenches are the place all of it begins.”
“(Rueben) Bain is so good, however the different man (Akheem) Mesidor is a beast too. I feel they’re each first-day (draft) guys. They’re issues. In case you chip one, you gotta chip ’em each.”
Miami’s protection was its undoing final 12 months. UM employed Corey Hetherman to take over the protection and the unit has gone from No. 10 within the ACC in third-down protection to No. 3, and from No. 14 in permitting performs of 20-plus yards to No. 2.
“Heatherman does an actual good job,” the pinnacle coach mentioned. “He retains it easy. Previously, they tried to do an excessive amount of s— obtained too fancy. And, you continue to have to dam them.”
In Miami’s sport in opposition to the Irish, UM was the one workforce to carry Notre Dame below 136 yards on the bottom. ND managed 93 yards on 28 carries. Jeremiyah Love, ND’s Heisman candidate, had his worst sport of the season, dashing for less than 33 yards on 10 carries.
The broad receivers coach additionally praised the job Heatherman does. “Corey does a extremely good job of realizing the way you’re gonna attempt to assault him,” he mentioned. “It’s a easy scheme for the attention however there’s loads of issues that he does from a number of totally different seems to be and totally different pressures that he brings. They only create so many points up entrance. You positively should gameplan for that D-line. They’ll actually get off the ball.”
“Miami’s ends are actually excellent,” mentioned the OC. “They’re nightmares, such match-up issues. They alter the sport. They’re simply so twitchy and quick, and their inside guys are actually gifted too. (Andrew Moten, Justin Scott and David Blay) all provide you with issues and may make performs.”
Miami’s secondary can also be a lot improved from final 12 months. Nickelback Keionte Scott was enjoying at a really excessive degree till a foot harm suffered in mid-November would possibly’ve knocked him out of the remainder of the season. “He’s pretty much as good a participant as there may be in our league,” mentioned the OC, however added that freshman dime DB Bryce Fitzgerald (4 interceptions) is a particular expertise. “He’s an actual difference-maker.”
The Hurricanes offense shouldn’t be as explosive because it was in 2024 when Cam Ward was operating the present. Georgia switch Carson Beck has performed properly, however had a four-interception sport in Miami’s loss to Louisville. Over UM’s final 4 video games, Beck is enjoying the very best he has this season. He’s finishing over 79 p.c of his passes with 11 TDs and one INT.
C.J. Carr, Notre Dame’s redshirt freshman QB, performed properly on the highway in opposition to Miami in his debut. On the season, he’s finishing 67 p.c of his passes with 24 TDs and solely six interceptions.
“Notre Dame is healthier this 12 months than they have been final 12 months,” mentioned the ACC head coach. “The distinction is the quarterback as a result of he can throw a go. I didn’t assume (Riley Leonard) actually may. Carr might be a greater quarterback than Beck, who’s somewhat bizarre to me. We thought we may get in his head, however we actually didn’t.”
Miami’s consistency, particularly Beck’s, got here up a couple of instances with rival coaches.
“Miami is hit and miss offensively. When Beck’s on, he’s actually good however their run sport struggles a bit,” mentioned the WR coach. “That’s the place I feel Notre Dame has the benefit. I don’t assume Miami may run the ball on Notre Dame they usually’re simply attempting to feed (broad receiver Malachi) Toney the ball quite a bit.”
As for ND’s points within the opener, the receivers coach thought a few of that stemmed from opening-night issues.
“I feel they have been caught up in an identification disaster,” the coach mentioned. “Model new quarterback attempting to determine who you might be.”
Since then, the Irish have rushed for over 200 yards six instances and had 5 video games the place they averaged at the least eight yards per play. A lot of the injury has been achieved by probably the most gifted operating again room within the nation, led by Love and Jadarian Value.
“The Love child is so freaky, holy cow,” mentioned the defensive coordinator.
“They’re so deep at operating again, and so well-coached,” mentioned the operating backs coach. “They’re good within the go sport; good within the go safety sport. They good at all the pieces. Miami’s operating backs are gifted however they’re not Notre Dame’s operating backs.”
One growth that has helped the Canes over the past month of the season is the emergence of freshman RB Girard Pringle, dashing for 302 yards within the final 4 video games.
“Pringle has breakaway pace,” mentioned the pinnacle coach. (Mark) Fletcher shouldn’t be gonna scare you. Pringle does.”
Miami’s scariest participant can also be one of many smallest — true freshman Malachi Toney, a dynamic 5-11, 185-pound receiver who has caught 84 passes for 970 yards and 9 touchdowns. He’s additionally accomplished 4 of six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
“Toney is particular,” mentioned the pinnacle coach of the previous highschool QB, who really skipped his senior season of highschool this 12 months. “He’s ridiculous. That man is throwing fades. He’s obtained an arm. He may most likely play quarterback for a bunch of faculties. I can’t consider the balls he throws. He’s an entire totally different deal as a result of he can bounce within the wildcat and throw it. He’s scary as a result of he can do all the pieces. He’s nearly unstoppable. He’s electrical. He’s the very best participant we performed all 12 months.”
Of the 5 coaches we spoke to, every was requested who they thought ought to be the higher-ranked workforce. The breakdown:
• Notre Dame: The receivers coach and operating backs coach
• Miami: The pinnacle coach
• Each: The offensive coordinator
• Hedged: The defensive coordinator
The DC mentioned he thought Notre Dame’s physicality was higher however Miami was extra expert. Requested who he thought was the higher workforce, he laughed after which went again to the result of Week 1: “When it’s all mentioned and achieved, Notre Dame misplaced that sport. Faculty soccer’s loopy, man.”
Replace: About an hour after this story was posted, we heard again from one other coach on one of many staffs who confronted each groups. This one, an offensive analyst, learn this piece and was a bit shocked by a few of the different coaches’ feedback.
“Fascinating so many individuals thought Notre Dame was higher,” he mentioned Friday morning. “We thought enjoying Miami was a four-hour dental process, however we’d be prepared to go in opposition to the Irish once more.”
The coach who has spent round a decade within the ACC mentioned he may solely converse on the defenses of each groups.
“Miami was extra gifted and extra bodily,” he mentioned. “Their line is among the finest I’ve ever seen (I assumed on par with 2016 Clemson). Dropping (nickel Keionte Scott) damage them. They blitz much more than Notre Dame, and so when you may catch it proper, you can crease them some (we didn’t).
“Notre Dame was very stagnant and didn’t attempt to create as many damaging performs. We weren’t constructed proper to beat them (you want a extra bodily again than we had), however you completely can run the ball on them as a result of they’re so constant in alignment. They’re higher at linebacker than Miami, however blocking them on third down was quite a bit simpler. Moore is elite at what they do, nearly like a university Richard Sherman. Didn’t really feel like Miami had pretty much as good of DBs. Each groups’ discipline corners have been common at finest, and Miami shedding Scott means their nickel is on par with ND’s. However a motivated Miami workforce can beat anybody in America. I’m unsure you can say the identical about ND in case you have a number of 215-220-pound RBs.”
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