Miami Hurricanes Are Going To Upset Florida State Seminoles
Duke Johnson of the Miami Hurricanes is out for revenge against the Florida State Seminoles, and he’s going to get it.
A broken right ankle is the last memory that the Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson has of the Florida State Seminoles. Because of the gruesome hit, Johnson was unable to play the rest of his sophomore year. This season the junior Heisman Trophy candidate is healthy and ready to lead his Hurricanes to a win against their arch rival FSU.
The Hurricanes have seen Johnson run wild as he has gained 1,213 rushing yards which ranks him sixth in the nation. Furthermore, Johnson is one of the best at gaining all-purpose yards as he has 1,486 yards which is good enough for second in the nation.
In only three years playing for the Hurricanes program, the Miami native is the Hurricanes leader in all-purpose yards and is only 252 rushing yards away from becoming the sole owner in all-time rushing yards for the Hurricanes.
Even though Johnson will finish with a lot of records as a Hurricane, the most telling accomplishment next to a national championship that Hurricane fans will remember is a win against Florida State.
The Hurricanes lead the all-time series against FSU 31-27 and are hungry for a win. Since FSU began their reign in the Jimbo Fisher era, the Seminoles have owned this rivalry and have won their four games with a margin of 142 points to 70.
A win against FSU means the world to the Hurricanes program and defeating a number one ranked team could possibly give the Hurricanes a ranking in the AP Poll. Also, it gives the Hurricanes the confidence and momentum to make a late push to play in the ACC Championship.
Speaking on that ACC Championship berth, how about we cross that bridge when we get there?
In addition the reason Johnson has had so much success this season is because of the philosophy of Hurricanes head coach Al Golden. Simply put, coach Golden uses his rushing game wisely. The running game is the building block of the offense and is the reason the Hurricanes have had success this season.
Johnson isn’t the only running back putting on a performance each Saturday — running backs Joseph Yearby and Gus Edwards have also contributed. On the season, the two running backs have combined for 724 yards and six touchdowns.
The game plan of coach Golden plays into the favor of the Hurricanes since his smash mouth running style earns 199.3 yards per game which gives the Hurricanes the 39th best rushing attack in the NCAA.
Currently FSU ranks as the 35th best team when it comes to stopping the rush. On the season they have allowed their opponents to run the ball for 135.7 yards per game. In this battle between the two rivals the Hurricanes will have to rush the ball for at least 200 yards if they want to defeat Florida State.
The reason running the football is so important this game against FSU is because it opens up the play calling for the Hurricanes Offensive Coordinator James Coley. When Coley is given a free playbook he’s normally very creative and takes big strikes down-field to receiver Phillip Dorsett and Clive Walford. Also, not only does rushing the ball open up the play calling for Coley, it also keeps FSU Jameis Winston off of the field. There’s a saying called “let sleeping dogs lie.”
There’s no reason to have Winston, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, continuously on the field. The game plan that Miami wants to avoid is getting into a shootout with FSU since they average 319 yards per game through the air which is good enough for 10th in the nation. That same FSU offense also averages 37.9 points per game, good enough for 16th in the nation.
Thankfully though if the game does turn into a shootout the Hurricanes have the weapons to combat the attack of the Seminoles. Say hello to the Hurricanes freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya.
The man has played so well there have been many nicknames thrown around way such as “Kaaya Ocho, Kaaya the Messiah, Cobra Kaaya & Yippee Kaaya Mother (Insert Word I Won’t Say Here).” People have even wrote letters to him.
Look at his stats on the year within the ACC:
- 1st in passer rating
- 1st in yards per completions
- 1st in touchdown passes
- 5th in total passing yards
- 5th in completion percentage
The freshman is good enough to compete with Winston as long as his running game is keeping the defense honest and making the game easier for him.
If you didn’t realize it by now, this upset is going to happen. The Hurricanes are going to win this game and the rest of the world will get shocked. Just get ready to see FSU’s exclusion on the newest college football rankings next Tuesday.
The Canes are back.
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