Clemson vs. Miami, ACC Championship Game preview, predictions, viewing info

Keys for Miami 

Miami has to quickly figure out what went wrong offensively in the loss to Pittsburgh while facing one of the most imposing defensive fronts in college football.

Quarterback Malik Rosier, who has been solid all year long, turned in his worst performance of the season by completing 15-of-34 pass attempts for 187 yards. The Hurricanes can’t afford that kind of inaccurate performance under center again, particularly given the pressure Rosier will face against the dominant Clemson defensive line.

Expect a heavy dose of Travis Homer on Saturday, as the sophomore running back has been terrific in place of the injured Mark Walton and only received seven carries last week, something that has to change. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, the passing game lost a big target last week with Christopher Herndon IV going down with a knee injury, and on Wednesday lost Ahmmon Richards to a knee injury in practice that will keep him out of the game.

It’s all about the turnover chain defensively for Miami, as the Hurricanes lead the nation with a plus-17 margin. While Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant has been great this year, an elite-level cornerback like Jaquan Johnson could force some mistakes out of the inexperienced signal caller.

Miami has the ability up front to at least limit the Clemson running game and will count on athletic linebackers like Shaquille Quarterman to keep Bryant contained in the pocket. The Hurricanes’ best chance is to control a low-scoring game with their rushing attack and hope the defense can win the turnover battle and set up a depleted offense with short fields.