Film Review: Miami Hurricanes 38 – Pitt Panthers 7

The Miami Hurricanes (10-2) cruised to a win over the Pitt Panthers (8-4) by a score of 38-7 on Thanksgiving weekend. The ‘Canes now must play ‘wait-and-see’ with the College Football Playoff committee.

The Canyonero Keys to Victory main theme for Miami was ‘head down and drive.’ In other words, play your game and don’t letup until the final whistle. Miami did just that as they finished the game on with the defense pitching a scoreless second half. The individual keys were:

1- Beck needs to protect the ball. Carson Beck did throw a late interception but the win was already sealed by that point. Beck also finished 23-of-29 passing on the day.

2- Get to Heintschel. Miami sacked Mason Heintschel on the first play of the game for a 10-yard loss and never looked back. The ‘Canes got to him four times including Ahmad Moten’s game opener.

3- Come out on fire. Miami did come out on fire on defense with an amazing opening drive (sack, short run, TFL, punt) even if a sack and a drop held the ‘Canes to just three points in the first quarter.

I predicted Miami would beat Pitt and that moves me to 10-2 on the season. My only losses were when I predicted ND would beat Miami by 3, and that Miami would beat Louisville by 6. I did predict the ‘Canes would finish 9-3 in the preseason but once the games were played I went with 10-2 on the books.

The Doppler

The ‘Canes finished 4-of-8 on 3rd down while Pitt finished 5-of-15 on combined money downs. Both teams had a turnover on an interception.

Pitt was flagged for 88 yards, a few questionable calls even in my opinion. Miami was flagged for 28 yards in penalties on the day so the ‘Canes didn’t fall into the trap of a chippy game from Pitt.

The kicking game was won by Miami as Carter Davis made his FG attempt and Pitt missed theirs. Keelan Marion had a 38-yard KR, and Dylan Joyce had a coffin corner punt to the 1-yard line.

Miami Offense

What to say about the offense… Beck averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt with three TD’s and one INT. He was sacked twice.

Girard Pringle averaged 8.2 yards per carry with a 38-yard explosive run. Mark Fletcher and Marty Brown were more lumbering averaging 3.0 and 2.0 yards per carry, respectively. Fletcher did score once on the ground and Brown once through the air. The OL gave up six tackles for loss.

Beck found eight different UM receivers with four hitting double-digit yards per catch marks. Malachi Toney needs his own entire category as he threw another TD, this one to Elija Lofton while rushing for 30 yards and catching 13 balls including a touchdown.

Above– McCoy lets his defender go to block no one and its his guy that gets the sack. You have to commit more than a hand tap on him as he goes by at that point. Eyes are on the LB, when no one shows that DL is yours.

Above– How was the first quarter only 3 points for UM? Mauigoa doesn’t kick the DE on counter. He has to kick the first guy that shows. Lofton is the wrap guy.

Above– Instead Mauigoa wraps as well and the DE makes the TFL.

Above– Beck puts it out there and only Toney can and does make this catch. What an athlete. Being the team MVP as a true freshman is a rare thing. Think about Maurice Clarett levels of impact as a freshman, if Miami can win the natty that is.

Above– All of this Toney “Wildcat” stuff is been fun. Whoever convinced Mario to lighten up and run these packages is a hero. You can see the overload OL to the left, and the dual TE’s to the right with the RB. Pitt should’ve called a timeout.

Above– The CB is supposed to take the “#1” threat (Lofton) but he’s also the outside force player vs. the run. Replacing Lofton with Pringle in the sprint out protection allows this to work.

Above– Now you have the most dynamic player in the ACC being covered 1-on-1. Miami uses a little motion and Pitt winds up getting themselves picked here. The CB should’ve switched off and taken the wheel but he doesn’t and the CB and S pick themselves.

Above– This is a great use of the TE. Bauman kinda sucks, right? No one has their eyes on him. Toney draws the S’s attention, three Panther defenders stack which is a HUGE no-no on defense. Great timing and execution of the TE Dump from the old I-Formation days.

Above– Miami OL has a tendency to over-commit and Bell turns his shoulders to held on a block and doesn’t see two defenders pressure from his left. Pringle takes the correct defender, inside is most dangerous, but the outside guy drills Beck.

Above– Pringle squirts through this look for 38 yards. The guy just has elite vision and patience. He reminds me of CJ Spiller in many ways. He weaves under Bell, over McCoy and then shakes off a leg slap.

Above– With the CB playing press in CJ Daniels’ face Beck know she can take a shot up top or down low. He trusts down low more and the S down low is his read. If the dude screams to the numbers to help Beck will need to check down. This is an easy TD when the S doesn’t roll fast and Beck drops it outside which is where it has to go in order to avoid an INT- either a TD or out of bounds type of throw.

Miami Defense

QB Mason Heintschel looked pedestrian for most of the day averaging only 6.2 yards per pass attempt with one TD, one INT and negative rushing yards including four sacks.

Ja’Kyrian Turner and Juelz Goff got the bulk of the carries for Pitt. The duo averaged 3.7 and 4.7 yards per carry, respectively. The Miami defense came away with six TFL’s against the Panthers.

Heintschel found nine different receivers on the day with four getting to double-digit yards per catch markers. TE Justin Holmes caught Pitt’s lone TD.

For Miami Rueben Bain came back to life with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFL’s. Moten logged 1.5 sacks and 1.5 TFL’s as well. Justin Scott picked up a TFL and an encroachment penalty even though he’s over the ball. Poyser and Bryce Fitzgerald had solid performances as well with Fitzgerald logging a TFL, an INT, a sack and a PBU.

Above- Moten’s first step has started to really pick up and he’s learning how to use his hands to fight off blocks. Big fella has been really good as of late.

Above– Bain gets in a 1-on-1 with the RT and uses the Reggie White hump to get space from him and then attacks inside. The QB has NO internal clock, something Pitt will need to work on all off-season with him. He 100% should have escaped this for a little scramble.

Above– When you needed a big boy play Scott stood up. This was NOT a 1st down and Scott is the reason it shouldn’t have been called one. He stood in there and held the C up so the rest of the defense could work. Aguirre and Toure made the play- they just didn’t get credit for it.

Above– The Miami DB goes for the leg pick tackle but you can’t leave your feet and try that. You can double leg and ‘gator roll’ the guy but the leg pick from a knee won’t work. He gets out ‘momentum’d’ here.

Above– When we talk OODA Loop this is what motion does to the eyes. The eyes drive the brain. Look at the amount of attention the defenders give the motion guy. The TE is inside of the WR and slips out.

Above– Easy throw for the QB here and a TD for the TE. Every team gives these up, including Pitt to Lofton.

Above– You can see here where the communication goes wrong for Miami DB’s. This needs to be a switch call where the CB takes #2 and the S takes #1 after the snap.

Above– Because UM doesn’t switch Poyser is watching the QB and not the #1 come in and cross his face. This wound up a huge pick up and the better teams with more analysts and GA’s will see this on tape.

Above- Corey Hetherman’s one flaw is that his LB’s are often left on an island chasing around RB’s when he blitzes DB’s. So he needs to recruit faster ILB’s for his defense and less Toure types that are plodding.

Above- Pitt doesn’t use this to their advantage and instead keeps sending backs to the flat, here he goes up the seam and the QB is sacked before it matters. Honestly it looks like the RB and slot are even going to the same tube in the coverage. Poor execution and/or design by Pitt to Miami’s advantage.

The Wrap

The 2025 regular season has come to a close. Manny Diaz, yes that very same one, beat Mario Cristobal to an appearance in the ACC Championship Game. Miami has to wait and see who the committee puts into the College Football Playoff as an at-large bid. If UVA wins the ACC they could sneak into the conversation as a Power 4 conference champ.

20 wins in two seasons should feel great but with Miami not in the ACC Championship Game and potentially left out of the CFB Playoff once again it still feels like a disappointment. No it doesn’t feel like it, it is a disappointment. UVA and Duke made it to Charlotte before Cristobal’s Hurricanes.

Miami is like USC and Oregon back in their Pac-12 days where if you aren’t making the conference championship every season what are you even doing? You have the clear advantages and can’t make it happen. But hey, at least we aren’t rooting for FSU right now.