The offensive line rotation is back for Miami, and the numbers from the 52-3 win over Central Michigan suggest the Hurricanes may have found something worth leaning into.
No. 6 Miami used the same starting five against the Chippewas, but the interior looked different. True freshman Ben Congdon and redshirt junior Jamal Meriweather worked into the mix, with Congdon coming in every other series at left guard and Meriweather appearing roughly one out of every three series at right guard.
That shuffle produced one of Miami’s cleanest pass-protection outings of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, the seven linemen who handled most of the first-team work combined to give up only two quarterback pressures. Six of the seven also posted a pass-blocking grade of at least 75.0, which is the kind of collective stability Miami had been chasing.
Here’s how the key linemen graded out:
- LT Samson Okunlola: 58 snaps, 84.0 pass blocking grade, 59.9 run blocking grade.
- LG SJ Alofaituli: 42 snaps total, 15 snaps at center, 83.4 pass blocking grade, 62.0 run blocking grade.
- C Ryan Rodriguez: 58 snaps, 83.9 pass blocking grade, 69.8 run blocking grade.
- RG Max Buchanan: 56 snaps, 80.6 pass blocking grade, 73.3 run blocking grade, one pressure allowed.
- RT Matthew McCoy: 58 snaps, 64.9 pass blocking grade, 82.0 run blocking grade.
- LG Ben Congdon: 47 snaps, 77.6 pass blocking grade, 72.8 run blocking grade, one pressure allowed.
- RG Jamal Meriweather: 28 snaps, 83.3 pass blocking grade, 68.2 run blocking grade.
The pass-blocking grade from the game, 81.0, was Miami’s best against an FBS opponent this season. The run-blocking mark, 77.0, was even more striking.
Against Wake Forest, the Hurricanes were at 51.5 in pass protection and 59.1 in run blocking. Miami’s last FBS game with a run-blocking grade of at least 75.0 before this came against Virginia in 2023, when it posted a 76.2.
There’s also a measurable edge in the way Miami moved bodies at the point of attack. The Hurricanes averaged 3.75 yards per carry before contact against Central Michigan, good for 12th in the country in Week 4. Through the first four games, the numbers looked like this:
- vs. Stanford: 0.81 Ybct/rush (110th)
- vs. FAMU: 2.27 Ybct/rush (42nd)
- vs. Wake Forest: 1.18 Ybct/rush (83rd)
- vs. Central Michigan: 3.75 Ybct/rush (12th)
That’s a clear jump, and Miami’s best day so far of generating push up front. Central Michigan’s front won’t resemble what’s coming in ACC play, but the trend from Saturday was still encouraging. The Hurricanes used bigger, more physical bodies like Congdon and Meriweather, and the whole group looked sharper for it.
With an offense that already has the country’s best passing operation and Darian Mensah completing 85 percent of his attempts, the line’s progress matters. If Miami keeps pairing that kind of protection with real movement in the run game, this attack starts looking every bit like a National Championship caliber unit.
In Other News...
Clemson Just Got A Tougher Miami Test Than Expected
Miami got a welcome update heading into its matchup with Clemson, with coach Mario Cristobal saying running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. are expected to be available. Both had been held out of the previous game after picking up minor injuries against Wake Forest, leaving the Hurricanes a little thinner than usual in two important spots.
Now, those absences appear to be short-lived, and that matters in a game where Miami will want as much stability as possible on both sides of the ball. Fletcher gives the Hurricanes another option in the backfield, while Motens presence up front helps a defense that will be tested in a big way, even as Cristobal says both players are healthy and ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A Real RB2 Debate Before Clemson
Chris Wheatley-Humphrey gave Miami something to think about in the win over Central Michigan, turning 11 carries into more than 100 yards and a touchdown while Mark Fletcher Jr. was held out to get ready for Clemson. The timing matters because the Hurricanes have been searching for clarity behind their feature back, and the latest outing only sharpened the conversation. When a reserve back puts together that kind of performance, it changes how a depth chart looks heading into a much bigger stage.
Mario Cristobal said Fletcher was rested with Clemson in mind, and Miami appears headed toward a committee approach for the RB2 role anyway. Wheatley-Humphrey, Girard Pringle and Jordan Lyle are all in the mix, which gives the Hurricanes options but also leaves the pecking order unsettled. Against a defense like Clemsons, the question is not just who gets the next carry, but who can earn the staffs trust when the game gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Cristobal Put Miamis Clemson Focus On Two Issues After Blowout Win
After Miamis 52-3 rout of Central Michigan, the focus inside the program quickly shifted from the lopsided final to the details that matter next. The Hurricanes piled up 572 yards and forced three turnovers, with Darian Mensah sharp through the air and Malachi Toney continuing to give the offense a big-play presence, but head coach Mario Cristobal spent his media time zeroing in on how the game was managed and how the roster was rotated.
Clemson is the real measuring stick ahead, and Cristobals message after the win centered on two issues that will shape how prepared Miami looks when that one arrives. The matchup is already looming as a major test for a team that handled Central Michigan with ease, and the attention now is on whether the Canes can keep the same edge while tightening the pieces that matter most in a bigger game. [Read more 🡒]