Miami’s 52-3 win over Central Michigan produced a clean-looking box score, but Pro Football Focus still found a few Canes who stood out on both ends of the spectrum.
Using a minimum of 20 snaps to qualify, Darian Mensah and Marquise Lightfoot headlined the top five. Mensah earned a 91.8 grade, while Lightfoot checked in at 89.8. Malachi Toney came next at 76.6, followed by Ethan O’Connor at 76.1 and Cam Pruitt at 74.7.
Mensah’s night was as efficient as it gets: 23 completions on 27 attempts for 338 yards, three passing touchdowns and one rushing score, with no turnovers. Toney also made a strong impression, though there was a question about whether he got dinged for the offensive pass interference call on his spectacular touchdown grab that was overturned. That push, as the piece notes, seems to show up without a flag in plenty of games, but it was called here in what was described as a terribly officiated game.
Lightfoot’s grade matched what showed up on the field. Even with the personal foul tied to Damon Wilson II’s fumble return, he kept wrecking plays, finishing with two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. The breakout season keeps rolling.
O’Connor also turned in a strong showing, allowing just two catches for three yards while adding three tackles and a pass breakup. Pruitt led the team in tackles, allowed no catches on his target, and was only charged with one missed tackle, so he still came out of the night looking solid.
At the other end of the grades, Damon Wilson II led the bottom five with a 54.7. Milan Parris followed at 55.8, Zechariah Poyser at 56.3, Omar Thornton at 59.0 and JJ Dunnigan at 59.8.
Wilson’s grade might have looked different if the wiped-out fumble return touchdown had counted, but the numbers still showed a quiet game from Miami’s key edge rusher: no tackles and two QB pressures. He also drew a roughing the passer penalty on the first drive, and Miami will want more from him at Clemson on Saturday.
The secondary, meanwhile, seemed to take some heat from the grading that didn’t fully match what happened on the field. Central Michigan’s first drive lasted 11 plays and 40 yards before ending in a field goal, and the Chippewas completed only two short passes for three and four yards on that possession. After that, their drives against Miami’s starters went for three, three, three, five and one yard the rest of the half.
Poyser was charged with a pair of missed tackles, which at least explains part of the grade. But overall, the defense did what it was supposed to do, with maybe just a little more pressure being the one thing left on the table.
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The matchup also offered a blueprint for how a skilled quarterback can work against Clemsons coverage looks and pass rush tendencies, even when the Tigers make adjustments the next season. Mensahs game was not clean across the board, especially when pressure arrived, but the combination of timing, depth of target and explosive plays is the part Miami will care about most. If the Hurricanes are studying how Clemson can be stressed again, this is the sort of film that makes the conversation worth having. [Read more 🡒]
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For all the noise around bringing the team closer to home, the real question is whether the move would be worth the financial strain. A new stadium near campus could easily push past $1 billion, and the athletic department would be taking on serious risk in a market already crowded with other venues. The recruiting debate is loud, but the financial debate may be the one Miami fans should be watching most closely. [Read more 🡒]