Atlanta, GA (Sportsbooks) - In a crucial ACC Coastal Division battle, the 23rd-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes square off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium this Thursday.
After starting the season just 2-3, the Hurricanes have got things rolling and have won five straight games, marking their longest such streak since posting eight victories in a row in 2005. The most recent of the victories came this past Thursday, a 16-14 triumph over Virginia Tech. It was the 13th win in the past 14 Thursday night games for Miami, which now sits atop the Coastal Division standings at 4-2.
"We feel really good," said head coach Randy Shannon. "We're on the right track and definitely headed in the right direction."
The Hurricanes are certainly doing some positive things these days, but they are closely followed in the Coastal Division standings by four teams and most likely will need to win their last two contests to advance to the ACC championship game.
One of the those teams chasing Miami is Georgia Tech, which owns a 4-3 ledger within the conference. The Yellow Jackets though, are coming off a disappointing showing, dropping a 28-7 decision at nationally-ranked North Carolina November 8th. It was the second loss in the past three outings, as the squad dipped to 7-3 overall. Tech however, now returns back home, where it has logged a solid 5-1 mark thus far.
The Jackets lead the head-to-head series with Miami by a 9-4 count and they have won the last three encounters. The Hurricanes' last victory in the series came in 2004, a 27-3 triumph in Atlanta.
The ACC certainly isn't known for its offense this season, so it's no surprise that Miami is one of the top scoring teams with an average of 28.4 ppg. The Hurricanes are gaining 133.4 ypg on the ground and another 181.2 ypg through the air, with an even split between its 30 total touchdowns. In a defensive struggle last week, the Hurricanes used 247 total yards and three field goals by Matt Bosher to slip past Virginia Tech 16-14. Quarterback Robert Marve threw for 121 yards on 6-of-17 tosses in the win and he also added 44 rushing yards on 14 carries.
"I think every team needs some time," Marve said on how the club has evolved. "Once you learn how to win things just keep on rolling. Now we're trying to fight as a group and fight together."
It was a solid effort by the dual-threat gunslinger who has struggled with consistency this season, completing just 53.6 percent of his pass attempts with seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions. His mobility, however, has been a big asset and that makes him dangerous on every touch.
Aldarius Johnson has been his target of choice, as he leads the team with 27 catches. In the backfield, Graig Cooper paces Miami with 686 yards and four scores on the ground and he is averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry.
The Hurricanes certainly possess a championship defense, as they are holding opponents to a mere 283.2 total ypg. The defense has really clamped down against the run, surrendering only 106.6 ypg, and has also down well in limiting opposing passing attacks, yielding just 176.6 ypg. The biggest knock on this unit though, is that it hasn't come up with enough takeaways, recording just 12 on the year. Despite failing to force a turnover last weekend, Miami's defense was still on top of its game, as it held Virginia Tech to just 250 total yards. Only 77 of those yards came on the ground and Miami even came up with six sacks in the victory. Marcus Robinson accounted for three of those sacks and he also led the team with seven tackles and four TFLs. Glenn Cook chipped in with five tackles and he still leads the team with 60 stops for the year.
The Yellow Jackets are a run-based team and they have certainly had success in that department, gaining 250.7 of their 358.2 total ypg on the ground this season. The offense has scored 23 of its 28 touchdowns via the run, but it has also lost a whopping 17 fumbles. In the squad's prior outing, Tech rolled up 326 rushing yards, but committed three costly turnovers, including two fumbles, in a 28-7 loss to North Carolina. Jonathan Dwyer guided the squad in the setback with 157 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. It was another big time effort from Dwyer, who has now rushed for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt contributed 62 yards on the ground against North Carolina, but he threw for just 97 yards and an interception on 10-of-22 pass attempts. Nesbitt hasn't had much success throwing the ball this season, but he has certainly made an impact with his mobility, ranking second on the team 498 rushing yards and six scores. When he does put the ball in the air, it will most likely will be headed in the direction of Demaryius Thomas, whose 33 catches are 26 more than the next closest player on the roster.
Much like their opponent, the Jackets own a defense that can carry them each week, as they are holding foes to just 16.1 ppg and only 287.6 total ypg. The defense has shown the ability to slow down both the run (121.7 ypg) and pass (165.9 ypg) and has also forced 25 turnovers, including 15 interceptions. In its past outing however, Tech failed to come up with a takeaway and it also gave up 314 total yards in a loss to North Carolina. The team did manage a pair of sack, bringing its total to 28 for the season. Michael Johnson had six tackles and a sack in the setback and he currently ranks second on the roster with six sacks on the year. Another player worth noting is Morgan Burnett, who paces Tech with 66 tackles and is tied for the national lead with six interceptions.
