A quick look at the teams on Miami’s upcoming ACC schedule

The Miami Hurricanes have started the 2022 season poorly with a 2-2 record in the non-conference slate. 

UM has lost consecutive games against Texas A&M and Middle Tennessee State going into this bye week, but the Hurricanes still have everything ahead of them in terms of their ACC goals. 

Beginning on October 8th, the Hurricanes will play eight straight weeks against ACC opponents, starting with the North Carolina Tar Heels at Hard Rock Stadium. 

To this point in the season, Miami is averaging 35 points per game while the defense is allowing 20 points per game. 

According to ESPN’s SP+ metric from Bill Connelly, Miami’s offense ranks 42nd nationally while the defense ranks 61st in the country.

How does Miami compare to their upcoming ACC schedule? Read on for a look at the question each ACC team Miami is scheduled to play needs to answer between now and game day. 

October 8th vs. North Carolina (3-1): North Carolina has one of the best offenses in the ACC, but the defense is a significant question mark. The Tar Heels have allowed 495 yards per game on defense, which is last in the ACC. UNC is allowing 39.5 points per game, which is also last in the conference. According to the SP+ metric, UNC’s defense ranks 110th in the country. UNC is coming off a 45-32 loss to Notre Dame.

October 15th at Virginia Tech (2-2): The Hokies’s offense has struggled to find a rhythm on offense to this point. Virginia Tech is averaging 20.2 points per game. VT quarterback Grant Wells has thrown for 211 yards per game while tossing five touchdowns and five interceptions. Running back Keshawn King is averaging 59 yards per game on the ground while totaling one touchdown. The SP+ metric ranks Virginia Tech’s attack as the No. 119 offense in the country right now. The Hokies have lost games to Old Dominion and West Virginia this season.

October 22nd vs. Duke (3-1): Overall, Duke is much improved from a year ago, but the Blue Devils still have a lot of room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Duke’s third down defense ranks No. 110 in the country while allowing opponents to convert on 43.6 percent of their opportunities. The Blue Devils have forced eight turnovers on the season, which ranks 20th best in the country. Duke has been solid in the red-zone, allowing touchdowns on 7-of-12 red-zone trips by opponents. The SP+ metric ranks Duke’s defense No. 96 in the country. Duke is coming off a 35-27 loss to Kansas. 

October 29th at Virginia (2-2): Much like Miami in 2022, the Cavaliers have not been able to carry the production on the offensive side of the ball from 2021 to this year. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong averaged 400 passing yards per game last season. Through four games this season, Armstrong is averaging 212 passing yards per game. UVA’s offensive line has struggled to protect Armstrong thus far with the Cavaliers allowing three sacks per game and 57 pressures. The Cavaliers have lost to Illinois and Syracuse. 

November 5th vs. Florida State (4-0): The Seminoles are much improved and they are playing complementary football on offense and defense. FSU is averaging 503 yards per game and limiting opponents to 310 yards per game. The SP+ views FSU as a top 40 offense and top 40 defense at this point in the season. The question for Florida State at this stage? Can they maintain this level? FSU is playing like a very confident team right now. If they can maintain this level of play, the Seminoles will be a tough match-up for the Hurricanes. FSU is coming of a 44-14 win over Boston College. 

November 12th at Georgia Tech (1-3): The Yellow Jackets were one of the worst Power Five programs in the country through the first four games and they moved on from coach Geoff Collins because of it. Georgia Tech ranks 14th in the ACC in scoring offense at 13.8 points per game and 13th in scoring defense in the ACC while allowing teams to score 31.8 points per game. The SP+ ranks Georgia Tech’s offense as 94th best in the country and the defense 107th best. The Yellow Jackson have lost to Clemson, Ole Miss, and UCF. 

November 19th at Clemson (4-0): The Tigers have one of the saltiest defenses in the country with playmakers at all three levels. The Clemson passing attack is a work in progress and DJ Uiagalelei is coming off a strong performance against Wake Forest in which he threw for 371 yards with five touchdowns while also running for 52 yards. If Uiagalelei can continue to produce at a high level, the Tigers will be making a run at a spot in the College Football Playoff. Clemson will take on NC State this week in a game that will be telling. 

November 26th vs. Pittsburgh (3-1): The Panthers have seen their defensive consistency slip in the first four games of this 2022 season. Pittsburgh is allowing 25.5 points per game, which ranks tenth in the ACC. Pitt is averaging three sacks per game and 6.2 tackles for loss per game. The SP+ metric views the Panthers defense as No. 73 overall in the country. Pittsburgh’s loss came against Tennessee in overtime. 

What do you think about the upcoming ACC slate for Miami? Answer in the comments below.