It took Chuck Martin a little while to get the ball rolling in Miami, and he’s not had an amazing season to date but what he has built is a steady performing program that’s always in the mix. Under marting Miami has two division titles, a conference title, and a bowl win.
Miami has not had a losing season since 2017 (5-7) and really not a terrible season since 2015.
Last year Miami did it with the passing game, as Buffalo fans well know. Brett Gabbert is back for Miami. Against Buffalo, he threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns in their 45-18 drubbing of the Bulls.
On the season Gabbert threw 26 touchdowns ad just six interceptions. Racking up 2,600 yards while splitting time behind center at Miami.
Gabbert has four of his five linemen returning and most of his receiving weapons. There is no reason, besides the departure of their best receiver Jack Sorenson to think that Miami’s going to lose even a half step this year.
They are going to test the Buffalo defense again, and with a totally new look secondary, it’s hard to predict how the Bulls will stand up.
Miami does not run the ball particularly well, but they’re not awful either. With such a devastating passing attack they didn’t bother to establish a rhythm on the ground too often.
On defense, Miami lost their best tackler Ivan Pace and best pass rushers Kameron Butler and Lonnie Phelps to the portal.
Martin has been at Miami for eight seasons, so the man knows how to rebuild a unit, the question is can he do it quickly in the era of the portal. He’s brought in Ty Wise from Indiana to try and fill the hole left by Pace and there is some new blood in the secondary.
So that’s the situation with Miami.
The offense that dropped 45 on us without much of a struggle is going to be as good, or better, than last year’s unit while the defense is trying to rebuild.
For Buffalo to have a shot in this year’s contest their secondary is going to have to be markedly better and the offense will have to be able to find some consistancy despite the fact UB’s offense is as close to a total rebuild as I’ve seen in a decade or more at Buffalo.
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