Miami has their QB in D'Eriq King

Sep 24

It’s taken long enough, but it seems the turnover chain-era Miami Hurricanes have finally found their answer at QB. As D’Eriq King goes, this Canes offense will go as well, and it went very well in No.17 Miami’s 47-34 win at No.18 Louisville.

The struggles at the quarterback position for Manny Diaz and co. have been well-documented. The adventures of Malik Rosier under Mark Richt, the failed Tate Martell experiment, and the underwhelming performances of N’Kosi Perry and Jarren Williams. With the elite talent on defense, Miami just needed above-average play from the position to elevate closer to Clemson in the ACC. They might have struck something even better than that.

After a historic 2018 season at Houston in which King accounted for 50 touchdowns (36 passing and 14 rushing), the senior quarterback was expecting to finish his college career at Houston in 2019, but a disappointing 1-3 start, amongst other things, sent the QB into a redshirt, then as the season came to a close, into the transfer portal. He chose Miami a week later, and through two weeks, it looks like the right choice.

King played probably the best game at QB that the Canes have seen in the last few years,18/30 325 yards, and 3 touchdowns. He was accurate throwing the ball in all areas of the field, he was efficient (10.8 YPA), and he made every big play when Miami needed it.

The redshirt senior made some dazzling throws throughout the course of the game. Nursing a 14-6 lead in the second quarter, the Miami offense lined up for a 2nd & 12 from their own 33-yard line. King rolled out to his left and dropped a beautiful pass with pressure in his face into the lap of Mike Harley for a first down and the Cardinals 46-yard line. See the play here.

Let’s now go to the third quarter, the Hurricanes already scored on their first play of the second half and are lined up for their second drive after a Louisville touchdown cut it to 27-20. Miami puts King in the shotgun with Knighton lined up to his right in the backfield. King takes the snap and fakes as if he is running a straight quarterback keeper. The entire defense bites on the fake and sneaks Knighton wide open behind the Cardinals’ linebackers. King hits him in stride and the freshman can walk into the end zone. Two second-half plays, two 75-yard touchdowns. See that play here.

The tempo was another refreshing revelation for the Hurricanes offense. None of their five touchdown drives lasted longer than 3:39. There was urgency after almost every meaningful first down, Miami hustling to the line and snapping it before Louisville lined up.

Last week, the Hurricanes were all ground and pound, rushing for over 300 yards in the win vs UAB. The passing game was a little inconsistent, expected with a new QB in a new system with one of the most unusual offseasons in college football history. In week two, in the first ranked matchup of the season and a true road test, we saw the heights of what this offense can reach.

The ground game was still there. Cam’Ron Harris was excellent again, nine carriers for 134 yards and a touchdown. He showed a great mix of power and speed, busting out a 75-yard touchdown on the first Miami offensive play of the third quarter. The defense has a lot to think about when King takes the snap in the shotgun and sticks the football in the belly of Harris, who is going to take the football?

King was not as efficient on the ground as he was a week prior, netting only nine yards on the ground on eight carries, but when you can be as efficient through the air as King was on Saturday, using his legs to create plays downfield is more important than designed QB runs.

We wondered if King would be enough to turn this Miami offense around, and after two weeks, it sure looks like it. A rivalry game with Florida State awaits this weekend, then a bye, then No. 1 Clemson. While no one is expecting Miami to beat Clemson, if King continues to wreck defenses the way he did Saturday, there’s no reason to believe the Hurricanes can’t compete with North Carolina (the two matchups on Dec. 5) for the second-best team in the ACC.