Game To Watch: #18 Miami vs #21 Oklahoma State: December 29, 2020
Miami and Oklahoma State face off in the Cheez-It Bowl this Tuesday at 5:30 EST. Miami was 8 – 2 this season, but did not play well their last time out falling 62 – 26 against North Carolina. Oklahoma State had a 7 – 3 season, they have alternated wins and losses in their last six games, but did beat Baylor 42 – 3. While these teams did not qualify for a New Year’s Six Bowl, they could use a strong performance Tuesday to continue their positive momentum and build toward the 2021 season.
Recent History
Miami and Oklahoma State have only played each other once. Miami won the 1991 meeting between the teams, 40 – 3, but that was almost 30 years ago and offers little perspective on what to expect Tuesday.
Top 25 Players
What To Watch For…
Can Miami replace their two best defensive players?
Miami had two of the best defensive ends in college football this season. Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche were able to terrorize opposing offenses all season, but both players have opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. The Hurricanes not only need to replace their two best players on the defensive side of the ball, but will need to do so at the same position. Miami will turn to a pair of redshirt freshmen, Jahfari Harvey and Cam Williams. They have both rotated in this year, with Harvey accounting for 3.5 tackles for loss and Williams recording 0.5 tackles for loss. There will be a drop off at the defensive end position for Miami, but how big that drop off is will determine how effective the Miami defense can be. Oklahoma State’s star offensive tackle, Teven Jenkins opted out as well, so Harvey and Williams will not face the Oklahoma State offensive line at it’s best either. If they perform well on Tuesday that will be an excellent sign for Miami’s future.
How will Oklahoma State attack the Miami Defense?
The Cowboys have opt outs of their own. Star RB Chuba Hubbard opted out a few weeks ago and the aforementioned Teven Jenkins has opted out of the bowl game as well. Fortunately for the Cowboys, quarterback Spencer Sanders and star receiver Tylan Wallace will suit up on Tuesday. Wallace is a mismatch for the Miami secondary, he is one of the best receiver’s in the country and Miami does not have the talent at cornerback to matchup with him. That said, North Carolina was able to run for 554 yards against a Miami defense that had Phillips and Roche. Oklahoma State’s offense focuses on running the ball and then throwing when the defense is playing run. Even with Wallace presenting a huge advantage outside, Oklahoma State will want to run the ball first. Even without Chuba Hubbard, the Cowboys have three running backs that averaged over five yards per carry this year. If LD Brown, Dezmon Jackson and Dominic Richardson are able to get rolling, it may not even matter how big of an advantage Wallace is down the field.
Will D’Eriq King save the day?
D’Eriq King’s transfer to Miami has been the catalyst for Miami’s successful season. King has done a good job in the passing game, completing 64 percent of his passes for 2,573 yards with 22 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions while also providing a spark in the run game, where he has added 520 yards and 4 touchdowns. King has thrived despite some struggles by the receivers, injuries at tight end, an offensive line that has been inconsistent and a running game that has proven to be limited. Oklahoma State’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 33rd in scoring and 27th in yards per play. The Cowboys have held six of their ten opponents to 21 points or less this year. The Cowboys will present a tough matchup for Miami’s offense, so King will need to be sharp. King has carried Miami at times this season and he will likely need to do more of that on Tuesday for the Hurricanes to prevail.
Prediction
Bowl games are tough to predict because it’s hard to know how motivated a team will be and how much of an impact opt-outs will have on the game. King has carried Miami this year and he has announced his intention to return for 2021, he will want to use this game as a stepping stone into the off season. Miami will score their share of points on offense, but Oklahoma State has several matchups they can exploit. North Carolina highlighted several weaknesses in the Miami defense that the Cowboys will test. In a shootout the better quarterback usually makes the big plays down the stretch. King should be able to push Miami over the top. Miami 34 Oklahoma State 31.
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Clemson vs. University of Miami Football image taken by TigerNet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
