The Louisville Cardinals came into Hard Rock Stadium and beat the Miami Hurricanes 24-21 on Friday night. Miami’s home winning streak and undefeated season have now gone up in smoke. The Cards started the game off with 14 straight points and did just enough to hold the lead.

The Canyonero Keys to Victory theme was the Cadillac of Games and it lived up to it. I had Miami by 6, even Vegas started with 10+ for the ‘Canes but narrowed down to a touchdown around kickoff. The individual keys were:

1- Get to Moss with the front four. Miami recorded only one sack, although it was a huge one from Keionte Scott. That’s just not enough to justify Heisman Trophy hype for Rueben Bain Jr.

2- Bracket Bell. Chris Bell was in fact not able to be bracketed. Jeff Brohm drew up an impressive gameplan to get Bell open.

3- Win 1st down on offense. There were far too many 0-3 yard first down plays for the 3-4 explosives on 1st down. Outside of one or two drives, Miami lost 1st down.

From my prediction: The difference maker will be Miller Moss vs. Carson Beck. Beck should emerge as the better QB and push his team to a major ACC win.

Man did I choke on the Beck part of that prediction…

Miami and Louisville came out of money downs fairly equally with the Cards finishing 6-of-15 and the ‘Canes finishing 6-of-14. Getting behind on 1st down did NOT help Beck on 3rd and long.

The penalty yards were even as well with Miami flagged for 67-yards and the Cards flagged for 64-yards. The offensive line is still a mess with personal foul calls added to their usual false start penalties.

The kickers were even with Carter Davis and Cooper Ranvier making all of their kicks. Dylan Joyce did flip the field for Miami numerous times so great day for the punter.

And now for the difference maker… turnover margin. Isaac Brown had his weekly fumble and Carson Beck threw four INT’s for a +3 TOM in favor of the Cards. As Gram Parsons once sang, “That’s all it took.”

Carson Beck threw four picks on 35 pass attempts while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Beck wasn’t sacked but when he faced even a smidge of pressure he reverted to Tyler Van Dyke Mode and threw a pick rather than taking a sack.

Beck hit three skills for double-digit yards per catch. Malachi Toney was electric once again as he averaged 15 yards per grab including a 61-yarder. CJ Daniels (10.6) and Alex Bauman (14.0) were the other ‘explosive’ receivers.

That brings me to a pet peeve with Daniels and Mario Cristobal- down 14 to an unranked team at home stop doing a touchdown celebration from a year ago when you were on the bench at another school. This is behavior that fans got on Manny Diaz about re. Jalar Holley and now it’s happening again under Mr. Discipline.

Oh the run game. Alex Mirabal and Cristobal are known for their run game. Shannon Dawson is known for his Air Raid passing attack. One averaged under eight yards per attempt (nine is respectable in college, 10+ is good), and the other was held to 2.6 yards per carry on ZERO sacks. However there were only two TFL’s allowed by the OL so at least the runs weren’t for negative yards?

Mark Fletcher averaged 2.3 yards per carry with one TD and only a six yard long. Jordan Lyle averaged 3.0 yards per carry. CharMar Brown also hit 3.0 yards per carry while Beck should never run the ball again as he only picked up 1.6 yards per rush. Toney scored because he’s a playmaker.

Above- Here’s why I dislike a screen with no RPO and no OL blocking for the WR. L’ville showed blitz and bailed. It became a 3on2 with no chance of blocking.

Above- When you’re a run focused team the play-action fake works. Here Beck fakes toss which helps keep his eyes downfield. The S and LB come up and the post is drilled behind them.

Above- You can see the space the play fake gave the WR, and those 1on1 looks are always great over the middle.

Above- Any of the slot fades are good to me. Slant, hitch, now… run ‘em! Toney is your inside guy and he can always burn a 1on1. The ‘slot fade’ look helps get 1on1’s because the CB has to come down on the short route by the #1 threat. Instead of working the seam (hash) the slot fade works up and out to the numbers.

Above- What I dislike and is Mario Culture is that the other WR celebrates a play that isn’t even a TD instead of chasing in case the ball is ripped out. Smart players chase the play, overhyped KR’s stand there. It shows low Football IQ.

Above- This is actually the wrong read on the RPO but Fletcher powers through and makes it work. Beck should’ve pulled and had a slide-run option between himself and Elija Lofton.

Above- Not much else to say than triple coverage.

Above- My brother no one fell for the pump fake. The point of the fake is to see if he bites, not to just do it and then still chuck it deep. The CB looks like he’s the open WR vs. the other way around. Also the RB checkdown needs to be on the SAME side, not back side away from the Q’s eyes.

Above- This is why you call screens with OL involved in space.

Above- Thee post that Beck wants and forces for an INT is clearly covered. So you look play side crosser to back side crosser. Play side is open by a step or two as is the back side.

Above- Anyone that thought you can replace Jalen Rivers with Matthew McCoy and not miss a beat is clueless. Rivers was the glue on the left side whether at OT or OG.

Above- I love some under center jet sweep, no one was fooled and it still goes for a TD thanks to Toney’s shift and speed.

Above- A beautiful look at the game ending INT.

Miller Moss averaged only 6.7 yards per attempt but hit two TD’s without a turnover. Brown averaged 7.5 yards per carry but had his typical boneheaded turnover. Dude was shifty and proved that Miami still can’t more laterally or tackle in space.

Bell hitting on 15 yards per catch and two scores while the entire world knew he was getting the ball is 1st round NFL Draft pick stuff. The ‘Canes defense allowed only three skills including Bell to hit double-digit yards per catch and logged five PBU’s.

The ‘Canes came away with only one sack against the Cards and a completely immobile Moss. Jason Taylor and Rueben Bain have hit overrated status when the game planners come out (ie. Brohm, we’ll see about Rhett Lashlee).

Above- The type of run blocking Miami is supposed to have and didn’t vs. the Cards.

Above- Blay getting pancaked, Toure whiffing, players diving at feet. You’d think Lance Guidry was still DC.

Above- The fake FG. The two block guys for Miami on the outside both saw the fake coming. The issues were 1- not knowing how to defend speed option…

Above- …and 2- not knowing it’s 4th and 2 not 4th and G. Both teams celebrated, one because they knew and one because they were clueless.

Above- Brohm once again game planned two Miami players to pick themselves.

Above- This is from 2023 where two Miami defenders knocked each other out.

Above- I liked this call. 2nd and long, passing down, drop Bissainthe who is at the line and bring Scott who was playing off. Great call and it worked like a charm for a huge sack.

Above- Lightfoot just doesn’t have enough ass to set the edge on a run play. 3rd and 10 backed up and running the ball because you saw the skinny DE come in. Brilliant.

Above- Oh Toure. Brother. See what you hit, hit what you see.

Above- And then players start diving and when you leave your feet you lose the play.

Above- I’m not a ‘head across’ guy for tackling but it worked here for the fumble. Would’ve been a whiffed tackle otherwise with arms wide and eyes down.

Mario gonna Mario and Brohm took Corey Hetherman to school. Dawson and Cristobal have to get back to the drawing board with the run game and create some new opportunities for the backs.

Stanford won’t be an issue but you can’t have the games from 2024 where you smoke Wake Forest (Stanford) and then drop SMU a week later while riding high after an easy win.