The 2013 season was a tale of two halves for Miami. The first half of the season saw the Hurricanes destroying opponents, scoring touchdowns almost at will. They even beat in state rival Florida, although we learned as the season went along that the win did not have the significance it usually does. The second half of the season, however, showed flaws in the Hurricanes defense, and while they were still scoring a lot, they were giving up a lot more. The Hurricanes finished the season 9-4, and bring back plenty of firepower on offense this season.
Offense
While there are weapons all over the place on offense, who will be getting the ball to them is a bit of a question. Original starter Ryan Williams tore his ACL in the spring, and will likely miss some time. Kevin Olsen was suspended after failing a drug test. It's up to senior Jake Heaps, who is at his third school after starting at BYU, then transferring to Kansas, before winding up at Miami for his senior season. Heaps has throw 32 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in his college career, completing 54.8% of his passes.
The biggest news for Miami is that Duke Johnson is back at 100% after missing the final five games of the season with an injury. In the eight games he did play, Johnson rushed for 920 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Provided he stays healthy, Johnson will easily cross the 1000 yard mark. Backing him up will be sophomore Gus Edwards, who saw limited playing time early, but saw more action after Johnson's season ended. Edwards ended up rushing for 338 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Johnson is arguably the best running back in the ACC, and Bradley is a solid backup, so Miami should rack up plenty of yards on the ground.
Despite the loss of Allen Hurns at wide receiver, Miami will be just fine at the position. Stacy Coley really progressed as the season went on, and emerged as a big play threat in the passing game. As a freshman, Coley caught 33 passes for 591 yards and seven touchdowns, the latter led the team. He could be poised for a breakout season this year. Herb Waters will be a nice complement to Coley on the other side. The junior caught 28 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns last season. Phillip Dorsett caught just 13 passes last year, but averaged over 20 yards per reception. At tight end, Clive Walford is another solid pass catching option. The senior caught 34 passes, which was second on the team, for 454 yards. As you can see, there are options everywhere.
The good news for the offensive line is that the left side of the line is back, as well as the center. The bad news is that Miami will have to replace the right side of the line. Shane McDermott, Jon Feliciano, and Ereck Flowers are among the best at their position of the conference, and will help pave the way for the running game. On the other hand, Daniel Isidora and Taylor Gabois are sophomores who have seen very little playing time.
Defense 
Which defense will we see this year- the one that only allowed 17.7 points per game over the first seven games, or the one that allowed 37.6 points per game over the final five games? Seven starters return on the defense, and while it was inconsistent, it was still much better than the 2012 version of the defense. The line returns two of its starters in Anthony Chickillo and Olsen Pierre, but lose a lot of its depth from last season. Chickillo was fourth on the team in tackles with 46, and Pierre had 33 tackles. The other starters are Calvin Heurtelou and Ufomba Kamalu. Both are juniors who saw plenty of time as part of the line rotation last year.
Linebacker will definitely be a position of strength for the Hurricanes. Denzel Perryman returns after leading the team with 108 tackles last season. He had 25 more tackles than the second place person, but had 62 more tackles than the next returning person, which is Chickillo. On the outside, Thurston Armbrister and Raphael Kirby will man the outside linebacker spots. Armbrister started seven games, and Kirby played in 12. There is some experienced depth behind them, and they should still be good again this year.
Pass defense was a major concern for Miami fans last season. The team ranked 101st in yards allowed, 92nd in yards per game, 90th in completions allowed, and 75th in yards per attempt. In other words, there was not much of a pass defense last year. Three starters do return in the secondary, and with that extra year of experience, figure to improve some. Both starting corners, Tracy Howard and Ladarius Gunter, are back this year. Howard led the team with four interceptions, and Howard was second with three. Rayshawn Jenkins is back at safety as well, and Deon Bush will be the new starter along side him. The junior did start three games last season, and still registered 31 tackles. While the pass defense should be improved this year, it will still be an area of concern this year.
Special Teams
Kicker Matt Goudis was almost automatic inside of 40 yards, hitting 11-12 from that range. However, he was 2-5 from beyond 40 yards. Goudis will also be asked to handle punting duties as well this year. He has one punt in his college career though. The return game, on the other hand, is known. Stacy Coley is establishing himself as the best returner in the ACC. As a freshman, Coley returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown, and averaged over 20 yards per return in both areas.
Schedule
The Hurricanes jump right in to conference action the first week, traveling to Louisville on Labor Day night to kick off the season. After games against Florida A&M and Arkansas State, a trip to Nebraska awaits them. Miami does get Duke, UNC, FSU, and Pitt at home, and Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Virginia on the road as well.
Prediction
The success of the season rides on two things: the quarterback situation, and the improvement on defense. The weapons are there, so if there are quarterback struggles, Duke Johnson can just take over a game. However, if there are issues defensively, they can't really be masked. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onorfio has been getting some heat for the defense, but changes have not been made. Perhaps another season of poor pass defense could see his job being in jeopardy. The schedule doesn't really doesn't help or hurt them. They do get FSU at home this year, but do have some tough road games at Louisville in their ACC opener, as well as Blacksburg on a Thursday night. Despite the questions, expect another season of anywhere between seven and nine wins, and they will still be in the mix to win the ACC Coastal.
More Previews
