Here are some numbers to know for the Clemson-Miami game.
14: Consecutive games Miami has lost against ranked opponents. That streak dates back to a 26-20 win over Maryland on November 6, 2010, in a game that was played in Randy Shannon’s last season as the head coach. Al Golden is 0-13 against ranked teams in his fifth season at the helm of the Hurricane program, with only three of those losses coming by single digits. Meanwhile, Dabo Swinney has won 34 straight games against unranked opponents at Clemson. In these kinds of matchups, both teams have fared consistently over time.
47.1: Miami’s red zone touchdown percentage. The Hurricancs rank in the middle of the pack in the ACC in red zone scoring, but 13 of their 29 scores have been field goals. That touchdown percentage is the worst in the ACC; in fact, only Wake Forest joins Miami below the 50-percent threshold. Clemson sits right in the middle of the league in red zone defense, but Miami’s struggles could turn the Tigers into a more efficient bunch defensively late in possessions. Red zone efficiency from both teams could be a critical deciding factor in Saturday’s contest.
68.7: Penalty yardage per game for Miami this season. The Hurricanes have done a great job not turning the ball over very much, but they have been downright lousy at committing penalties. The Hurricanes rank near the bottom of the ACC in penalty yardage, and they commit more than seven penalties per game. That could explain how the Canes, though they have a prolific passing attack, rank among the worst in the country on third down. Those long-yardage situations are tough to convert against a Clemson defense that gets off the field on 80 percent of its third-down opportunities.
69.3: Percentage of Miami’s offensive plays that have been passes this season. That pass-run split is the most skewed in the conference on one side. Even Georgia Tech and Boston College—run-heavy teams that tested Clemson’s front seven—are more balanced than the Hurricanes on offense. Miami has absolutely no problem putting the game into the hands of sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya, but they don’t neglect their running backs, either. Al Golden’s tailbacks catch a ton of swing passes and checkdowns out of the backfield, so Clemson’s linebackers and underneath coverage guys will need to be disciplined with their eyes in case players leak into their routes a few seconds after the snap.
584: Rushing yardage for Wayne Gallman this season. That total ranks third in the ACC, which is surprising for many who expected more balance in terms of the workload out of the backfield. Gallman could be the focal point of Clemson’s attack against a vulnerable Miami run defense that just lost its leading tackler, linebacker Raphael Kirby, for the season with a knee injury. The Canes will likely need an extra player in the box in order to shut down Clemson’s running game, and the downfield passing game could emerge if opportunities in man-to-man coverage present themselves.