FSU Football: How good is Miami’s offensive line really?

New QB, New Scheme

The answer is a little bit of yes and no. The offensive line is not an easy fix, as FSU fans have come to find out, and while the Canes are improved, they are only marginally better than FSU. The discrepancy in points despite a bad o-line is the result of two newcomers: offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and King, who transferred from Houston.

Lashlee runs a very similar scheme to former FSU OC Kendal Briles. Both schemes are based on the Art Briles spread, but Lashlee’s is more similar to Gus Malzahn’s at Auburn. All of this is to say that Lashlee puts playmakers in space, stretches out the defense, and goes very fast.

What this does is mask how bad an o-line is (as we saw last year with Briles). When the offense goes quickly and throws a lot of quick passes, the o-line is not under pressure to pass block for too long. This method has its limits, but when you have playmakers as the Canes have, it works wonderfully.

The second part of this equation is King. Diehard fans will remember King from his days at Houston, taking over for Greg Ward (remember him?) as the next dynamic Cougars QB. King was electrifying in Texas and brought that energy to Coral Gables.

A former wide receiver, his running ability gives the Miami offense an extra element, a la 2014 Auburn. King is an above-average passer at best, but Lashlee does a great job of putting the offense in situations where King can thrive. These two together give a massive upgrade to an offensive line that is below average.

The Canes run plays like this one, called RPOs, to help disguise their offensive line woes.

Here, UM is running inside zone, but King has the option to pull it and quickly throw it to the TE, as long as the linebacker bites on the run fake. Now, this play is not unique to UM; lots of teams run something similar or the same, including FSU. What sets UM is part is King, his ability to fake the defense, and his running talents. Linebackers for other teams are taught with their run fits to ‘stay’ a little longer than normal, in case King pulls it. This hesitation because of King freezes the defender and allows for open touchdowns.

Miami runs a whole lot of RPOs, and run plays with tagged routes to make them look like RPOs. As stated above, lots of teams do this, but King is what sets UM apart. The speed at which the offense goes, the running ability and decision making of King, and the play-calling all disguise how good the offensive line is. It’s why Miami is currently averaging 39 ppg. But it also doesn’t tell the full story.

Miami’s offense is no longer putrid, that’s completely true. But no matter how good King is, no matter how good Lashlee is, no matter how good Brevin Jordan is, the offensive line is still not great. This offense is designed for explosive plays, not efficiency, but it is not efficient in the slightest.

While Miami ran for 337 three weeks ago against UAB, their offensive line has a putrid 2.5 yards-added per play. For reference, FSU’s 2018 line (one of the worst in P5 history) had a 1.9 yardage rating. The offensive line has allowed 20% of running plays to get stuffed within two-yards of the line of scrimmage. Against UL, Miami had a YPC average of 5.3. However, if you take just one touchdown run of 75 yards, that drops to 2.9 yards per carry. This shows that while Miami can get the big hitters due to the nature of their offense, their o-line is not good enough to consistently open up holes for their backs.