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247Sports · David Lake

Sep 19
PFF Grades: Miami's ten best players in a 33-20 win over Wake Forest
Summary
Pick/market: The 33-20 win by the Miami Hurricanes over Wake Forest on Friday night was a tale of two halves.
The 33-20 win by the Miami Hurricanes over Wake Forest on Friday night was a tale of two halves. UM dominated the first half, holding a 24-7 lead at half time while totaling 303 yards of offense and averaging 7.8 yards per play. Wake Forest finished the first half with just 88 total yards and averaged 4.4 yards per play. The Hurricanes got a stop on Wake Forest's first possession of the second half and then the offense took the ball and scored to push the game to 31-7, but from that point on the game got uncomfortable. The Demon Deacons started to find a rhythm in the passing game, averaging 5.9 yards per play in the second half while the Hurricanes averaged just 2.6 yards per play during that stretch. For the entirety of the game, the average yards per play from each team was nearly identical with the Hurricanes averaging 5.6 yards per play compared to the 5.4 yards per play by the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest was highly penalized in the game, totaling 13 penalties for 137 yards and those hidden yards played a big role in the overall success of the day for the Demon Deacons. Miami's defense finished the day with five tackles, three sacks, and picked off one pass—which was the first turnover UM has gained this season. Who were the top performers for the Hurricanes on Friday night? Read on for a look at the top ten player grades for UM, according to Pro Football Focus.  Note: These grades are subject to change4 as PFF reviews the film over the next couple days. The minimum snap count to make this list is 20 snaps. 10. OL MAX BUCHANAN - 64.6 GRADE Snaps: 70 Buchanan earned a 66.9 pass blocking grade while not allowing a pressure or sack on the day. The run blocking grade was a 63.5 grade. The 70 snaps that Buchanan played was the most in his career to this point. 9. RB MARK FLETCHER - 64.8 GRADE Snaps: 40 Fletcher was a steady presence in the rushing attack, totaling 85 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. According to PFF, Fletcher averaged an impressive 4.69 yards per carry after contact and forced six missed tackles. He popped three runs that went for more than ten yards. In pass protection, Fletcher was credited with allowing one pressure. 8. DL ARMONDO BLOUNT - 66.2 GRADE Snaps: 61 Blount finished the game with three tackles and half a sack. According to PFF, Blount led the team with nine quarterback pressures. He did not miss a tackle. Blount earned a 69.4 run defense grade and rarely left the field. 7. DT JUSTIN SCOTT - 66.8 GRADE Snaps: 54 Scott finished the game with four tackles. He earned a 73.4 tackling grade and a 71.7 run defense grade as he generated one pressure. Scott did not miss a tackle in the game. 6. DB OMAR THORNTON - 67.7 GRADE Snaps: 67 Thornton finished the game with two tackles and half a tackle for loss. In this game, Thornton played a significant role in applying pressure to the quarterback, generating eight quarterback pressures from the nickel position. In coverage, Thornton was targeted five times and allowed four receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns. He missed three tackles on the day. 5. OL MATTHEW MCCOY - 71.7 GRADE Snaps: 70 According to PFF, McCoy allowed one pressure and earned a 70.0 pass blocking grade. The PFF run blocking grade checked in at 69.7, which was the highest grade of the five starting offensive linemen. 4. QB DARIAN MENSAH - 72.1 GRADE Snaps: 70 Mensah played the game at an elite level in the first half, going a perfect 20-of-20 with his pass attempts. He finished the game completing 30-of-34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah earned a 72.8 PFF passing grade and had an average depth of target of 4.7 yards. According to PFF, Mensah's average time to throw was 2.32 seconds. Mensah attempted just one deep ball in the game. Over 75 percent of his throws travelled shorter than ten yards past the line of scrimmage. 3. CB BRYCE FITZGERALD - 78.8 GRADE Snaps: 67 Fitzgerald finished the game with four tackles and one pass break-up in the official stat book. According to PFF, Fitzgerald earned a 79.2 coverage grade and a 77.0 tackling grade. He was targeted three times and allowed one reception for zero yards. Fitzgerald did not miss a tackle in the game. 2. CB ETHAN O'CONNOR - 82.3 GRADE Snaps: 54 O'Connor tied for the team lead with eight tackles and made a key interception in the final minutes to ice the game and secure the victory for the Hurricanes. According to PFF, O'Connor earned an 83.2 coverage grade and a 82.8 tackling grade. He was targeted six times in coverage and allowed four receptions for 36 yards. 1. WR MALACHI TONEY - 87.5 GRADE Snaps: 47 Toney was a star when he was in the game and not dealing with an injury, catching 12 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown on 12 targets. According to PFF, Toney averaged 5.4 yards after catch per reception and had an average depth of target of 4.8 yards. Toney lined up wide on 36.7 percent of his snaps. Toney caught three passes that were 10-19 yards downfield with those plays going for 57 yards and a touchdown.

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Teams: Miami

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