Not long until the season starts. SoFla newspapers are flowing with meaningless “training camp All Americans” and youngsters are getting ready to puff out their chests with pride as they root for the home team.
So. What are three things you would like to see this season? You don’t have to be excessively positive. No one expects that. But please try and delve into the “why” so readers get it. After all, if you are reading this there is still some vestigial shred of fandom left faintly beating inside.
I’d like to see:
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Higher passing completion rate. Which hopefully translates into more first downs before it’s, say, third and seven or eight. Death by a thousand cuts. This likely means getting running backs more involved in the passing game. And, gulp, the tight ends. Gives the defense a breather too.
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Turnovers. More turnovers. Particularly interceptions. Everyone knows you are going to try and strip the ball rather than make a competent tackle. Low success rate, can’t count on these as turnovers. Maybe I am misremembering but it seems like a UM interception happens about as frequently as solar eclipses.
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Special teams coverage improve. Win the field position battle. No big kickoff or punt returns. Stay in your lane. Tackling competence. If a turnover happens due to a big hit that’s great (see #2). But don’t whiff trying to decleat someone and then they take it upfield 34 yards. Don’t put the defense on the, err, defense from the first snap of the possession.
