When Miami lines up to face Texas A&M’s offense in their College Football Playoff debut on Saturday, it will have to stop the most dynamic quarterback the Hurricanes have seen this season.
UM coach Mario Cristobal said he believed the Aggies star should have been a Heisman Trophy finalist. If the Hurricanes are going to beat the Aggies, stopping Reed will be a crucial part of pulling off the road upset.
“Certainly, Marcel Reed’s the best (dual-threat quarterback) that we played,” Cristobal said. “But you learned that if you’re not disciplined, you’re going to pay the price in chunk plays — extended plays, improvisations, guys just breaking free.”
Reed, in his first full season as Texas A&M’s starting quarterback, has 2,932 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He has also racked up 466 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Pro Football Focus gives him a 70.5 offensive grade with a 67.9 passing grade and a 65.5 running grade.
“I think he’s very talented,” UM defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “He’s a guy, every situation you have to count him in, Early downs, (in) the run game, later in the downs, his ability to escape the pocket, his ability to extend the play. He does a really good job of moving the pocket (and) still seeing downfield and, you know, finding guys that have adjusted their routes or opened windows.”
But his playmaking ability comes at a cost. Reed has been turnover-prone, throwing 10 interceptions and fumbling four times. Reed tied for the fourth-most interceptions in the SEC, and PFF credited him with 18 turnover-worthy passes, which was tied for 16th most nationally. Only eight Power 4 quarterbacks had more turnover-worthy throws.
“He’s a good quarterback,” Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor said. “He has a great arm, great legs, extremely athletic. He can hurt guys with his legs and his arms if he’s comfortable.”
The key for Miami’s defense will be making Reed uncomfortable. When Reed is under pressure, he — like most quarterbacks — becomes more error-prone. When under pressure Reed’s completion percentage drops from 68.1 percent to 39.5 percent, according to PFF. His turnover-worthy throw percentage goes from 3.7 percent to 5.8 percent.
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But crucially, opponents have not succeeded when sending blitzes after Reed. PFF ranks Texas A&M as the No. 21 pass-blocking team in the nation, so the offensive line is capable of picking up blitzes. Reed’s passing grades are actually better when blitzed than when he is not blitzed, and only one of his interceptions have come when teams send extra pass-rushers. That means it will be key for Miami’s defensive line to get pressure while the linebackers and defensive backs stay back in pass coverage.
“He’s a great player,” Miami linebacker Wesley Bissainthe said. “But I feel like we have great plans in place, a great game plan to attack (him).”
The Hurricanes have had mixed results when playing dual-threat quarterbacks like Reed. Miami held USF standout Byrum Brown and former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway in check. FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos gained 80 yards on the ground (and netted 57, which includes lost yards on sacks). SMU’s Kevin Jennings did not run much on Miami, but he did score a touchdown. And Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones gained 62 yards (and netted 31 after sacks) against the Hurricanes; Drones escaped several tackle attempts to keep plays alive.
Miami will have to do even better against Reed, who has played better than all of those other dual-threat quarterbacks this season.
“What you learned (is) in football, particularly when you play really good teams, that there’s very little wiggle room,” Cristobal said. “The margin for error is very small and that communication’s at a premium. Everybody understanding exactly what to do and doing their job — as opposed to trying to make a play — those things are paramount. The more you practice it, the better you get at it.
“Fortunately for us, we’ve gotten better and better, defensively, as the year’s gone on. And you’ve got to be at your best when you’re playing against the best players in the country.”
