Spotlight #1: Miami S Ray-Ray Armstrong
Spotlight #2: Virginia DE Cam Johnson
1st quarter
14:10: Chase Minnfield, a potential first round pick cornerback for Virginia, with a tackle for loss on a screen on 3rd and short. Very explosive and clutch play.
9:26: Johnson with good speed to get back and tackle the pass catcher after 8 yards. Not a lot of defensive linemen can do that.
7:48: Johnson disengages and tackles Lamar Miller, a stud running back, for a loss by himself.
7:06: Excellent burst off the line by Cam Johnson, who is able to get some pressure on the quarterback.
5:03: Armstrong on a blitz, pass goes right through where he was and the ball carrier is able to find a seam and get a touchdown.
2nd quarter
12:37: Johnson run at, no gain.
12:10: Johnson is able to get pressure on the quarterback and draws a hold.
4:15: Armstrong allows a touchdown on a trick play by Virginia. Armstrong really looked slow in one-on-one coverage. He didn’t have the speed to cover after biting on the fake.
3:15: Johnson with a sack.
3rd quarter
11:49: Johnson in on another sack. Miami’s offensive line has had no match for him. He’s looked extremely explosive and shown great athletic ability. He’s generated consistent pressure all night, made big plays, and held up well against the run.
3:36: Armstrong in on a tackle for little to no gain. Nice closing speed and a sure wrap up.
2:08: Two straight runs to Cam Johnson’s side have gone for decent gains. Johnson was very well blocked on this last one.
4th quarter
6:02: Johnson into the backfield on 3rd and 1.
4:37: Johnson misses a tackle.
0:00: Cam Johnson’s game got off to an awesome start. Against Miami’s awesome offensive line, he had 2 sacks, generated consistent pressure, and held up well against the run. He looked like the real deal at 6-5 270 and a potential first round pick. However, he really seemed to tire as the game wore on, which is his problem. He has the sickle cell trait, which head coach Mike London says is the cause of Johnson’s inconsistencies, as he puts it. That’s obviously a very troubling thing and I don’t know how high he can be drafted for that reason.
Miami’s Lamar Miller had one of his worst games of the season with 70 yards on 16 carries, his 2nd lowest total of the game. He did better in the 2nd half with Johnson wearing down, but this game will hardly help his stock. He hasn’t surpassed 100 yards in 3 games, including 29 yards on 16 carries against North Carolina’s awesome defensive front. Georgia Tech held him to 93 yards on 27 carries. His stock is slipping as he’s probably this class’ #3 running back prospect at best now behind Trent Richardson and Chris Polk.
The other spotlight in this game was Ray-Ray Armstrong, who played the highest percentage of snaps in any game since returning from his suspension. However, he really didn’t stand out in this game. Officially, he was credited with 1 tackle and 1 pass deflection and he also allowed a touchdown and had another touchdown go through the spot where he started on a blitz, though it’s tough to tell how much of that was his fault. He has 18 tackles in 4 games on the season and is hurting his stock a bit this season. He’s probably a 3rd rounder even in this weak safety class.
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