Unconventional approach lifts Miami special teams. And one Cane is midseason All-American

The Miami Hurricanes are one of only two teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference without a designated special teams coordinator on their on-field staff, and the unconventional approach has been a major success for Miami so far.

Last year, the Hurricanes were very solid on special teams, ranking 27th in the nation, according to ESPN’s SP+. This year, they have been even better, all the way up to No. 18 with half the season done.

“We’ve had some really good moments,” coach Mario Cristobal said.

Largely, punter Lou Hedley and wide receiver Key’Shawn Smith have been responsible for most of those. Hedley is the reigning ACC Specialist of the Week after averaging 44.8 yards per punt in Miami’s 20-14 win against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday, and Smith is one of the most productive kick returners in the nation.

The Hurricanes, however, have been good across the board on special teams — kicker Andres Borregales ranks 16th in the nation in touchback percentage and Miami (3-3) has allowed just 9 punt-return yards all year — and Cristobal’s approach to coaching special teams is getting validated.

Rather than designate one of his assistant coaches as a special teams coordinator, Cristobal instead hired two analysts to exclusively focus on special teams. Danny Kalter and Marwan Maalouf, who was most recently the Minnesota Vikings’ special teams coordinator, “do all the analytical work behind the scenes,” Cristobal said, and then collaborate with the entire coaching staff to implement a game plan.

“I like it. Coach Cristobal is really involved,” Hedley said. “It’s just having a lot of voices, like I said a lot of really good coaches around the building that influence everyone and it’s just really good to pick their brains.”

Smith gets All-America recognition

Smith has been one of the biggest beneficiaries — and reasons for — the Hurricanes’ special teams success, and it made him a midseason All-American this week.

Smith made CBS Sports’ midseason All-America team as a first-team kick returner Tuesday after leading the nation in yards per return for the first half of the year. The sophomore is the lone Miami player to make any of the major midseason All-America teams so far.

Smith is averaging 34.4 yards per return this season and ranks second in the nation with 516 total kick-return yards. He returned a kick for a touchdown in the Hurricanes’ loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders last month — no one in the nation has more than one kick-return touchdown — and has had three returns go for at least 60 yards.

Two other Miami players to put themselves in All-America contention in the first half of the season: sophomore defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, whose five sacks are tied for 16th in the country; and sophomore safety Kamren Kinchens, whose three interceptions are tied for 10th in the nation.

No update on injured Hurricanes

There was no real update on the long list of injured Hurricanes during Cristobal’s final media availability before Miami hosts the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The first-year coach said the Hurricanes would know “by tomorrow” whether running back Henry Parrish Jr., wide receiver Michael Redding III, tight end Will Mallory, offensive lineman Jakai Clark, linebacker Waynmon Steed and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will be able to play this weekend in Miami Gardens.

Parrish, Redding, Steed and Stevenson all did not dress last weekend; Clark dressed, but didn’t play; and Mallory exited early with an upper-body injury.

Miami did not provide specifics on any of the injuries, although Mallory did not return after taking an illegal hit — Virginia Tech defensive back Nasir Peoples was ejected for targeting on the play — to the head and shoulder area in the second quarter last week in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Wide receiver Jacolby George could also return this week after missing the last three games with a hand injury.

“Things are really looking better with a lot of those guys,” Cristobal said, “but wouldn’t be able to say fairly where they’re going to be for the game at this moment.”

Clark, who left early with an injury in the Hurricanes’ loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Oct. 8, was the closest to playing against the Hokies. The junior, who started the first five games of the season at center, dressed and was “available for a very limited amount of plays in an emergency,” Cristobal said.

Offensive linemen Zion Nelson and Justice Oluwaseun both remain a bit further from returning, although Cristobal did not give a specific timetable for either.