Although Miami's defensive line is arguably its deepest position on the team, injuries have forced Defensive Coordinator Lance Guidry to adjust. Miami's leader on defense decided to change the front from a 4-2-5 to a 3-3-5.

"Yeah, we went 3-3 Stack," Guidry said. "Been short of some defensive linemen, been beat up a little bit, and I felt this game probably...Sunday night, after watching them on film, in my head, I'm like, okay, we need to get as much speed on the field that we can. So I started thinking if we put three linebackers on the field with three down linemen, we can do more. We can drop in coverage differently. We can match up on tight ends. We can bring different pressures, and I've done it before, but it's been a while back that I did it. But it's kind of the same situation; people gave me a lot of motions. A lot of empty sets. And when you get in empty sets, a defensive end can't play guy, but a linebacker can."

The change seemed to greatly benefit the personnel on the field. True Freshman Rueben Bain had a breakout game. Bain was the highest-graded pass rusher from week 8. Bain believes the team has full trust in Guidry's schemes.

"Definitely, because we play an aggressive style," Bain said. "Everybody has that aggression in them. The whole team, really, offense and defense. But to focus on the defense, I feel like it definitely boosted the team. We got a little more freedom this week. The coaches seen that and let us play to our abilities, and I thanked them for that. I feel like everybody on the defense thanked them for that. We played our hearts out the whole game. Really, we just were feeding off each other, like I said before. It just shows whatever Coach Guidry can draw up, it's going to work because we all believe in him. We all trust in him."

Bain also credits Guidry for helping to build him up emotionally. The freshman wore his emotions on his sleeve in the post-game press conference after the loss to North Carolina, and Guidry's next-game mentality helped put him back on track.

"Even when we did lose, I was still moping around a little bit, but he came in with a high energy, smiling. It's on to the next week. He was ready to get on to the next week and play, and I feel like that boosted me a little bit, because I was still moping on last week, even though I was saying move on. I just ain't like losing. Coach Guidry said football is going to happen, and we moved on from that, and we winning now; that's just something I always commend him for."

Leonard Taylor was also a benefactor of the change in the scheme. He registered five total tackles and two tackles for loss against Clemson. Taylor was second in defensive grade (87.3) behind Bain.

"The scheme where I'm in the front, where I'm in the nose, I kind of like that package because I really get to dominate the center. It's a good scheme; I like it a lot.

Guidry has presented various pressures and will send defensive backs on blitzes. Te'Cory Couch was sent on a blitz last week that forced a fumble, and in the prior week, Kamren Kinchens charged up the middle, causing a sack. The players feel the variety of looks confuses opposing quarterbacks.

"Just the different types of schemes he comes up with, I've never even seen before," Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe said. "It messes so many quarterbacks heads up, because you don't know where it's coming from. We're hitting you from all different type of angles, directions. Man, I love it. I love the defense he brung to Miami."

The coaches ensured the defense fully grasped the scheme-change, walking them through formations after film sessions.

"We're active regardless, but especially in this 3-3 defense," Linebacker Corey Flagg said. "It was easy switching over to it, because the coaches, the way they coached it. They simplified it for us."

Miami ranks third in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 19.3 points per game, and second in the ACC, allowing 313.3 yards per game. Virginia, Miami's next opponent, is gaining 361.3 yards per game, good for 11th in the conference, and only scoring 23.6 points per game, good for second worst in the conference.

The Hurricanes host the Cavaliers on Saturday, with kickoff set for 3:30 Eastern.

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