Matt Lee believes offensive line chemistry has helped Miami running game

Miami starting center Matt Lee believes that the Hurricanes running game has improved throughout the offseason. Part of the reason why is the development of the team’s offensive line as a group. Part of it is understanding the system. Part of it is the talent of the team’s running backs.

For Lee, what is making the offensive line tick right now is the chemistry they have built over months of practicing.

“First off, with the offensive line, us five, the starters out there, it’s gotten better cause our chemistry and communication,” Lee said during a media availability Wednesday. “Run it back all the way to spring to now throughout all the camp, throughout the last couple of weeks when camp has kind of ended, school started back up and leading up to game one. I think just the communication, the chemistry between the five of us and understanding each other, knowing what we’re going to do. We’re going to communicate regardless as much as we can but being on the same page even without the verbal communication a lot of time makes a big difference.”

Lee, who is a transfer from UCF, is one of three expected newcomers to be starting on the offensive line. But all three have been on campus since the start of the calendar year.

The other two are former five-star recruit and true freshman Francis Mauigoa and Alabama transfer Javion Cohen.

But it is not just the offensive linemen that are going to help make it possible for the run game to succeed. Lee had high praise for the running back room as well.

Henry Parrish Jr., last year’s leading rusher with 616 yards on 130 attempts, returns to the team once again looking to help pace the running back room. He has plenty of talented teammates alongside him including Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen, redshirt freshman TreVonte’ Citizen and true freshman Mark Fletcher.

“We got a handful of running backs that you know we can put out there and they’re basically all like starters,” Lee said. They all run like that. They’re all smart like that. They’re all ready to go out and play like one. We have a deep backfield that we can rotate a lot. Then when you couple that with Coach Dawson’s offense and what he likes to do through the air and in our protection standpoint, I think they just complement each other well.”