1 of 6

David Goldman/Associated Press

It's been covered ad nauseam, but the lack of third-down conversions is a significant reason Miami has lost three games.

A 1-of-13 clip at Louisville during the season-opener was supposed to be the result of a true freshman starting his first career game. However, 2-of-10 against Florida A&M, 2-of-13 during a win over Duke and 1-of-5 in a crushing loss to Georgia Tech proved that the Hurricanes have a major problem.

Ultimately, Miami has posted the nation's worst third-down mark, tied with the atrocity that is SMU at 23.8 percent.

"We have to execute better. We have to convert," Phillip Dorsett said, per Christy Cabrera Chirinos of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "It bothers us. Of course it's going to bother us. Third down is such a big part of the game, but when it all comes down to it, we have to execute better."

Saturday afternoon, the 'Canes will oppose the country's worst third-down defense in Cincinnati, so maybe there is rest for the weary. Or, maybe the embarrassing number gets even worse despite a matchup with an inferior squad.