Jarren Williams is third in the ACC in completion percentage through the first two games of the season.

However, Williams is 11th in yards per completion ahead of only two other qualified quarterbacks.

"(Longer pass plays) are certainly being called," head coach Manny Diaz said Monday on The Joe Rose Show with Zach Krantz. "I think probably the one thing between Jarren and (offensive coordinator) Dan Enos, the one thing in film study after the game that really came up that on some of those shot plays that we called--it's not a video game, you don't just say 'press the throw it deep button' and that means throw it deep. You have to read the coverage."

Williams was 30 of 39 for 309 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 28-25 loss at North Carolina. Only five of his passes went for at least a 15-yard gain with three to tight end Brevin Jordan (15, 16, and 20 yards) and two to wide receiver Mike Harley (38 and 17).

"There's usually going to be a deep guy, an intermediate guy, and a shallow guy," Diaz said. "Jarren is completing a high percentage of his passes because he is able to come off and cover the short guy for six yards or what not, but a lot of times the deep guy, but the intermediate guy is streaking across the field for a 20-yard completion that could be a catch and run for a lot more. I'd say there were probably three or four opportunities that we're not getting it to that guy even though he's wide open."

Junior wide receiver Jeff Thomas, arguably the fastest player on the team and someone who has shown big-play ability averaging 18.1 yards on 52 receptions in his first two seasons at Miami, was limited to 7.3 yards on seven catches. His receptions against North Carolina went for 2, 10, 6, 9, 4, 12, and 8 yards--a game after he caught passes of 18 and 10 yards against Florida.

Thomas is not the only receiver with a lack of catches of at least 15 yards, which is a modest gain in today's game featuring high-powered passing attacks across the country. Through the first two games Harley has two receptions of at least 15 yards, K.J. Osborn has two, and Thomas one with only one of the five going for at least 20 yards.

The lack of big gains in the passing game comes a season after Miami had two receivers (Thomas and Lawrence Cager) average over 16 yards a game for the year whereas only one (Harley) is averaging at least 11 in the early part of this season.

The Hurricanes (0-2) have an opportunity to get on track against FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman in their first home game of the season on Saturday (4:00 p.m., ACC Network).

Practice resumes Tuesday.

Christopher Stock has covered the Miami Hurricanes since 2003 and can be reached by e-mail at stock@insidetheu.com and on Twitter @InsideTheU.