In the end, a thirteen-point loss. The favorite won and for those who woke up Sunday morning to nothing more than box score, they don’t know the whole story regarding what took place at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday night when No. 11 Florida State took on Miami.
Three weeks ago the Hurricanes were 4-1 and 3-0 in the ACC and since then, three straight losses. A blowout in Chicago against Notre Dame, a failed final drive (with a back-up quarterback) in an 18-14 loss to North Carolina and now a 33-20 loss to Florida State.
On paper, 4-4 with a bye-week approaching and now 3-2 in conference with four games remaining – three within the conference.
For those who only choose to see wins and losses and nothing in between, close out this page now, return to a message board and rant away about the current state of the program. You have that right, so go ahead and peck away.
There’s no ‘moral victory’ to claim in this recent loss to Florida State. It sucks. Losing to the Seminoles is hell and beating them is euphoric. That’s pretty much the mindset every season. UM has now lost six of eight to FSU, after tearing off a six-game win streak last decade. Nothing about that is easy to swallow.
That being said, 2012 was never supposed to be the year Miami overtook Florida State. Yes, both teams were equal record-wise a few years back, but if you looked at the roster, things were far from even.
BOTH MIAMI AND FLORIDA STATE’S RECENT STRUGGLES
The Noles had the talent – it simply was getting coached down by on-his-way-out Bobby Bowden and upon Jimbo Fisher taking over – which is why Bowden’s Noles went 7-6 in his swan song and Fisher pulled off 10-4 and 9-4 in back-to-back years, reaching the ACC title game his first seasons at the help.
Meanwhile, Randy Shannon limped to 7-6 in 2010 – Fisher’s first year, losing to Florida State, 45-17, which started the countdown to his firing – and Al Golden opened his tenure with a 6-6 campaign in 2011, with FSU putting together a double-digit win season for the first time since 2003.
Florida State opened last year a national title dark horse and came into 2012 as a legit contender. The 2011 campaign ended quick, with three straight losses – Oklahoma, Clemson and Wake Forest – and the Seminoles didn’t even reach the ACC title game, despite lofty expectations.
This year? The title dream all but died week six in Raleigh, where Florida State blew a 16-0 half time lead against North Carolina State, falling, 17-16.
Miami’s expectations year two in the Golden era were understandably low. Six upperclassmen left early, along with a handful of veteran starters. The defensive side of the ball was young and the offense, behind a veteran line, was breaking in a new starting quarterback, running back and handful of receivers.
The media pegged UM fifth in the ACC Coastal and some were calling for a 3-9 or 4-8 season.
Miami was clobbered on the main stage when playing Kansas State and Notre Dame, both of which remain undefeated, are in the title hunt and are top five teams, while stealing a few ACC games in scrappy fashion against Boston College, Georgia Tech and the same North Carolina State squad that upset Florida State, laying forty-four points on the Wolfpack.
On the heels of back-to-back losses for the first time in the Golden era, Miami prepped for Florida State – the game of the year – with starting quarterback Stephen Morris sidelined due to an ankle injury. Morris didn’t take a snap all week, yielding to back-up Ryan Williams, but stepped under center on Saturday night, banged up, with Florida State in the house.
LOST BY THIRTEEN, BUT BROUGHT THE THUNDER FOR THREE
Depends which side of the ledger a fan is on, determines how the next sixty minutes would be described. From my vantage point, Miami came to play and fully intended to seize the opportunity – feeding off the capacity crowd and nationally televised primetime showdown.
The Canes’ first drive stalled, going twenty-one yards over five plays – the highlight, a ten-yard reception by Rashawn Scott on 2nd and 5. After two quick incompletes and a Morris rush for six, Miami punted and Florida State took possession on its own nineteen.
On the first play from scrimmage, E.J. Manuel completed a pass to tight end Nick O’Leary, who went airborne for extra yards, but was met by the head and shoulder of linebacker Denzel Perryman, putting his body into the football and jarring it loose. Jimmy Gaines picked up the fumble, returning it to the twenty-two and Miami’s offense was back in business.
Early, as planned, Miami went to the ground game. Morris handed to Duke Johnson twice in a row, picking up three and then four, before a crafty dump-off to Mike James for a six-yard gain for a first down.
One play later, James bounced left – a la his game winner at Georgia Tech – scampering in for the nine-yard touchdown.
The Hurricanes defense took the field and continued playing inspired football, forcing a three-and-out. A play later, the Cason Beatty punt sailed seventeen yards and Miami took over again, this time at the Florida State thirty-four.
Johnson picked up four on first down, putting Miami in a manageable 2nd-and-6, before Morris tried to exploit a one-on-one match-up, overthrowing freshman receiver Robert Lockhart Jr. – a seemingly inexplicable option out there with the Canes sporting four more obvious, go-to, veteran receivers.
A return to the bread and butter Morris-to-James on 3rd-and-6, netting twenty-two – while avoiding the heavy Florida State rush – setting up 1st and Goal from the eight.
Morris incomplete to Davon Johnson on first down. A James rush for two on second. On third, Morris dumped off to James, who carried four yards to the two. Facing 4th-and-Goal and thinking points, Golden sent the shake Jake Wieclaw out for the easy confidence booster and the senior nailed the nineteen yarder for the early 10-0 lead.
Manuel went back to work, throwing incomplete on first down but handing off to Chris Thompson on second for a fifteen-yard gain.
On the ensuing first down, Manuel went to wideout Kenny Shaw, who was tattooed by Miami safety Deon Bush, jarring the ball loose for what looked to be a fumble, but was called incomplete and not overturned.
A bang-bang play that could’ve gone either way, again it proved the Canes defense wasn’t backing down and came to play.
Manuel and the Noles picked up seven on the next play and again Miami forced the fumble – this time back-up safety A.J. Highsmith – but Florida State recovered. Four plays later a mishandled snap coupled with heads-up defense had Canes’ defensive lineman Tyriq McCord picking up the loose ball and Miami had fresh life.
Unfortunately, where the defense succeeded the offense failed. Facing a 3rd-and-6 from mid-field, the Noles brought the house, Morris scrambled left and when getting wrapped up by Telvin Smith, fumbled the ball, recovered by linebacker Christian Jones to the Miami thirty-one.
Again, for those refusing to give this defense some credit for the past two games – the Canes held the Noles to a five-play, sixteen-yard drive – albeit aided by a false start on 3rd-and-1, making it a 3rd-and-5 where Manuel’s pass might’ve been picked off by Bush, had Kelvin Benjamin not gotten tangled up with Ladarius Gunter and hit with offensive pass interference.
Miami declined the penalty and held Florida State to a field goal. 10-3, Miami lead with a minute remaining in the first – and huge early advantage to the much maligned Hurricanes defense, going up against the nation’s tenth-ranked offense.
The Miami offense returned for another three-and-out. James rushed for one, Duke picked up four and on third down, a dump off to the freshman running back only netted three. 4th-and-2 and punt time, again – unfortunately coming at a crucial time when the Canes’ offense truly needed to do something.
Florida State took over on their ten and aided by a huge thirty-two yard pick up to Thompson on the drive’s third play, the Noles had crossed mid-field and relied on the legs of James Wilder Jr. to bring it home, carrying four times after Thompson left the game (re: torn ACL), barreling in from seventeen yards out to tie the game.
Miami’s offense finally showed some life the next drive. After an incomplete pass from Morris to receiver Phillip Dorsett, a pass to Duke went for nineteen and a dump off to James gained ten, with fifteen extra yards for a horse collar tackle on the undisciplined Noles.
Duke rushed for four on 1st-and-10 from the Florida State thirty-one and looked to add fifteen more when defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan slammed Miami offensive lineman Jon Feliciano after the play, but no whistle came.
Instead of 1st-and-10 from the UM thirteen, it was 2nd-and-6 from the twenty-seven and lined up in a quirky trips-type formation, Morris forced a pass to Duke, which corner Tyler Hunter picked off after jumping the route. More points left on the field, in a game where every point gained still wouldn’t seem to be enough.
Where the offense hurt this team again, the defense stepped up to force another three-and-out, courtesy of a first-down corner blitz which had Brandon McGee sending Manuel to the ground and setting up a 2nd-and-18, changing the course of the drive.
After the punt, the Canes could only muster up fourteen yards on six plays after taking over again, punting and giving Florida State the ball at the thirteen (after another penalty), with 2:21 remaining.
Manuel got pass-happy on this final drive of the half, exploiting the middle of the field and sticking to shorter passes. The Noles moved the ball all the way to the Canes’ twenty-eight, before Dustin Hopkins sent a forty-six yard attempt through, giving FSU momentum, and the 13-10 halftime lead.
Golden and Miami opened the second half with a poorly executed onside kick, which comes off foolish in the sense that it didn’t work – but had the Canes recovered, a shot in the arm for a struggling offense and a chance to start mid-field.
Based on that alone, coaches don’t deserve to be questioned for the effort – especially considering the defense held strong and Hopkins’ sailed his forty-four yard attempt wide.
The Miami offense again went three-and-out, with Morris sacked on first down and the Canes unable to convert a 3rd-and-16. Florida State then strung together an eight play, fifty-one yard drive, derailed by another offensive pass interference call on Benjamin, eventually leading to a 4th-and-Goal from the eighteen. Hopkins kicked the thirty-five yarder and the Noles lead 16-10.
Both teams traded mid-third quarter three and outs before Miami finally got back on the board, going fifty-two yards in nine plays, settling for a twenty-seven yard field goal on 4th-and-2 from the ten – again, on the heels of some suspect play calling by Jedd Fisch and Golden.
A completion to James netted twenty-four yards on 2nd-and-16 after a first down sack and again the Noles shot themselves in the foot with another personal foul.
Duke picked up four on 1st-and-10 from the Noles’ thirty and after a second down incompletion, Morris found Dorsett for an eight-yard gain on 3rd-and-6.
Duke then got two on first down and Dorsett tossed to the hobbled Morris for a six-yard gain, setting up a 3rd-and-2 – which fell incomplete to Lockhart Jr.
With a 3rd-and-2 from the ten, why not run the ball or try something more high percentage, at least making it an option to go on fourth down if there’s any positive yardage? Whereas an incomplete pass all but kills the notion.
A sputtering offense finally gets deep inside the red zone, down six and with a chance to take the lead, and a few erratic play calls force a field goal opportunity. Honestly, this proved to be one of two late-game backbreaking moments – the latter coming three plays later.
Facing a 1st-and-10 from their own forty-one, Manuel connected with Benjamin, after Kacy Rodgers II blew coverage, got lost and surrendered the thirty-nine yard pick-up. Four plays later Devonta Freeman punched it in from three yards out and the lead jumped to 23-13.
BIG PLAY BREAKDOWN OPENED FLOODGATES … AGAIN
Games rarely come down to one play, so putting it all on Rodgers isn’t fair – but the moment was eerily reminiscent of Miami’s 2008 loss at No. 3 Florida and a game-changing deep ball that set the stage for the Gators to pull away.
Florida held a 9-3 lead late in the third quarter when Tim Tebow went deep for Carl Moore on a 3rd-and-9, for what looked like an incompletion out of bounds – though officials ruled that his elbow touched in-bounds before the rest of his body went out.
Three plays later, the Canes were flagged for pass interference and with a fresh 1st-and-Goal from the two, Tebow punched it in to go ahead 16-3. The following possession, Florida rolled ninety-five yards on five plays, with outmatched Miami finally withering and the Gators piling on late for the 26-3 win.
There’d be no such drama in this showdown with Florida State, but once pushing ahead 23-13, a depth-challenged Miami defense finally gave way to an offense that came alive – behind its fresh-legged, third-string running back, yet-to-be-used fullback – Lonnie Pryor – and even Manuel, who rushed a few times on the Noles final legit drive, going thirty-eight yards in nine plays, settling for another field goal, extending the lead to 26-13 and putting the game out of reach.
Florida State would punch it in one more time, but it came after Miami attempted a 4th-and-20 from its own thirty. The Noles took over on the Canes’ twenty-one and after three plays from Freeman and Manuel, punched it in from five yards out.
To UM’s credit, Morris continued playing hurt – and with pride on the line, the Canes moved seventy-five yards on eight plays, highlighted by back-to-back receptions to Davon Johnson, netting thirty-two and seventeen, setting up a 1st-and-Goal from the ten.
James rushed for two in first down and after a timeout, Morris hooked up with Scott for his first touchdown pass of the game. Miami pulled to within thirteen and Florida State kneeled twice to end the game.
EVEN IN A LOSS, MIAMI NARROWED THE GAP
Stats-wise, the Canes and Noles were dead even with 229 passing yards, but the ground game was where things fell apart for Miami, rushing for a mere 29 (on twenty-one attempts) while Florida State put up 218 (with forty-four carries).
FSU had twenty-three first downs to UM’s fourteen and the time of possession was 34:34 to 25:26 in the Noles’ favor. Penalties-wise, Miami was disciplined hit only four times for twenty-five yards, while Florida State had an erratic twelve penalties, costing them 121 yards.
Still, the most important stat of this game? The fact that Miami came to play and wasn’t blown off the field by the supposed national title contender from up north. Again, this isn’t a moral victory – as much as it showed that the Canes aren’t too far behind the Noles, despite what Fisher and his coaching staff are selling.
Make no mistakes, Florida State didn’t come south just looking for a win. The Noles were prepared to stick it to the Canes, in even greater fashion than the 45-17 ass-beating they handed out two years back at Sun Life.
The recruiting game is cut-throat and while Florida State won the showdown, Miami ‘won’ in terms of how it will pitch kids looking at both FSU and UM at year’s end.
Golden and staff can walk into kids’ houses and talk to them about this game — one where the Canes were primed to get blown out, but one where fans packed the stadium, made for a rocking night and where the defense showed up and Miami trailed by a field goal early in the fourth.
In a season that was primed to be disastrous, the Canes continue hanging tough – which was a must as Golden attempts to rebuild properly.
With four to go – and the toughest challenges in the rearview – the hope is that Miami can heal up, make a run, stay in the conference hunt and take a step forward in a known down year.
Keep playing for the future, while controlling their destiny. Virginia Tech, Virginia, South Florida and Duke remain. Push for 8-4, Canes and keep buying into ‘the process’.
Christian Bello has been covering Miami Hurricanes athletics since the mid-1990s. After spending almost a decade as a columnist for CanesTime, he launched allCanesBlog.com. – the official blog for allCanes.com : The #1 Canes Shop Since 1959. Bello has joined up with XOFan.com and will be a guest columnist at CaneInsider.com this fall. Follow him on Twitter @ChristianRBello.
Can we for once play a complete game? One where the offense is plays like they did vs GT/NC St (not perfect days but able to put points on the board and march up/down the field) and the defense is at the very least efficient? Nothing would make me happier.
Next four games are lesser opponents, so hopefully you get that complete game you’re looking for.
If Miami pulls together, 8-4 is a solid reality. If not, things can definitely get worse, starting with Virginia Tech.
Va Tech is down this year…but I’m still not discounting them as a lesser opponent
… they’re “lesser” in the sense that they’re 4-4 and are yet to win a road game in 2012. Giving up a lot of points, too. Very uncharacteristic of a Frank Beamer squad and Bud Foster D. Especially when picked to win the Coastal again.
this is true but at this point in the season can we really know for sure if the young canes will show up? Each of the last four games is a toss up. Sad state of affairs..i want to predict a 4-0 record to end the season but I simply dont know.
We have no clue what team shows up. That’s a given.
We do know that the defense has played better the past two games and that none of the next four teams are as good as Florida State, though.
Note that Coach said “they have better players”. We (meaning he) have to recruit. This seems to answer the question “is coaching or talent the issue”. Coach seems to say “talent”.
Ok, so hit he recruiting trail big guy, and bring in the muscle.
Watched this game in liew of wasting my time down at UVA or Up at Maryland. We played pretty good. Should win the next 4 games with no difficulty.
Ken – It absolutely is recruiting. Coaches definitely still learning. (Fisch has definitely regressed a bit the past two games and must run the ball more.) Still, talent, inexperience and a lack of depth are the main problem here – as witnessed in the close loss to Florida State. 16-13 early fourth quarter turned into 33-20 because of a lack of depth. If UM had a few more horses, a closer game and possibly enough to take down FSU.
don’t forget…a healthy Morris will make a big difference…do we beat UNC if Morris does not go out and the first two misses of the FSU game where big plays also that healthy legs create better accuracy and maybe some of those sacks would not have happened?
Agree with both. A much better shot with him in against North Carolina and that sack-for-fumble against Florida State might not have happened, either, if healthy.
No loss is a “good loss”, but I noticed how a top 5 team that some had possibly playing for the National Championship (WVU) get handed a blow out loss to K-State.
I guess that it proves neither team has much of a defense, but Geno Smith could not get his team going against the Wildcats either. What point am I trying to make??
Not too sure? (lol) I believe in Al Golden and his process, it may take another year or two to get the Randy Shannon era players completely off the roster.
I think you make a fine point — that for Miami fans who bitched about the offense at Kansas State (the lack of points and first downs allowing Kansas State to put up 52) and then Geno Smith – former Heisman candidate – being stifled against their defense. It says more about KSU’s defense than UM’s offense if WVU also could do nada.
I think the team continues to show life compared to the past years. Keep saying it be patient with the D lots of talent but still young they just simply ware down late in the games its obvious especially on the D-line. Kids like D. Bush, E. Johnson, D. Perryman, E. Moore, C. King, T. McCord, R. Kirby, J. Grimble , T. Howard are ALL geting tremendous experience. Think how good E. Johnson, R. Kirby & D. Perryman will be next year with a stronger D-Line in front of them. I think next year we will see major improvements but Golden needs to hit on this recruting class. He has to bring in solid defensive players DT’s and LB’S are a must. Be patient CANE fans!!! Golden is doing a great job keep the faith. GO CANES!!!!
Fully agree and think that IF there is a decent JUCO lineman out there, please bring him in. Need another body or two out there. Linebackers are stepping up and next year the secondary will be better. Still need more pressure with that line, though.
There’s a kid named Toby Johnson out of Kansas who has Miami on his radar – as well as three dozen other major programs. A 6-foot-4, 305-pound four-star out of Hutchinson Community College. That is definitely someone who could help immediately.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter who we bring in to play on the d-line. The 2 gap 3-4 is a defensive front tailored to players of lesser talent. You honestly think you’re going to get some of the super aggressive studs you find in South Florida to come play on a defense where tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks are given up so that they can merely engage the offensive line for LINEBACKERS to do the work? LOL.
Tank Carradine was a JUCO transfer and is one of the best past rushers in the NATION.
Darius Smith was a JUCO transfer and despite being 310+ (with our alleged improved S&C numbers) he STILL can’t win one on one matchups and gets pushed around.
This Jethro Franklin/Mark Ohnofrio shit is a joke. Isn’t the idea of a defensive line to rush the passer and stop the run in the process?
You are right those who woke up and saw the box score don’t know the whole story if they didn’t see the game. It certainly could have been worse, but it was essentially a blow out, save for the garbage td in the end while FSU was in prevent defense. Otherwise we only scored 13 points based off of turnovers in our own end as FSU was rusty in first half. I’m a Canes fan and somewhat relieved with the performance because I thought 52-10 was more than possible. So yes it could have been worse. But let’s not make it like we hung with them the whole game.
Also, in your constant spin posts where you continually mention how we were picked 5th in ACC to go 3-9 or 4-8, well last time I checked 4-8 is certainly still possible. There’s no need to go off the deep end and hit the panic button as I’m not one of those overeatcing fire Denofrio fire Golden people. I just think you’ve been a little exagerated in your positive spin in terms of us doing better than was expected, exceeding expectations and that we are on the right track just yet. I still think the jury is out.
Yes, mathematically 4-8 is still possible, but do you really think it’s at all feasible that Miami loses the next four, going on a seven-game losing streak to close out the season, based on what we saw defensively the past few games. Virginia Tech, Virginia, South Florida and Duke. 2-2 is a logical worst-case scenario. 4-0 is doable. 3-1 is most likely.
How is it ‘spinning’ to mention FACT — that Miami was picked fifth on the COASTAL, not just the ACC, and to go 3-9 or 4-8?
Miami is on the ‘right track’ as much as this team can be, based on the talent level this year. With better coaching, Miami COULD be 6-2 right now, but could also be 2-6, as well.
The only one Miami gave away was North Carolina — but also stole games at Boston College, Georgia Tech and against North Carolina State, so it all evens outs.
As for Miami not “hanging with Florida State the whole game” — it was 16-13 early in the fourth quarter, bro — and with a better offensive play call on that 3rd and 2 when settling for the field goal, could’ve taken a 17-16 lead late third quarter.
Miami was in this thing until Kacy Rodgers II gave up that long ball which eventually allowed FSU to pull ahead 23-13.
We still have coaches learning? Why are we still hiring on job training coaches? Wasn’t that one of the reason we got rid of randy? To hire somebody who gets it? I think the problem at Miami is no one is held accountable,coaches get too many passes,too many excuses.people complained how randy cuddle the players will the media &some of these fans cuddle these coaches,if this where Bama or any power sec team or texas,usc,golden excuses would not continue to fly.this program has gone soft and expectations have stoop low & moral victories make this fan base happy…….so sad 🙁
Again with these big IFs regarding Alabama or SEC powers.
Bama pays the veteran Nick Saban $6M a year. He’d already won a title at LSU and built up Michigan State before coming to Tuscaloosa.
Will Muschamp is also just learning how to be a head coach, but has the benefit of an offense coordinator in Brent Pease, plucked for Boise State, who is earning $1.2M a year. Meanwhile Muschamp earn upwards of $3M a year.
Golden comes in with experience from Temple. Jedd Fisch is still an up and comer. This really is his first shot at OC, outside of a one-year stint at Minnesota in 2009. Other than he’s been a QB coach, WR coach, etc.
D’Onofrio isn’t “learning” as much as being forced to work with lesser talent. Started coaching up that defense by the end of 2011, and then lost a slew of starters going into this year, relying on true freshmen and washed up seniors.
As for the statement that the program has “gone soft” – far from it. It’s just in shambles because of back-to-back coaches who didn’t recruit, develop players or put an emphasis on nutrition / conditioning. Golden has a decade’s worth of mistakes and bad habits to make up for and that takes more than a year and a half to do.
Miami looked far from “soft” on Saturday night. Please. They were taking it to the Noles for the majority of the evening, until the final ten minutes when the Canes ran out of gas due to lesser personnel.
Got cha you get what you pay for so pay garbage we get garbage so might as well look forward to six win seasons every year thanks for the info….
No big guy, you get what you can afford.
Maybe if more fans supported this program and actually showed up at games, instead of flooding message boards and sports talk radio to talk shit, there’d be more of a budget to pay coaches.
Miami isn’t a state school with a monster-sized athletic budget like Florida, Alabama or Ohio State. Private school. 10K undergrads. Off-campus stadium. Fickle fan base.
UM has to stretch to pay a head coach $2M annually. No way a $1.2M assistant would ever be in the budget.
Look everybody. Getting on coaches is pointless. We got what we got, and it,s not bad for (probably) $1 million per year.
If coach goes 8-4 he,s on everybody,s short list. Example: this is probably beamers last year and tech (being a football school) will pay him $2.5 at least.
Lets get happy . We got good people. Bring in 3-4 guys on each side of the ball and we,re ACC champs mateial. Not SEC, but ACC.
Lets just win these last four. All doable, winnable games. The season starts next Thursday with VTech. Must win and stop the bleeding. Bounce back, get some confidence back and lets finish strong. Chris, like you said, everyone needs to just trust the process and keep moving forward. Man most people are simply clueless. Reading these message boards then hearing guys on the radio makes me want to ask them what’s their deal? All I do is Listen to Coach Golden. I love what he is doing and better days are very close for this Program.
Ian – The issue for Golden is that the two guys before him were awful, with Randy setting the Coker mess back even further with his four-year stint. Everyone thought that things would get better post-Larry. His 12-0, 12-1 and 11-2 run became 9-3, 9-3 and 7-6.
Unfortunately Shannon went 5-7, 7-6, 9-4 and then 7-6, in what was expected to be a breakout 2010 season.
Add it all up and that was SEVEN down season prior to Golden’s arrival, so toss in year one for him (6-6) and now this year, at 4-4 — and that’s NINE YEARS of struggles … which has fans up in arms.
Unfortunately, it also has them blaming the wrong guy – Golden – the closest thing this program has seen to a viable solution since Butch Davis roamed the halls at the Hecht.
As much as no one wants to hear it, the clock on Al really starts next year, with year four – 2013 – the season he should make the big step forward.
Of course he also has the subplot if sanctions hanging over his head, which could impact how quick things bounce back.
Actually, the Miami, F-L-A Hurricane fandom are not only fickle. But absolutely CRITICAL, and LIVE IN THE PAST TOO MUCH!! Eh. What say. Yet, that’s understandable. Seeing the Hurricanes haven’t been relatively significant since the 2005 season ( Top 10 throughout the season; and, defeated Beamer Ball at REDNECKburg, as a – 6 1/2 point road dog; and, a Saturday night ESPN national telly audience for that game at Va Tech,etc., etc. )
Yeah, yeah Miami had it’s moments during the 2009 season and what not. However, as usual, the 2009 Cane coaching staff and the team failed to deliver and close out a possible B.C.S. bowl season.
Oh, speaking of CANESPACE/EOTH ” hyper-critical ” rUffains. I’ve noticed that Hurricane WR Dorsett AIN’T been the same player since the DEATH THREATS after the Celt lost.
No wonder the VAST MAJORITY of major college football fandom see the VAST MAJORITY of Cane brUtes in a very, very negative DARK LIGHT! And believe it or not U’all Hurricane fandom. Major college footbal fandom’s collective perceptions RING TRUE!! Eh. What say.
Bon jour
A question I have. I did not get to see the North Carolina or Florida state game, but Miami held NC to 18 points? I don’t believe that is too bad? (not sure of stats like rushing or passing yards, but, the scoreboard tells the final tally) Florida St. lost to a NC State team that we just beat a few weeks before. I know that we needed to play a more complete game, but the final score of the Miami/FSU were tight early in the fourth quarter. Baby steps I say, baby steps. (Miami shouldn’t have to rely on this)but we do.
Just maybe the defense is getting a little better, who knows?? Let’s go get Virginia Tech and move on.
Michael – Like that you pointed out that Miami shouldn’t have to rely on baby steps, but does right now. So many miss that.
We have a fan base that is understandably tired of losing, but one that also lumps all this failures of this program on the new guy.
It’s been nine rough years and Golden now has to clean up messes made by Coker AND Shannon.
No one wanted to believe it at the time – especially me – but Randy actually made things WORSE with his four-year run at UM.
Shannon was always a work-in-progress that we hoped would make things better, whereas you can tell that Golden knows what he’s doing – and in due time, he will turn this around.
Until then, yes, baby steps and incremental growth is the way is has to be.
I live in Ohio, all I hear is Buckeyes this and Buckeyes that. I can’t stand it. I have been a Miami fan since I was a junior in High School (1985) I have only seen the U play in a few road games (Morgantown, WV) I wish that I could support the “home team” more, but alas, I cannot. I need my Miami brothers and sisters to support the team for me. I will one day visit Miami and attend a home game.
U fans, when you have the opportunity, go support your team, all I have is obnoxious Ohio State and WVU fans. PS. I live in Ohio and across the river from Marshall(Huntington,WV) where I work. It is real tough being a Miami fan from up north.