The Miami Hurricanes are just under four weeks out regarding their September 1st home opener against Florida A&M and thumbing through some preseason rags to get the juices flowing for another season in Coral Gables.
The Sporting News ranks the Canes second in the ACC’s Coastal Division this upcoming season, behind last year’s champs—the North Carolina Tar Heels. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Duke and Virginia round out the division, while Clemson sits atop the Atlantic and is predicted to win the conference.
Miami’s archival Florida State is second in the Atlantic, followed by Louisville, North Carolina State, Boston College, Wake Forest and Syracuse. The Atlantic Coast Conference’s game-of-the-year is the late October showdown between the Tigers and the Seminoles, taking place in Tallahassee this year.
When perusing TSN’s ACC storylines, Miami remains a footnote—completely understandable after five years of Goldenization, preceded by four years of getting Shannoned. The Hurricanes have recruited well here or there and occasionally won a semi-meaningful game over that process—but there’s zero debating that “The U” became a second-rate program in need of a world class facelift.
Enter former Georgia head coach UM alum Mark Richt to clean up the shit-storm.
Richt fell into the Hurricanes’ lap when the Bulldogs cut ties with him in search of a fresh start. The somewhat out-of-nowhere departure paved the way for Miami to land the “home run hire” it’s never really had.
“The U” has birthed it’s fair share of up-and-comers who more than made a name for themselves, but hasn’t plucked an established name in the modern era of the game. Richt checks off that box and many more.
Still, TSN is quick to label the Canes their most overrated team in the ACC this year stating that, “The Hurricanes made a blockbuster hire in Mark Richt, but they’ve been oversold for the last decade. It’s best to believe it when you see it from The U.”
Sort of, but not really.
It’s magazines like the The Sporting News and others who have lumped undue praise on the Canes the past several years—the same publications who praised Al Golden as a head coach, based on his polished speeches early on, hard-working demeanor and loyalty in sticking with Miami when Shapirogate reared its ugly head.
The only ones “overselling” UM were the sportswriters who refused to see through Golden’s facade, broke-ass schemes awful cultural fit, never letting Miami be “Miami” on his watch—talking style of play here, not swag.
The Canes didn’t place one player on TSN’s All-ACC team—and it’s been a lifetime since Miami was putting several future NFLers on that list. If your players can’t scratch the best-in-conference surface, you sure-as-shit aren’t going to make a dent nationally.
Translation; five- or six-loss seasons became the new norm.
An equally as bitter pill to swallow; seeing those recruits who got away over the years shining in this recent ACC’s best poll. Kermit Whitfield was named Fastest Receiver while Dalvin Cook earned Best Athlete and Most Elusive Running Back. Both headed to UM at one point, Whitfield and Cook took their talents to Tallahassee and won a national title a few years back.
Areas where Miami also used to shine; Hardest Hitter (going to Virginia safety Quin Blanding) and Top NFL Prospect (Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.) The Canes earned Top Transfer—former Florida defensive lineman Gerald Willis—another indication that things are out of whack and in need of an overall kick-in-the-ass for the Canes.
Watson’s recent success stole the spotlight for UM quarterback Brad Kaaya, who is primed for a solid junior campaign and should top all these polls for 2017—though TSN was quick to tag him as Miami’s “Difference-Maker” this season.
After mentioning that the Canes haven’t seen a quarterback drafted since Ken Dorsey departed after the 2002 season, they quickly mention Kaaya in the same breath as Watson and drop some his stats last season. Most-impressive; his leading the ACC in passing efficiency as a freshman in 2014, as well as a balls-out performance against Florida State last fall.
Despite losing to the Noles for an unthinkable sixth-consecutive time, Kaaya set career marks in completions (29) and attempts (49) while throwing for 400 yards against the Sunshine State rival.
Citing 247Sports rankings, TSN praised a few big names Miami hauled in on recruiting day back in February—wide receiver Sam Bruce, linebacker Shaq Quarterman and wide receiver Ahmmon Richards.
All 4-star prospects are expected to make an impact this fall—especially at the receiver spot due to the departures of Rashawn Scott and Herb Waters, as well as this recent season-ending injury to sophomore Lawrence Cager, who was expected to make some big noise this year.
TSN’s actual write-up on the Canes was par for the course regarding a national publication what doesn’t have its thumb on the program’s pulse.
The humiliation 58-0 beatdown by eventual national title runner-up Clemson, letting too much local talent get out of it’s backyard and the hiring of Richt were all front and center. From there, a little blah-blah-blah on the offense line needing to come together, as well as a troubled defense that ranked 69th overall last season.
First-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and the move to a more U-like 4-3 scheme was explained with a, “Perhaps that will make the Hurricanes more disruptive after they finished 105th nationally (and 12th in the ACC) in tackles-for-loss last season.”
A 3-4 in Coral Gables for five seasons and the Canes 12th in tackles-for-loss last year. Ain’t that some shit? Former coordinator Mark D’Onofrio better never cross the Dade County line again after that dumpster fire he and Golden Al trotted out since 2010.
For those who’ve tried to put this ugly era out of recent memory, TSN came correct with one final graphic showing Miami’s 36-27 run the past five seasons. Reconfigure that 8-5 run last season to 4-3 on Golden’s watch as interim head coach Larry Scott went 4-2 down the stretch and it was an even uglier 32-25 era-of-stank.
TSN takes the safe route and doesn’t make a win-loss prediction on where Miami will wind up in 2016, but believes that the Canes are definitely trending upwards thank to swapping out a schmo for a pro.
“Richt, unlike his predecessor, has a good idea what he’s getting into and is about as good a blend of fit and ability as the Hurricanes could have hoped for. He knows the terrain, understands what it’s like to recruit in a crucible and could be reinvigorated by a new challenge at this stage in his career. Whether that’s enough to justify considerable optimism for this year is unknown, but there is reason to believe that Miami will be on the upswing soon enough.”
Based on where this program has been the past decade-plus, that’ll work for now.