Crazy how at 2-0 the Miami Hurricanes were media darlings, albeit for a mere five minutes. After a loss to Virginia Tech, the love affair was over – even with an upset win over a top ten Oklahoma a week later and two straight wins after that, propelling the Canes to 5-1 and their own No. 8 ranking.
Miami is currently the highest ranked ACC team in the nation and has endured one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, yet Dinich gave the Canes little love in her mid-season progress report. Miami v. Florida State earned her vote for “best game” but even in that, a dig when she implied the potential game-winning Christian Ponder to Jarmon Fortson drop in the waning moments was a “controversial” incomplete call.
A “controversial” incomplete call where the ruling on the field was unanimously incomplete and the the replay clearly showed the ball touching the ground? Nice call, Heather.
Regarding “Biggest Surprise”, Dinich gave the nod to Boston College – a 5-2 team with wins over Northeastern, Kent State, Wake Forest, Florida State and NC State. The two losses, both blowouts at the hands of Clemson and Virginia Tech. She also gave first-year Eagles coach Frank Spaziani the nod as “Best Coach”, citing that the first-year leader “inherited more problems than he did answers”.
Where was that love and learning curve when Randy Shannon took over a Miami program in shambles?
Dinich hypes Spaziani for having BC in contention to win the Atlantic Division – something the Eagles did the past two seasons – yet in the next breath, calls the entire Atlantic Division the “Biggest Disappointment” midway through 2009. All of which begs the question, how impressive BC’s record based on the poor play of division rivals?
How do you hype a 5-2 team that’s beaten virtually nobody this year, giving them kudos for being ‘in contention’ to win a very weak division? Furthermore, how do you do this when Miami is arguably the surprise team midway through the season?
Sitting at 5-1, Miami beat the same Florida State team that Boston College took down and it lost to the same Virginia Tech squad by a lesser margin (Canes fell by 24, Eagles suffered a 34-point loss). That said, the Canes also beat a good Georgia Tech team and upset an eighth-ranked Oklahoma squad.
Many were calling for an 0-4 start in Coral Gables, promoting their fear mongering regarding Shannon’s job status if and when the Canes face planted out the gate. After opening a surprising 3-1, media folk like Dinich still can’t call it like it is.
Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams took home “Offensive MVP” honors, event though Miami quarterback Jacory Harris is a legitimate Heisman candidate.
Williams filled in for the injured Darren Evans, helping the Hokies to a solid start. He’s earned ACC ‘rookie of the week’ honors five times this season, which is misleading being that first-year starter Harris saw some playing time last year, taking him out of the ‘rookie’ debate.
As offensive players, check the numbers Production versus specific competition. Harris has 1,518 passing yards and 11 touchdowns over a six-game run. His quarterback rating is 157.29 and he’s shined on both the big and small stage.
Harris passed for 386 yards and two touchdowns at Florida State; the most yards any Canes quarterback has ever put up against the Noles. A week later, a 20-of-25 outing, 270 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of Georgia Tech.
A rough outing a week later at Virginia Tech, Harris responded with a 19-of-28 performance and three touchdowns against Oklahoma stout defense. (The Sooners were giving up an average of less than a touchdown per game; Harris threw for three.)
Florida A&M and Central Florida followed, where J12 put together good enough performances. A 20-of-26 outing, 293 yards and a touchdown were the result against the Knights, even when spotty line play allowed the sophomore quarterback to be sacked six times.
In Williams defense, he has been a workhorse this season. After a slow start against Alabama (13 carries for 71 yards), he’s responded with 100+ yard games in five of the next six outings. Miami and Georgia Tech the toughest foes, Williams padded his stats a bit in wins over Marshall and Duke.
834 yards on 140 attempts and 10 touchdowns is impressive for a true freshman seven games into the season. Respect. But are these numbers better than Harris’? No. Harris has carried Miami this season and the Canes would be a shell of a team without him behind center.
Harris is to Miami what Tim Tebow is to Florida, whereas Williams is simply another back plugged into a run-happy offense. Evans was named Orange Bowl MVP after last year’s BCS win, yet he was easily replaced by a true freshman a few months later.
Williams is a hell of a back and is deserving of the award, but it sounds like any back worth his weight will thrive in that system. Not the same as quarterback who comes along once-in-a-decade for a program.
Harris’ performance at Florida State was his third career start and his first after learning a completely new offense with Mark Whipple now calling the shots.
A first-year starter behind center at Miami – putting together a banner year against toughest early stretch in college football, mentioned in Heisman chatter – and Harris still isn’t good enough to top an ACC blogger’s poll.
Hardly a shock and par for the course. Miami fans know it all too well, while outsiders ignore the bias and claim Canes are hypersensitive. To each their own.
Regardless, ESPN and Dinich aren’t giving the love, so it’s on UM to stay the course. Keep taking care of business. Continue building a legacy and a name by proving doubters wrong and remaining anti-establishment.
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Great piece, bro. I read Heather's piece earlier and commented on her blog. What an absolute joke. No other word than "bias" comes to mind.
Williams or Harris deserved best offensive player, but the Boston College stuff is a joke. From Spaziani to the biggest surprise honors. BC is an average team this year and they're right where they should be against their competition.
UM has absolutely overshot expectations against better talent - and they STILL have a better record than BC, as a one-loss team ranked #8 in the country.
It is what it is. Let the haters keep on hating. Canes just have to keep on winning.
Thanks for pointing this out for those who might've missed it. Miami needs to let junk like this fuel their fire!!
no objectivity at all my man, zero.
i can't stand VT, but williams has seemingly been the truth.. you blast him for "13 carries for 71 yards" yeah, that's 5.4 yards a clip, damn good against bama's solid D.. and his season numbers? 834 yards on 140 carries..that's what? 6 yards a carry?? now j12 does have 1 more td than williams, (12 total, to williams' 11) but he also has 7 INTs.. you know how many fumbles williams has? 0.
that's worth the offensive MVP in my book.only if you don't mind taking off your orange and green glasses for a minute.
Exactly, who cares what HD says. She can write/vote whatever/wherever based on her narrow mind. Yes, she can do all those. But she has ZERO influence in the next game, which is the only thing we are focusing on (at this moment). All this "expert"/junk thoughts are just additional motivation that makes the win a bit more spicy.
I simply believe we going to win out (one game a week, though) and will play and be the winner in Jan.7. Oh, yeah, I have an additional hope, that Florida will be the other team, to make this journey a perfect one. Yes, we know this team has future. But as you said earlier "the future is NOW".
The rest of your schedule looks liks this...
Clemson L
@ Wake W
Virginia W
@ NC L
Duke W
USF L
8-4
Go away little swagger thugs...
WE ARE THE REAL U,
GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!
All I can say is Heather don't know Dinich. I read her article and said to myself this is no expert analysis. Whoever gave her that job ought to be fired.
My thoughts about the Canes are all about Clemson. They should make a very exciting opponent this week. Cannot wait for game day.
no objectivity at all my man, zero.
.... and your comprehension skills are rather weak. No objectivity at all? I guess you missed this part, Anonymous:
In Williams defense, he has been a workhorse this season. After a slow start against Alabama (13 carries for 71 yards), he's responded with 100+ yard games in five of the next six outings.... 834 yards on 140 attempts and 10 touchdowns is impressive for a true freshman seven games into the season. Respect.... Williams is a hell of a back and is deserving of the award, but it sounds like any back worth his weight will thrive in that system. Not the same as quarterback who comes along once-in-a-decade for a program.
Yeah bro, NO objectivity on my part at all.
Exactly, who cares what HD says. She can write/vote whatever/wherever based on her narrow mind. Yes, she can do all those. But she has ZERO influence in the next game, which is the only thing we are focusing on (at this moment). All this "expert"/junk thoughts are just additional motivation that makes the win a bit more spicy.
.... who "cares" what she says? No one. But that's not the point. Her picks were bogus and needed to be called out.
She's an ACC blogger for ESPN and her words have no bearing on Miami. She says what she says to get people fired up. It's business. I get that. Still, the issue deserved to be addressed in a Canes-themed blog.
It's the U against the world...and I wouldn't have it any other way. Something about being doubted by almost everyone makes it exciting, and is something that ties all great hurricane teams together. If i was a gator and every reporter from here to kasakstan was frantic over a win over lowly arkansas at home then I think i would puke. Canes have been and always been the underdogs, the rough and tumble team that takes care of business on the field, not through the press.
Hey little anonymous gator. Your great team is one fair call or made field goal away from dropping below the canes in the polls. your gator nation will be crying at the end of the season when the gators lose to the noles and the the tide. Over rated is an understatement. Your schedule is weak. Your team is weak. and your prediction of 8 and 4 for the Canes is a pipe dream. Go and comment on a gator blog you anonymous hater.
I absolutely love your blogs allcanes. To me, you are one of the main canes fans that really shoots it straight. Keep it up. ESPN will always have favoritism toward somebody. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. I'll be there for the clemson game so lets shut some more haters up. Hope to see you there my friend.