Another Saturday, another loss. 44-14 this time. I guess it’s better than 48-0. Sort of.
I don’t really care to rant and rave about this one. Been there, said that. The Canes fell short. Talent is lacking. Coaches aren’t making adjustments. Players aren’t playing up to their potential. Losses are piling up and the natives are restless.
At Boston College next week and by Saturday’s end this team should be put out of its collective misery. A miraculous win and a worthless post-season game… maybe. No guarantees a 6-6 Canes team even goes bowling this year.
A loss most likely in the cards. Oklahoma. North Carolina. Georgia Tech. NC State. Virginia. Virginia Tech. The way Miami performed against all the above, you can all but go ahead and pencil in next week’s “L” today. This team is done. They have been since the OT loss to the Wolfpack.
Credit where credit is due, there were glimpses of heart today. Kyle Wright again proved his grit. Dude stood in the pocket, absorbed some serious blow and delivered a few solid throws, runs and hits. The same scratch-your-head type mistakes were there, but Wright showed his will to win and certainly isn’t this team’s lone scapegoat regarding another disastrous season.
The receivers had their moments as well. Darnell Jenkins shows his throwback Cane persona every time he takes the field. Sam Shields is pulling out of his sophomore slump. Leonard Hankerson will be a stud next year and it was refreshing to see the true freshman get his shot now that Lance Leggett has blown all his.
Of course -2 rushing yards isn’t going to cut it. Javarris James was held to 7 yards on 10 carries. Graig Cooper and Shawnbrey McNeal were sidelined, adding injury to insult – and junior Derron Thomas was again a non-factor.
5-6 and a week from 5-7. Brutal. This season can’t end soon enough. Time for Randy Shannon to make some serious off-season decisions and personnel moves; player-wise and regarding some assistant coaches. Year one was a bust, but a first time head coach inheriting a 7-6 team a deserves a mulligan.
Year two is a different ball game. Recruit well. Figure out what didn’t work in 2007 and come up with something better for 2008. Time is of the essence and stubbornness isn’t an option.
Miami needs fixing and it’s up to the man in charge to re-right the ship and start the rebuilding process already. Another season like this simply isn’t acceptable.
A long-time Canes like coach Shannon has to understand that.
.:Canes305:.
I’ll just say that you can’t spot ANY team, let aloone a #10 team a 17 point lead before you decide you want to play. Once again, players getting out of position on defense and getting walled off for big runs. How many times were the DE’s going to crash down the line and take themselves right out of the play going wide to their side? Wright battled, but when he decides to run he has to protect the ball. James has to take a step forward as a Junior after a mediocre at best season. We could have used Shields this season if he wasn’t always in the doghouse for this and that. I hope all the players returning look in the mirror this offseason and ask if they represented The U as well as they could have. Get some new recruits in here ready to play and change the culture around here lately. We’ll see what Shannon does this offseason. He should have a few more weeks on his hands with no bowl to recruit hard and get his ’08 gameplan together.
-Columbus Cane
Dude, your comments and analysis is so dead on it’s depressing. I think I need a Percocet after I read this blog entry.
Right now the friendly confines of the “smurf turf” on New Year’s Eve would be glorious considering how this season has gone. Urgh, to think I still hold onto faith!!!
All I can say is, We’re A Basketball school now….Frank Haith has his boys’ ballin…..They play tonight in the Puerto Rico Shootout Championship game, having already beaten 2 tourney teams from last year, Marist(nit) and VCU (big dance) and there almost gator bound coach…
Big UPS!!!! to the UM Hoops program this year!!!
Never have I been so disappointed in a defense. I watched the first quarter of the game and after seeing V.T. get no less than 7-yard gains almost every run play, I didn’t want to watch anymore. When I see Colin McCarthy stand at the 2-yard line waiting for V.T. runningback Ore to run his ass over and drive his ass back into the endzone, it saddens me. How does a 6-3, 225 lb. linebacker let an off-and-on runningback drive him backwards 4 yards into the endzone? I’ll tell you how…Ore has more heart than McCarthy. It’s all about heart and the Cane have none.