Not the “ride the momentum” game we were hoping for, but a win nonetheless. Hard to really break this one down based on GameCast updates, the box score and message board chatter but it’s somewhat obvious what happened today. While sloppy at times against a lesser opponent, the Canes had a few more good moments than bad.
I’ve read some posts bashing Kyle Wright, who went 19 of 23 for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns – but had two red zone interceptions, one the fault of a receiver who ran a wrong route.
Does #3 need to cut down on the red zone blunders? Absolutely. There’s no excuse. Get it together, Kyle. That said, Wright was hardly the one to blame today. Last I checked, he doesn’t play defense and wasn’t responsible for letting Thad Lewis throw for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns today – one for 41 yards and the other, a 31-yard strike.
Miami’s secondary was exposed by Oklahoma a few weeks back and has since faced lowly FIU and a Texas A&M team known more for their ground game. The Canes have proven they can stuff the run, but Miami can’t shut down an aerial attack and is in for a long season if that trend isn’t reversed immediately.
Amazingly enough, it is the offense who truly bailed out these Canes today. It was an Eric Moncur sack which lost 10 yards and gave Miami the ball back at the 40-yard line, but the difference proved to be the late offensive play calling and approach to closing out the game.
If this was 2006, the Canes get the ball on the forty and attempt to run the clock out. Good chance the Blue Devils get the ball back for one last hurrah, down three. Instead, a 27-yard Graig Cooper rush and a player later, Wright finds DajLeon Farr for a 33-yard touchdown strike – his second of the day.
Miami goes up 24-14 and actually finished a sloppy game. 10 points in the first quarter, scoreless in periods two and three and then a 14-point fourth quarter as the difference maker.
Again, we all hoped for and expected more out of today after seeing a blow out against Texas A&M ten days ago. This fan base is hungry for break out games and building on the week before.
Today wasn’t, yet sort of was one of those days. The scoreboard might tell differently, but there are a few things to take from today – most notably the fourth quarter scoring, as well as Wright having a good enough game and bouncing back from a split and stitched up chin.
4-1 and North Carolina on the docket next week. It’s Miami first trek back to Chapel Hill since the 31-28 upset in 2004 and this time around Butch Davis will be on the opposing sideline. The Heels hung tough at Virginia Tech today in a 17-10 loss and will be ready for the Canes.
Randy Shannon has his work cut out for him this week. Time to whip this team into shape, continue righting the wrongs and have Miami ready for North Carolina next week.
Today was a win… as ugly as it looked at times. Appreciate it as it’s a whole lot better than being 3-2 today and making excuses for being the squad that ended Duke’s losing streak.
I was very disappointed with the score of the game. We really should be scoring 40+ on a team like this. But when you look at the whole landscape at what happened yesterday, and how teams lost, a win is astill a win. Now if we are not in the top 25, the polls should be thrown out. It shows that this team is not handling prosperity as well as they should, and have lots of work to do. The thing that separates great teams from good teams is crushing the teams who should not even be on the same field. We have not done that in a few years. You crush these teams early and hammer them the rest of the game. So we’re still learning how to win again with this group and hopefully this is another lesson learned. Now it’s time for some payback against another inferior opponent on the road. Let’s see if we can grow some more.
-Columbus Cane
We wouldn’t have been the ones to end Duke’s winless streak. That was ended by Northwester 20-14. I agree that while we should still be pushing for perfection, realize that a win is still a win and improvement is still being made.
Canes 305
Didnt you go to Florida State? If you did how did you make it through 4 years of dealing with those fans? I cant stand them?
Who do you consider more of a rival FSU or UF? Who do you cheer for when they play?
Also when was the last time Florida beat Miami?
Can you follow what i start, ending in 1988.
2004: 27-10 Canes
2003: 38-33 Canes
2002: 41-16 Canes
2001: 37-20 Canes
2000:?
1999:?
1998:?
1997:?
1996:?
1995:?
1994:?
1993:?
1992:?
1991:?
1990:?
1998?
1987: 31-4 Canes
Also, when do the Miami Florida tickets for next year go on sale?
Thanks
We really should be scoring 40+ on a team like this. But when you look at the whole landscape at what happened yesterday, and how teams lost, a win is a still a win.
Amen to that. After seeing so many teams come up short against the underdog last weekend, a 10-point win is a win. We’ll take it. Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia, Oregon, etc. would all gladly love to have had “uninspired” wins last weekend, I’m sure.
Didn’t you go to Florida State? If you did how did you make it through 4 years of dealing with those fans? I cant stand them?
I did two years at UF – 1996 to 1998 – after receiving my AA from MDCC and starting my collegiate career at U of Alabama for 2 semesters back in ’92.
Who do you consider more of a rival FSU or UF? Who do you cheer for when they play?
Florida. There’s more hatred there. The rivalry with FSU is a bit more respectable as they don’t duck The U and we’ve settled it on the field. UF ducked Miami from 1988-2002, when they agreed to schedule a 2-game series (we did meet in the 2001 Sugar Bowl by chance.)
Younger fans believe FSU is the bigger rival, but that’s because they don’t remember the bitterness of the UM/UF rivalry with that series ending in 1987 – conversely, when Miami got good and Florida started losing to us consistently.
That said, the ‘mutual’ respect Miami and Florida State have/had for each other is fading as both programs scrap their ways back to the top and Miami is doing the right way, while Bobby Bowden keeps playing thugs like Geno Hayes in an effort to use any means necessary to reclaim their perch a top the mountain.
I hope Miami kicks the ass off of Florida State this year.
Also when was the last time Florida beat Miami?
1985. It was the Canes last home loss before rolling off a 58-home game win streak.
Since then, Miami beat Florida six straight:
1986 – Miami 23, Florida 15
1987 – Miami 31, Florida 4
2000 – Miami 37, Florida 20
2002 – Miami 41, Florida 16
2003 – Miami 38, Florida 33
2004 – Miami 27, Florida 10
Also, regarding the question Who do you cheer for when they play? I will pull for the team who has less to lose. Example, in 2006 I pulled for Florida State as I wanted to see Florida knocked out of the title race. Same for 1997 when #1 Florida State headed to The Swamp and Florida had two losses. I pulled for the Gators to knock off FSU and keep them out of the title game, which they did.
Right now both Florida State and Florida have one loss each. Most likely Florida will be the higher ranked team when they meet up, so it’ll be another year for ‘pulling’ for Florida…
I’ve come to the point even though I am a UF grad where I pull for FSU against them because the ACC/SEC dogfight really has me engaged. I’m now an ACC guy through and through, and thus am very pleased by FSU’s humbling of Satan and the Tide.
As far as our game, I have learned not to take too much from these sorts of results. Recall 1987 when we barely scraped by Toldeo at home only to smash Notre Dame the next week? I never believed we would be better than 7-5 this year and the fact we are 4-1 (1-0) and have a chance to get to 2-0 in the league and beat Butch is fine for me. We are rebuilding with a new coach and style points and the rankings mean nothing this year. Let’s have a solid season, push for the ACC title and rebuild the foundation for greatness for the future.
Speaking of old rivals … too bad The U doesn’t play Notre Doomed this year.
Those scrimmages against Marshall, Duke and FIU would have easily prepared them for all the power, glory and fury of The Four-Hundred Pound Horseman (Chuckie Weis).
Speaking of Notre Dame what is our all time record vs ND? What are the year by year results?
Have we only played OSU one time?