Game Five : Miami 48, Florida A&M 16

470 yards of total offense, 48 points, a 4-1 record and a No. 9 ranking in mid-October and all still isn’t well in Canesville.

Some advice for logical-minded folk; stay off any UM-related sites during game. The commentary from this supposed fan base is enough to make you lose your mind.

Miami smacked up undefeated FAMU to the tune of 48-16 on Saturday night, shut down all-world punt returner LeRoy Vann and field a squad of second, third and fourth stringers the final two quarter, yet it’s still not enough the morning after.

Was Jacory Harris razor-sharp all night? Of course not. 217 yards and two touchdowns were impressive, but the two interceptions were two too many – making for a 12 TD to 7 INT ratio five games into the season. That said, we’re talking about a true sophomore who made his seventh career start this week. Give Harris time. He’s learning on the job.

All that said, it was an impressive win in a pitfall game. FAMU rolled in upset-minded and was absolutely beat down in every phase of the game. It was no contest, regardless of how much the Rattlers tried to hype it up all week.

Regarding the Canes and a less-than-perfect outing; it is what it is. After four straight games against ranked opponents – two of which were nationally televised and one of two regionally shown Saturday night games – forgive Miami if there was a little rust when lowly FAMU rolled into town.

How do you get jacked up for Florida A&M on the heels of Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma? You don’t. It’s a glorified scrimmage that 47,859 fans showed up to witness.

Your starters knew before kickoff that they wouldn’t see the second half and your back ups knew they’d see their first action of the season. Your scout team brought more thunder than your opponent and couldn’t hold a candle to the last four teams on your schedule.

Miami held a 31-3 lead at the half before the first-teamers were sidelined – a rarity in the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football. Lest not forget this is a program that sweat out a 14-13 win against Houston a few years back; a team that barely had the depth to eke out a 20-15 win at Duke thanks to some FIU brawl-related suspensions.

The Canes finally get some back ups some meaningful playing time, the young talent looks solid and fans still find reason to bitch. Will wonders never cease.

For all those wasting time and energy this week regarding the future of redshirt freshman Tommy Streeter, nice work. While the gurus and know-it-alls who swore their father’s cousin’s nephew’s former roommate told them Streeter was thinking of transferring, the wideout had three receptions for 55 yards – Miami’s leading receiver Saturday night.

Streeter followed up his on the field performance with the following words for the Herald’s Manny Navarro: “I’m 100 percent a Cane, 110 percent. I’m dedicated to this program and I’m not going anywhere. I’m just staying humble and waiting for my opportunity, my name to be called. I’m just trying to work hard, show coaches I can make plays and that they can trust in me.”

Whether Streeter is in a Miami uniform in 2010 or not, why in the hell is this even a topic of conversation when the Canes are 4-1 and just re-cracked the top ten?

Thearon Collier returned a 61-yard punt for a touchdown and had a 28-yard reception. Kendal Thompkins hauled in his first pass of the season. A.J. Highsmith went 3-of-3 for 38 yards, taking his first snaps behind center. Brandon Harris picked off a pass. Travis Benjamin averaged 26 yards per punt return while FAMU’s Vann had one return for 15 yards.

Fourth string running back Damien Berry carried 14 times for 162 yards and a touchdown – the most yards since Tyrone Moss rushed for 195 against North Carolina four years ago. When was the last time the Canes had the depth to turn to a fourth string tailback?

For all the questions surrounding the secondary earlier in the year, the unit is starting to come together. The past few weeks showed the emergence of Ray Ray Armstrong at safety and against FAMU it was freshman defensive back Brandon McGee who got some minutes and made some plays. Same to be said for the offensive line, which broke in youngsters like Brandon Washington and Ben Jones.

These present-day Canes are 4-1, ranked No. 9 and are on a roll… while the Canes of tomorrow are getting broken in nicely, instead of being thrown into the fire, which has been the norm the past few seasons.

It was only FAMU and it wasn’t a razor-sharp performance, but it wasn’t supposed to be. Miami passed yet another test early in the season; avoiding the let down. The starters took care of business, the back ups got their licks in and the Canes are headed to Orlando next weekend for a showdown with Central Florida.

All is good in Canesville; even if the message board folk disagree.

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