Game Five : Virginia Tech 38, Miami 35

This one doesn’t seem fair. Not when Miami puts up 519 yards against a good Virginia Tech defense. Not when Jacory Harris has a 13-of-21 performance, with 267 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. Not when Lamar Miller, stifled early, carries 18 times for 166 yards and a score. Not when these kids are starting to get the message from Al Golden and staff regarding toughening up and never quitting.

Think back to recent Miami teams and how they’d have handled the adversity of a 21-7 halftime deficit in Blacksburg. The wheels would’ve come off in the third quarter, the Canes would’ve folded and back up Hokies would’ve put up a late score in an eventual 45-14 loss.

Miami fell 38-35 at Virginia Tech on Saturday. It marks the third loss for the Canes this year and the third in heartbreaking fashion. A pick-six ended a comeback attempt at Maryland in the opener, a fourth down goal line stand was the difference in getting the end zone for the game-winner against Kansas State and this week, a defensive breakdown after UM took its first lead with under three to play.

Coach Golden gave a heartfelt press conference in the bowels of Lane Stadium post game and you could see the pain in his face and heard the hurt in his voice. He knew his kids needed this one, as did his staff. UM’s past two losses have been so gut-wrenching, you almost wonder if the football gods are playing the cruelest of cruel jokes.

Or maybe this is simply that adversity that in-repair teams deal with en route to building character and improving. Doesn’t make the bitter pill any easier to swallow, but even in these losses, you sense that Miami is getting better. Old ways are being flushed out, replaced by new ones that will make the Canes a winner, in due time. Until then there will be days like these.

Defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio has been the whipping post as of late as the Canes have struggled on that side of the ball.

499 yards given up at Maryland, 398 to Kansas State, 422 to Bethune-Cookman and now 482 to Virginia Tech. The only time Miami’s D stood strong all year was against a one-dimensional Ohio State team, who only amassed 209 total yards – 35 of which came through the air.

Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas had the game of his career against Miami, which oft seems the case the morning after. Seems everyone brings their best when the Canes comes to play. A few weeks back it was Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein. This week, Thomas. Next week, someone else.

Teams flat-out get amped to play ‘The U’ and Thomas was masterful on Saturday. 23-of-25 for 310 yards with three touchdowns through the air and two on the ground. Had Thomas dreamed up a best-case scenario on Friday night, has he imagined those numbers he’d have been slapped back to consciousness for even dreaming so big. By Saturday night, a reality – right down to running in the game-winner from 19 yards out with under a minute to play.

On the other side of the ball, J12 was incredible in his own right. No interceptions against a good Hokies defense and a coordinator who baits quarterbacks into mistakes.

Harris changed the game halfway through the second quarter when connecting with Allen Hurns on a 3rd-and-18 hook up that went for 41 yards. The perfectly-placed pass was reviewed, called complete and with a 1st-and-10 from the fifteen, Harris audibled from the line and went back to Hurns, hitting the sophomore for a 15-yard touchdown and pulling the game to 14-7.

Miami’s success came on the heels of Tech’s lone turnover – a fumble on 3rd-and-6 from the UM sixteen. The result was a ten to fourteen-point swing, keeping the Hokies off the board and leading to the Canes’ first touchdown.

Unfortunately, like so many times this season, this was a game of back-and-forth, with the Miami defense struggling to buckle down after an offensive score. After cutting the lead to 14-7, the Hokies marched 76 yards in eleven plays and pushed to 21-7. Also, like so many times this season, the Canes shot themselves in the foot with a boneheaded penalty.

Facing a 3rd-and-6 early in the drive, safety Ray-Ray Armstrong was flagged for a pointless pass interference call. The penalty gave the Hokies the ball mid-field with new life and Thomas went back to work en route to a three-yard pass to running back David Wilson for the score.

Miami’s defense made a stand on the first drive of the third quarter. Anthony Chickillo sacked Thomas and two plays later, faced with a 3rd-and-10, Thomas’ pass was incomplete, forcing the punt. On the ensuing 3rd-and-4, Harris rifled a pass to Travis Benjamin, which went for a 77-yard touchdown and it was again a seven-point game.

Miami held Virginia Tech to three on the next possession and put together another solid offensive drive, going 89 yards over 12 plays and ending with a four-yard touchdown to Tommy Streeter. Down 24-21, the Canes were in striking distance minutes into the fourth quarter.

Cue another moment where UM cannot hang on to any prosperity. After a Jake Wieclaw kickoff went out of bounds, Virginia Tech took possession on their forty-yard line. One play later Thomas hit Jarrett Boykin for a sixty-yard touchdown. 31-21 with just over twelve to play and momentum again shifting back towards the home team.

Still, Miami wouldn’t fold and the Canes put together a seven-play, 80-yard drive, capped with a pass from wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, which Milller beautifully hauled in.

One more great call from offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, who is getting more comfortable every week working with what he’s got – right down to finally incorporating the tight end into the game. Clive Walford had a four-reception, 66-yard performance which added another dimension to what’s becoming a potent Hurricanes offense.

With the running game taken away early, Fisch put Harris in position to use his arm and in time, the ground game opened up and never disappeared – right down to Miami’s final score.

Down 31-28 after the Dorsett-to-Miller connection, Tech got conservative, running Wilson twice and after a false start, the Hokies faced a 3rd-and-10 which blew up when Thomas errantly threw after running past the line of scrimmage.

Down three, Miami took possession at the Virginia Tech forty-two. Miller broke off a 23-yard run on first down went for three on first down a play later. Harris found Walford for six yards on 2nd-and-7 and facing a 3rd-and-1, Mike James got a carry and rumbled ahead for four.

With a 1st-and-Goal from the six, James was called for holding and a play later a personal foul on offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson. The Canes were again sloppy, dinged nine times for 84 yards – with twenty-five coming on back-to-back plays and a go-ahead score hanging in the balance.

Amazing, facing a 2nd-and-Goal from the thirty, Miller slashed through a monster-sized hole and rumbled to the end zone, putting the Canes up, 35-31 – their first lead of the game coming with just over three remaining.

The lead would be short-lived as Thomas and Wilson went back to work. Eight plays and 77 yards later, Thomas waltzed in this one was in the books. Miami got one last crack, but it was too little, too late.

As a fan, the “moral” victories feel meaningless. Especially the morning after and especially after a third knife in the heart since Labor Day. 28-23 under Randy Shannon, 7-6 last season, three straight bowl losses … those who bleed orange and green just want to f’ing win.

Unfortunately after a half decade-plus of mediocrity, you can’t just flip a switch and f’ing win. It doesn’t work that way. No, unfortunately you have to break this thing down, find the flaws, work to correct them and realize that it won’t happen overnight.

Even more frustrating for Miami faithful to swallow; the lack of overall talent and depth on defense as that isn’t going to change until more pieces are added to the puzzle.

D’Onofrio will get tattooed for the final result and remain the fall guy, but logical-minded folk have to acknowledge that he’s not working with much. Fisch has been able to fine-tune the offense, as the veteran line is playing up to potential, there are three capable running backs, wideouts are making plays and quarterback is finally looking like an asset, not a liability. D’Onofrio doesn’t have that luxury defensively.

A quick compare contrast between last year’s and this year’s Miami defense is downright depressing, but must be acknowledged before moving forward.

Allen Bailey, Brandon Harris, Colin McCarthy and DeMarcus Van Dyke – all taken between the second and fourth rounds of this spring’s NFL Draft. The Canes also lost role player Ryan Hill to graduation.

Fans may have had issue with all five aforementioned players at times, but depth-wise and experience-wise, those were huge losses for UM’s defense.

Weeks later, Golden cleaned house and booted Jamal Reid, Devont’a Davis, Travis Williams and Kevin Nelson from the program; two cornerbacks and two linebackers, all four of which Miami could’ve used as both positions are legitimate weak spots for the Canes.

Before that there were also the “never weres” – the guys who signed and bailed or didn’t make the cut because of grades or other issues. Guys like Latwan Anderson, Prince Kent, Delmar Taylor, Tavadis Glenn and Jeff Brown.

Weeks back Miami lost defensive lineman Curtis Porter for the season. Against Bethune-Cookman, linebacker Ramon Buchanan was lost for the year. Days later, defensive lineman Marcus Forston was sidelined for good as well.

Miami was also without freshman Jalen Grimble and r-sophomore Luther Robinson for Virginia Tech, two more much-needed defensive linemen – while the Canes’ best pass rusher Olivier Vernon has been suspended all season and will return for Georgia Tech, after sitting out six games.

When you look at NFL losses, combined with dismissals, injuries, and suspensions, Miami is essentially rolling out a scout team on defense this season. (That’s not even going into poor recruiting, development and coaching that has taken it’s toll the past few years.)

Chickillo is being relied on heavily as a true freshman, as is cornerback Thomas Finnie, linebacker Denzel Perryman and first-year starter Jimmy Gaines. Freshman are being expected to work miracles instead of being eased in, allowed to bulk up and given the time to properly learn and logically transition into the college game, instead of being thrown into the fire.

This unit is so depleted that the Canes are literally starting a Wake Forest cornerback transfer who couldn’t crack the starting line up with the Demon Deacons (Mike Williams), as well as a JUCO transfer from Pennsylvania (Darius Smith) who didn’t arrive on campus until June. Both have been serviceable, but not exactly the heir apparent to new NFLers Harris or Bailey.

Miami is also reliant on safety JUCO transfer Andrew Swasey – son of strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey – as well as senior cornerback Lee Chambers, a former running back buried on the depth chart for year – and struggling to make the transition that wideout-to-corner Sam Shields made years back.

Hard as it may be to accept, there’s your real-life explanation regarding Miami’s defensive woes.

Five games in, frustrated fans are foolish to throw Coach D’Onofrio under the bus – a man offered the head coaching gig at Temple and a co-team captain with Coach Golden while both players at Penn State.

D’Onofrio is cut from the same cloth as Golden and truth be told he’s being given less than zero to work with.

An undersized, depleted defensive line that gets no pressure. A young and depleted linebacking corps. A secondary made up of transfers, guys who switched positions and a few underachievers. The fact that this side of the ball has actually had some glimmers of greatness is in itself a miracle.

At 2-3 this season is not where anyone wants it to be regarding rankings, the ACC hunt or bragging rights. Losing sucks. It hurts. It ruins weekends and puts those who love this program in a foul mood.

As good as beating Ohio State felt, losing to Kansas State and Virginia Tech were punches in the gut. Losing hurts more than winning heals.

Still, as far as the 2011 season goes, you simply have to take solace in what progress you are seeing. Coach Golden is the right man for the job and losses aside, he’s bettering this program every day – as our his assistants. Miami is getting better and will continue doing so as long as this man is at the helm.

There is no doubt that Golden will change this culture. Kids are buying in and in due time, the ship will be righted – which isn’t something any fan could ever say with confidence under the last two UM coaches.

There will be good days and bad days. Thrilling wins and heartbreaking losses. Strap in and get ready for a wild ride. Seven games remain and you pray that these kids can inch forward a little future each week.

Grow. Improve. Learn. Win.

North Carolina is up next and for Miami, another chance to prove the learning curve is lessening a little more each and every week.

Keep those heads up, Hurricanes. Tremendous effort this past weekend and the hard work will pay off. Believe it. – C.B.

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