Game Four : Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 14

If you look solely at the final, ignore the box score and pay no attention to the overall record leading into Saturday’s showdown with Bethune-Cookman, it reads like any old Miami win over a smaller and lesser opponent. 45-14 and onto next week.

Unfortunately there’s always more to the story than meets the eye and while the Hurricanes got the win, few are feeling good sitting at 2-2 as Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Georgia Tech loom.

You never want to take anything away from a win. Teams go at it across the nation every weekend, with half experiencing the joy of victory while the other nurses the pain that comes from loss.

Still, you have to find a way to temper the joy of win with the reality of the issues your respective team faces.

Some good reality? Lamar Miller ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns while Tommy Streeter had two receptions for 83 yards, both landing him in the end zone. Jacory Harris was a respectable 12-of-17 for 175 with two touchdowns and no turnovers, spreading the ball to eight different receivers in the blowout win.

The not-so-good? Bethune-Cookman put up 422 total yards on a Miami defense that has struggled all season. The Canes were also lethargic out the gate, playing uninspired football and needing to turn things up a notch in the second half, a la last week against Kansas State.

These most recent Wildcats also moved the ball with ease on their opening drive, going 71 yards in 12 plays. A fumble on the one-yard line stopped them from a quick score, while the overall drive was aided by yet another Hurricanes penalty.

Facing a 4th-and-7 eleven plays into the drive, Miami was hit with a six-yard Substitution Infraction penalty and Bethune-Cookman picked up the eventual 4th-and-1 to keep the offense on the field.

The Canes would keep the Wildcats out of the end zone when linebacker Jimmy Gaines recovered a fumble on 1st-and-Goal.

Deep in its own territory Miami kept it conservative with Miller rushing for back-to-back play, netting nine yards. Facing 3rd-and-1, a pass to fullback Maurice Hagens was incomplete, forcing a punt. Bethune-Cookman took over mid-field and went 52 yards in nine plays, capping off the drive with a one-yard touchdown strike on 3rd-and-1.

Down 7-0 midway through the second quarter the Canes responded when Harris found Streeter for a 56-yard touchdown. Miami’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and after a 44-yard return by Travis Benjamin and a pass interference call, Miller punched in the three-yard score and the Canes were up 14-7.

Bethune-Cookman missed 38-yard field goal on the ensuing drive and Miami went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

The second half was all Hurricanes. A 33-yard kickoff return by Benjamin set Miami up at midfield and after a four-yard rush, Miller scampered forty-three yards to the end zone. Bethune-Cookman answered with their final score later in the third period and Miami came back with a 30-yard Jake Wieclaw field goal.

Sitting on a 24-14 lead entering the final quarter, Miami put up twenty-one more to pad the stats and make for a better box score.

Harris found Streeter for the second time, again resulting in a touchdown. From there, second string quarterback Stephen Morris entered the game, connecting with wide receiver Allen Hurns his first pass – a 17-yard completion.

Eduardo Clements saw his first rush of the game on the ensuing play, picking up fourteen yards on the ground and after a 14-yard gain courtesy of Morris-to-Benjamin, Clements ran for twenty-two yards and punched in a one-yard touchdown to put the Canes up, 38-14.

With a back-up quarterback and third string running back in the game, the scoring appeared over for Miami until back-up linebacker Kelvin Cain intercepted back-up quarterback David Blackwell, returning it for a 59-yard touchdown.

On paper there’s nothing wrong with the 31-point victory, but there’s still a lot to be skeptical about regarding what Miami still has to endure this season. A lot of football left to be played and every team on the schedule is light years better than Bethune-Cookman – a lesser team that moved the ball at will much of the day.

24 first downs to Miami’s 15. Outperforming the Canes on both third- and fourth-down efficiency. 219 yards picked up on the ground on 46 attempts.

Time of possession-wise the Wildcats had the ball 38:59 to the Canes’ 21:01.

Miami again had another shoot-itself-in-the-foot afternoon with 6 penalties for 41 yards, though Bethune-Cookman did their best to dwarf that ugly stat with 12 penalties of their own, setting them back 116 yards.

Soon after Miami took care of Bethune-Cookman, next weekend’s foe Virginia Tech was humbled by new ACC big dog Clemson. The Tigers rolled in Blacksburg, 23-3 and were in control all night.

Clemson’s defense held Virginia Tech to 258 total yards. Running back David Wilson got his 123 yards on the ground while quarterback Logan Thomas threw for 125 yards (no touchdowns, one interception), but the most noticeable stat – holding the Hokies to 4-for-16 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth.

Virginia Tech built a 4-0 record by playing patsies — Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State and Marshall — before being facing a real challenge in Clemson.

So was Virginia Tech exposed as a fraud or is Clemson that good? Will Miami face a one-dimensional team or will the Canes make yet another foe look all-world? Wilson still had a respectable rushing day against a good Clemson defense while Thomas didn’t carry the Hokies at quarterback, but he didn’t give the game away either.

With the season one-third of the way over it’s time for head coach Al Golden, defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio and offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch to take inventory.

The first-year Miami coaches entered the season with a game plan based on theory, but at 2-2 they now know what they’re dealing with. A few wins, a few losses and four games without a full line up that is almost back in tact.

There was a hope that older players would step up. Some have. Some haven’t. Meanwhile true freshmen are doing what they can to make their presence felt. Anthony Chickillo, Phillip Dorsett and Denzel Perryman, most notably.

When honestly looking at all things Golden, it should give you hope in the future. Especially regarding the bigger picture and overall game plan. He’s a consummate professional and is a man driven to succeed. Golden has that “it” factor and in time you know this will be a team comprised of his players and his coaches – all of which will buy into his core values, ready to run through a wall for him.

Until then, he remains a first-year head coach, four games in and trying to make the most of what he’s been left.

The 2011 Miami Hurricanes are yet to find and identity, which is frustrating, but in many ways understandable. Old ways take time to correct and this coaching staff is still feeling kids out, trying to get the right personnel on the field while determining who is a go-to and who is a back up.

Sitting at 2-2 with a porous run defense and a general lack of grit and toughness, it’s proof that the chemistry is off and gives the staff reason to keep tinkering until something clicks.

Unfortunately it’s also proof that this is a program in dire need of a culture change. A half decade of bad habits, sub-par recruiting, poor development of players and unacceptable conditioning aren’t fixed four weeks into year one.

It’s also a reminder that talented high school recruits don’t just morph into collegiate superstars.

Both sides of the ball are lacking some size, depth and most frustrating; heart. Four games in, Miami is yet to play a fully sixty minutes of football. If Golden and staff can solve that problem alone, it’s half the battle.

Despite the mistakes and less-than-stellar play, these Canes are literally two plays from 4-0. Playing the “if” game is a dangerous thing, but in this case it’s absolutely true.

If Morris doesn’t overthrow Miller on that third down wheel route at Maryland, good chance that connection goes for a touchdown, or at worst a game-winning field goal as Miami trailed, 26-24 at that point.

Instead an errant fourth down pass aimed at Streeter is picked off and returned for a touchdowns.

A week ago against Kansas State, Harris rallies Miami with a near flawless second half, going 11-of-13 with two touchdowns. On yet another game-changing fourth down play, Harris is brought down one-yard shy of the goal line and game-winning score.

Could two plays erase the poor fundamentals seen the past few weeks? No. But there’s something to be said for success breeding success and the culture of winning having an effect on a program looking for a reason to go all in, believing in its new coaching staff.

In other words, 4-0 would have these kids feeling a hell of a lot better than 2-2 and there’d be less doubt with the daunting three-game stretch that awaits.

One plus for Miami; the Canes are battle-tested one month in. Few teams can boast that, but one who can is a squad that just stuck it to Virginia Tech this past weekend; Clemson. The Tigers knocked off Auburn and Florida State back-to-back games before taking over Blacksburg.

They also gave Miami a blueprint for how to play a Virginia Tech team that failed in its first challenge of the season.

Next weekend begins a three-game gauntlet that has taken on a serious must-win vibe. At 2-2 in early October, Miami must come to play against Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Georgia Tech – not just for an ACC Coastal race that remains wide open, but to build momentum so these Canes can improve weekly, finish strong and carry something positive into recruiting season.

Golden and staff can only “sell” so much. At some point the current product has to deliver.

These next three game set the tone. 5-2 is a best-case scenario that can propel Miami into the second half of the season, with the majority of the heavy lifting done and with a few quality wins, ACC games against Virginia, Duke and Boston College all look winnable. The final conference challenge – a mid-November road trip to Tallahassee.

The flip side? Anything less than a strong three-game run will inevitably paint Miami, its first-year staff and an underachieving senior class into a tight corner.

One that will end in a frustrating inaugural campaign and will make for a long off-season of selling the rebuilding dream. – C.B.

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