Game Six : Miami 28, Duke 13

A 15-point win against a ACC bottom-dweller wasn’t exactly what the fans were looking for in the wake of a four-touchdown beat down, courtesy of Florida State.

Miami chose to sleepwalk its way past Duke this past weekend, instead of coming out with some passion and making a lowly conference rival pay for last Saturday’s no show.

Post game, Randy Shannon stated that he was proud of his team’s effort and that Duke is a “tough” place to play. I guess he missed some of the other squads who blew through there this past year, winning convincingly – Army (35-21), Alabama (62-13) and Georgia Tech (49-10) to name a few.

In typical fashion, the Canes played down to the level of the competition – which has been a glaring weakness at UM for decades now, lesser squads bringing their “A” game while UM sleepwalks to victory. Still, an average showing against Duke is tolerable when you’re on the right end of a 45-17 game against your arch rival two weeks back. Not when you’re still licking your wounds and looking to regroup.

As a collective unit, Miami flat out played poorly … again. Yes, the Canes defense forced seven turnovers, but didn’t capitalize – only amassing 28 points against a truly inferior foe. UM was 3-of-12 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth down – twice throwing a home run deep ball on fourth and short, instead of simply picking up the first down. (A fake punt was also snuffed out, again, by Duke).

Another headscratcher? 12 penalties for 90 yards. A week after not executing against Florida State, Miami again is mentally not in a game, shooting themselves in the foot a dozen times. Where is the discipline? Where is the focus? Where is the passion?

Shannon is out there attempting to win games and in the end, that’s what he did this past weekend – he got the “W”, so on that level it’s job well done. Regarding the bigger picture, lackluster wins against sub par teams paint a disturbing bigger picture regarding what’s wrong with this program and simply put, the wins aren’t going to continue piling up when you see the struggles you have against both a lesser team like Duke or a more focused, prepared team like Florida State.

North Carolina is on deck and it’s Monday morning entering a big game week. What is Shannon’s game plan for the Tar Heels? What is Mark Whipple going to draw up for the mentally and physically injured Jacory Harris? How will John Lovett shut down the UNC offense? Will he allow the average T.J. Yates to look above average? Does he have an answer for Ryan Houston’s ground game? Will a back up tight end play the role of hero now that Zack Pianalto is injured? (Pianalto got Miami for 51 yards on 5 receptions last year.)

Bet your ass Butch Davis and staff are preparing for Miami, studying that Florida State game tape, seeing holes and will come in ready to attack. This has nothing to do with Davis having Shannon’s number as much as it’s simple Xs and Os. Find the weakness and exploit. It worked for Jimbo Fisher two weeks back and it’ll continue to work for any smart staff that outwits Shannon and crew.

The Heels opened the year 0-2 and have won four straight – Rutgers, East Carolina, Clemson and Virginia. No victories over juggernauts, but then again Miami is hardly a powerhouse right now, either.

I’ve heard from many of you who were at the Duke snoozefest and the consensus is the same. This is a divided team. To what degree we don’t know, but this is no championship caliber squad. The talent is there, but the camaraderie is lacking.

Miami isn’t playing like a cohesive unit. Sure, there have been some bright spots. When Vaughn Telemaque picks off a few passes, the event is celebrated with some excitement and a few chest bumps, but across this board, this 4-2 squad doesn’t resemble a team that is ready to go into battle arm in arm.

Those who watched on TV, you see Harris a coming back to the bench after a three-and-out, either taking a knee by himself or letting Whipple’s words fall on deaf ears. There isn’t a pupil / teacher relationship and neither appears to be learning or growing. Instead, the two look more like an unhappily married couple, stuck with each other for the time being.

While this no-love-lost relationship takes place on one side, a stoic Shannon stands on the other – arms folded and stonefaced.

On one level, I do get Randy’s frustration. You teach these kids best you can, they get it right in practice, you believe you have this thing where you want it – and then on game day they don’t deliver. Shannon isn’t the type to get up in arms over things in his day-to-day — not after all he’s seen and the world he grew up in — so it’s not going to happen on the football field, either.

That said, this isn’t about Randy. It’s about this team, this program and finding something that works. You have to figure out a way to get through to kids and you have to win ball games. Trying, trying, trying and failing doesn’t give you the right to just stand silent and frustrated. You’re a head coach and you must continue going back to the drawing board until you find the answer.

It’s your responsibility, it’s in your job description and it’s what you’re paid to do – recruit, develop players, help them become men and win games. Period.

You can be the strong, silent type as a father, should that be your preferred MO – but not as a head coach. In the words of writer Samuel Beckett, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” In life you’ll always have successes and failures, but you need to grow and through each experience. Year four and Shannon is still making some of the same mistakes he made early in his career, which is what makes so much of this unacceptable.

A loss against Florida State would’ve been tolerable, but you’re not trying again, failing again and failing better when your defense isn’t playing fundamental football, giving up 300 rushing yards. The week prior, defense looked to be the Canes strong suit, with six turnovers forced at Clemson. A week later, backsliding again.

Shannon has stated that he spends his off seasons meeting with other coaches and sitting down with his mentors. Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, et al. One message these football giants passed down; assembling a solid staff, which Shannon eventually did, turning the reigns over to Whipple and Lovett. Neither are perfect, but both were an upgrade from where Miami was early in Randy’s regime and both have helped win games week in and week out, despite some of their shortcomings.

One name I’d like to see added to Shannon’s guru list immediately; Tom Coughlin – for nothing more than talking with another stubborn coach who almost lost his job, finally gave in and achieved ultimate success.

The New York Giants upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but not before Coughlin was almost run out of the Big Apple for his stubborn, hard-to-relate-to ways. A man once referred to as “Colonel Coughlin” by players who didn’t “get” his hard-ass ways, was now getting a bucket of Gatorade dumped over his head after pulling the upset of upsets.

Chastised early in his career at Jacksonville for his “rules and regulations, insistence on practicing in pads, flare-ups with quarterbacks and bad locker room chemistry” (Paul Newberry, AP 2/4/08), Coughlin has long-since been thought of as a Gestapo. Where Shannon removed players names from jerseys during the 2007 season, Coughlin has oft said that he’d like all names removed from the backs of NFL players. Both men have that field general mentality, though one has learned to work within it, while the other is still learning.

Both Shannon and Coughlin have done great things off the field. Recently it came out how Shannon reached out to linebacker Jordan Futch after losing a brother and one can imagine how many other instances like that have gone unreported.

Years back a story came out regarding Coughlin and his dynamic with Jay McGillis, an overachieving safety at Boston College who the then-head coach took a liking to McGillis, who was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma in November 1991. Coughlin continues to call the McGillis family annually on Jay’s birthday. This is after spending nights by his players’ bedside and hunkering down with the family the night he passed.

On the human interest side, both gruff men have shown they have big hearts. Unfortunately, to date only one of them has proven they can win big time football games, which is what they’re both paid to do.

With year four at the halfway point and with the ACC still in reach, it’s time for Shannon to let his guard down a bit. Again, find a way to relate to these kids and to get the most out of them. If you see potential leaders on this team, now’s the time to put an arm around them, asking them to step up. You can’t wait on them to grow into the role. Throw them into the fire and let them know what’s expected.

Any stubbornness that might have caused a rift between the university and former players who are ready to step in and help, mend fences and bring those old school Canes aboard. No one is talking about a paid position. Play liaison and get yesterday’s Canes on the phone with the current day players. There are decades of wisdom just waiting to be passed down. This isn’t the first Miami squad with its collective back against the wall. This is the first bunch of Canes that lost to the Noles and struggled to rebound.

Part of being CEO is delegating tasks. Randy doesn’t need to be the be all / end all, but the buck stops with him, so until he finds a way, he’ll be a target of criticism and will shoulder the blame – right or wrong as that may be.

Coughlin’s Super Bowl run began with an 0-2 start to the 2007 season. The regular season wrapped with a 38-35 loss to New England and the payoff was a gauntlet of three straight road playoff games – @Tampa Bay, @ Dallas and @Green Bay. From there, a rematch with the undefeated Patriots, which turned into one of the biggest upsets the game has ever seen.

At 0-2, the standoffish Coughlin sent a direct message to his team – that there was no group of guys he’d rather have there with him. From there, the winning began. The statuesque head coach found a way to relate to his players, getting them to respond accordingly.

With six games remaining, Shannon needs his “Coughlin moment”. Miami beat Duke, but looked sub par in the process. A lack of passion, an inability to capitalize on turnovers, mental mistakes and poor play calling on third and fourth down turned a would-be rout into a respectable game.

Of course the beauty of college football is the ability to put last week behind you and to go out again and do it the following week. Next up, North Carolina – a big game, a conference rival and no explanation necessary regarding motivation as the Heels are 3-0 against the Canes since Shannon took over.

It’s time for change in Coral Gables, but that doesn’t necessarily mean replacing a head coach. Not yet, at least. Not with six games remaining. Not mid-season. Not after three-plus years of rebuilding. Right now change needs to come from Shannon and from within. Look no further than some small personnel shifts on the field last week for proof that change works.

Colin McCarthy struggled at middle linebacker from the get go. After getting torched by the Noles, No. 44 was either sick or suspended last week and didn’t travel to Duke. In his place, Kelvin Cain – a two-star prospect and freshman out of Clovis, CA who tallied up nine tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, another fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries.

On the other side of the ball, freshman tight end Asante Cleveland had two receptions for twenty yards while starter Chase Ford had another drop in one attempt.

While both Cain and Cleveland deserve time to develop, both positions – middle linebacker and tight end – have been weaknesses for Miami this season. McCarthy has killed the Canes in run support, while Ford’s drops have added to Harris’ woes.

Long gone are Dedrick Epps and Jimmy Graham, two sold tight ends that combined for 36 receptions, 460 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Six games, Ford, Cleveland and Richard Gordon have 10 receptions for 90 yards and one lone touchdown between them, taking away what was a very valuable asset for Harris last season; a reliable tight end.

While it was only Duke, the play of Cain and Cleveland showed that there are other guys ready to step up if current starters aren’t getting it done. That’s been the “way” at Miami for years and that pressure needs to be on every current starter as it’s a hell of a motivator. Harris may not have that same motivation due to a lack of proven talent and depth at quarterback, but should anybody else slack off, Shannon saw proof last week that others are ready to get their job done.

Miami looks healthy with North Carolina looming. McCarthy is expected back, as are offensive lineman Jermaine Johnson, defensive lineman Josh Holmes and running back Lamar Miller.

Across the field, the Tar Heels are still dealing with injury and suspensions. Marvin Austin (dismissed). Robert Quinn (suspended). Greg Little (suspended). Quan Sturdivant (hamstring – questionable). Kendric Burney (waiting on reinstatement / conflicting reports). Zack Pianalto (broken fiblua).

Doesn’t matter who’s in or out for this one, though. Everyone on that field is coming to play. This will be another physical game and both sides will rise to the challenge.

Harris’ four interceptions (two picks sixes) were the difference-maker in last year’s nine-point loss. The Heels brought a top five defense into the match up and turnovers aside, Miami still torched North Carolina for 435 total yards.

What will be the keys to this year’s game? Will Shannon have his team ready? Can Harris bounce back? Do Whipple / Lovett have the answered they need to pull the victory?

Another night game at Sun Life. The last one didn’t turn out so good but Miami – the fans, players and city – have a chance at redemption this Saturday night, under the lights.

The Canes remain in Must-Win-Ville. Time to get to 5-2, 2-0 in Coastal player and to start prepping for a road game at Virginia. No margin for error as an ACC Championship game berth is a must.

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