The hit occurred just under a year ago and it not only upended the Miami Hurricanes’ season – it changed the career path of then-junior quarterback Jacory Harris.
Miami wound up finishing the 2010 season 7-6 after rolling into Charlottesville with a 5-2 record and confidence a week after finally taking out North Carolina and Butch Davis, mentor to then-head coach Randy Shannon.
In the opening minutes of a scoreless second quarter, Harris was pile-driven to the floor and slammed into the turf. The diagnosis, a concussion which would keep Harris sidelined for upwards of a month.
Back-up quarterback Spencer Whipple was handed the reigns for less than a quarter where he went 2-of-6 for 22 yards with two interceptions.
By halftime, coaches burned the redshirt off true freshman Stephen Morris, who went 9-of-22 for 162 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, almost rallying Miami back from a 24-0 deficit in an eventual 24-19 loss.
Miami went 2-3 down the stretch, coaches were fired and a new one was assembled. Since then a booster scandal, suspensions, a few losses and a handful of wins. The Canes are improving weekly, going 2-0 since an almost-comeback at Virginia Tech and Harris is a bit part of UM’s success.
Entering Thursday night’s contest Harris is 90-of-145 for 1,244 yards with twelve touchdowns to four interceptions – his last pick coming early in a loss to Kansas State four games back.
At North Carolina, Harris was an impressive 20-of-30 for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. The following week against Georgia Tech, the flu-ridden Harris was 8-of-23 for 14- yards with no touchdowns and one pick (a ball fullback John Calhoun should’ve reeled in).
In the past Harris might’ve tried to do too much to make up for an average performance, but the seasoned senior now realizes that it’s all about doing whatever it takes to win.
“Today made me realize that you really don’t have to have great games or try to do too much to win the game,” Harris said after the win over Georgia Tech. “Just manage it and control what you can and things will happen. It’s just being smart.”
Virginia ended Harris’ season in 2010 but revenge isn’t something Coach Golden is instilling in his players.
“I’m not a revenge guy. I don’t believe in it. I’m a process guy. The only thing that endures is the process. Everything else makes you go high and low if you develop these oscillations in your program.
“For us, it’s all about preparing … and being at your best on game day. For us, we have to play the game the way we want to play. We can’t really worry about what has transpired in the past.”
Despite the injury to Harris, or Virginia’s embarrassing 48-0 pasting put on Miami in the Orange Bowl finale, the Canes don’t need to fabricate any revenge-fueled motivation for this showdown.
At 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in ACC play, UM has enough legit purpose when it comes to being ready for Virginia. Four conference games remain and five total. The goal is 9-3, an outside shot at an ACC title game berth, a solid bowl game, a strong ending to the season and a solid recruiting haul.
Golden’s Canes are looking to get better every game and a new week is here, albeit a shortened one. A win over Virginia means Miami survived a three-game “gauntlet” that few thought possible in the waning moments of a heartbreaking loss to Virginia Tech, dropping UM to 2-3 on the season.
5-3 is a great confidence builder, proving to these kids that Golden’s process indeed does work.