Robert Marve earned himself a first class trip to the sideline for this year’s Emerald Bowl, on December 27th. After sitting out the season opener against Charleston Southern, Marve is again in hot water. The official offense is a “violation of team academic rules”. Jacory Harris will get his second start of the season, in the finale against Cal.
Marve said that the suspension is a result of “a miscommunication about absentees for a class.” He didn’t practice with the team today and instead trekked home to Tampa for “personal reasons”. Sadly this will only fuel transfer rumors, which clouded message boards and sports pages these past few weeks.
Eugene Marve chimed in, stating that his son was late to class after getting caught up talking with a professor from another class. Though it was verified, the appeal was turned down. Marve, late or absent to a few classes already, was down to his final strike.
For a family that was visibly miffed by Marve’s suspension earlier this year (punished for a year-old offense), one has to wonder how this will sit. Is Randy Shannon sending a message? Is Miami forcing Marve’s hand? You have to wonder.
There’s been much speculation that Harris is the favored quarterback entering 2009, though Marve started 10 of 11 games this season and was listed as 1a to Harris’ 1b.
Marve has never come out and stated that he was looking to transfer, but he’s also done nothing to quell any rumors. “I’m just taking all this one thing at a time,” Marve told The AP.
Hardly a vote of confidence regarding the quarterback controversy that was once a ‘competition’.
Many are searching for answers, digging online and are falling for every rumor on the subject – as if anyone really knows anything, besides the Marve family. If the coaches know, they’re sure not talking… which means media members and message board enthusiasts with too much time on their hands are throwing everything at the wall, waiting to see what sticks.
I’m certainly not ‘in the know’ on the subject matter, but would have to give Marve 50/50 odds on returning vs. transferring. Let’s apply an ounce of logic and reason to the situation:
> Harris seemed to have outplayed Marve down the stretch. If you look at their signature moments this season, Harris had more than Marve. Marve was gritty and ‘found a way’ on several occasions. Wake Forest and Virginia Tech come to mind. Running for first downs. Picking up crucial third downs. Marve had his moments, though they were sporadic and sometimes spastic.
Harris was “Elway-esque” in the comeback against Virginia, showing poise and making throws that neither quarterback made any other game this season. Harris also rallied Miami at Duke and put that game way out of reach late in the fourth.
> Marve is again in hot water, missing his second game of the season. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the Shannon Era, players don’t want to be in this coaching staff’s doghouse. Mess up and there will be hell to pay. Addition by subtraction applies here and Marve being in trouble versus Harris staying out of trouble; that’s the biggest thing separating two freshman quarterbacks right now. Might now seem like much, but it’s a big deal.
Like Ken Dorsey in 1999, using the Gator Bowl to separate himself from Kenny Kelly, Harris will have the national stage to start building his case for 2009 in San Francisco against Cal.
> The Marve family is frustrated. Dig up some of papa Marve’s quotes from August when #9 was suspended. While Eugene said the right things, if you read between the lines the family didn’t agree with the timing of the last suspension and this time around has to be equally as disappointed with this most recent one. Especially being such a minor infraction.
Frustrated families are a big reason kids transfer. A lack of playing time. Not seeing eye-to-eye with the coaching staff. All this stuff adds up over time.
My gut tells me that Team Marve is weighing their options right now. Should Harris shine in the Emerald, he’ll have a leg up entering spring. There is no separation between Harris and Marve – one being a true freshman and the other a redshirt freshman. Whoever gets a stranglehold on that starting job, it’s theirs until 2011-2012 with the other relegated to life on the sidelines holding a clipboard.
Both Harris and Marve have taken the high road, embracing the competition all year as neither pulled away from the other regarding their game. Unfortunately some off-the-field business is creating separation, so don’t be surprised if Marve starts looking around. It’s to be expected.
In retrospect, one has to wonder where Miami’s quarterback situation would be had Marve not been injured in last year’s car accident. Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman were a trainwreck in 2007, so maybe the then true freshman would’ve had his number called and we’d be talking about a true freshman and true sophomore right now.
Another year of experience could’ve had a make or break effect, instead of all these questions this Hurricanes program faces today.
C’est la vie. Nine days until Cal and Harris is your starter. Rally behind him, root on the Canes and wish Team Marve the best as they sit down to sort things out.
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PLEASE ! This is all a " smoke screen " ... being suspended for showing up late to a class , when the professor confirmed Marve was talking to him after class , thus making him late for his next one ? Read between the lines . Shannon had a meeting with Marve's parents and probably told them Jacory was going to start the bowl game or something to that effect and Marve is now the odd man out . I would be VERY surprised if we ever see Marve in a Hurricane uniform again . Let's just hope it is not for USF or some other school on the future schedule and this comes back to bite us ! I like Robert Marve and believe he still will have a good college career , but it is now time for Jacory to step up and lead our CANES !!!
If Marve goes, VERY doubtful that Shannon would allow his quarterback to go to USF -- a program that Miami will face over the next few years.
Though I generally applaud the principle behind Shannon's 'rules', it seems the penalty for such a paltry offense is a bit much. Something doesn't seem right here.
Surely, Shannon is a reasonable man. If he wanted to send a message, a quarter-length suspension, or something similar sounds more appropriate. Are we to believe that no player has been even a smidge late to a single class this entire year?
Indeed, this smells funny.
Oh well. I think Marve still has great potential, and it would be a shame to lose his fire and leadership if he leaves.
It's sad to say, but it seems like it was just a matter of time before a Marve or Harris transfer situation was bound to occur.
I've dug on Patrick Nix for two years, and this situation doesn't help my opinion of him. Now I'm not sure whose call it was to put in Marve or Harris in certain situations (Nix's or Shannon's), but I am sure that there could've been a better job done in the use of these two talented quarterbacks.
I don't understand why the coaching staff couldn't play the quarterback that countered the defense's strengths. It's been an issue all year, but the few games when Marve was hot, it sometimes killed our momentum when Harris was brought in just for the sake of getting playing time. I'm not digging on either guy, because its obvious that Harris was essential to several of our victories. Conversely, I could see the harm in putting it in Marve's head that if he screws up once in a game, he's going to sit.
I know it's blasphemy to say that UF did a better job than us with this, but if you think back to their most recent championship, they had a very efficient 2 QB system with Leak and Tebow. Now granted, Leak was a senior, much different than our situation, but my point is that a 2 QB system can be successful if properly run.
Harris and Marve are as much alike as they are different, both suffering from the freshman woes. But, let's be honest, this 2 QB system would have had a much better chance of working if our offense had established some sort of identity throughout the season. Nix obviously never established that and there's no excuse for it. We have two of the most talented backs in the country in Baby J and Coop. The stats don't lie. We are more likely to win when they combine for 25 or more carries. If our offense was run more efficiently, utilizing Coop and Baby J more, it may have given the coaching staff a better opportunity to determine when it's better to use Marve and when it's better to play Harris.
It would truly be a shame if Marve transfers, as I (and presumably many others) viewed him as the cornerstone of The U's rebuilding process. This isn't to say Harris can't do the job, I believe he's more than ready. But I do hope Marve sticks around long enough to see if an efficient 2 QB system can work here. Of course, this would probably be aided by a new OC.
I do hope that all this controversy doesn't kill the team moral. I'm very excited to see J12 put on a show in California. I wish Jacory the absolute best. I know it's cliche, but now it's truly his time to shine.
I'm not normally one to speculate much on these things, but I think the first poster nailed it. I think Marve and family saw the writing on the wall as the season came to a close. Hence why Eugene Marve came down to talk to Shannon in person last Tuesday. I think they discussed transferring, Team Marve wanted to know what schools would be okay (for him to be released from his scholarship). The suspension is just smokescreen to get people through the next 9 days.
Something isn't sitting right. It's sad to see things play out this way, but it was bound to happen -- they're just too close. I don't pull for one or the other QB, but I think Marve can do better on a different team. Him transferring also calms the rumor machine that has been working overtime this year.
I don't want this to happen, but it seems like it will work out best for everyone.
Is it just me or is NO ONE giving us a chance to beat Cal? Did I miss something? The last time I checked they were an average team from a terrible conference!
Sorry Kevin, The ole proverb goes, "If you have 2 QB's, you really have none!" UiF's was a gimmick in '06. Kind of like the "wildcat" offense going on now...You simply can't have 2 starting qbs.
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Now, I just have to say, I was talking to a friend of mine, whose neighbor's, cousin's, uncle's, best friend's, co-worker knows someone who knows eugene marve and he's definately going to transfer...
It could be that Onion is sending another message going into the offseason by letting the kids know nothing and he means nothing will be tolerated within this team.Another point is that as what is expected to be a leader on the offense he sees this as both a lack of leadership and commitment.Of course I feel bad for Marve but team rules are team rules and they all know that.How can Onion enforce them if he lets 1 slide by then tell another he is suspended for a team rule.To me its about building commitment not just on the field but also in the lockeroom and classroom
Marve will transfer and become a "BAD-ASS QB" somewhere else...blame RS for that one!!!
Not so FAST Canes fans!
We have to slow this conversation down and get to the foundation of things.
One of the things Coach Shannon was asked to do and also promised to do, was to clean the program top to bottom. In times past, marquee players did not go to class, practiced when they felt like it, and got in trouble and brought cameras on campus from the national media. Shannon laid down the law, and has stated from day one, no one is exempt!
If you can't get it right in the class room, you do not need to be on the field.
Some one stated earlier that this was to severe. This was not his first time. This was his last chance and he knew it!
When we make excuses, they carry to the field. Do your part or you will not be a part of this team! It's tough love, but it is still love. As Marve and the rest of these young boys grow and mature into men, they will look back one day and say because someone did not take my excuses, I have become all that I can be!
Coach Shannon, you are doing what is right for the long term prognosis for this team, and we as Cane fans stand behind you 110%!
Lets go CANES!!!