Miami 20, Central Florida 14

Maybe it was the sting of back-to-back losses or the fact that even with the “W” the Canes are simply back at .500 and 3-3. Whatever the case, the Miami Hurricanes win against Central Florida felt more like a loss than jubilation for a team that hung on to win.

Let’s be honest. If the Knights had anything resembling a quarterback, the Canes are looking at three straight losses and are doing some serious soul-searching this morning. A 20-14 win is in the books, but there are as many questions moving forward as there would be had Miami lost on Saturday.

The Canes are in trouble and this season is on the verge of slipping away. Anyone that’s watched the past few seasons remembers this feeling. Central Florida was this year’s FIU or Duke game of 2007. It stunk like the putrid outing against Houston in 2006. Miami looking lifeless. Not making plays. Letting an inferior opponent hang around and make a game of it. When does that trend end?

We know the facts. Talent-wise this team is in the toilet. Last week an NFL scout predicted not one Cane is drafted next spring. Forget the 15-year streak of first rounders, Miami doesn’t even have a late Sunday afternoon pick. It’s gotten that bad.

Over a dozen starters are injured, a few for the season, which also doesn’t bode well for a team in transition that’s relying on so many underclassmen to carry a load that seems to get tougher every week.

Randy Shannon expected more answers this season, though he seemed rather in tune regarding overall expectations.

While the fan base seemed to get ahead of itself as to how good this team could be, Shannon was realistic about where Miami was headed. He oft noted the team’s youth and the challenges of rebuilding from the ground up, though most of it fell on deaf ears regarding the folks in the stands.

False hope was provided after the first few games and back-to-back losses raised some questions entering what should’ve been a ‘growing experience’ type outing against a then 2-3 UCF team. Some tried to build the Knights up, citing a hard-fought 31-24 OT loss to South Florida, but this was a team that UTEP beat down 58-31. Boston College did away with them to the tune of, 34-7. Those two wins? Against the likes of South Carolina State and Southern Methodist.

In my attempt at a verbal one-finger salute, Central Florida is an awful football team. This was the type of game Miami was supposed to break through and answer some question about the character of this team; not backslide and walk away with several more.

Did Miami’s defense really ‘hold’ the opposition to 78 total yards, or could the Knight simply not get out of their own way and capitalize on poor coverage and mistakes. Several times the Miami secondary appeared confused and out of position. A quarterback with any savvy would’ve kept a few drives alive.

Robert Calabrese and Michael Greco were a combined 11-of-37 for 74 yards, yet another day outing where the Miami secondary couldn’t record an interception, despite several errant passes hitting Canes defensive backs in the mitts.

Offensively, Miami was an utter disaster. 2-of-17 on third down. 216 total yards against a defense UTEP laid 51 points and 400+ yards on. 88 passing yards. Three interceptions. 128 rushing yards was a bright spot, but even that was tainted by a ground game that vanished in the second half.

Again sophomore Graig Cooper started strong, was pulled and when back in with fresh legs, met a defense ready to stonewall the basic drags and draws offensive coordinator Patrick Nix was drawing up. Cooper ran 14 times for 80 yards in the first half and had a lifeless second half with 9 carries for 11 yards. Runs of 18, 16 and 15 yards early on and after an unexplainable break, a 1.2 ypc second half average.

Depending on who you ask, Nix has unofficially been on the hot seat as far back and his hiring date. The latest general consensus; he moved officially to it last Saturday.

You can play the no talent and injury card here and in defense of Nix, Miami is thin right now. That’s blatantly obviously. Inexperience at quarterback mounts every game a power back like Javarris James remains on the sideline. His impending return could help save a season – and potentially an OC’s job. Time will tell.

Regardless of any excusable excuses, the game plan appears as lost and elementary as it has in decades. Running a no huddle offense with under two minutes in the first half, despite all three timeouts available and the result being an interception, instead of tacking on more points.

Ahead 10-7, Nix appeared content to let the clock run out. At the 1:21 mark, Cooper tears off a 15-yarder and instead of calling timeout, Miami goes no huddle and sets up another 1st and 10.

With :58 on the clock, a screen to Cooper that goes nowhere. Again, the clock ticks and three timeouts remain. More no huddle and a lack of urgency. With :34 remaining and from the Miami forty, a rushed Marve sails one over the head of Kayne Farquharson (a common theme) and into the bread basket of Sar’reff Rashad. Drive stalled. The wrong team demoralized.

The drive was bush league and has become the epitome of Miami’s offense the past few years. Missing on more big plays than it’s made. High, low or to the side – just never right where it should be. Finding success when an opposing defense fails, instead of making its own.

Since a breakout performance from Travis Benjamin a few weeks back, the speedy return man has become Marve’s most frequented receiver. The same way Darnell Jenkins was last year’s “go to”, get-you-out-of-a-jam wideout, Benjamin was this week’s most locked on target. Earlier in the year, Farqhuarson proved to be Marve’s first – and sometimes only – look.

It begs the question, how did Miami’s offense get so one-dimensional and basic? Is it the talent? The offensive line? Lack of a rushing attack? Young receivers? Rookie quarterbacks? Or is it simply an unimaginative Nix?

Probably all of the above, though Nix shoulders the load as the guiltiest party, game six of this short season. No one has more to prove this week at Duke than the offensive signal caller.

More frustrating than the actual 3-3 record is the fact it’s mid-October and no one really knows where this team is headed. Miami Hurricanes v. 2008, stand up and be accounted for. Tell us who you are.

Conventional wisdom tell you to get that fork ready (as soon as this weekend) so you can stick it right in this team. The vintage era Canes were never in this situation, notorious for stepping up when the money was on the table. Recent teams have folded like a tent.

Dropping two of the final three in 2005, pissing away a #3 ranking and wasting a 27-7 upset of then-#3 Virginia Tech. A 40-3 Peach Bowl loss to LSU can be chalked up to cruel and unusual punishment.

A year later, the murder of Bryan Pata was the final straw for a battered and bruised bunch that lost a season opener to archrival Florida State, endured an early season beatdown at Louisville (31-7), a brawl with crosstown rival FIU and rattled off four straight losses down the stretch, before a Pata-inspired miracle Thanksgiving win against Boston College. The consolation prize, Christmas in Boise and the firing of a sixth-year head coach.

5-7 in 2007 was low-lighted with beatdowns courtesy of Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Virginia. 2-6 play in the ACC was a new low and a late November loss at Boston College earned Miami it’s first bowl-less postseason in a decade.

At 3-3, what’s next? Shannon preaches about a winner’s mentality, while tales of underclassmen who ‘refuse to lose’ are commonplace on every Canes-themed site. As always, the right things are being ‘said’. Can they be done, or is this team what’s done?

Duke is no gimmie. The Blue Devils took Miami to the wire two seasons in a row, albeit a dozen players were suspended for the 20-15 win of 2006. Last year’s 24-14 took a fourth down stop and late Miami TD to make for a better box score.

Thaddeus Lewis has almost tasted victory against Miami, while the Canes have spent the better part of this season struggling with mobile quarterbacks and rolling pockets. If Miami comes to play, it beats down a 3-2 Duke team with wins against James Madison, Navy and an up/down Virginia team. Most recently, Georgia Tech took it to the Blue Devils, 27-0.

Come out lifeless, nursing a weak offensive game plan and dropping sure interceptions and the Canes can bank on a new ACC low. The ‘statement’ game that should’ve happened against UCF needs to surface this week at Duke. 4-3, winning ways and Wake Forest on deck can get Miami on the path of saving a season and successfully (re)building for the future.

Expectations are out the window. These are uncharted waters, with the young talent this team possesses. How fast can they grow up? A few wins will turn this year around and change everbodys perception – nationally and locally.

It makes sense to hang one’s hopes on next year, but in all reality things aren’t done yet. There’s some ball to be played and opportunities made.

Get a nice win, gain a little confidence and this thing could turn around as quickly as it fell apart.

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