Miami 24, Virginia 17 (OT)

It may have taken twenty-one games on the watch of Randy Shannon, but these Canes finally heard the words of their second-year leader and put them into action.

Finish. Persevere. Never give up. Find a way.

Miami took down Virginia, 24-17 in OT on Saturday. Revenge may have been the name of the game leading up to this year’s meeting in Charlottesville, but once this thing got underway it was simply two 5-3 teams looking to get to 6-3, staying alive in the ACC’s Coastal Division.

The Canes did all they could to self-implode. From an early Travis Benjamin fumble the first time Miami touched the ball, to a slew of false starts on the afternoon’s final 95-yard game-tying drive.

Robert Marve joined the turnover parade with an interception on the first drive of the third quarter. A series later, Graig Cooper coughed up a fumble after a 15-yard run on 3rd-and-12.

Miami’s defense held steadfast, keeping Virginia off the board the duration of the afternoon, after a late second quarter touchdown. Even with turnovers and a short field, the Cavs couldn’t capitalize. Yannick Reyering missed a 38-yard field goal late in the third quarter and sent a 47-yard attempt wide right early in the fourth.

Either would’ve been the difference-maker in such a close affair. Neither were to be on this day when Miami proved to be the better team.

The critics will say Virginia gave this one away, nursing a touchdown lead for the majority of the game. A whole lot of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve crap the loser usually spews. “If” one of two missed field goals is good, this game never sees overtime. Stuff of that nature.

A little perspective for the folks licking their wounds today. Miami had 448 total yards to Virginia’s 311. The Canes outrushed the Cavs 197 yards to 71 and let in first down conversions, 22 to 18.

Miami also turned the ball over 3 times in regulation, to Virginia’s lone fumble in the final minute and like the Cavs, missed an opportunity to convert with a missed field goal of their own.

While we’re building a case for these Canes, how about 12 penalties for 81 yards to the Cavs lone five-yard penalty? Ron Cherry and a lame-duck bunch of ACC officials called a horrible game. Miami was it’s own worst enemy, with a slew of false start penalties – but it was a bogus personal foul and phantom pass interference penalty that twice kept Cavalier drives alive.

On 3rd-and-7 from the Miami 11, Bruce Johnson was called for PI, setting Virginia up with a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line and ‘gimmie’ touchdown.

To their credit and heeding their coaches’ advice, the Canes stayed the course. Miami hung around long enough to give them a fighting chance with what should’ve been the final possession of regulation.

Jacory Harris, again playing the role of back up, was reinserted late in the third quarter and remained the ringleader down the stretch. With 8:01 on the clock and with Miami staring at 95 yards of real estate between where they were and where they needed to get, Harris channeled his inner high school senior and went to work.

For those who don’t remember, Harris led his top-ranked Northwestern Bulls on a 99-yard game-winning drive against Deerfield Beach, resulting in a 19-14 victory. Also on the field that day, Aldarius Johnson, Marcus Forston and Sean Spence, then and now teammates who all played a part in both wins with Harris leading the charge.

Deerfield Beach is no Virginia. These Cavaliers worked the Canes to the bone last fall, started this season 1-3 and have since gone on a 4-0 tear, taking down some of the ACC’s best – most notably, Maryland, North Carolina and Georgia Tech in the past month.

Virginia’s defense was in Miami’s face all afternoon, barely letting the Canes cross midfield in the entire second half. Swarming, forcing turnovers and stifling Miami’s offense, 95 yards looked an even more daunting tasks with the game on the line.

Not to Harris.

Calm and cool as ever, the true freshman quarterback began picking apart the Cavs like a skilled surgeon.

A 3rd-and-13 pick up to Sam Shields on the drive’s third play. A ten-yard pick up to fullback Patrick Hill. A 17-yard pick up to Davon Johnson. An 18-yard strike to A. Johnson. A few key runs by Coop and the drive culminating with a 26-yard improvised touchdown strike to LaRon Byrd. With just under a minute to play, Miami re-found the scoreboard for the first time since an early second quarter field goal.

With the game on the line, Miami smelled the blood into the water and went into ‘attack’ mode, channeling a playing style of yesteryear. After a short kick setting up Virginia at their 36-yard line, Marc Verica completed a 22-yard strike to Cary Koch. At the Canes 42, the Cavs found themselves one completion from what should’ve been a makeable field goal.

On 2nd-and-10, Verica used his legs and attempted to get Virginia in striking distance, but coughed up the ball in the process. As Verica was stopped, Miami’s Spence reached in and stripped the ball from the Virginia quarterback’s grasp. The Cavs first turnover of the day had the Canes in striking distance with :31 remaining.

With another chance to work some magic, Harris found Benjamin for a 30-yard strike – again, improvised as Benjamin came off his route, broke free and came back to help his quarterback. A four-yard rush by Coop had the Canes at the Cavs 34-yard line with :12 remaining. Bosher’s 51-yard attempt was dead on, but a few yards shy and this thing was headed to overtime.

On Miami’s first possession, Harris looked for Dedrick Epps in the end zone, but sailed is pass short. Again, a Canes wideout helped their QB, with Epps assuming the role of defensive back and breaking up what could’ve been a disastrous turnover.

As if shot out of a cannon, Cooper blasted for 11 yards to the 14-yard line. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-5, Harris found A. Johnson on a fade to the front corner of the end zone, putting the Canes up in the first OT. On Virginia’s first play from scrimmage, Lavon Ponder stripped Cedric Peerman after a 7-yard run, Romeo Davis recovered and this one was in the books.

For the second year in a row, this rivalry saw the loser’s heart ripped out in dramatic fashion. That said, this year’s contest wasn’t as much about revenge as much as it was a rebirth. Miami took another step forward on Saturday, albeit not the pretty, traditional, dominating type of win old school fans are clamoring for.

If you want to put this game under a microscope and dissect it, go right ahead. These Canes have their flaws. Too many penalties. Dropped balls. Missed blocks. Out of position defenders that had players whiffing on tackles. This group is hardly a well-oiled machine, but at the same time, they’re not supposed to be.

The majority of your playmakers are freshman and most of your mistakes are coming from upperclassmen – some of which simply aren’t Miami-caliber players who either aren’t good enough, lack the ‘it’ factor or were developed poorly.

This coaching staff is in year two of a monstrous rebuilding effort, fixing this program from the ground up. Patrick Nix doesn’t always call the right play, nor does Bill Young. That said, Nix had enough in the tank to assist these kids in a 95-yard game tying drive and another touchdown in overtime. For all the kudos Virginia’s staff has gotten as of late, they laid a goose egg in the second half.

As for Young, this marks back-to-back weeks his D has pitched a shutout, though the sailing not as smooth as the box score may indicate.

Nitpick this team apart and you’ll find things to get upset over.

Or simply look at the 4-0 record since a 2-3 start and thank your lucky stars these kids are simply finding a way, while not playing down to their age or experience level. Virginia is a veteran team and they wilted down the stretch against a bunch of kids who were in high school this time last year. Chew on that for a while and see where it takes you.

These Canes are improving and that’s the only stat that matters today. If these type of blunder are being made two years from now, shake your fist and curse this coaching staff. But not right now. Not in 2008. Not after back-to-back wins over good teams from Wake Forest and Virginia. Not with an ACC Championship game at least in sight. Ride this wave. It’s been a while since Cane fans have had anything to be excited over.

This is as good a time in Miami Hurricanes football as we’ve seen in three years. Soak it up. Hold your head high. Rewatch this one on your DVR. Call up some Cane-loving buddies and talk about the win the morning after, like you used to ‘back in the day’.

Save your coaching staff rants and quarterback controvery arguments for another time. Allow the proof to remain in the pudding. Four straight wins. If it ain’t broke… don’t bitch about it. In time it can be perfected, but for now, it’s working. An ugly win is better than a pretty loss, any day of the week.

Next up, a bye week. A time for this program to catch its collective breath, reflect on the last month of football and gear up for a three-game stretch that could save a season. Back-to-back Thursday night games against Virgina Tech and Georgia Tech and then a season finale at N.C. State on Thanksgiving weekend.

8-4 is a distinct possibility and 7-5 isn’t all that bad, after sitting in a post-Florida State funk at 2-3. Miami is bowl-bound this year and for another 11 days (at least), the sky remains the limit.

A North Carolina loss puts Miami in control of their collective fate. Win out and the Canes are Tampa-bound.

Not bad for a rebuilding year.

Now imagine how exciting things will be once Miami is officially ‘back’.

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