Every off-season feels longer than the last. Especially on the heels of underachieving seasons and bowl losses, which have been the new norm for the Miami Hurricanes. Just when you already felt like the longest off-season in football’s history, Nevin Shapiro rears his ugly rat head a three-week dark cloud feels like its been there for three months.
That in itself came on the heels of losing the two final regular season games, the firing of a coaching staff, a dramatic new hiring process, an ugly bowl loss and months of damage control as this new staff worked to fix both on- and off-the-field issues, some of which resulted in players leaving the program.
After all the nonsense and those long dog days of summer, kickoff is finally here and when Miami takes the field at Maryland on Monday night, none of the other stuff matters. Not Shapiro, not the suspensions, not three straight losses and not the opinions of outsiders.
Come Monday night it will be about the game plan implemented by a new coaching staff, eight months of conditioning and a true belief in the man next to you – the teammates who lived the same existence the better part of this year and the only people in you life who have walked a mile in your shoes.
The overall future of Miami football remains up in the air as the NCAA will continue digging, but with the 2011 season here, all that matters now are the next twelve games, starting with Maryland. Break things down game-by-game, or at most, in the context of a season.
The pre-game preview pieces started showing up online this weekend and the articles coming out of College Park seem a bit one-dimensional. Tongue in cheek references to the scandal, injuries or suspensions keeping some players out on both sides, two new coaches getting their first starts with new teams and in this case, an obvious bias towards the hometown squad.
Terp folk expect Danny O’Brien to have a field day throwing against the Canes, with first-year offensive coordinator (former Oregon signal caller) Gary Crowton easily implementing a new offense that will spread the field – which in itself doesn’t fit the personality of first-year head coach Randy Edsall.
The notion is that Miami’s defense has been “gutted” – and when losing Sean Spence, Marcus Forston, Ray-Ray Armstrong, Olivier Vernon and Adewale Ojomo, that’s an understandable opinion. That said, it completely ignores the remaining talent and the ‘motivation’ intangible.
Jordan Futch doesn’t have the resume of Spence, but as a senior, he’s a hard-nosed, smart, tough kid that is ready to make the most of the opportunity. After being a part of the program for years, having some solid moments and missing valuable time due to injury, Futch has waited his entire life for this moment.
Rumors always swirled about Futch living in the doghouse of former head coach Randy Shannon. With a clean slate, a new head coach in Al Golden and a fiery defensive coordinator in Mark D’Onofrio – as well as the toughest off-season conditioning this program has seen in a decade – there deserves to be some optimism regarding this personnel move. Futch is no Spence, but with a new-look coaching staff and new Miami attitude, he doesn’t deserve to be written off – especially by the guys on the other side.
Same for newbies like Anthony Chickillo, Jalen Grimble and Darius Smith, three fresh faces on the defensive line who will have to pick up the slack for Forston, Vernon and Ojomo.
Two highly-touted high school kids and a JUCO transfer (Smith), all of which who have dreamed of a moment like this.
Back in 1993, true freshman Ray Lewis got his first road start for Miami, at Colorado. Lewis played out of his mind, recording 17 tackles, one sack and three pass break ups. Lewis saw his first real playing time the previous week when replacing the injured Robert Bass in a 21-2 beating of Virginia Tech, where Lewis led the Canes with 12 tackles.
While no one is calling for a Lewis-like, monster outing from a true freshman tonight in College Park, no one should limit their potential, either. To believe that a Chickillo isn’t capable of stepping up and going off … again, one-dimensional words on paper.
Lost in this talk of three-year old “impermissible benefits” (re: a few hundred dollars tossed around), the true impact that a top-notch coaching staff can have on its players. Nothing has been more exciting this season than charting the Golden effect.
From the attitude change, the focus on conditioning, the promotion of competition, right down to the overall psychological impact and the confident, professional way Golden and staff handled this recent wave of bad press. For the first time since Butch Davis left down after the 2000 season, the Canes have a coaching staff that gets it.
Successful men who are winners and are passing winning ways down to kids who haven’t lived up to the hype. Players who spent years underachieving finally appearing ready to overachieve and reach their potential.
Maryland faithful are breaking down depth charts, pointing out holes where on paper they will match up with Miami, but again, it’s underestimating the effort and mindset of those being asked to step up tonight – guys that in many case would probably start for the Terps, while sitting at second or third string for the Canes.
With rain on the forecast, tonight’s focus will be on the ground game, which favors Miami. The duo of Lamar Miller and Mike James will play the role of workhorses behind a big and solid Hurricanes’ offensive line (even with Seantrel Henderson sidelined due to surgery.)
While Miller and James grind away, ground success will open up a passing game where quarterback Stephen Morris will spread the ball to a handful of targets. Yes, the speedy Travis Benjamin is gone, as is back up Aldarius Johnson – but guys like Tommy Streeter and LaRon Byrd have emerged and good things are expected out of newbie Allen Hurns.
For all the holes on defense, Miami’s offense is all but fully loaded tonight, ready to absorb any losses. New offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch brings inexperience to the table, but will also check stubbornness at the door. In other words, the Mark Whipple air-it-out approach to the last few seasons is gone. It’s about balance and allowing a solid running game to open up the pass, where the ball will be put in the hands of playmakers and they’ll then be expect to make plays.
More yards after catch and less turnovers in itself will be a night and day difference from 2010.
Miami took down Maryland, 26-20 last season in a back-and-forth game. Morris got his first collegiate start under center, threw two interceptions (one pick-six) and responded late with a huge run on 3rd and 17 before a 35-yard game-winning strike a play later.
The six-point win made for a closer-feeling game than was as Canes were also hit with a bogus penalty negating a fumble recovery for a touchdown, resulting in a Terps’ field goal – a ten-point swing midway through the fourth quarter of a close, low scoring game.
A new quarterback, turnovers, a bogus call – and Miami still won by six. Morris was an efficient 18 of 30 for 286 yards, while Miller and James went for 176 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns. As for the two turnovers, linebacker Alex Wujack, the thorn in Morris’ side, is suiting up for the Cleveland Browns this fall and will be nowhere near the field this evening.
Come kickoff, Miami will have its hands full for the season opener – but a win at Maryland isn’t an insurmountable challenge. Honestly, after a month of pure turmoil, the game itself might be the easiest thing these Canes have dealt with in a long while.
With good coaching and guys stepping up, this has the potential to be business as usual for ‘The U’, despite the past month being anything but that. – C.B.
Damn, I continue to love your blog always! I have faith in the boys tonight and I think they will prevail! Thanks for always providing reason in the midst of chaos! GO CANES!!!!
Wheres the Final Score Prediction?? you always have one on the previews
Let’s go CANES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
here is your headline for the next blog game on the line stephen morris chokes again. like i said before if the game is on the line he can’t handle it. he got lucky last year but luck doesn’t last forever. he had no business making that throw with the defender lookin him dead in the eye. i hope coach golden makes the right decision harris needs to start experience is always better than youth. let morris learn like he should have last year.
disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling have right now.
the only bright spot was smash and dash. the run game looked good but a qb staring down receivers each week will cost us against every good team.
hopefully with some of our starters back the defense will be better in two weeks.
I was optimistic as well, but now I see this is still a shannon team. Turnovers and penalties on o, and no discipline on d. I didn’t expect overnight top 5 team, but I did expect more than I saw. Look at the lb’s never covering the rb out of the backfield, nor the te… Not poor coverage – no attempt at coverage. Look at every misdirection flick out to the rb, the de on either side would get sucked in every time. Same thing on the fake handoff o’brien run to the left. No discipline.
Get those effn penalies cleaned up AL!!!!!!
That said the guys played hard, #52 Perryman made a nice saving takle to prevent a touchdown! #7 VT looks good, #6 Miller very good!
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same stupid penalties same turnovers. i dont know if its because golden was just overhyped or that these kids are just that retarded. i dont care who started. all these losers have scholarships, which means they should perform. they didnt we lost and it looks like another non acc championship year. we should of stayed in the big east. this basketball conference is too tough for these cane imposters who lack the hunger and drive of their predecessors. im hope your lap dances and b.j.s were worth the trouble. i grew up in miami too but i managed to know right from wrong you sorry punks.
Couldn’t agree with TJ anymore…Well said….Didn’t expect to be catapulted into the top 10 but did expect better conditioning and discipline with all the talk about it….
I’ll note a couple positive improvements from last year (granted they were playing a mediocre Maryland team).
First, outstanding special teams kick/punt coverage. For years I remember Miami getting torched on kick offs and punts, giving up field position (C J Spiller anyone?) This team covered the kicks and punts nicely.
Second, the run blocking and pass blocking seemed improved. The RB’s had some great carries and Morris mostly had time to throw. I think he was only sacked once.
Third, while the defense did get beat a lot, they did tighten up in the red zone and held Maryland to field goals. Huge INT in the end zone as well. If those field goals were touchdowns, this would have been a blowout so kudos for stiffening on the goal line.
Go Canes!
Jake
Just ONCE I would like to see a Miami team play a clean game without all these penalties and turnovers. I’ve gotten so I sit there watching and waiting for the next catastrophic mistake. Used to watch games and just KNOW we were going to kick butt. Now, it’s just the opposite.
“What way can they #### this drive up this time?”
Lots of U fans all over we definitely represented the U.
Damn mistakes. The worst was in the 4th when miller got to the 3 yard line and it was called back with 4 minutes to go. That sealed our fate. We should have won but didn’t. I think it will take a couple more games to truly eliminate these mistakes. If I’m wrong and they go on all year then all juniors and seniors on the team should give up their scholarships and return their diplomas. You can’t be that stupid that you keep making the same mistake over and over. Problem is, old habits die hard and while these mistakes will occur they will get less and less.
There was definitely lots of confusion out there though. I hope they fix that soon
DSCOTT – Your bias continues. Stephen Morris played a fine game and is hardly the reason this team lost. That said, Al Golden starting Jacory Harris is the right call this week whether UM is 1-0 or 0-1. Give both kids their shot and re-evaluate from there. Morris had his real-game audition and if both guys have been neck-and-neck all off-season, then Harris deserves his.
You are dead wrong with the sentiment that, “experience is always better than youth.” Absolutely foolish to use a blanket statement like that. There have been countless times in college football – and at UM – where youth was vastly superior to washed up, damaged, flawed, mistake-prone upperclassmen.
We’ll know soon enough of Harris can turn his career around or if he’s damaged beyond repair. Obviously hoping for the former, not the latter.
Harris is getting the shot he wanted and here’s hoping he makes the best of it. If not, coaches better not even hesitate to bring back Morris.