Miami Hurricanes Faceplant In Primetime (Again)

It’s getting to a point where I almost want to see if I can dig up an old article from a few years back and just replace the opponent’s name, final score and a few stats in effort to replicate a modern-day Miami Hurricanes post-game recap.

Based on another prime time flop, it seems pretty doable as it’s more of the same out of head coach Al Golden—getting tripped up game four in year five against a Cincinnati team playing .500 ball, with 14 turnovers over a four-game span and a defense that gave up 570 yards and 55 points in a loss to Memphis last week.

Miami—for all it’s offensive supposed firepower—couldn’t get any consistency against Cincinnati. On paper the Canes amassed 427 yards; 281 through the air and 146 on the ground, while dominating time of possession 34:38 to 25:22 and playing turnover-free football.

In reality, the Canes were a hot mess of missed opportunities—a common theme under this staff.

Where it all ultimately fell apart; Miami’s inability to convert. It was an issue in the recent win over Nebraska, but didn’t come back to bite the Canes by way of such a big early lead; and by way of the Huskers’ struggles.

That theme of settling for field goal attempts when once-promising drives stalled—Michael Badgley kicking five in that recent overtime win—remained the name of the game against the Bearcats.

Miami moved the ball immediately against Cincy; Brad Kaaya finding Standish Dobard and Tyre Brady for back-to-back receptions totaling 37 yards. Joseph Yearby was good for 30 yards on three carries and had an eight-yard gain called back for a personal foul—a would-be first down becoming 2nd-and-20 thanks to early boneheaded-ness.

It was a common theme all night as Miami’s six penalties all came at the most inopportune times—negating a punt-return-for-score and killing drives on other occasions.

This first 15-yard setback resulted in Kaaya to Rashawn Scott for a loss of one, Yearby running for 10 for field position-sake and Badgley kicking the 41-yarder on 4th-and-11—the Canes leaving four points on the field.

Miami’s fresh defense was immediately worked over after taking a three-point lead; a five-yard run and back-to-back passes going for 31 yards before poor tackling on a 29-yard touchdown run.

On the surface, the Canes were trailing 7-3, but in the grand scheme of things—the first two drives are a microcosm of Miami football under Golden; mistakes being made year five that simply shouldn’t be the case.

A drive-killing personal foul on the first possession of the game. Zero pressure on a redshirt-freshman quarterback making his first start, allowing him to connect early (and eventually often.) Bad tackling and suspect fundamentals on a touchdown run that should’ve been a two-yard loss.

A loss like this to Cincinnati exposes the warts in a recent win over Nebraska. Where it was easy to sweep the mistakes under the rug as the Canes won—er, survived—Miami still self-imploded too often against the Huskers, which provided some foreshadowing if said mistakes weren’t properly cleaned up.

Penalties killing drives—13 for 114 yards, 3-of-14 on third down and the defense unraveling late. Had Nebraska not been a dumpster fire in their own right a few Saturdays back, this is a 2-2 team right now, with a win over Bethune-Cookman and needing a fourth quarter rally to pull away from Florida Atlantic.

Miami was never in control Thursday night at Nippert Stadium. Offensive play calling proved inconsistent and ineffective. Opportunities where the Canes could’ve made a statement or gone into the supposed back of offensive tricks; it relied too hard on the kicking game—putting the heat on Badgley’s leg from 51 and 53 yards, where he missed both.

On the first, it was two drops by Tyre Brady that killed a drive. On the next, a third-down sack on 3rd-and-10 pushed a makable 46-yard attempt to 53 and a miss. Trailing 27-23 late and in need of a stop, the Canes’ defense gives up a 52-yard pass, followed by a 17-yard run. Five plays and 81 yards given up in two minutes.

Down 11 points with a 1st-and-Goal from the eight, two incomplete passes and a three-yard run sets up a 4th-and-Goal from the five. Inexplicably, the Canes go for it and miss when a field goal makes it an eight-point game with Miami still alive.

Golden and offensive coordinator James Coley don’t go for it once all night—while only 4-of-15 on third down—yet when they do, it’s the least logical and mathematically-sound time in the ball game to do so. Inexplicable.

The Canes turn the ball over on downs and a third-string Bearcats running back pounds the rock seven times in a row for 63 yards—including a 41-yarder—while Cincinnati runs out the clock en route to the upset.

There’s no way to sugar-coat this type of consistent failure. The post-game pressers are officially a broken record. Too many mistakes. Poor tackling. Guys out of position. Freelancing. Too many drops. Too many penalties. Beat in all three phases of the game.

At what point does this change? When is it time to expect different results and some measurable growth? Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results?

The late collapse against Nebraska was an overtime interception difference from Miami unraveling against Florida State last fall. Same narrative, though—coming out aggressive, building an early lead, not able to handle prosperity or success, unable to put a team away, reactive instead of proactive and holding on for dear live.

That loss to the Seminoles derailed an already tumultuous year for the Canes; who dropped four straight—including embarrassing losses to inferior foes in Virginia and Pittsburgh.

Despite losing seven talented players to the NFL, this season was billed as being different—a more mature team ready to take a step forward. More locker room unity and guys with their heads on straight; charged up to make a difference and to grow into winners.

Outside of throttling Bethune-Cookman, everything else has been more of the same. A slow start against Florida Atlantic and tied game in the third finally turned when a back-up quarterback unraveled and the Canes were able to out-talent the Owls down the stretch.

A win over Nebraska had all-time meltdown written all over it, save for a heads-up defensive play in overtime, setting up the chip-shot game-sealing kick.

Cincinnati? The trap-type game everyone feared was exactly what played out on the main stage, but not really. By definition “trap” is to lie in wait to make a surprise attack. That wasn’t the case here. Miami knew what it was coming out of, what it was walking into and what lies ahead—next week, as well as the rest of the season.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a trap—it was simply another epic fail for a staff running out of chances and time.

Twelve days to prepare and yet another game marred in mistakes, missed opportunities and breaking down—all of which are unforgivable year five of what’s already been a rocky tenure under a coach who preaches accountability and promises to correct mistakes, but seems to have run out of answers.

The 2015 season was set-up from the get-go as a year of change; Golden either righting the ship and his kids going next-level and silencing critics, or it was set up to be more of the same, another epic fail and ultra-disappointing results that would have winds of change blowing through Coral Gables.

Miami is now 3-1 with a lot of football to play and while stranger turnaround have taken place, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck…

A road trip to Florida State looms. From there a Hokies team that doesn’t look so hot, but still a Virginia Tech program that’s had the Canes’ number over the years.

Clemson visits after that and then the Canes trek to Duke. Late November, Georgia Tech and their triple-option head south—while Virginia, North Carolina and Pittsburgh don’t set up to be pushovers by any stretch based on the current Miami way.

For the banner-flyers, the dooms-dayers and general Golden lynch mob—this will all play out in the coming weeks. The only stats that matter moving forward; wins versus losses.

Anything less than competing for an ACC title, knocking off rivals, improving and winning upwards of eight or nine games is the key to this regime staying alive and after Thursday night in Cincy, it’d be foolish to bank on any of that.

Eight days until Florida State; which will be the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning.

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