Miami Must Rise Up Against Florida State

(Disclaimer: This article contains some NSFW language, chosen for context-sake, but used nonetheless.)

The stage is set with an all-too-familiar storyline—Miami taking on Florida State; under the lights, national television audience and everything on the line in some way, shape or form.

For the Seminoles, the end game is a bit more obvious. Keep rolling as defending champs, stay alive in the Playoff race, knock off an arch-rival for a fifth-straight time and hope it all pays off by way of top-notch recruits and maybe even another ring.

A bit of a different narrative for Miami, though. In-repair for years while battling hirings, firings, investigations, sanctions, bad press, recruits not up to task and just about every other kind of setback imaginable. Yet within all that, a four-quarter opportunity to throw the current script out the window and offer up a rewrite that could change everything for a once-proud program.

While the stage may appear similar to a year ago, in reality it’s completely different. Last November, what was billed a battle between two undefeateds was in reality a Florida State team steamrolling its way to a national title while Miami was hanging on by the skin of its teeth.

A deep dive into the seven-win, paper-champ Hurricanes would quickly expose a ton of blemishes by way of a few patsies (Florida Atlantic, Savannah State), a win over a team not as good as its initial billing (Florida) and nail biters against mid-tier conference foes (North Carolina, Wake Forest).

Florida State exposed Miami in the 41-14 beat down and knocked running back Duke Johnson out for the season, resulting in the Canes dropping three of its final five down the stretch.

This year three early losses have Miami out of the national spotlight and needing a miracle to reach the conference title game, but the Hurricanes are trending upwards and finally appear to be turning that long-awaited corner under fourth-year head coach Al Golden.

Current versions of Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and North Carolina (the Canes last three foes who were handled soundly) won’t be remembered as juggernauts by any stretch—but the way Miami is playing; a poised true freshman quarterback growing up weekly, a Heisman-worthy running back going next-level and a defense finally hitting the field with some passion, discipline and purpose.

It’s more than just reason for hope. It’s the formula for a monster-sized upset, should everything come together under the lights this Saturday night.

There’s also those subtle changes made by Miami’s coaching staff these past few weeks, finally putting this team in position to thrive. Earlier this year the offense was too conservative, while the defense was reactive, opposed to aggressive. Both have since been addressed and the result is hard to argue.

The Hurricanes appear on the right track an while certainly not “back”, a win over the Seminoles at least reignites the conversation as to how close this program is to officially being there.

As far as the recipe for a takedown; it’s two-fold. Golden and staff need to have made the most of the bye week in regards to game plan and come up with a strategy that keeps this thing rolling.

A no-brainer that Florida State coaches will load the box early, attempting to shut down Johnson and putting the game in the hands of no-longer-a-true-freshman-quarterback Brad Kaaya.

That approach worked wonders for Louisville on Labor Day—Kaaya’s first-ever collegiate snaps, which resulted in an understandable deer-in-headlights performance. Mid-November, more is expected from Miami’s aerial assault, both in regards to passing and overall execution, clock management, moving the chains and third-down percentage.

Same to be said for a defense that was manhandled at Nebraska and Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes need another spirited performance akin to the ones shown against Duke, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Aggressive. Swarming. Unafraid.

No, this unit won’t soon be confused for those epic Hurricanes’ squad of yesteryear. Monster defensive tackles that lived in he backfield, harassing quarterbacks and devouring running backs. Linebackers who owned the middle of the field, while the secondary was on full-blown lockdown, taking care of anything that came its way.

Still, this current unit is finally playing better than any UM defense has in years. The progress deserves acknowledgement, but fact is this Hurricanes’ program as a whole needs to become “Miami” again.

The second part of that winning equation—the heart, stones and character of the current kids attempting to follow the lead of so many greats who walked before them.

A recent re-viewing of “The U: Reloaded” by former running back Najeh Davenport provided a big time eye-opener and reminder regarding a key component for UM’s resurgence in the late nineties; the type of take-no-shit, let’s-get-it-done players Miami was fielding back in the day.

All recent Butch Davis rah-rah is nothing more than revisionist history—fans completely ignoring the fact that banners were flown in protest of the former coach, with folks wanting to run him out of town up through his sixth and final season after a road loss at Washington.

Lame playcalling. Not a gameday guy. Lost to inferior teams. All of that and more.

No, the secret ingredient to Miami’s comeback and success was in the DNA of the athletes the Hurricanes were fielding at the time. Players who grew up only a few years removed from that revered “Decade Of Dominance”.

Those future greats weren’t far removed from the Hurricanes’ hey-day. They lived and breathed that era—seeing four national titles in a nine-year span up close and personal. Winning ways were pulsating throughout Magic City and that post-probation class carried the tradition heavy; a weight on their shoulders, asked to be the first class to actually bring Miami “back”.

It takes a special type to sign up for that task and the Canes had a roster full of them—though no better conduit and mouthpiece-by-default, spewing that oral tradition than safety Al Blades—a hard-ass who lived it by way of two older brothers who were UM greats, giving him instant credibility in the eyes of his new teammates.

Former players opened up to to Davenport in the “Rise For Five” documentary—the former running back himself a key cog in those comeback recruiting classes—explaining the process, attitude, buy-in and eventual takeover.

“Al having that background and culture from his brothers Bennie and Brian … and being able to pass the word along on how they ran things and how they did things, that’s what we wanted,” explained former defensive end Damione Lewis. “We wanted to be the UM of the eighties—the one that everybody either feared or loved.”

It was a generation—and region— that grew up on Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Trick Daddy and JT Money, not Kanye West, Drake, 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa.

When Shakur sang, “it’s just me against the world”, he meant it and it resonated with that era. Same with Trick when he laid down, “Can’t F**k With The South” and chose to film a video for “Shut Up” on the holy turf of the Orange Bowl, featuring lowered Impalas, a brand new ’99 four-door Volvo, local marching bands a recently-NFL-minted former Canes running back, Edgerrin James.

The 2000 class called itself “2Gs”. The eventual national champions of 2001—Deuce-One. Their process and path to success; hard work, no fear and zero time for bullshit.

“We somewhat recruited the younger players that came in every year—the ones that kind of fit the mold and had the dog in them. That’s when the whole school started turning around right there,” explained James. Santana Moss spoke along those same lines.

“All the young guys that were coming in now were gonna be the new Miami. When you look at the 2Gs, you look at the Deuce-One—those were the guys making plays,” said the former receiver, who put his stamp on the Canes’ upset of the top-ranked Noles in 2000.

Big time players step up in big games. That’s all I gotta say. All the criticizing and all that—it’s over. Big time players step up in big games.

The stories go on and on. Delvin Brown talking about the players not being mentally ready early on, but having it in their hearts to succeed and making a pact that they would get it right.

Rod Mack explaining that the 5-6 season in 1997 was that breaking point where guys decided that they’d had enough and we’re going to make excuses or settle for mediocrity anymore. Antrel Rolle going off about maturity, leadership and fact that it was a true family on and off the field, that coaches allowed the players to somewhat control themselves.

The legendary Ed Reed spoke his mind regarding the work ethic, overall attitude and player-led off-season workouts.

“When you didn’t make it through (practice) and you came to hang out in the apartments during the summer—event coming back in the locker room after we just went through the hardest workout of the week … and now you want to come in and be all smiles; that wasn’t happening. There was more than accountability in that locker room.”

Players also had the maturity and drive to self-motivate. That chip on their shoulder was genuine and no matter who the opponent, things were always taken personally.

James Jackson wore out Davenport with some pre-scrimmage sprints in order to get a leg up during the spring game and winning the job—which he did. Fast forward to next season and freshman Clinton Portis is in the mix, letting Jackson know he’s there to take his job—which he did.

Year after year, the chain never seemed to break—like the process of starting sourdough bread and that necessary mother dough recipe. That carried over, little bit of main ingredient so that every batch has that special something that adheres to an original formula.

It was the reason Miami was forever able to reload and a place this Hurricanes’ program aspires to get back to.

One hopes that this current team takes a peek at some of the vintage footage for motivation; most-notably Blades leading the team out the tunnel for the 1999 Kickoff Classic at the Meadowlands, getting amped for Ohio State.

Especially considering the parallels four years into the Davis era, post-probation and what what Miami is dealing with now, trying to fight back under Golden.

I want you to look at the man beside you and say I’m the baddest motherf–ker you know. It’s gonna take three motherf–kin’ things and that’s what? (Hit, stick and bust d–k.) What? (Talk s–t. Talk s–t. Talk s–t.) From north to south … we really knock ’em out … Hit stick and bust d–k … them Canes are the s–t.

Blades, channeled his inner Luther from “The Warriors” while his teammates responded in unison.

Murder, murder, murder. Kill, kill, kill. Hold your heads up high, the mighty Canes are passing by.

You hope today’s Canes are feeling on some level that it truly is them against the world come Saturday night and that the “south” (as in Florida) isn’t to be messed with. This is Hurricane country and the only way folks respect that is by the product on the field and result on the scoreboard.

Maybe that message is already heard loud and clear and this squad doesn’t need the grit of gangster rap or profanity-laden pre-game tunnel walks? As someone around the same age as Ray Lewis era, this writer eats all that up—a crossover from the Uncle Luke years, into that whole Slip-N-Slide Records generation.

It was the soundtrack for success and it gets the blood flowing the same way, “In The Air Tonight” pumping through the Orange Bowl’s PA for a night game will forever sendd chills up the spine—though that’s not to say these current Canes should care less about Phil Collins, nineties-era gangster rap or tales from the orange and green vault, if they can get it done on their own.

What if new-look Smoke jerseys, orange helmets, scheme changes and some perspective gained from little man and good luck charm Carter Hucks are enough to have them prepared for what awaits Saturday night—that grandest stage all of them have ever witnessed—and ready to deliver?

It’s not the journey, Miami, it’s the destination. Get there. Wherever motivation comes from and whatever it takes to accomplish the task at hand, it’s time for these Hurricanes to rise up.

Another footnote regarding Miami’s storyline this past decade; missed opportunities. So many chances to do something great and instead, undermanned, ill-prepared, unsuccessful and left with a lot of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve moments.

This is a chance to turn a corner; a shot at validation and a reversal of a long-running curse. All the local recruits who spurned Miami due to recruiting double-talk, a rival’s success or a lack of belief in the new foundation being laid—here comes the payback, as well as a message to future recruits; get on board, or get run over.

All our lives are made up of countless once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, albeit all relative in hindsight. Right here and right now, this is the biggest game in the history of the University of Miami.

There were bigger games in the past and there will be greater moments in the future—but all that matters is Saturday night at restoring proper order and clearing this program-defining hurdle.

#BeatFSU

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