When you dance with the devil enough, the devil doesn’t change—you do.
The slow-start offense and spotty-defense had been a problem for these Miami Hurricanes all season, but as we’ve written often here—winning cures all, while losing exposes warts—and any sentiments about losing his way after falling at Georgia Tech; they could’ve been brought to the surface several times this season.
Falling behind at home against Virginia Tech late September—giving up big play after big play and needing a double-digit comeback and reversed Hail Mary to survive the Hokies, en route to a 5-0 start.
A week later, Miami endures the long road trip to Cal and late-night kickoff—but falls behind 35-10 midway through the third quarter before the miraculous comeback—outscoring the Bears 29-3 from that point on.
Off to Louisville after the bye week; the Cardinals put up 448 yards and 45 points on Miami’s defense—but lucky for the Canes, they managed 52 and 538 yards—the offense overcoming what their counterparts couldn’t stop.
A shootout ensued at Louisville after the bye week; the Cardinals putting 448 yards and 45 points on this Miami defense, but lucky for the Canes they found 538 yards and 52 points for the offense to overcome what their counterparts couldn’t stop.
Miami smacked around a one-win Florida State team nest, but as recently as a week ago had their issues against a former head coach as Duke took an improbable 28-17 third quarter lead, before the Hurricanes got the sleep out of their eyes and went on a 21-0 run to blow out the Blue Devils in the fourth quarter.
Go back as recently as a week ago, when Miami had every reason in the world to show out against their old head coach—Manny Diaz and Duke were up 28-17 early in the third quarter before the Hurricanes got the crust out of their eyes and went on a 21-0 run to blow out the Blue Devils in the fourth quarter.
RELIANCE ON LATE-GAME HEROICS ISN’T FOOL-PROOF
Miami earned their “Cardiac Canes” moniker for a reason; giving an entire fan base a weekly heart attack due to their style of play—each showdown ending with a celebrating of transfer quarterback Cam Ward and his heroic efforts, while trotting out the tired old line that this defense needs to get things cleaned up.
Of course even the most-skilled surgeons can lose patient on the table and in this case Miami flatlined in Atlanta as time ran out on the type of comebacks Ward had been able to lead all season.
The difference between winning and losing close games always comes down to a few micro-moments throughout the contest; those little things that happen in the beginning and middle that you hope can get solved in the end.
Miami got stuffed on two huge fourth downs against Georgia Tech. One can play the second-guessing game and say that two field goals makes the difference in a five-point game; but what about every other ballsy call Mario Cristobal has made the past nine game that worked?
A stalled offense needed a spark and that win-in-the-trenches, toughness mentality means rolling the dice on an early 4th-and-3 on the road.
When the Canes got a second chance to do the same, it was a shorter 4th-and-1 after running Damien Martinez seven times in a row to impose a strong second half will on the opening drive of the third quarter. Miami needed a yard to keep the drive alive; the Yellow Jackets bringing the heat and Ward rushed in a throw to Mark Fletcher that the running back couldn’t get his head around to reel in.
Eight plays later, the Ramblin’ Wreck was not only up 21-10—they did so with a back-up quarterback throwing his first career touchdown; Aaron Philo dropping a dime for an outstretched Chase Lane from 15 yards out on 3rd-and-9—where a less-perfect throw in this game of inches arguably has the Yellow Jackets settling for a field goal.
One bad drop or Miami; one big grab for Georgia Tech—it was that kind of day from the get-go as Jamal Haynes tore off a 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage. Two plays later the running back took it in from 16 yards out—the Jacket rolling two minutes in to the game,
The Canes needed two plays for Ward to find tight end Elijah Arroyo on a brilliant route and throw; the tight end rumbling 75 yards untouched to tie the game.
For a moment, things felt easy in a sense. Miami’s defense would again be a liability, but if the offense could score at will, no reason the Canes couldn’t roll to a comfortable victory.
That notion fast went out the window with “The Drive”.
CANES FORCED TO PLAY JACKETS-STYLE BALL
Miami settled for three on their second possession; Georgia Tech taking over with 7:47 left in the first half and the Hurricanes not seeing the ball again until the 12:02 mark in the second quarter.
Incredibly, the Yellow Jackets went 75 yards on 17 plays and chewed up 10:45 of clock time—Brent Key and his staff with a good laugh when gritty quarterback Haynes King threw his third pass of the possession on 3rd-and-Goal which Malik Rutherford took in from five yards out, taking a 14-10 lead the home team would never surrender.
King ran seven times on the drive while the Yellow Jackets kept it on the ground ten plays in a row—while converting five of third downs over that span.
Prior to Philo’s pass to Lane, the back-up quarterback known for his arm wound up using his legs to dupe the Canes; Miami expecting pass on a 3rd-and-9, leaving it wide open for Philo to scamper 12 yards to pick up the first down.
The Canes had their chances; the 4th-and-3 that stalled out—Ward took a shot at Isaiah Horton on an early 2nd-and-5, where a blatant pass interference call wasn’t just missed—the hold prevented a would-be touchdown.
Arroyo looked primed for a big gain on an ensuing first down; sans defensive back Omar Daniel tracking him in motion and delivering a monster hit as soon as the ball was caught.
When it came down to that 40-yard field goal try, Cristobal left the Canes on the field and Ward simply couldn’t Houdini his way out of the pressure—a millisecond from delivering the ball to a laid-out Xavier Restrepo.
A game where Miami was held to 1-of-4 on fourth down—not to mention a brutal 3-of-10 on third—a wave of flashbacks to easier times this season; namely Restrepo and a magical fourth down grab while on his back; the Canes midfield with 5:23 remaining and down four to Virginia Tech.
Same to be said for the statistical impossibilities and everything that needed to happen at Cal to overcome that late 25-point deficit; Miami picked up at least one fourth down on three of those comeback touchdowns, as well as a 3rd-and-20 with :37 left on the clock when the Canes were seemingly dead in the water.
This sense of invincibility for Miami with Ward at the helm; it hasn’t come without reason—the Hurricanes have defied odds and rallied from double-digits down three times this season—so until this one was in the books, of course anything felt possible.
In hindsight, the 4th-and-1 stuff on the opening third quarter possession felt like it defined the game. The Canes were imposing their will with Martinez and a Fletcher grab puts Miami around the 35-yard line with a fresh set of down and full momentum in what was still a four-point game at the time.
Instead, it was King running wild again—before setting up the Philo-to-Lane third-and-long score that pushed the game to 21-10—which definitely blew things out by Georgia Tech pace-of-play standards and ball control; the Canes’ offense only seeing the ball four more times from that point on.
As has happened in the past, second half Miami scores tend to either shore-up the defense, or put pressure on opposing offenses—but from that point on, the Canes outscored the Yellow Jackets, 13-7 and had a final possession with 1:52 remaining to two timeouts in the back pocket—only down five.
Miami felt like it had been there before and could do it again, while Georgia Tech was well-aware of Ward and the Canes’ comeback history this fall—but it was short-lived as the Wreck brought the heat on second down, forcing a strip-sack and fumble to put the game on ice.
Corny as it can sound giving it up to the football gods and the belief that is either is, or isn’t your day—again, Miami doesn’t have to look too far in the rearview to see where things came up roses; the overturned final touchdown by the Hokies or the reversal of a booth-review for targeting against the Bears that would’ve extended their drive an pretty much ended the miracle comeback.
BREAKS OF THE PAST A NO-SHOW IN ATLANTA
Louisville fans groaned when a potential hold was missed late third quarter; buying Ward that extra second to find Restrepo for a 63-yard gain, setting up the two-yard strike to Horton for a 38-31 lead.
Miami fans have lived though years where every call went wrong; the bogus fumble call on Don Chaney last fall that lead to Georgia Tech’s comeback; a game with an early phantom hold that also took a score off the board for the Canes, who turned it over a play later.
There were also two missed safeties; one against Clemson in a game that Miami went on to win in overtime, as well as one at Florida State that definitely changed the trajectory of a game the Canes lost by a touchdown—missing out on two points and a late second quarter possession that could’ve been a nine-point swing.
This one seemed doomed from the start.
King had missed the last couple of games with an injury, but gutted it out to face Miami—who he showed out for last fall—as well as a back-up quarterback yet to throw his first career touchdown; not much of a threat—on paper at least. Georgia Tech even lost Haynes the first snap after his early touchdown; knocked out of the game and looking like a logical blow to their ground attack.
By the third quarter when Miami was primed for a 3rd-and-3 stop; C.J. Clark raked Trey Cooley across the facemark, as the running back spun into Ahmad Moten in a bang-bang play—one where the Canes were hit with two penalties—the bigger one ending Moten’s day with a targeting call.
Three plays later Miami had Georgia Tech in a rare 3rd-and-18; Philo found Bailey Stockton for a 27-yard pick-up and three plays after that it was 28-16.
The Canes looked like the got on the board on 4th-and-6 when Ward found Horton in the back of the end zone, but an offensive hold and illegible receiver downfield negated the score, setting up 4th-and-16 and the third fourth down flop of the game.
On their final scoring drive, Ward completely five passes in a row and moved it 78 yards in just over two minutes—but it was as close as the Canes would get after forcing a final punt and only getting two plays into their comeback drive.
The first step is always the most-difficult and the same can be said the first loss that’s absorbed in a season; especially when riding high until early November and cheating death so many times this.
The narrative has been consistent this fall; Miami has a top-ranked offense and a big-play defense that’s needed to get better since Florida running back Montrell Johnson tore off a 71-yard touchdown at ‘The Swamp’.
A few weeks later it was Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech rumbling for a 55-yard score—followed by Jadyn Ott going 66 yards down the sideline at Cal, one possession after Fernando Mendoza fired a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jack Endries to get the Bears on the board.
Isaac Brown didn’t get in the end-zone on his 43-yard run for Louisville—nor Chaney or Duke Watson, who each had 26-yard runs against the Canes—while three different Cardinals’ receivers had long receptions of 28, 27 and 28 yards in a shootout Miami survived as its offense was slightly more effective.
Hell, one-win Florida State even saw statuesque, second-string quarterback Luke Kromenhoek keeping the legs churning on a 4th-and-1 run that busted right through a wall of Miami defenders, rolling for an unthinkable 42 yards—while Duke rolled in a week later and had receptions of 40, 34 and 27 yards against the Canes’ secondary, as well as a 27-yard run from their starting running back.
STELLAR OFFENSE MUST SAVE SUSPECT DEFENSE
The defense is a problem, it’s been a problem and with two games left in the regular season, it’s not getting fixed and will remain a problem—so Miami must find a work-around by way of less mistakes on the other side of the ball—unfair as that might sound.
Cristobal was able to fast-track his year-three growth by building an high-octane offense, reeling in Ward and Martinez to play behind what was already a very solid line and offense with its share of solid players.
What didn’t happen was that kind of portal magic regarding linebackers and the secondary and the Canes have been exposed back there.
There’s some big-time talent on the defensive line, but too often a four-man rush as Miami can ill-afford to blitz a linebacker or safety without creating pure chaos for an already under-performing unit.
Miami lost Damari Brown at Florida, saw Jadais Rickard banged up at Duke and Jaden Harris went down against Georgia Tech—the Canes relying heavy on true freshman O.J. Frederique and Zaquan Patterson; a pair of future stars—but not guys ready to consistently make plays.
Linebacker isn’t much better; in a stronger position last year with Kam Kinchens and James Williams behind them at safety—not to mention depth-related losses with veterans Corey Flagg, Keontra Smith and KJ Cloyd moving on—which have this current unit seemingly disappearing at times.
Again, with Wake Forest and Syracuse on deck and a potential ACC Championship game against SMU in Charlotte; it’s time for some truth-serum and to admit what we’ve known all along, but didn’t want to talk about and the find-a-way Canes were getting it done—Miami’s offense must continue covering for a defense that can’t hold its own.
Ward and his wizardry are the difference between 9-1 and 6-4 right now—and he’ll have to be the difference between 11-1 and 9-3, as well—because Miami can’t absorb another loss. The margin for error is now zero.
It’s 3-0 to reach the College Football Playoffs, as well—which in reality is fine, because 12-1 with a loss to Georgia Tech and win over SMU is better than an undefeated regular season and backing into the postseason with an ACC Championship loss as an 11- or 12-seed—opposed to top four with a bye.
In the spirit of honest, this was never a national championship season without a miracle and everything falling into place in magical fashion.
WARD WAS A BONUS THAT CHANGED EXPECTATIONS
Miami started this year hearing on New Year’s Day that Ward chose the NFL over Coral Gables and seemed relegated to a quarterback battle between a transfer from Albany with a quirky name and a sophomore quarterback who went down with a gruesome injury in Tallahassee last fall.
Two weeks later Ward had his change of heart and the Hurricanes’ season potential changed on a dime.
Miami routed Florida at ‘The Swamp’ in front of a slew of recruits—a few of which since flipped to the Canes—and after smacking around the Gators and downtrodden Seminoles this year, a rare official ‘State Champs’ bragging rites title follows into recruiting season.
Eyes have gotten bigger as the wins racked up and year rolled on, but taking it back to spring—the goal was always to reach the ACC Championship and for Miami to hopefully win it’s first-ever, elusive conference title since leaving the Big East in 2003.
The Canes have seen one double-digit win season since 2004 and Miami’s lone ACC title game showing was a 38-3 loss to Clemson in 2017—so again, being overly-salty about dropping a game at Georgia Tech and sitting one one loss in November after two decades of mediocrity; this fan base needs a dose of humble pie even more than this team.
Undefeated is always the goal, but the power of a wake-up call is also an intangible that isn’t always understood until seeing how the team responds.
Imagine being a coaching staff telling a locker room full of players for the past two months that they’ve been playing with fire and have things to clean up Monday morning after another thrilling weekend win. At some point, ego and hubris get in the way and winners are going to start believing the headlines and buying the hype—no matter how hard the greatest coaches protect against it.
Nick Saban would famously called media praise “rat poison” and would leave traps around the facility as a reminder to his players to not take the bail during game week after a big win.
Virginia Tech. Cal. Louisville. Duke. Miami rallied against them all, while even beating Florida State by 22 points in a game Ward didn’t even throw a touchdown pass.
That’s not to say any of it came easily, but there had to be a sense of invincibility staring death down that many times and averting it.
Until now.
Everything changed with that game-ending fumble—and while Ward shouldn’t shoulder any blame; the competitor in him is going to let that define him more than a handful of comeback wins—as winners obsess on the ones that get away, not the ones they get, as that’s the path to future success.
Ward put this team on his back in Gainesville late August and he’s going to keep in there for at least two more games—doing everything he can to will Miami to an ACC Championship and CFP berth.
Bonus points for another well-timed bye week, as well—more time for these Hurricanes to stew in this loss and savor what they let slip away, as well as refocusing on what is still in front of them; playing with more passion and purpose.
Wake Forest, Syracuse and SMU—none will bring a swarming defense like Georgia Tech—so the familiar recipe of next-level offense with serviceable defense should be enough to survive that stretch; especially if Ward returns to the field as a man possessed and his teammates follow his lead.
Christian Bello has been covering University of Miami athletics since the mid-nineties. Getting his start with CanesTime, he eventually launched allCanesBlog—which led to a featured columnist stint with BleacherReport. He’s since rolled out the unfiltered, ItsAUThing.com where he’ll use his spare time to put decades of U-related knowledge to use for those who care to read. When he’s not writing about ‘The U’, Bello is a storyteller for some exciting brands and individuals—as well as a guitarist and songwriter for his Miami-bred band Company Jones, who released their debut album “The Glow” in 2021. Hit him on Twitter for all things U-related @ItsAUThingBLOG.