Game Seven: Miami 24, Wake Forest 21

Three games against Atlantic Coast Conference foes, three deficits, three comebacks and three victories for the Miami Hurricanes.

It’s certainly not the way head coach Al Golden drew it up, but in almost three years at the helm of the UM program what has been?

Like Georgia Tech and North Carolina, Wake Forest prepared well for Miami and brought something new to the table. For the Yellow Jackets, it was a diamond package within the triple option attack, while the Tar Heels played rotating quarterbacks in order to keep the Hurricanes off-guard.

Regarding the Demon Deacons, it was a slowed-down pace as well as wide splits on the offensive line, meant to throw the Canes’ defense off-balance—and for a while, it worked.

Wake Forest’s opening drive spanned 79 yards, took 16 plays and lasted 8:34, culminating in a touchdown. After a quick three-and-out by Miami, a nine-play, 45-yard drive lasted 5:30 but ended in a 47-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide.

Time of possession early second quarter: 14:04 for the Demon Deacons and 1:38 for the Hurricanes. Still, Miami refused to go away.

Late second quarter, Clive Walford hauled in a one-handed grab on 3rd-and-3, picking up 35 yards. A play later, Stephen Morris hooked up with Herb Waters for the 35-yard touchdown strike, setting up a 14-10 halftime deficit.

Like the past two games, Miami’s halftime adjustments worked wonders. The Hurricanes’ offense put together a 10-play, 70-yard drive to open the third, but a 40-yard field goal attempt by Matt Goudis missed.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Canes again moved the ball—43 yards on nine plays this time—but eventually stifled at the Wake Forest nine-yard line when Dallas Crawford was stood up on 4th-and-1.

The teams remained scoreless until late in the fourth quarter when Duke Johnson flexed his muscle and took over.

“I had a lot of momentum coming into the drive, and I wanted the ball,” said Johnson, who carried 14 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns in the final fifteen minutes.

“So I went to the coaches and we talked about it, and Coach [Golden] was like, ‘We’re going to put the game in your hands, the ball in your hands and you make it happen.’ It’s a great feeling knowing everybody is going to put their faith in you. Coach didn’t have to give me the ball with the previous fumbles I had in the past. He didn’t have to. But it was a great feeling of him trusting me, giving it to me and helping the team win.”

Postgame Golden stated that Johnson “ran with a purpose and an anger”, which is precisely what this Miami team needs with five games remaining—and Florida State on the horizon.

There’s constant talk about the Hurricanes being “overrated” after three straight close calls against middle-of-the-road ACC teams and while the notion is understandable—especially by outsiders—it’s bogus.

Despite the lofty ranking, Miami isn’t the seventh-best team in the nation and nor should it be on the heels of a just-better-than-.500 run by Golden’s squads the past few years. Prior to the third-year coach’s arrival, it was 28-22 under Randy Shannon, making UM a 48-40 squad dating back to the 2005 Peach Bowl loss to LSU, 40-3.

The Hurricanes had the 116th-ranked defense in the nation last year and while improved this season, on some level, it’s far from elite.

Cornerbacks are a year older and wiser, resulting in more turnovers, but until big-time defensive tackles and pass rushers return, opposing quarterbacks are going to have their way throwing the ball.

It’s also didn’t help that Miami’s cause when linebacker depth took a huge hit as Golden parted ways with Eddie Johnson, Gionni Paul and Gabe Terry this offseason.

Two years ago, this 7-0 record is no better than 5-2 and possibly 4-3. Slow starts would’ve been followed by a snowball effect and Miami falling apart as the game rolled on. Instead, defensive stands where needed and an offense that came alive and played with purpose in the most crucial of moments.

Now is not a time to harp on this Miami squad for what they’re not. Instead, embrace who they are. These kids continue learning how to win week-by-week and are showing the character and resiliency their head coach is instilling on a daily basis.

The goal when this season kicked off; reaching the ACC Championship game, after surrendering an opportunity to play Florida State in Charlotte last December. Aside from that, a hope that the NCAA debacle would be settled—with minimal added-on damage—and that Miami would simply take a step forward as a program, helping set the stage for a run in years to come.

Two of three have been accomplished and the ultimate goal is within reach if the Hurricanes can remain on track.

All eyes are on this weekend’s nationally-televised match-up with the Seminoles this week, as expected, but don’t let the primetime showdown distract from what’s already taken place seven games into this season.

The Hurricanes have reached that best-case-scenario—an undefeated start and ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since 2009, No. 7 being Miami’s highest poll position since 2005.

That’s the only storyline entering November—not any talk of being overrated, lucky or on the verge of being “exposed”.

This was precisely the start Golden needed to the season and coupled with the NCAA investigation wrapping up, the Hurricanes are right where they need as a program moving forward—regardless of what happens in Tallahassee on Saturday night.

Charlotte is the goal and 11-1 will get Miami there, staring down a rematch against arch-rival Florida State at a neutral site.

Who wouldn’t have taken that scenario months back, based on the struggles of the past several years and when predicting how the 2013 season would play out?

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