The Miami Hurricanes are gearing up for one of those season-turning games… again. Seems that’s been the case often the past few seasons. How does The U respond after an early season loss? Will prosperity turn the tide, again? Miami upended Texas A&M, 34-17 last season before a life-less win against Duke, followed by an embarrassing road loss at North Carolina.
Does this team have the grit to build on a semi-close game at Florida? How will 1-2 impact their mindset going into ACC play starting next Saturday should the Canes lose to the Aggies? More importantly, where are Jermaine McKenzie and Arthur Brown?
Miami heads to College Station after a bye in the third week of the season. Fundamentals were the name of the game on the practice field. Special teams. Getting on receivers to reel in catchable balls.
Per Randy Shannon today, the Canes are focusing on upwards of seven receivers – as opposed to nine who caught balls against Charleston Southern and ten who saw playing time at Florida. With two games under their belts and both quarterbacks having started a game, it’s time to develop a rhythm and determine who the playmakers are versus who should redshirt.
This week’s depth chart has been released and there are two new faces starting at receiver – true freshman Aldarius Johnson and oft-troubled junior Sam Shields. They’re backed up by LaRon Byrd/Leonard Hankerson (second string) and Khalil Jones/Travis Benjamin (third string). That six pack of wideouts leaves room for one more TBD. Will one of the smaller slot receivers make his presence felt (Davon Johnson or Thearon Collier) – or is this where McKenzie finally cracks the line up?
Speaking of McKenzie and his lack of playing time, Shannon cleared things up today, citing a sprained MCL as the reason #15 hasn’t seen the field. McKenzie is 100% healthy, so we’ll see if that equates to any playing time Saturday afternoon. Regardless, it sounds like those transfer rumors were nothing more than message board yahoos fanning some flames.
Brown is the other youngster fans are clamoring for. The LB out of Wichita, KS has seen some small special teams duty but no big game action, supposedly due to an ankle injury. Speculation is that Brown is still struggling to learn the playbook, but will see an increased special teams role starting this weekend.
A youth movement is taking place on special teams, with new blood on the return teams. Brandon Harris and Travis Benjamin will handle kickoff duty, while Collier has been named this week’s punt returner. The man they call “Pimp” is replacing Graig Cooper, who will have his hands full at running back with Javarris James sidelined for at least another 1-3 weeks.
Three true freshman will be responsible for the Canes field position against Texas A&M. Here’s hoping for some breakout performances…
Regarding Cooper, expect a heavy dose of the sophomore tailback this weekend as the Aggies are ranked 113th in the nation defending the run. Surprisingly enough, aTm is 24th against the pass – which means the passing game’s handcuffs could remain tight for at least another week.
Robert Marve and Jacory Harris will most likely air it out a bit more than at The Swamp, but expect a plethora of carries for Coop and Derron Thomas. Miami has to establish the run and attempt to wear down the hometown Aggies.
Shannon stated earlier that Marve will continue as starter, but that Harris will see playing time in both halves. While I usually support Shannon, I’m against these ‘absolute’ type statements.
The talk before Florida was Marve getting three series and Harris getting two. Proving true to his word, that’s exactly how Shannon had things play out. Unfortunately, drawing that line in the dirt doesn’t allow you to go with the ‘hot hand’ for the sake of being a man of one’s word.
Harris deserved playing time at Florida, but yanking Marve early in the second quarter of a 7-3 ball game had some scratching their head. Especially with Marve seeming to find a groove.
There is no quarterback controversy at The U, with Marve your #1 guy… but there’s a difference between getting your #2 guy some playing time and predetermining where you’ll insert him into the game. Marve needs snaps and deserves to run this offense without looking over his shoulder.
At some point, Harris needs to be part of special packages and relegated for ‘mop up’ duty. Curious to see how this week plays out. Will the quarterback situation bring more unity or confusion?
Huge game for Miami this weekend. Make no mistake of the fact that Texas A&M stumbled out the gate. Kyle Field is a difficult venue and the Canes are a high profile team that will get the aTm crowd rowdy and ready to go. The Aggies haven’t forgotten last year’s embarrassing, nationally televised beat down where Miami led 24-0 at the half.
Another wrinkle is the status of Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee. Injured for the first time since fourth grade, McGee has been dealing with a separated throwing shoulder two weeks ago. Miami owned McGee last September, holding him to 109 yards and 1 INT on an 11-for-20 evening.
McGee’s back up is sophomore Jerrod Johnson and usually sees the field as a receiver. He threw for three touchdowns in the 28-22 win over New Mexico on September 6th. Doing that against a speedy Canes defense is a completely different feat.
How does Miami react to a possible changing of the guard? This is a shot for Bill Young to again bring an aggressive defense and rattle either a newbie quarterback or a gimpy one. Make aTm one dimensional and force the turnovers that didn’t come at Florida two weeks ago.
This week’s parting thought… Patrick Nix. The second-year offensive coordinator is Public Enemy #1 for a percentage of Miami’s fan base. What they’re saying?
The reigns were too tight on Marve and Harris at Florida. Harris is ‘smarter’ than Nix, as he had the wherewithal to audible from the 1-yard line, finding Kayne Farquharson for a 12-yard catch late in the second quarter against the Gators.
They’re also saying Michael Irvin was right in his assessment of Nix, telling Shannon not to hire him as his complicate scheme required receivers to read the defense and know where defenders were, impacting their route running – which is now the reason young receiver aren’t catching on immediately.
My take? It’s too early to tell and Nix deserves time to prove the doubters wrong. Whether he can do that or proves everything above to be correct, time will tell. Regardless, you don’t judge the man based on two games – one against Charleston Southern and the other at #5 Florida, both with first-time, brand new quarterbacks.
Everyone wanted a more aggressive attack against the Gators, but the game plan was to slow down the pace of the game and keep it close. Going three-and-out and giving Florida the ball back would’ve made a 26-3 final closer to 40-3. Miami couldn’t afford a blowout and the closer score will pay dividends on Signing Day next February, though that means little right now.
Has Nix made some mistakes? Absolutely. But the first two games of 2008 aren’t indicative of the season. Miami faces no one of Charleston Southern or Florida’s capacity down the stretch. Marve and Harris will only be newbies for so long.
John Lennon wanted you to give peace a chance. I say give Nix one… for now. Let’s see how he responds against aTm and then three straight home games against North Carolina, Florida State and Central Florida.
Marve and Harris will grow every snap they play, as will Nix. He’s heard the negative criticism. Let’s see how he responds. Should he continue to falter, I’ll help the haters lead the charge at season’s end. For now, ride it out.
No one is getting fired mid-season, so let’s can all the “let’s hire (insert name) as our OC” chatter we’ve been hearing. An NFL head coach on the chopping block isn’t going to go from top dog to college OC at a private school not know for paying big money. Especially when that head coach is still has a job in Oakland.
“Regardless, you don’t judge the man based on two games – one against Charleston Southern and the other at #5 Florida, both with first-time, brand new quarterbacks.”
How about on those two games plus a full season’s worth of games with two experienced qb’s. Not to mention his body of work at GT.
How about on those two games plus a full season’s worth of games with two experienced qb’s. Not to mention his body of work at GT.
(1) Two "experienced" QBs? Wright will go down in history as one of the bigger busts in recent memory and Freeman got benched for a freshman at Baylor. Please. Nix had virtually nothing to work with last year, which is why half a dozen true freshman receivers are seeing the field this year.
(2) Miami was a complete joke in 2007. Nix showed some good playcalling against Texas A&M, the second half against UNC, Florida State, etc. while Walton let the wheels fall off on defense. Either way, the entire team was a mess last year – players and coaches.
(3) GT can't hold a candle to Miami talent-wise. Let's see what Nix can do at Miami with Marve, Harris, a running game and a slew of new wideouts.
(4) If Nix can't show something in 2008, I'll be the first on board to say he needs to go in 2009. Right now, it's pointless to talk about firing the guy two games into a brand new season with two brand new quarterbacks.
Make no mistake about it: this will be a tough game. I've watched the two most recent New Mexico games on the mountain west channel which whatever reason DirecTV picks up. In the first they were beat by A&M and while McGhee was knocked out and the backup played very well. Against Arizona, New Mexico dominated most of the game.
So basically A&M is nowhere near as bad as Arizona and for a team like Miami who has been terrible on the road the last two years and is young, anyone who is average presents a challenge. A&M could run the ball with Jovorski Lane but still had trouble throwing it.
This game is important but again we need to focus on the ACC which has bounced back with some decent non league results the last two weeks. I do not want to be embarrassed in league play again this year and that I believe is Shannon's overall focus.
Oh yeah and please give Nix time. Our fans lack of understanding of how bad our talent has slipped and complaining about play calling that actually plays to our offensive strengths (running the ball) sounds idiotic.
Starting off topic, but does anyone else click on the blog some days and it pulls up an older blog from days ago and there is nothing up that I had just seen the prior day?
Anyway….This is one of those games we should and need to win. AtM is primed to be beaten and we need to drive in the stake. If McGee plays, he won’t be throwing to much and we need to make him pay. If Johnson plays, I haven’t seen him, but if he’s a WR and back-up QB he’ll run first and throw second. Stay in your lanes, keep him surrounded and bring the pain. If he throws the ball our D needs to get some turnovers. I know they’re RB is decent if he gets outside with good speed, but if our D play like they did against the gators, we should be good. Wrap up, bring the pressure and get some turnovers. As for the offense, let’s take another step and move the ball. When we run, let’s get good blocking so our guys have a chance to get going. WR’s need to step up, make the catch first, and make a play. Hopefully Nix has a similar gameplan to the game last year which is most wide open he’s been since becoming OC. This is honestly a game we SHOULD win. Now we’ll see if we do.
-Columbus cane
This game is important but again we need to focus on the ACC which has bounced back with some decent non league results the last two weeks. I do not want to be embarrassed in league play again this year and that I believe is Shannon’s overall focus.
Agree about the ACC, but Miami needs to win at aTm. You don’t want to limp into league play 1-2 and lacking confidence. Especially with North Carolina and Florida State on deck. The Canes needs to gain some momentum and build on the loss at Florida…
Oh yeah and please give Nix time. Our fans lack of understanding of how bad our talent has slipped and complaining about play calling that actually plays to our offensive strengths (running the ball) sounds idiotic.
Nix had less than nothing to work with in 2007. Anyone who just ‘expects’ things to ‘work’ this year because of all this new talent… they’re high. You have to walk before you run and as much ‘talent’ as Marve and Harris had in high school, both were brand new entering 2008.
Nix has to turn it up, but he also deserves some times and these kids have to gain some traction. Hopefully they will.
Again, if Nix falters this year and there’s no improvement, pull a Walton and let him go… But to want him out after having nothing last year and green talent two games into this year – I’m sorry, but college football doesn’t work that way and you don’t get instant results.
And yes, I know some freshman have had immediate impacts, but look at the talent around them.
Sam Bradford had a sick offensive line, three running backs and a boatload of wideouts at OU last fall.
Julio Jones is making a mark at Bama, but had an experienced QB and players with more time in the system.
Miami has two new QBs and almost all new receivers. It takes time, people.
The offense produced 1.6 yards per play against Florida.The play calling left alot to be desired.Another conservative game plan will not allow you to see what this offense is fully capable of.Let the playmakers step up and show what they can do.
The offense produced 1.6 yards per play against Florida.The play calling left alot to be desired.Another conservative game plan will not allow you to see what this offense is fully capable of.Let the playmakers step up and show what they can do.
I think you sort of argue against your own point without trying.
You say the offense only produced 1.6 yards per play, but then you say let the playmakers play.
They showed what they could do at Florida and right now, it's not much.
You have two first-year quarterbacks and a handful of first-year receivers. It's going to take time for them to "get it" and start making plays.
Texas A&M is susceptable to the run, so Miami needs to establish a strong ground game on Saturday. Yes, you need to throw the ball, but again, aTm is is 24th in the nation defending the pass.
Running the ball is Miami's bread and butter this week. Establish the run and it'll set up the pass.
The playcalling left a lot to be desired because the opponent was #5 Florida, the stadium was The Swamp – arguably one of the hardest venues in the game – and Marve was taking his first snaps since the 2006 state championship game.
You have to be logical here. What was Miami supposed to do at Florida with a brand new offense? Seriously?
The play was to keep it close, try to steal a win and not embarrass themselves, giving Meyer more ammo on the recruiting trail about Shannon's tenure and the future of the program. Miami didn't get the win, but proved they're not too far off…. which is a victory when you look at the mess Coker left 2 years ago.
"Shannon stated earlier that Marve will continue as starter, but that Harris will see playing time in both halves. While I usually support Shannon, I'm against these 'absolute' type statements.
The talk before Florida was Marve getting three series and Harris getting two. Proving true to his word, that's exactly how Shannon had things play out. Unfortunately, drawing that line in the dirt doesn't allow you to go with the 'hot hand' for the sake of being a man of one's word."
I agree 100%, and also believe this will be his downfall if '08 and '09 are failure (less than 9 wins) seasons. As Harris should be part of special packages and relegated for 'mop up' duty. Or better yet, redshirt him. If we lose him as a result of that decision, there's always Miramar High School QB Eugene Smith we can try recruit.
Nix and Shannon are on the chopping (public criticism) block. Let's hope they perform and produce some results on the field soon. I understand defense is easier to pick up. But damn it man! What Young has been able to do in months speaks serious volumes about what a QUALITY coach can do with the talent Miami has in place.
If Shannon fails, my short list includes:
1) Mike Leach (Texas Tech HC) for HC
2) Mark Richt (Georgia HC) for HC
3) Chris Petersen (Boise State HC) for HC
4) Lane Kiffin (Oak Raiders HC and previous USC OC) for HC
5) Mike Shula (Alabama previous HC) for HC
So let’s see what happens. Key victories for me this year, as for statement games, are aTm, UCF, UNC and Gtech. A&M because it’s a big out of conference watch up we should win (if we’re back to form); UNC because they seem like they’re a year ahead of us (if we’re back to form); UCF as this is the game that says we’re still among the big3 in the state and not below the likes of USF/FAU/UCF (if we’re back to form); and Gtech simply because they’ve had our number four straight seasons (if we’re back to form).
So while an FSU and Vtech win is nice for the ‘rahh-rah’ crowd. The four games above well tell me a lot about how far we have come and how far we need to go.
Gamal – A few things….
Shannon shouldn’t be on this ‘public criticism’ block anymore than Bill Young should be overpraised after one big game.
Lest not forget who HIRED Young and lured him to Miami. The same man who you put on the chopping block.
Shannon inherited the worst Miami team a Canes coach has taken over in three decades. Coker was the first Miami coach to be canned in three decades, as well. Every other recent coach left for supposed ‘greener pastures’ and left the program in either great shape, or relatively good shape.
Nix needs to get things going and deserves the rest of 2008 to do so (which the haters need to live with because he’s surely not getting fired mid-season).
Shannon has recruited like a mad man for two years and made some great personnel moves, firing dead weight coaches, kicking dead weight players off he team and changing the entire culture of Miami football.
As for your short list, you need to be a little bit more realistic here, brother. Only one name on your list would EVER come to Miami.
Do you not remember the lack of interest in 2006 when Shannon was hired? No one wanted this job. If Shannon fails, that means upwards of five down years for Miami Football and an even less desirable gig. Who is really headed south for that?
Richt gets paid a boatload of money at Georgia. There is no way in hell he’d ever come to Miami.
Petersen has a nice pay day at Boise State, a kush gig, owns that region and is a west coast guy. No chance.
Lane Kiffin needs to prove his skills as an NFL OC before he lands another head coaching gig at any level. What’s the facination with this guy? What he did at USC? Look what Norm Chow did there – and he faceplanted at Tennessee and hasn’t done squat at UCLA yet. Sarkasian is running that USC offense on talent alone. Chow looks very average with lesser talent.
Mike Shula is a bum. No chance.
Shannon will be around a few more years. He was the right guy at the right time and he commanded the right salary. Simply put, Miami can’t compete with big time SEC money or NFL money. C’mon now.
Mike Leach really wanted the job, but if you think that crazy pirate loving offensive genius is going to lock down South Florida and recruit like Shannon has, you’re dead wrong.
Be patient.
🙂 No worries, I’m with you AllCanes. I guess the way I wrote it can come across pretty harsh. I agree and realize he was the right guy at the right time and he commanded the right salary. Furthermore, I know Leach wanted the job but at a crazy $$salary$$. And yes, Shannon is(was)a great DC, great recruiter and talented enough to get a Bill Young. I also know he is a first time head coach. I’m not one of those Cane fans screaming for his head. It will take 3-5 years. I know this.
I think I was really trying to hit on two points. As for my 🙂 short list, it is more of a WISH list, in the event of Shannon’s demise.
The points being: his stand by one’s word at all cost approach and the four measuring stick games I mentioned earlier.
Love the blog, love the Canes and love you man (in a manly man way). Keep the great articles coming.
Hey 305,
I am planning to head down to Miami for the FSU game, have you heard anything about whether it will be a noon, 3:30 or night game??
A time for Miami/Florida State won’t be decided until both teams get through some critical games.
If Florida State can beat Wake and Colorado, they’ll be 4-0. Miami would have to beat aTm and UNC to be 3-1.
If that’s the case, bank on an ESPN or ABC Saturday night game. That could happen if both teams are 3-1, but not if they’re any worse.
If that’s the case, Miami and Florida State will most likely be a 3:30pm regional kickoff.
Regardless, I doubt we see a noon kickoff either way.