Not since Flutie…

Eleven games later it all comes down to this. Miami at Boston College. The Eagles are in the ACC Championship game next weekend while the Canes are in a must-win situation if they want to go bowling this post-season.

2007 isn’t how any of us envisioned it. My gut told me 8-4 entering bowl season, at worst. I never saw 6-6 or 5-7 and losses to the likes of North Carolina, NC State or Virginia. I expected more out of this defense and thought that a Randy Shannon attitude adjustment could have more of an immediate impact than it did. I believe the future’s still bright, but the present remains murky.

Make no mistake about it, Miami needs to win on Saturday. All this talk about the program being better off losing, focusing on recruiting and the fan base preferring no bowl over another lower-tier post-season game? Hogwash. Nothing good comes from the season ending tomorrow. Give these kids one more month of practice and something to play for.

True, Shannon and staff could spend some more time on the recruiting trail if not prepping for a bowl game, but what about the recruits headed to town mid-December for their official visits? Those kids want to see some action. Greentree can’t be a ghost town from now until spring.

Opinions have varied regarding effort and whether this team has thrown in the towel or not. I lost some faith after the 48-0 beatdown Virginia served Miami, but remained mildly optimistic after last week’s loss 44-14 at Virginia Tech. 

Kyle Wright got his ass beat, took a lickin’ and kept on tickin. The senior quarterback has been an overall disappointment since taking over in 2005 and while you can question his decision-making, you can’t question No. 3’s heart. Wright wants to go bowling and has one more shot to make that happen.

Rumor has it, the Canes will get the invite to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, CA – miles away from Wright’s hometown of Danville if they can upset the Eagles on Saturday. The fans may lack steam, but to some of these players it may as well be a BCS game. 

Of course talk is cheap and it’s time to prove it on the field. 1-5 in their last six games, Miami needs to quit talking about what it’d mean to make the post-season and get it done come game time. Boston College is beatable. They’re not the physical bunch Virginia or Virginia Tech were. They don’t boast a running back like Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice. They’re not loaded top to bottom like Oklahoma.

The Eagles have a hell of a quarterback in Matt Ryan, some capable receivers and the nation’s second best rushing defense – but they’re a team the Canes match up well against. Miami is 23-3 against Boston College lifetime and haven’t lost to the Eagles in fifteen games; Hail Flutie in 1984. 

Of course all streaks are made to be broken and stats are for losers. I won’t argue that. If there’s any year Miami should go down at Chestnut Hill, it’s 2007. Still, many felt the same in last year when the Canes were in a similar position (5-6) and pulled the 17-14 upset to earn a berth in the Blue Turf Bowl. Kirby Freeman handed BC the game on a platter (3 interceptions, one for a TD) and defense stole the show. 

Come Saturday, it’ll be Wright who has to steal the show and a bend, don’t break defense who can’t give the game away. Miami will need more production than the -2 rushing yards at Blacksburg last weekend, but senior leadership from a much maligned quarterback has to will Miami to a win. 

Freeman got his signature game weeks ago at Florida State – one of a few bright spots this horrendous season. Wright is still searching for his and has one last shot at redemption. The table is set. Can Wright deliver and will his teammates get on board and get their jobs done?

We’ll see. Dropping 5 of the last 6, there’s little reason for optimism. That said, watching college football this year, how can you count anyone out? Since sitting pretty at 8-0 and ranked No. 2 in the land a few weeks back, the Eagles are 1-2 since and have been exposed. 

Sunshine State rival Florida State was the first to prove Boston College’s vulnerability, forcing Ryan into three interceptions in a 27-17 loss. The Noles threw for 371 yards that Saturday, didn’t turn the ball over, outrushed the Eagles (81 yards to 63) and dominated the time of possession (35:04 to 24:56).

The up and down Noles needed a near flawless game and a defensive score to pull the upset, but the then 5-3 bunch dug deep and did just that… as did Maryland a week later. 

The Terps pulled the 42-35 upset with 421 yards in the air, a 21-point fourth quarter lead and hung on down the stretch to steal the win. 

Based on the past few weeks, a Miami loss should be in the cards tomorrow. There’s no reason to truly believe the Canes will string together the near flawless game it’ll take to steal one in Chestnut Hill. That said, I’m waking up with my last remaining ounce of optimism and going into game day believing Miami will deliver one final time in 2007. 

The same way the odds are in BC’s favor to finally topple The U, after losing 5 of 6, the once 4-1 Canes are also due to wake up and play to their potential one last time this season. We’ll see. 

One last shot. That’s what Saturday is all about. A meaningless game? Sure. On most levels. BC is already headed to JAX and at best, Miami earns a slot in a lower-level bowl game. That said, there’s still a streak on the line here. Fifteen straight. 

As if this Miami bunch doesn’t already have enough baggage; back-to-back six-loss seasons, getting worked in the OB finale, 13-14 in its past 27 games, etc. do they also want to be the team who Boston College finally stepped up and smacked down? Pride is on the line… again. It’s a test these Canes have failed all too many times this season. Can they finally respond?

This still-full-from-Thanksgiving critic is in bleeding heart mode this final weekend of the season. If I sit here as a fan feeling like enough is enough, I can only imagine how this team feels. Backed into a corner. Repeatedly beat up – both on the field and in the press. At some point, you come out swinging. No one wants to remain a punching bag forever.

I have no logical reason to expect Miami to get it done, but I’ll go with the gut on this one. Call it a feeling. I’ve been wrong oft, but in my heart of hearts I believe things finally go the Canes way on Saturday. Wright steps up and plays a solid game. The Miami defense finally shows up. The U gets some early momentum and pulls one out against a BC bunch already focused on the ACC title game and a match up against Virginia or Virginia Tech. 

At least that’s my best case scenario on a cozy and comfy Thanksgiving weekend. If logic and reality have anything to say about it, the Canes continue fizzling out and are less than a day away from 5-7. Until then, I’m keeping hope alive. 

We’ll reconvene on Monday. For now, go enjoy one last weekend of college football and spend some time with your loved ones instead of online reading this pointless drivel. 

Happy Thanksgiving from Canes305, yo.

.:Canes305:.

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