A few times per seasons there’s one of “those” weekends. Upsets. Close games. Comebacks. Lackadaisical effort. Mistakes. Freak plays. This was one of those weekends and again, a good feeling to know your Miami Hurricanes already had that ‘W’ in the books.
Even with the win, UM fans (and former players) still continue putting their team under a microscope. Entering the contest at Pitt, some called for upset. When the Canes rolled 31-3, the talk turned to the Panthers being not as good as advertised.
On the psychological front, some still complain that Randy Shannon is too stoic while others (including former linebacker Dan Morgan) are calling out Jacory Harris for not showing enough emotion or anger after an interception, as if all players should react in the same manner.
For those of you who still find reason to complain after a four-touchdown victory (in a game where the bookies had The U favored by a field goal), take a look across the board regarding how last Saturday played out for several other programs, quarterbacks and coaching staffs:
>>> The obvious game of the week was No. 1 Alabama at No. 10 Arkansas. Bama rose to the challenge, down 20-14 midway through the fourth quarter, but played like the defending national champs ad pulled out the 24-20 victory, aided by Razorback mistakes.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet has been a Heisman front-runner and the kind of guy that Miami fans want to see under center; the standard, strong-armed, drop-back passer.
Nursing a 20-17 lead with just over five minutes to play, Mallet sailed an errant pass on 3rd and 11 for his second interception of the game. Three plays later, Heisman winner Mark Ingram barreled in for the eventual game winner, but not before Mallet failed again.
Under three minutes to play Arkansas is driving, with Mallet completing three passes, getting his team to midfield before attempting to toss a pass out of bounds, instead sending into the arms of Dre Kirkpatrick. Interception number three, Bama runs clock out and it’s game over.
Should Mallet’s performance make fans feel better about Harris’ four picks at Ohio State? Of course not. But it does show that even those considered the best in the game are fallible. Mallet is a hell of a quarterback, but at the end of the day, he came up with a three-interception performance — the final two late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Again, perspective.
>>>The upset of the weekend came in Austin, against last year’s runner up, Texas. The Longhorns turned the ball over five times against a UCLA that opened the season with a 31-22 loss at Kansas State, followed by a 35-0 home beatdown at the hands of Stanford.
Texas rushed for a paltry 85 yards and was beaten up on both sides of the ball by a mid-tier Pac-10 team. The Horns were considered a national title contender and in one afternoon they were whipped by a nobody and enter next week’s Red River Rivalry with more questions than answers.
>>>Brian Kelly was revered in Cincinnati last season, reaching the BCS and took his dream job this off season, replacing Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. Many Miami fans have revered Kelly, saying he’s the type of guy the Canes needed to go after.
For those keeping score, Kelly’s Irish are now 1-3, losing three straight. Michigan and Michigan State took two from Notre Dame the past few weeks and this week it was Stanford, coming to town and laying a beating on the struggling Irish.
Kelly is obviously a good coach, but this proves that even a great one can walk into a new situation and struggle. All those superfans who swore that a ‘better coach’ than Shannon could’ve come into Coral Gables and done more with the 7-6 squad he inherited (ending his inaugural season 5-7), look at Kelly’s start with the 6-6 bunch he took over – and unlike Shannon, Kelly isn’t a first timer, this being his twentieth year as a head coach.
Notre Dame still must face Boston College, Pitt, Navy, Utah and Southern Cal. Not exactly how Kelly and staff drew it up or how Irish fans expected 2010 to play out.
>>>Hitting a little closer to home and regarding another revered coach, Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson fell hard against NC State, 45-28. Johnson took his ACC Coach of the Year honors out the gate and was praised for his gimmicky triple option, which a few years later appears to be as much of a fad as New Coke.
Years back the Yellow Jackets throttled the Canes on a Thursday night (41-23) after Shannon preached ‘assignment football’ to his team. The Canes wrapped up the 2008 season out of gas and without the personnel and talent to make a legitimate run, stumbling down the stretch. With more pieces in play a year later, Miami at Georgia Tech’s lunch on a home Thursday night showdown, 33-17, holding the Jackets to 228 total yards (95 on the ground).
Georgia Tech ran the ball against NC State, but couldn’t stop the pass as Russell Wilson torched them for 368 yards. Even more frustrating for GT fans has to be the ego and late game decision-making of Coach Johnson.
Just past the halfway mark in the fourth quarter, NC State led 38-28 and Georgia Tech faced a 4th and 11 from its own 30. Not only was punting and playing defense the call, but Johnson put the ball in quarterback Josh Nesbitt’s hands, attempting to throw — not run or option — for the first down. Nesbitt ended the day 5-of-18 for 116 yards, yet he was the go-to on fourth down in a ten-point game where there was ample time to mount a comeback.
Boneheaded playcalling that Miami fans would debate ad nauseam (seriously, people still bitch about the no timeout call against Cal in December ’08), but still praise Johnson for his offense and ACC crown. The lesson here? Good coaches still make idiotic calls. Get over it.
>>>No one is expecting too much out of Penn State this year, but safe bet that trailing Temple 13-9 at the half and ekeing out a 22-13 home win wasn’t in the cards. Next up, Iowa. Look out.
>>>How about two close calls against lesser Florida schools? Maryland needed a few late scores to pull out a 42-28 home win against Florida International, while Kansas State squeaked by Central Florida, 17-13.
>>>Bob Stoops and his adored Oklahoma Sooners had their second scare in as many weeks. After surviving Air Force last week, 27-24, the Sooners had to sweat out a two-point win against a now three-loss Cincinnati squad – one that rallied for 17 fourth quarter points after turning the ball over four times. Cincy outgained Oklahoma 461 yards to 452.
>>>Arizona State surprisingly hung tough with then No. 5 Oregon in a 42-31 loss. The Ducks were averaging 63 points a game going into Saturday’s contest, while giving up 4.3 per game. The Sun Devils were obviously their biggest challenge to date and even with a jawdropping SEVEN turnovers, the Devils still torched the Ducks for 597 yards. Oregon welcomes Stanford next week in a game that could absolutely expose them, even with that home Autzen crowd.
>>>Lastly, after their recent upset of Iowa, Arizona welcomed a Cal team coming off a beat down at the hands of Nevada. Definitely some hype coming out of Tucson this year as Wildcats fans think this is the best team Mike Stoops has fielded during his time there.
41 points against Toledo, 52 against Citadel and 34 dropped on Iowa, Arizona could muster up no more than a field goal for almost 59 minutes last Saturday, finally scoring the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute on the clock.
At the end of the day, I get it, what happens with other teams truly has no bearing on Miami. Other teams losing doesn’t make you feel any better about your team losing. Never has, never will.
The only point of this rant was to help bring a little perspective for the unforgiving, over-the-top fans who expect perfection and dominance each and every week. Those who can’t even see the good in a win, instead choosing to focus on the flaws or imperfections.
Yes, Harris is still throwing too many interceptions. Yes, the Canes should be forcing more turnovers and getting more consistency from its receivers and linebackers. Yes, the Ohio State game remains a small thorn in the side because with better execution and more focus, it was a winnable football game. That said, it’s in the rear view while Clemson and Florida State are on deck.
Miami is 2-1 and there is reason for optimism across the board. Look at what’s happening with other teams on a weekly basis and realize that when your squad wins by 28 points, it’s a good week no matter how imperfect you felt the outing was.
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+1...still hurting from giving ohio state a freebee....look at their tough schedule so far real impressive...Marshall, THE U, Ohio, and Eastern michigan...basically just like Boise they only had us to prep for all off season....not a good reason, but one I will except. That said, there is no tape on Miami that is going to help anyone beat us so far this season, but we learned from Auburn how to get it done at Clemson, and Oklahoma exposed FSU for us, so the next 2 should be Ws.
Just wondering about your thoughts on comparing conference wins VS AQ teams...seems interesting to me that while the ACC has lost alot we also stepped up to play #1, #2, and #3 two away and one semi-nuetral, but not really, just saying Alabama beating Duke means little and Miami losing at Ohio State is at least a legitimate loss...#2 @ home is supposed to beat #12.
Amen Brother! Sanity returns to canes media coverage! I watched the entire Alabama/Arkansas game and i'll take Jacory over Mallett any day! Mallet was at home facing a young Alabama defense with 9 new starters, But he still threw 3 critical ints that were "all" totally his fault! He is still a good player and this won't be his last bad game. But I dont hear any Arkansas fans calling for the 3rd string walk-on to replace Mallett because he completed "two" passes against FLA A&M in a blowout!
But I dont hear any Arkansas fans calling for the 3rd string walk-on to replace Mallett because he completed "two" passes against FLA A&M in a blowout!
COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER!
THIS FAN BASE IS MADE UP OF M-O-R-O-N-S!!!!
Make no mistake; Shannon is the one who created this situation. He cast away Marve and anointed Harris the Savior. So guess what? So, the fan base expects competent QB play from Harris day in and day out. You can argue the merits of such expectations or you can argue that fans shouldn't bash their own but you can’t argue that Harris hasn't been below average this season. The kid has displayed a lot of immaturity (for a Junior/Veteran QB) and that has transferred to the field. Go read his last tweet and you have to wonder why he would say those things. Now, I know some things were said to him that were uncalled for but as a fellow black man, my advice to him would be, “responding verbally won’t do anything, instead, by your success in your craft you will shut those ignorant people up.” I was a Student at UM when Dorsey was in school and he too got criticized a lot by fans. That's what fans do. However, I never saw Dorsey respond or let the outside world see that he was bothered by that stuff. He has to let his play do the talking and in the Ohio state game and the first half of the Pitt game, his play was subpar. I am sorry but 2 quarters of playing under control won’t quell the critics. The fans have seen this Jekyll and Hyde act before. I do like that Shannon is keeping him away from the media because he needs to focus on football. Whether he likes it or not, the burden of been the QB at UM is huge. Especially when your coach jettisons 3 QB recruits to clear the way for you to be the "Man" and at the same time making him the de facto leader of a group trying to return Miami to National prominence. Now for those comparing QB’s and bringing up Ryan mallet, all I will say is if Harris played the way he has against a team like Arkansas, Miami would have gotten blown out. If Harris played against Bama's secondary he would been picked off 6 times. (Young secondary or not, Bama DBs are coached by Nick Saban.) Look guys, fans don't care what the QB's of the other schools do. Remember it’s all about this "U". All we care about is our QB and how he is progressing and the ints are evidence that he is regressing. However, my prayer is that he plays under control and lift his game like I think he can and lead us back to the Promised Land.
Good win for the Canes. They played outstanding defensively, I loved to see the gang tackling and superb penetration by the defensive line. They were in Pitt's backfield all night and forcing 3 turnovers was nice to see for a change. The offense still has work to do as they struggled a bit out of the gate. Fortunately, they were able to get it together in the second half. It will be extremely important for Miami to play at it's best each and every week, needless to say this is the most critical stretch of the schedule. Conference play is here and If the Canes want to make that trip in December, they can't afford to make too many mistakes in October or November. Teams like Virginia tech, Georgia tech and North Carolina have slipped a tad this year but guarenteed they're going to give Miami their best shots. The Canes have to be on their toes the rest of the year and play harder than they did through the first 3 contests. Starting against Clemson, they will need to improve on turnovers, mistackling and drops.
Make no mistake; Shannon is the one who created this situation. He cast away Marve and anointed Harris the Savior. So guess what? So, the fan base expects competent QB play from Harris day in and day out. You can argue the merits of such expectations or you can argue that fans shouldn't bash their own but you can’t argue that Harris hasn't been below average this season.
Disagree with your take on the quarterback woes being "created" by Shannon.
The fact that the only QBs on roster in 2007 were upperclassmen Wright and Freeman, THAT was the problem and THAT was why you had FOUR underclassmen on the roster in 2008 with Marve / Harris / Smith / Cook. Furthermore, the quarterbacks that Coker recruited in the post-Dorsey era were all garbage; especially the ones who "got away" ... Pat Deviln, Nick Fanuzzi, Derek Shaw and Daniel Stegall (opted for baseball).
Miami was ABSOLUTELY DEAD at the quarterback position and Shannon didn't run anybody out. Marve had 2008 to secure the starting gig and he didn't. He was suspended the first game (Miami's last team arrest) and missed he bowl game against Cal because he was cutting class. Kid dug his own grave.
As for Smith / Cook, neither was going to start and being underclassmen, they knew they weren't going to see the field when Harris was gone.
Entering next year you have Harris / Whipple as seniors, Highsmith as a junior, Morris as a r-sophomore and Bridgewater as a true freshman. There will be both depth, experience and years between the four quarterbacks -- not four underclassmen -- so again, you need to realize where the problem started and where it's attempting to be fixed.
As for Harris playing below average, I recommend you go back and read a few articles I've written - both after Ohio State and Pitt. I more than called out Harris' mistakes, issues and inability to step up. I haven't argued that in the least.
The kid has displayed a lot of immaturity (for a Junior/Veteran QB) and that has transferred to the field. Go read his last tweet and you have to wonder why he would say those things.
Again, go back and read a piece I wrote almost two weeks ago. I said all that and more already - https://itsauthing.com/2010/09/turnaround-time-for-jacory-harris.html
Now, I know some things were said to him that were uncalled for but as a fellow black man, my advice to him would be, “responding verbally won’t do anything, instead, by your success in your craft you will shut those ignorant people up.”
Sadly racism has run rampant in football for years and I'd love to see Ray Bellamy - UM's first black player - reach out to Harris. It's pathetic what "motown305" said on Twitter, but if you're going to rise up and be an all time great, that needs to fuel you - not break you. Hopefully Harris can respond accordingly.
I was a Student at UM when Dorsey was in school and he too got criticized a lot by fans. That's what fans do. However, I never saw Dorsey respond or let the outside world see that he was bothered by that stuff.
True, but Dorsey was a freshman in 1999 when things turned around and he played behind a stellar offensive line for the next three years and had more talent at the skills positions than some NFL teams (not to mention a defense that created turnovers).
Obviously it's a hypothetical, but where would Harris be if he came to Miami in 1999 and Dorsey arrived in 2008?
Honestly, how much "criticism" did Dorsey really take? Dude went 38-2 as a starter. (39-1 if you give him the Fiesta Bowl.) That was a different era of UM football, where people were literally bitching that the Canes didn't run up the score and that Dorsey threw a wobbly deep ball. We'd kill for those problems now.
Especially when your coach jettisons 3 QB recruits to clear the way for you to be the "Man" and at the same time making him the de facto leader of a group trying to return Miami to National prominence.
Again, no one was jettisoned. Four underclassmen were on roster and it was a two-man race -- as it should've been. Marve had his shot, blew it off the field and didn't secure it on the field. Had Marve taken care of business and rolled, it'd have been his job. He was pretty good, but not good or great.
Furthermore, what are Marve, Cook or Smith doing these days? Not a whole lot. In four games Marve has throwm for 512 yards, completing 67-of-99 attempts (against lesser competition) and has three touchdowns to four interceptions. In three games Harris has 690 yards, completing 55-of-86 attempts with six touchdowns and six interceptions.
I would absolutely love to see more competition behind Harris, but again the cupboard was bare in 2008 as both upperclassmen were gonzo after 2007. Miami had no choice but to bring in four young guys, three of which left.
Now for those comparing QB’s and bringing up Ryan Mallet, all I will say is if Harris played the way he has against a team like Arkansas, Miami would have gotten blown out. If Harris played against Bama's secondary he would been picked off 6 times. (Young secondary or not, Bama DBs are coached by Nick Saban.)
Big if, big hypothetical and you're missing the point. Mallet is one of the more revered players in the game right now, on Heisman watch lists and 'the guy' that a lot of fans want leading their team, based on how he started the year.
Dude had a chance to upset Alabama and threw two AWFUL, CRUCIAL picks in the FOURTH QUARTER that were 100% on him -- with a chance to hold a lead or retake a lead. In the clutch, dude folded. Period. You can speculate that Harris would've done worse, but no hypothetical here; Mallet threw it away.
Fully agree, 305.
Even if Jacory was Randy's guy, the issue was the four underclassmen quarterbacks. When we signed all those guys, I believed at least two were going to transfer over the lack of starting time created by that logjam. As you said, Coker left that cupboard bare an after Wright graduated and Freeman transferred? What was there?
This is another case of a diehard fan who refuses to take his blinders off in regards to how far Miami had slipped.
Quoting the Ken Dorsey era and what he had to go through regarding criticism? That's as bad as an analogy as saying Harris is dealing with racism the same way Bellamy was.
The Canes are rising up and this is another step in the journey. Shame more people can't sit back and enjoy the ride, instead complaining every step of the way.
Get after Clemson this weekend and let's move to 3-1.
After this weekends games I kept thinking is this one of those years when there will be no undefeated teams? Boise State might be the exception. Canes do your job and win each week and you will climb back up the polls into the top 5 or better
Is Jacory Harris a "liability" (six interceptons in three games) for the remaining schedule?