Random thoughts on Miami/Louisville 2006

>>> This one is going to sting for a while. Not because it was Louisville. Not because Miami lost 31-7. Not because the Canes are sitting at 1-2 for the first time in almost a decade. This one stings because of how far Miami has fallen since its level of dominance 2000-2003. You really want to depress yourself, go back and watch the 2002 Rose Bowl tonight. We are eons away from the program we were then.

>>> Several visions danced in my head as Miami stomped out the Louisville field logo after warm ups. I saw ghosts of Hurricanes past – remembering defiant acts like the 200+ yards in penalties in the 1991 Cotton Bowl. Seconds later, I remembered a ‘fired up’ bunch of Canes entering the Georgia Dome for last year’s Peach Bowl against LSU. I wasn’t sure which Miami team showed up to talk some pre-game smack and I gave the Canes 50/50 odds in the ‘all bark, no bite’ category.

>>> If I could ask Larry Coker and Rich Olson a question today, it would be, “what was our game plan against Louisville?” This is the third week in a row I’ve watched the Canes and wondered what the hell that team is doing out there. You could SEE the Louisville game plan on both sides of the ball. Exploiting Miami’s man coverage on defense. Blitzing Kyle Wright from all angles – and mixing up which defenders they were going to rush. It kept a weak Hurricanes offensive line completely off balance. The Cards had a game plan, but a day later I still can’t tell you what Coker, Olson and Shannon drew up going into the biggest game of the season.

>>> It’s only fitting that Darnell Jenkins, this team’s biggest offensive threat, is sidelines for 3-4 weeks. If Miami didn’t have bad luck, it wouldn’t have any luck at all.

>>> Why was Greg Olsen spending the majority of his day blocking? Yeah, I know that the line is weak and that they need help – but this is a big time TE here. Olsen needs to be an offensive weapon, either catching balls or drawing the double team and leaving another receiver open. That said, #82 – when a third down pass hits you in the mitts, you HAVE to catch it. For all the hype, sadly I remember more Olsen miscues than I do stellar catches. Olsen has 8 catches for 79 yards – not against Louisvile, but on the entire season. That’s sad.

>>> Olson and crew need to figure out when to use particular backs. Up 7-0 in the red zone, Tyrone Moss is your running back, not Charlie Jones. I’d say that whether Jones fumbled or scored the touchdown. Moss is the best blocking back this team has. Neither Jones or Javarris James can hold their own back there yet. Let both Jones and James get their carries midfield – especially with James’ ability to break one. But deep in Miami or Louisville territory? Stick with your best blocker and downhill runner, Tyrone Moss.

>>> Anyone questioning Bobby Petrino’s offensive scheming, look no further than what he’s done with his back ups. The Cards back up QB and RB found a way to score 14-0 against the Canes’ vaunted defense. Petrino was continuously one step ahead of Shannon. Watching the game, there were times everyone swore a run was coming and Louisville threw. The two final Cardinals’ scores were brilliant. Louisville ‘took what the defense gave them’ and capitalized.

>>> Regarding Miami’s defense, how can you play man coverage and STILL not get pressure on the quarterback? All I heard this off season was how deep Miami’s defensive line would be. Where’s the pressure? Baraka Atkins? Brian Pata? Calais Campbell? Eric Moncour? Kareem Brown? How could these guys not penetrate the Louisville offensive line with a back up QB and RB in the game?

>>> Kyle Wright voiced his opinion before the game, stating that the Canes wanted to “kick their ass” in regards to Louisville. Today he is eating his crow like a man. He said that ‘big talk’ doesn’t win games and admitted that Nate Harris was right; Miami is no longer Miami.

>>> Furthermore, anyone who wants to blame Wright for this loss – they are dead wrong. This kid isn’t the next Ken Dorsey – but he also doesn’t have 10% of the offensive support Dorsey had. As a sophomore, Dorsey was throwing to Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, Jeremy Shockey and was handing off to James Jackson, Clinton Portis and Najeh Davenport. A year later, Moss, Wayne and Jackson were gone, but Dorsey had Andre Johnson and Willis McGahee in the mix. A year later Shockey is gone and Dorsey gets Kellen Winslow II.

Put Wright with that offensive talent and behind the 2000-2002 offensive lines and tell me that Wright sucks. Wright turned down USC and Texas to play for The U. Where do you think his career is today in 2006 had he gone to either of those programs?

>>> I shut this game off at 31-7. This is the first time I’ve shut off a Miami game since the Peach Bowl. Before that, I hadn’t walked away from a game since 66-13 at Syracuse in 1998. I couldn’t stomach watching Louisville celebrate nor could I listen to the media rip us for the pre-game antics. Had Miami won, the ‘Cards stomp’ would’ve blown over. Talk some pre-game smack, wear that U on your helmet and lose a road game, 31-7? You’re giving Miami haters an open invitation to pour it on.

>>> There are rumors of a emergency Board of Trustees meeting today regarding the future of Larry Coker. I’m sure this is the first of hundreds of rumors we’ll win this season. We’ll see how is all plays out. I can’t see Coker fired mid-season, but stranger things have happened. Paul Dee is already in hot water over the Ferne Labati lawsuit, the Perry Clark firing and Coker’s extention. Firing Coker midseason is an admission that the extention was a bad idea. In an attempt to save face, I believe (for now) that Coker is here through 2006 and anything less than a BCS game results in his firing.

>>> Regarding past coaches – has anyone called Butch Davis yet? What did Greg Schiano think when he saw “Louisville 31, Miami 7” scroll buy on the ticker? What about Dan Werner and Art Kehoe? You think seeing the Canes getting worked helped them get over Ole Miss’ 31-14 loss at Kentucky? I can only imagine ol’ Donny Soldinger watching this debacle at home on the tube. Running backs fumbling and whiffing on blocks? If Sol was dead, he’d have rolled over in his grave.

>>> A quick note to my Seminoles bretheren – before you start blowing up my Inbox and text messaging me, you might want to wait until the clock hits 0:00 on your game. The only saving grace for me last night was seeing Clemson upset Florida State in Tallahassee. I called for a 19-16 Tigers win in my blog yesterday, but I’ll take 27-20. I can just imagine the look on my buddies faces (yeah, Molbes and Savage, I’m talking about you) as Clemson drove the field and scored in the final seconds. Sorry guys, but BOTH our programs are in a world of hurt right now. Florida beating Tennessee late – that makes matters even worse. Don’t sweat it, though. The Gators face LSU, Auburn and Georgia in October. The Urban Legend won’t escape that run unscathed.

.:Canes305:.

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