The Beast : Just The Facts

When I sit down to write for this blog, most of the time I am motivated by the desire to share my opinion.

I used to be able to jump on the radio and throughout the course of two or three hours, get all my thoughts out. I don’t really have that outlet any more, so you guys get to read it.

As I sat down last night and thought about the possible return of Mr. UM himself, Art Kehoe, I started thinking back to 2005, replaying that season in my mind.

For the first time in forever, I’m offering up some facts, with zero opinion behind them. The facts speak for themselves and you, the reader, can come up with your own analysis.

Sometimes it takes time to put things in proper perspective.

– From 2001 – when Larry Coker took over – until the end of 2005 – when staff changes were made – the Canes went 53-9. Over the next five years the Canes went 35-29. (Kehoe, Don Soldinger, Dan Werner, Vernon Hargreaves and Greg Mark were let go, Curtis Johnson took another job and a year later Mario Cristobal left for FIU.)

– Miami started out 2005 with a 10-7 loss to Florida State. It was a game that came down to a botched field goal attempt that would have tied the game. It was the Canes first loss in Tallahassee since 1999.

– Miami went on to win the next eight games, winning by an average margin of victory of close to 24 points. In early November the Canes trekked to Blacksburg and spanked the third-ranked team in the nation (UM 27, VT 7) – a game most pundits had Miami losing.

– After pounding Wake Forest the following week, third-ranked Miami prepped for a rescheduled game with Georgia Tech on November 19th and fell, 14-10. Twice during the game the Canes faced fourth-and-short opportunities where Coker decide go to go for it, instead of kicking difference-making field goals. Miami was stopped on both occasions.

A win still would’ve kept Miami out of the Rose Bowl, trailing two undefeated squads – the Reggie Bush-led USC Trojans and Vince Young-led Texas Longhorns, who played for it all in a thriller.

– Miami rebounded from the deflating loss with a win against Virginia and was selected to play in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.

– No. 10 LSU, led by back up quarterback Matt Flynn and running back Joseph Addai beat No. 9 Miami, 40-3.

– Flynn, making his first career start went 13 of 22 for 196 yards and no interceptions.

– Following the Peach Bowl debacle, four staff members were let go and a total of sic coaches left that staff (Greg Mark was fired in October of that year). Of the six, four were on offense.

– The seven coaches that left that staff (including Cristobal the next year) had a combined 19 championship rings.

Other Random Facts in regards to Art Kehoe

– Including Joe McGrath and Sherko Haji-Rasouli, who play in the CFL (and have won Gray Cups), there are fourteen of Kehoe’s players that are playing professional football.

– In what seems like an almost improbable feat, three of Kehoe’s players are starting on the same offensive line in Houston. Eric Winston, Chris Myers and Rashad Butler all played at ‘The U’ at the same time.

– Between them, Vernon Carey and Bryant McKinnie have earned close to $100M in the NFL.

– Did you see “The Blind Side?” Baltimore Ravens tackle Michael Oher, the offensive lineman that is the subject of the movie and the book it was based on, was coached by Kehoe at Ole Miss.

– Kehoe is the only coach to be a part of all 5 of Miami’s National Championship teams

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