I’ve been out to spring practice a few times the past few weeks. So far I’ve learned that Miami has very loose hamstrings and can run sprints as well as any team in the country.
In other words, I’ve seen as much football as a Norwegian salmon farmer.
Although it’s possible there are some diehard Jan Stenerud fans over there, what does this mean? It means I don’t find it particularly beneficial to lie and give you my list of who’s hot and who’s not and I don’t see how anyone else in the media can either.
Sure, I can talk to players and coaches and get their thoughts – and I have – but I’m one of those crazy media types that likes to see the goods for myself, which can be pretty tough around these parts.
A side note, as much as I respect this university and love Randy Shannon, I’ll never understand the paranoia that forces coaches to act like spring ball is some sort of nuclear sub exercise in the Pacific. I have no problem with a Thursday practice before FSU being shut down, but to close it all down in March, seems a bit excessive. That’s just the humble opinion of this media member.
Saturday brought us the first full scrimmage of the spring. (Stats are below.) Pay no attention to any of it. What the stats don’t tell is that the receivers had a gazillion drops.
“The guys we’re depending on at receiver had too many drops and the tight end position had too many drops. Just as a total offense, we had too many dropped passes.” That was according to the head coach.
Another Shannon sentiment; the defense didn’t get their job done.
“We had too many missed tackles. We had opportunities to make tackles. Yeah, we’ve got running backs that can make people miss, but we have defensive players that should make those tackles. I’m very disappointed by the way we tackled. I thought we chased the football hard on defense, but that’s the first scrimmage. You’re going to miss tackles. We have a long ways to go,” said Shannon.
Ask me if I’m worried about either of these things. C’mon, I dare you.
It’s spring and I really have a hard time making any kind of correlation between what goes on in March and what goes on in September. Think of spring ball like the first exhibition game in the NFL. I remember Brandon London looking like Andre Johnson at Fins training camp last season. By the end of the first week in September he was looking for a job.
Don’t get caught up in what goes on now. Am I excited about what I’m hearing about Lamar Miller, Storm Johnson and Damien Berry? Yes. Am I going to pencil in any of their names on the Heisman Trophy yet? Of course not.
Because we are such diehard fans, we tend to look at every moment of Hurricanes’ football as if it were the National Championship game. Sometimes you have to take a step back and say, “we talking bout practice.”
Just some other things in no particular order:
– I’m almost glad Jacory Harris is hurt and can’t throw this spring. There’s nothing more scary than an unused, unprepared backup quarterback coming into a game. The fact that A.J. Highsmith, Stephen Morris, and Spencer Whipple are taking all of the snaps is a good thing. They are getting more reps now with the first team than they will ever get when Jacory is healthy.
– If you’re already thinking about how Randy is going to find enough playing time for the running backs, don’t. Running back is the number one position when it comes to getting “nicked.” It will take care of itself.
– Who plays what linebacker position in March is not important. I am going to bet that Kylan Robinson is not the starter when we get to opening day. Don’t fret.
– I really like the two coaching hires. Rick Petri is old school and I want my line coaches old school. He’s rugged, brash and he’s been here before. He’s gonna be great for our boys up front. Don’t be surprised if our d-line starts drinking that raw egg shake that Rocky was drinking before he went for his run.
As for Mike Cassano. That’s my boy. Being that I grew up in Beantown, I’m partial to the guy that’s from the streets of Andover. Plus there are too many Yankee fans on the staff, so to have a fellow member of Red Sox nation in the house makes me feel better about the fall. In all seriousness, I’ve seen Mike coach for a while, here and at FIU. He’s great and now is the time that we need a great running backs coach, with all the talent present at that position.
Here’s a tidbit; on a college staff, many times the running backs coach is the weakest link. He might be a recruiter or he might be a guy that’s just learning the ropes. Hell, he might be a guy that the head coach lost a poker game to. On a lot of staffs, the running backs coach is like the Ambassador to Barbados. Most of the time you’re just making sure your tan is good. This is not the case with Cassano. This guy can flat out coach. He can motivate, he can recruit and he knows the mind of Whipple from their time at UMass. Just a ‘wicked awesome’ hire, in my opinion.
– Finally, can we get the head coach a contract please? Who knows if the numbers that are being reported ($2,000,000) are accurate? I don’t, but, I do know this – the salaries of coaches are going up by the day.
Is Randy going to take a home court discount? Most likely in the end, but if market value for a head coach of a decent D-1 program is $2M, then pay the man his money. Randy has done more than enough to warrant the going rate.
Remember how you felt when we lost to Virgina in the last game at the Orange Bowl? That’s not going to happen again under Randy. This program has improved. The kids are staying out of trouble. They are graduating. He is accomplishing what MOST other Division 1 coaches can’t . At some point we, the diehards, have to put some pressure on the university to get him signed.
I don’t think Randy is asking for some ridiculous amount of money. He’s not going to do that to his alma mater. Give the man most, if not all, of what he wants and let’s get on with the football. Word out of the Hecht is that there is a likelihood of LOSING recruits because Shannon doesn’t have a deal. It’s all fun and games until you start losing recruits. Sign the man… NOW.
Canes305 set up thebeast@allCanes.com so you guys can get a hold of me. I’m going to interview players and coaches this spring/fall and welcome your suggestions or questions.
I hope to see most of you at the OPEN practice On Thursday night at Lockhart. As promised, here are the stats from Saturday’s scrimmage:
Rushing
Lamar Miller – 9 carries, 32 yards, 2 TD
Damien Berry – 8 carries, 48 yards
Mike James – 6 carries, 46 yards
Storm Johnson – 6 carries, 34 yards
Pat Hill – 2 carries, 13 yards
Passing
A.J. Highsmith – 9-for-18 95 yards, 3TDs
Spencer Whipple – 2-for-10 60 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Stephen Morris – 6-for-11 63 yards
Receiving
Travis Benjamin – 4 catches, 49 yards, TD
Thearon Collier – 3 catches, 19, TD
Leonard Hankerson – 2 catches, 50 yards, TD
Kendal Thompkins – 2 catches, 32 yards
LaRon Byrd – 2 catches, 30 yards, TD
Kicking
Jake Wieclaw – 3-for-3 field goals (32 yards, 25 yards, 22 yards)
Scoring
Highsmith – 5-yard TD pass to Hankerson
Miller – 9-yard TD run
Highsmith – 17-yard TD pass to LaRon Byrd
Whipple – 15-yard pass to Travis Benjamin
Highsmith – 14-yard TD pass to Thearon Collier
Miller – 3-yard TD run
Defense
Colin McCarthy- 5 tackles, fumble recovery
Vaughn Telemaque – 5 tackles
Shayon Green – 4 tackles
Steven Wesley – 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Ray Ray Armstrong – 3 tackles, 1 INT
DeMarcus Van Dyke – 3 tackles, 4 pass breakups
Brian “The Beast” London is one of the foremost insiders on all things Miami Hurricanes. He was on the Canes broadcast crew for more than a decade. He hosts a daily online radio show on SoFloRadio.com.
Nice work Beast!
I hope the beast doesn't have ridiculuos notions such as " this is a 5-6 year rebuilding job" .. hopefully you bring a refreshing view to this blog.
Great Work Beast. I know a lot of media folks are upset with Shannon's practice policy and in some cases, it has caused journalists to attack RS. Keep in mind that his policy is less about secrecy and more about focus.
WOW thank you BEAST!!!!! 305 was just staight up clownin with the sh!t he would write…U just made this website 1000x better! GO CANES 2K10 is our year baby!!!!!
ps: 305 dont write not even one more peice…please!
ps: 305 dont write not even one more peice…please!
I'll stop writing if you stop killing us with the typos… neither of which has a chance of happening.
I give it a matter of weeks before clowns like you turn on The Beast once he writes something you disagree with.
You ever think that maybe the reason Beast is on board with allCanes is because he has a similar viewpoint as we do regarding the state of the program?
Nice writeup!
I agree that having Jacory injured could actually turn out being a nice plus for us. If he happens to go down at some point next year we won't have to panic, knowing that Highsmith has seen alot of reps.
I've been following 305 since his Grassy days and I'm an avid reader of this blog.
The comments from this latest Anonymous poster is pathetic. Chris puts heart and soul into this site and I'd argue that his approach is much more logical and passionate than 99.9% of the bloggers or writers out there.
You don't always have to agree with the writer for his or her work to be deemed solid.
Pretty typical that those who knock 305's tough love or realistic approach were probably the same ones stroking him when Miami was on a roll a decade ago.
If the wins are coming and he's pumping you up about the program, you're with him. If he calls out issues with the program while losing four to seven games a year, you're against him.
Look in the mirror as most of you are the problem, not the writers of these articles.
Go Canes.
Mike Vasallo
Kendall, FL
I'm not too concerned about drops because it was the first scrimmage of the spring, your always going to have players making mistakes and miscues this early in the spring. Shannon will address it and correct it, plus this is a veteran recieving corps, the bright spot of last years squad. They'll overcome mistakes. What worries me more than any area of the team are the lines. Can an O-line who had to replace three starters including all-american Jason Fox provide reliable pass protection and give our backs room to create big plays in space? Can Orlando provide the leadership needed? Can our defensive line with the return of Ojomo, Forston and senior Allen Bailey provide much needed improvement to a porous pass rush? Those are more legitmate questions because anyone who knows football knows without the lines, your success on both sides of the ball will be minimal. All other concerns dont weigh as heavily as the issues on the lines. If you fix those we turn the ball over less and create turnovers on defense.
This fan base sinks to new levels by the day.
We're really at a point where some idiots here are trashing Chris? Dude is one of the most logical Cane writers out there.
Really classy bunch we have here at times. On behalf of the idiots, I apologize 305. Keep up the solid work, brother.
Nice read keep up the good work, thanks beast and allcanes!!!!!
Miami has a stable of very talented runningbacks,A veteran recieving corps, and many talented players on both sides of the ball. How successful the canes are this season will,of course, depend heavily on Jacory's performance under pressure. He has to limit mistakes and pass protection is essential in order to do that. When he is hurried he panics and tries to make a play when its not there. On defense, they have to develop a pass rush. Opposing qb's had tea parties last year in the pocket, Clemson's Kyle Parker for instance. If those two areas improve, I can see the U 10-2 and in the ACC title game. An appearence in the National title a strong possibility in 2011. Just my opinion though.
Miami has a stable of very talented running backs, a veteran recieving corps, and many talented players on both sides of the ball. How successful the Canes are this season will,of course, depend heavily on Jacory's performance under pressure. He has to limit mistakes and pass protection is essential in order to do that. When he is hurried he panics and tries to make a play when its not there.
Agreed on all fronts and I've said that time and time again.
Regarding J12, he'll be as successful as the offensive line allows him to be.
Go back and watch the Florida State game last year. Before defensive coordinators knew what Whipple was bringing, Harris had a field day. The Canes' offensive line also had arguably their best game of the season in Tallahassee.
I've said it time and again, but just look at the numbers — Harris was sacked FIVE times against Wisconsin while Ken Dorsey was sacked FOUR times the entire '01 season. That stat is beyond telling.
Harris deserves some slack as a first-year starter in 2010. The seven interceptions against Clemson and North Carolina absolutely changed the course of those two losses and he simply can't perform like that as a second-year junior.
While sidelined, watch film, see the mistakes, understand the game better and improve going into 2010. The o-line must also do their job, as well.
On defense, they have to develop a pass rush. Opposing qb's had tea parties last year in the pocket, Clemson's Kyle Parker for instance. If those two areas improve, I can see the U 10-2 and in the ACC title game. An appearence in the National title a strong possibility in 2011. Just my opinion though.
The lack of a pass rush is something that's been discussed here often. Every great Miami team had a beastly front seven and that simply hasn't been the case in years.
Look back at 2002. Miami lost its entire starting secondary after the '01 season, but the defense didn't miss a beat and those young guys in the secondary (Antrel Rolle, Sean Taylor, Maurice Sikes, etc.) had time to come along because the front seven was downright nasty and didn't put pressure on the corners and safeties to run the show.
Kyle Parker (Clemson) and Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin) were two guys Miami made look all world simply by giving them too much time to dissect the defense. Get pressure on either of them and the Canes win both games. It's that simple.
When your offensive line can't protect your quarterback and your defensive line can't get after the other team's guy… you're not going to win too many ballgames.
Chris… Ignore all the idiots. You're doing a great job!!
Chris, bro you do a great job. I have a feeling I'm going to like the tandem of you and the beast.
Along with the offensive and defensive line, another thing miami must improve on this season is finishing strong. Something we haven't witnessed in a while. To start 5-1 through the first 6 games, especially against teams like FSU, OU and GT, all top 25 teams, was amazing. The second half of the season, they just seemed to run out of steam with a shot at an ACC championship in the balance. I realize injuries didn't help but for starting fairly well the past 2 years and ending the season the way they have, Shannon should emphasize finishing strong the second half of the season this year IMO.
"Pretty typical that those who knock 305's tough love or realistic approach were probably the same ones stroking him when Miami was on a roll a decade ago."
That's the problem, it's not tough lover or realistic. This is the guy who said this is a 5 year rebuilding job. Realistic? hell no. And have you seen the constant excuses? How's that tough love?
Great to see you guys bring aboard the Beast… Love the blog!
305…yeah ima tryin to stop wit da typo"s but PLEESE DONT NOT RITE ANEMOR!!!
ps: i didnt not go 2 da U, or 2 colage, or hi skcool…ok but i reele luv da CANES,,, dis iz hour yeer 2000 and 10 GO CANES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anonymus: from koral gabels
"This is the guy who said this is a 5 year rebuilding job. Realistic? hell no. And have you seen the constant excuses? How's that tough love?"
Humor us as to how long you think the rebuild should be?
Furthermore, what do you consider "back"? It's not the 1980's anymore, Tubbs & Crockett. UM isn't going to compete for or win national championships annually, as no program is. Not Florida, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State or USC.
Is 11-2 back, which the Canes weren't too far off of this year. [Even with a two loss season, UM wouldn't have made the ACC title game].
I tend to agree with Canes305. There's a difference between an explanation and what you're calling an excuse.
No one is "excusing" 9-4 seasons, but some of us accepted how far this program fell under Lawrence Edward Coker. Others of you haven't.
The revered Butch Davis needed six years to right the ship and no one was patient back then, yet everyone now calls him the be all end all in retrospect.
As for the tough love, I was referring to Canes' telling some fans what they don't want to hear as for where the program is, was and is headed. Some of you scream "national championship" or bust every year.
Others swearing it was 1985 all over again and that the Canes were going to roll into Norman back in oh-seven, kicking ass because of Miami's speed, swagger and 3-0 record over OU from back in the day.
Too many of you refuse to see how far things slipped between 2004 and 2007. Randy is fixing things, but changes of this nature don't happen over night.
MV
CANES305, TURN A DEAF EAR. SOME REEEAALLLY MORONS FOLLOWING THE U THESE DAYS. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY!
allCanes… After the loss to Wisconsin, I was one of the first ones to compare Randy Shannon to Nick Saban. Since then, I have taken a deeper look at NS's resume. He has been around the block several times and has a ton more experience than RS. To compare the two is absolutely not fair.
Did you notice that my spelling and punctuation are outstanding?
Straight A's in English at every level.
This allows me to actually use my name and not hide behind the 'anonymous' tag, like so many of the morons that you get to deal with on a daily basis.
allCanes… After the loss to Wisconsin, I was one of the first ones to compare Randy Shannon to Nick Saban. Since then, I have taken a deeper look at NS's resume. He has been around the block several times and has a ton more experience than RS. To compare the two is absolutely not fair.
Saban is one of the better coaches out there, which is very obvious after his recent run at Alabama.
He took over a Michigan State team that was on probation and righted that ship and he won his first title at LSU, proving what he could do at a big time, big money program. He's now doing the same at Bama after tanking in the NFL.
Is Saban a better coach than Shannon? Absolutely. He's also better than about 99% of the coaches in the game, which is why I never understood how he was set as the benchmark.
Crazy how the Miami fan base simply wants to compare 'The U' to any hot team, hot program or top flight coaching staff.
News flash, it's 2010 and this is a private school with a smaller budget, attempting to compete with big time state schools and football factories. UM will have to shuck and jive it's way to the big time and simply can't rely on a huge athletic budget and big time booster money like the large programs in little shitkicking towns like Gainesville, Tallahassee, Athens, Baton Rouge, Columbus, etc.
First of all….welcome aboard Beast! Look forward to reading your posts along with AllCanes!
I've said this before…I'm happy with the progress the Canes have made. Look at all the so called "top flight programs" who were disappointments last year. We are talking about: USC, Michigan, Georgia, Notre Dame. The Canes had a better year than any of those teams and we are going to be better this year.
2010 football is going to be great! I'm extremely happy that the Canes are traveling to Pittsburgh (where i currently live) and to Columbus this coming year as i can go to both games! I look forward to cheering the canes on with some of you and other alumni.
It's only March people, chill! Let's enjoy the Spring and Summer and let's be proud of our Canes and the job Coach Shannon has done. All of us should be happy about where this program is heading! It's going to be a great ride!
NEW HERE, WASUP FAM! "U"
allCanes… Like you said, Miami is a private school with a smaller budget.
That's what makes our 5 championships that much more amazing.
I think now in 2010, there are so many teams with so much talent, all across the board.
That makes it so much tougher to win a national championship.