Canespace

U Got Me Under Pressure

This article was written by CaneSawMassacre exclusively for Canespace...

The pressure and weight of the entire Cane nation rests on the shoulders of one young man.  This is somewhat ironic and probably even harder to handle with the pain he constantly feels in one of those shoulders as he sleeps. 

That doesn’t worry the young man, the pressure or the pain that is. He thrives off both.  In fact it appears that he actually thrives off everything that knocks most people off their game. 

Growing up, he was constantly told he couldn’t, that he wouldn’t be able to succeed as a skinny underweight kid from Liberty City.  Even though all along he knew what he would be the starting quarterback for his football team. It didn’t matter what team he was playing for, starting from Pop Warner to now as the leader of The University of Miami, he always expected to be “The Guy”. 

Jacory Harris was a 6’4 164 pound freshman when he arrived January as an early enrollee to the University of Miami. He had major expectations for himself as Mr. Football in the State of Florida and just coming off his second consecutive high school state championship.

Harris had an unblemished record as the starter, going an amazing 30-0 against the best of Dade County. He compiled those victories against top competition, with comeback victories in crunch time, and blow out victories on prime time. Jacory Harris had played live football on ESPN before most kids in Miami got E.A. sports NCAA football to live out their dreams.

As he prepared himself for the 2008 season during grueling two-a-day practices with his new team there were questions.  Lots and lots of questions the maniacal fans were asking out loud. 

Was he big enough and strong enough to play college football?  People were worried that he might get hurt in practice with our own players accidentally hitting him. 

Were a lot of his accomplishments due to the amazing talent that surrounded him his two years as starter?  After all, he did have 14 teammates get division 1 scholarships to programs around the country. 

Would Jacory even get the opportunity to play?  There was already a Mr. Football from the State of Florida who was on campus and he was the incumbent starter.  Not to mention that this Mr. Football named Robert Marve, just happened to be a freshman himself. 

Marve had redshirted the previous year due to a severe hand injury he suffered in a car accident. This all meant if Marve was really good or equally as good as Jacory, Marve could potentially be a starter all four years that Jacory was on campus.

Often times though things have a tendency to work themselves out. Jacory surprisingly began the season off as the starter for 2008. Due to a controversial suspension of Marve for an incident that occurred during the offseason, Jacory would be the starting QB for the University of Miami against Charleston Southern.

Despite the weak competition Jacory played very well and showed an enormous amount of poise for a true freshmen.  I remember my father asking me in the stands, "Do you think we have a quarterback controversy? There is no way Shannon starts Marve for the UF game after the way this young man just played." I laughed at my father, as much as I enjoyed Jacory’s performance I still believed Bobby Drama was the future and hope of this program.

Much to my father’s dismay and much to my chagrin Robert Marve started the UF game for the Miami Hurricanes. Jacory patiently waited for an opportunity to play and was anxious for any chance to show that he belonged.

Despite his great performance in week 1 he knew people would question the competition and he wanted to compete against the best. He wanted a chance to go out there and play against the Gators, the third ranked team in the country.

Harris was very excited and a little bit nervous because he knew he would play at some point because of discussions with coach Shannon, Coach Nix and Marve. It was already agreed that whatever happened both quarterbacks would play to try and gain experience in case something happened to one or the other.  

So instead of pestering the coaches and tormenting himself, Jacory focused on the game and what the UF defense was giving Robert Marve from the sideline.  He was confident he had spotted a weakness.

Finally, Jacory was called upon by the coaches. They wanted him to go in there as a change of pace, and try and jolt the offense. His calm demeanor was evident as he strolled out onto the field at “The Swamp” with 70,000 screaming fans getting increasingly more volatile.  As he reached the huddle he gave a slight pep talk and called the play. He was backed up and standing at his own goal line.

As the Gator defense set-up he noticed the defensive back lining up the same way he had before on the sideline. Immediately Jacory called an audible, screaming loudly to assure that his teammates heard the call. The ball was snapped and Harris threw a dart out of his own end zone for a completion and a first down.  The ESPN announcers complimented the Hurricanes offensive coordinator for a “gutsy” call, never knowing that the young freshmen had just called an amazing and daring audible himself.

As the season wound down the situation between Bobby Drama and Shannon was on very icy ground.  So as the Emerald Bowl rolled around, Robert Marve was suspended and Jacory Harris would finally get his second start of the 2008 season. Robert Marve didn’t even make the trip with the team. 

The game was a very close and hard fought game for both teams. Cal brought there “A” game with running back Jahvid Best  having a great game for the Bears.  Despite Jacory playing a pretty good game, a late fumble proved to be crucial. Jacory attempted to tie up the score and bring his team back, but it was evident that Coach Nix had failed this team by not preparing them properly for the two minute drill. 

As the time wasted away, Coach Shannon's disgusted face indicated Nix was done at UM. Jacory showed disgust because this was the first time he had lost a game as the starting quarterback for his team.

Jacory felt sick and felt he let down his team. As the team gathered together on the buses, Jacory marched on to both the offensive and defensive buses and apologized for his performance. He apologized to all the seniors who had to go out with a loss and that bitter taste in their mouths. But he made a promise to rest of the team that he would not let them down again.  He vowed to bring this team, this program, Coach Shannon, and his brethren back to the promise land.

As the 2009 season is set to start, the pressure of the Cane nation is weighing heavily on Jacory Harris.  The skinny kid from Liberty City has the opportunity to do something huge here and he wants it more than any fan will ever know.

So as he wakes from another long night of sleeping on his sore shoulder he doesn’t worry.  The pain is only something that will make tasting victory so much sweeter. 

He believes in his players and they believe in him.  He believes in his coaches and they believe in him.

Are you ready to believe in him?

Twelve And Oh

This article was written for Canespace by blogger Aqua...

 

Eight wins, zero losses. Your Miami Hurricanes are rolling. The month of November is what separates the men from the boys. On paper, the task is inevitable. Win at all costs. Leave it all on the field and you'll be rewarded with a trip to a BCS game and possibly a shot at the National Championship. The dream is becoming a reality. This last month shapes up as a test of consistency for your Miami Hurricanes. 

Virginia- Last year's game featured what's is now being called "the drive" amongst Canes fans. Jacory Harris engineered the game-tying and winning TD drives in the games final minutes and OT. The defense came alive in OT and forced the game winning turnover. I'm not sure what to expect from Virginia at this point. They spent this off-season installing the spread offense and QB Marc Verica returns after a freshman season that included throwing for 2,000 yds and competing 63% of his passes. If he can improve his 8td's to 16ints ratio Verica can be a dangerous weapon. During "the drive" Jacory used play-action on nearly every passing play and it was effective. Virginia's 3-4 defense was neutralized and the Canes attacked deep. I expect the weather to be a factor in this game.  

North Carolina- This is a game I want bad. I can't stress it enough. As bad as it's been having lost to UNC the past 2 years, both came as the Canes were throwing into the endzone. No excuses, right? This year the Canes need to play hard for 60 minutes. Sounds cliche, but mental lapses early in '07 and late in '08 kept UNC around when prior teams would've ended it quickly. As for UNC, they return oft-injured QB T.J Yates, and playmaker RB Shaun Draughn. On paper, North Carolina's defense looks like the strongest front 7 in the ACC. Lead by MLB Quan Sturdivant and DT Marvin Austin, look for them to provide consistent pressure up the middle. Miami will need to counteract this with a well-timed passing game. I could see Miami using the spread to their advantage and going with 5WR sets in key situations. Miami can pose some mis-matches in the secondary with bigger WR's Streeter, Byrd, and AJ. RB's Cooper and both James can line up in the slot and make teams pay. Kendall Tompkins, TB, Pimp Collier and Davon Johnson offer QB Harris plenty of weapons underneath. This is the toughest game left on the Canes schedule. 

Duke- The Canes return home for what, barring a birth in the Orange Bowl Classic, will be the last home game of the season. It'll be a homecoming for Duke Sr. QB Thaddius Lewis. Earlier I mentioned this being a test of consistency for the Canes. This is the game I'm thinking of, hopefully the Canes will respect what the Blue Devils built and come out ready to play. If not Duke will make this a game. Years past players like Devin Hester would take over games like this and pad their stats. Special Teams could break open this game and let the Canes cruise. Considering what this years senior class has been through, I expect them to push the underclassmen to a new level. You just don't lose your last home game of the season. 

South Florida- Never take an in-state team lightly. The South Florida (really?) Bulls of Tampa Bay have made a name for themselves since Miami sent them home with a 27-7 loss back in 2005. As with most flavor of the month schools, USF has been brought back to reality since rising to the #2 ranking in 2007. They do, however, return QB Matt Grothe, 54 catch WR Jesse Hester Jr, and AJ Love. Mike Ford leads the running game. I'd expect George Selvie to be matched up with Jason Fox as little as possible. Miami should be swarming to the ball on defense and causing turnovers. By this game Miami will have already clinched a berth in the ACC title game and have an inside track on the BCS title game. Heavy responsibility for a team that was road kill 2 seasons ago. I see a tight game that turnovers play a role in. 

 

As for the rest of the season I expect to see the Canes having a rematch with FSU in the ACC title game. I picked Graig Cooper and Sean Spence as my Legends of the Fall and expect them to have All-American type seasons for this to happen. Hope to see you at the Rose Bowl this January.

Vote For Me!

So now that Canes fans have voted and we know that the majority of Canespacers believe that the Canes will win three of their first four games (41%) and finish the season at 10-2 (45%) we want to know the details of how this is all going to happen.

Since it was recently revealed to all of us that these accomplishments happen from the talented players on the field and NOT from any coaching they may receive, we want your votes on which players are going to make all this winning happen.  So now we ask that you vote here and vote often for your leading rusher, receiver and tackler for the 2009 season:

Leading Rusher: Graig Cooper lead the Canes with 841 yards in 2008.  This year Cooper, 2008 starter Javaris James and Emerald Nut Bowl star Lee Chambers will be pushed by the hard running former Safety Damien Berry and incoming freshmen Mike James and Lamar Miller. Vote now:

Leading Receiver:  Last  year Aldarius Johnson, as most people predicted, led the team in catches and yards.  LaRon "BIG" Byrd led the Canes in TDs with four. This year many predict that it will be Thearon Collier who goes big and deep and often.  What do you think?

Leading Tackler: Last year Glenn "I can't tackle but I can really" Cook led the team in this category.   The second leading tackler, Safety Anthony Reddick, is also no longer taking up space on the field.  So in 2009 who is going to lead this team in tackles?

U Are So Predictable

I know that it is still very early and I know that there are still many unanswered questions regarding the 2009 University of Miami football team, but we thought it would be a fun exercise to see where the fans are right now in terms of their predictions on how this coming season will play out.  So we thought we would post these two polls to get your feedback on where your Miami Hurricanes currently stand and what you think of their potential for the 2009 season. 

The first poll is about the dreaded first four games of the season that some have described as suicidal and others have labled "Murderers Row".  We need your prediction of what the Canes record will be after games against the Seminoles, Yellow Jackets, Hokies and Sooners:

Next we need your season prediction on how the 2009 season will turn out.  Will they go 7-5 and barely get out alive?  Or will the Canes go on the 8-4 Magical Mystery Tour?  Will the football Gods Let It Be 9-3?  Or will Canes fans be screaming 10-2 and it's all about this U!

Rip It, Shake It, Drink It

This blog was written for Canespace by blogger Aqua...

 

Sunday morning October 4, 2009 your Miami Hurricanes will wake up as a legit title contender.

 

The national media will be quick to jump on the Canes bandwagon. Interviews and cover stories will be requested of Coach Shannon and Company. What was thought of as impossible, going 4-0 to start the 2009 season, is now a reality that College Football is forced to deal with.

 

The Canes are officially back, and in a really big way.

 

Now, you see, the fun has just started.  The payback tour has begun and it's going to have some interesting stops along the way.  October is Miami's busiest month with 5 games being played.

 

FAMU: Not much of a game, more of a barometer. This is a game I personally enjoy, the crowd is usually lite, Canes depth is on display, and I might even actually watch some of FAMU's marching 100. I said might. Anyways, what's most important to me is seeing QB depth. I'd like to see what Taylor Cook does in this game. Cannon Smith should see PT, possibly the freshman Highsmith too. Games like this are what frustrated me with Coker. We'd run the ball all game when you'd think it would be a good time to work on the passing game. Thankfully, Coker is long gone and I really hope this game is more for fine-tuning the offense and getting PT for the rest of the depth chart.

 

University of Central Florida: This is where Aqua's memory gets a little fuzzy. You see, I was physically at the game last season, but might have been drinking a little too much penny rum (ouch). Like any good alcoholic, my memory of this game is hazy at best. What I do remember was that Miami let UCF hang around way too long and it gave them confidence. That being said, this is another game where talent and playmaking ability stacks to the Canes side.

 

UCF has two Sophomore RB's in Brynn Harvey and Latavious Murry.  Murry measures as the power back at 6'3 215, and lead the RB's with 3 TD's. UCF's passing game returns their top six receivers lead by Brian Watters. This is a game where Miami's D-Line needs to pressure UCF's QB Rob Calabresse into mistakes.  Considering Miami's depth at DE, guys like Oliver Vernon and Dyron Dye should start seeing an increased role by this point of the season. Turnovers could make this game lopsided quickly. Check for this game to tell you where Miami's offense is heading into the mid-way point of the season. Miami should be clicking, as with most good Canes teams the ball will be spread out.

 

Clemson: Last time the Tiger's (how original) came to South Florida I sat in the rain and the Canes lost in OT. A year later UM and Clemson would meet in an epic 3OT game that would go down as the game loudest in College Football history. History says expect a wild one. I look at it as a "known-unknown". Clemson will bring their version of the Thunder and Lightning in Jamie Harper and CJ Spiller. That's the known part.  The unknown part is Clemson's QB play. Willy Korn tops the depth chart but after that little is known about Clemson’s QB corps.  They do, however boast a speedy WR core with Jacoby Ford returning for his senior season. The defensive line for Clemson is legit and presents problems for any team.

 

Expect the Canes to use 2TE sets to double team on DE's Bowers and Sapp. Once again Clemson has speed in the secondary that forces the Canes to game plan on running the football between the tackles. I'd love to see Damien Berry and the not so Baby James to chew up the interior of the field. Clemson's weakness was obvious last season in giving up 33 sacks, it's up to Miami to bring pressure and blitz with discretion. Look for Clemson to neutralize LB's Spence and McCarthy with RB's lining up in the slot.

 

Wake Forrest: The word is out, Wake Forrest's 2006 ACC title was, a fluke. Wake Forrest never impressed me. Riley Skinner is a decent QB and that's about it. Facts are he's been sacked no less than 23 times in a season and has never thrown more than 13 TD's in a season. Is this a player that scares you? Hope not, because this is the trigger-man for Wake. He could have a Carson Palmer like senior season and I could be wrong, no doubt. But I'm willing to bet that we'll see the same grind it out offense from Jim Grobe we saw last year when Wake ran it 50+ times at Dolphin Stadium. Do they have playmakers?  I'm not sure, but if the Clemson game is an intense one, I expect this to be closer than the experts think. If Miami's strength is their D-Line, this game needs their consistency to be the backbone. No big gains, no mental errors.  This is another mental test for Canes. The Canes are on paper the better team.  And they will prove it on the field.

The Jack Attack Heads West

This article courtesy of www.hurricanesports.com the official web site of the University of Miami Athletic Department...

Former University of Miami guard Jack McClinton (Baltimore, Md.) was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, held in Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday evening.

McClinton becomes the 17th Hurricane overall and the fourth since 2002 to be selected in the NBA Draft.  Guillermo Diaz was the last Hurricane taken in the draft, picked 52nd overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2006.

The Spurs, four-time NBA Champions in a nine-year span from 1999 to 2007, also selected Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair with the 37th pick of the 2009 NBA draft.

McClinton joins fellow ACC alumni Tim Duncan (Wake Forest) and Roger Mason (Virginia) on the San Antonio Roster

"I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to play for a great organization like San Antonio", said McClinton. "I've worked for this my whole life and appreciate all the support from my family, coaches and former teammates. I am very excited for this next chapter and look forward to playing for Coach Popovich and the Spurs."

Miami's first two-time All-ACC First Team selection, McClinton led the Hurricanes in scoring for three-straight seasons - including 19.3 points per game as a senior in 2008-09. He wrapped up his career as the ACC's most proficient three-point shooter, converting a league-best 44.0 percent over his career, while averaging 3.01 treys per game - the fifth-highest average in conference history.

McClinton, winner of the three-point contest at the 21st Annual College Slam Dunk and Three Point Championships in April, scored a career-high 38 points in the 2008 NCAA Tournament first round win over St. Mary's (Calif.) and posted three-straight 30-point games as a senior versus Wake Forest (32), Duke (34) and North Carolina (35), becoming the first Hurricane to finish with 30-plus points in three-straight games in 20 years.

The 12% Solution

OK, OK, I'll admit it. 

I'm Aqua and I'm a recovering Kool Aid addict.

In writing this feature for Canespace I didn't just drink the Kool-Aid.  First, following the advice of fellow Canespacers, I snorted it dry from the box. 

Then I dove in head first and went swimming in a pool of it!  And I'm talking deep end kind of stuff.  Way deep.

Here's a break down of the season (in an Aqua-kinda way) for you die hard 12%ers.  And remember:  If you are not part of the (12%) solution, you are part of the problem.  

FSU:  This one should be so easy a caveman could do it. FSU has no clue what to expect from Miami on offense. Film from the last two years won't be able to prepare FSU for the new looks our Whipple-lead offense will show.

Also do you wanna play WR for FSU? You probably could considering what they have returning from those players who haven't been suspended or arrested. Honestly, how often do you hear about an O-line being the strength of a team? Well, that's seems to be FSU's strength going into this season. Not, a WR or a RB, but the OL is supposed to be dominant.  OK, fine. 

My question to FSU fans: What happens if and when Miami gets pressure on Ponder? Who's gonna make Miami pay? Maybe Taiwan Easterling or Jermaine Thomas, but I don't see anyone on FSU's roster that can break open a game like LaRon Byrd or Aldarius Johnson. Did I forget tmention TB and Coop? The playmaking talent Miami has on offense and their experience from last season should be the deciding factor in this game. Miami has more playmakers in this game. I can see FSU's secondary keeping up in the first half but by the second half they'll be tired and Miami's WR rotation will break open the game(C'mon, it's FSU they always cramp up).

Considering the recent history of this game when it's played on Labor Day it's usually a sloppy low-scoring affair. Miami winning this game may serve notice to the talent the Canes posess, but it'll be a couple of games before the nation realizes the Canes are for real.

Georgia Institute of Technology: Rohan Marley once told me stopping the run is about a man's pride. If you lack the courage it takes to take a man's best shot and ask for more, you won't stop the run. It seems like some of you forgot what the score was the last time we beat GiT.

Here's a refresher 2004 Miami won 27-3. I know, Brock Berlin (seen here getting his just and final redemption against the dreaded Gators) was QB and Coker was HC, things were different.

Enough has been written and debated over their option offense. Here's my take: It's an old system that's seen it's day and has its limitations. Am I saying it can't be effective? No, see last years game. What I will say is look at the amount of points they gave up to UGA and LSU.

Three starters on the defensive line are absent, and Tenuta isn't on the other sideline called blitz after blitz. But, they do have Morgan Burnett, a future 1st rd pick, playing safety. Miami's passing game will need to be precise and mistake-free to stay on the field. My opinion: this game is more about us than them. When we have nearly 10 days to prepare and it's early in the season, I expect a full effort being made. Our depth at DL and LB will be crucial at keeping guys fresh throught the game. Getting stops against this offense is key. At any point I'd ask the kids, "Do you want it more than them?" Cause if you do, you'll find a way to win the game.

Virginia Tech: I find it funny reading through all this preseason drivel that everyone is picking VT to beat us. Hello? Didn't we beat them last year on the strength of Bob Marve's legs? Didn't we out Tyrod, Tyrod? Well, I guess not in the eyes of the national media. They're defending ACC champs(like that means anything) and finally won a BCS game (golf clap). So, I get it. But if you think just cause they beat Cincinatti I'm worried about losing to them, your mistaken.

This game does set up as a dog fight. VT does have a pass rush, their secondary is legit and matches up well. Coming off of a Thursday night game home game and another 9 days to prepare for VT's chop-blocking, we should be well-schooled on the chop-block. This is a game where I see our RB's catching passes outta the backfield making a big difference. VT's secondary is one of the best in the nation, Jacory will have to use his feet to keep them honest.

This might be the closest game of the year. Beamer has a conservative approach that just might cost him a W. Tyrod Taylor and Darrell Evans make a one-two punch that's tough to defend. Speedster Dyrall Roberts will be a threat on special teams. Sound tackling will be an important factor in this game. VT's methodical approach on offense will test the Canes fundamentals on defense. It's on the LB's to once again step up and make stops in their backfield. Marcus Robinson had 3 sacks in last year's game and expect VT to test UM early to see if Miami is going for kill shots or playing disciplined.

Oklahoma: If things go as planned in the first three games and Miami is still undefeated, then this will be a big one. Primetime, and they earned it. I see UM being a top 10 team by this point and this will set up the rest of the season. Home game and revenge will be on the minds of Cane fans.

Bob Stoops, recently, has nothing but bad memories on Miami's home field, and the Canes can add to it. How does UM pressure Bradford into mistakes? Can the defense contain Demarco Murray and Chris Brown? This could easliy be a high scoring affair. Question is, how does Miami keep up? Has too much of the Whipple been exposed?

On paper, this is UM's toughest game. My take: Generally speaking, when the Canes are confronted with a dynamic challenge like Oklahoma's spread offense, they tend to raise their level of play above and beyond what's expected. This is pretty much my only hope for this game. OU dropped mad points on Miami in '07(I was there, shout out to mm01, he was 2 rows in front of me) and they had no clue.

Granted UM was playing Randy Phillips at CB, Pat Nitz called for an option on the goaline and many more blunders I could go on about but choose not to. I digress, three games into the year the Canes will need some luck and I'm talking about injury luck. With the type of intensity those first three games someone's gonna get hurt, unless the Canes are up by 35 points most of the starters will play the majority of games.

So let's say everyone important is healthy, this game will need Miami's secondary to step up and make plays. Vaughn Telemaque and Brandon Harris need to get their hands on a ball and make Bradford think twice before he goes deep. I actually like how Miami secondary matches up with OU's WR's.

Offensively, once again, Miami needs to play ball control and keep the OU offense off the field. Miami's gonna need to use it's speed in the open field to create mismatches. Mismatching Coop on a safety, Pat Hill being used as a decoy and Javarris James being effective between the tackles can control the pace of the game.

By this game, I'm hoping that either a true freshman or red-shirt makes an impact. Maybe Tommy Streeter becomes a big deep threat for Jacory. Mike James can spell Cooper or Javarris for a bit. Or, Lamar Miller can provide a spark returning kicks. This game stakes Miami's claim as a legit contender and sets up an interesting conclusion.

Stop by later on this week for the next four game summary. 

And from now on, it is BYOKA!

Taking The Sting Out Of The Yellow Jackets

During the extremely difficult first four games on the Hurricanes 2009 season schedule, none of them may present a more intriguing matchup than the Canes second game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

Last year under then first year coach Paul Johnson, Tech had an excellent season finishing at 9-3 and along the way beating arch rival and 13th ranked Georgia, #16 FSU and #23 Miami.  

Against Miami the Tech option offense ran over, around and through Miami's "swiss cheese" defense for an amazing 472 yards en route to a 41-23 victory in Atlanta.  At the time, UM was ranked 23rd in the polls and still had a very legitimate shot at the ACC title. 

But it was not to be as the Canes were demoralized by the loss to GT and dropped out of the top 25 for good after their unsuccessful road trip to the 407.  Miami would go on to lose to NC State at home before being chased down and mauled by the Cal Bears while eating some tasty Emerald Nuts in some minor bowl game out on the West Coast to close out their less than satisfying 2008 season.

This year, the Yellow Jackets will take a trip to the 305 and pay a visit to the newly renamed Landshark Stadium where the developing Hurricane defense hopes to take a huge bite out of talented Tech QB Josh Nesbitt and star running back Jonathan Dwyer. 

So in our never ending effort to win more games in 2009, we studied Georgia Tech, their statistics and their game against the team that beat them most decidedly during the regular season: Butch Davis' North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Here is what we found and believe will be the keys to the game this year in South Florida:

Hold Tech To 17 points:

  In each of the three regular season games GT lost in 2008 they were held to 17 points or less.  Virginia beat the Jackets 24-17, VT beat GT 20-17 and UNC beat Tech 28-7.  Tech will get their yards, but preventing the big run, playing good red zone defense and keeping them out of the end zone is the key to success.  In 2008, GT had scored 17 points by halftime and wound up with 41 points against the Canes.  In 2009, Miami's defense has to step up, step into the holes and make sure tackles when they have their shot.

Message to John Lovett, who coached at UNC last year and was named the new Defensive Coordinator at UM this off-season: The Canes need you!

Score First:  In 2008, Tech scored twice as much as their opponents in the first quarter (74-37).  This early lead allows GT to play ball control, run their option offense and chew up the yards and the clock.  Butch Davis' Tar Heels scored first and held a 7-0 advantage after the first quarter in their game against GT.  Miami trailed GT 10-0 early, 17-3 at the half and 27-3 in the third quarter before late fourth quarter rally led by Jacory Harris.  That will not get it done in 2009.

Control Field Position: Teams that make the Yellow Jackets work their way down the length of the field are much more succesful at stopping their potent running game.  For example against UNC Tech's starting field position was their own 25.  Five times during that game they started inside of their own 20.  And, everyone knows that the best way to control field position is to...

Win The Kicking Game:

In their game at UNC, Tech not only missed two first half field goals (30, 42) but lost the kicking game.   On average, the Tar Heels gained 9 yards on each kickoff and 11 yards on each punt.  Twice the UNC punter boomed kicks of over 50 yards and three times he pinned them inside their 20. 

Matt Bosher, the Canes need you!

Win The Turnover Battle:  In the UNC game the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over three times in the second half (two fumbles and one interception) to help the TarHeels maintain their lead.  In the Miami game GT helped themselves by picking off two interceptions, including one that was returned for a TD, in the first half.  If Miami can force GT to put the ball on the ground by disrupting the option with good penetration into the backfield by the DEs, then the Canes may get the big, game-changing play on defense that they were sorely lacking in 2008.

ACC Goes To Prime Time

The Atlantic Coast Conference's 2009 Dr Pepper Football Championship Game will return to prime time national television this year, with an 8 p.m. (ET) kickoff on ESPN, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced Wednesday.

The 2009 Championship Game will be played on December 5 in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

"We are pleased that the 2009 ACC Football Championship Game will be nationally televised by our partners at ESPN," said Swofford. "Prime-time exposure is always a plus and will be an excellent showcase for our divisional champions to compete for an ACC title and a BCS berth."

The prime time kickoff is the first for the ACC title contest since the inaugural game in Jacksonville in 2005.

The ACC Championship Game has been played at 1 p.m. in each of the past three seasons. The first four ACC Championship Games were televised on ABC.

The ACC was involved in two of ESPN's highest-rated college football games of 2008.

The Miami at Florida (5.0) regular season contest was the network's highest-rated regular season game.

The Champs Sports Bowl (5.2 rating), which featured Florida State and Wisconsin, was the national sports network's highest-rated bowl game of the 2008 season.

This article is from www.theacc.com. the official web site of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Gators Looking For A Bail Out?

By now I am sure that most of you have already heard about all of the police reports and public accounts of the arrests of Florida Gator football players over the last five years.  What you haven't heard is how they made bail or were able to secure expensive legal representation for their legal problems.  But no need to rush ahead, we will get back to that later.

Before we get the all of the sordid details, lets take a step back from the frey.  When you talk about the Florida Gators no conversation ends without the mention of the Gators greatest player, the now legendary quarterback TimTebow. 

So, as it turns out, the Pope was unable to attend the NBA playoffs but he did manage to get his official designee, the honorary Tim Tebow, courtside seats to the Orlando Magic home game.  It is good to be king!  Or at least friends with people in high places.  Very high places.

You see young Timmy, who has been described as the ultimate leader, the occasional preacher and sometimes circumciser was able to squeeze the game in while his Gator teammates were out there running wild in the streets. 

Yes, while the Gators' "style and profile" arrest number had been hovering around 24, the new number of Gator arrests or "incidents" appears to have landed firmly at 27 (for now).  At least according to Ben Volin at The Palm Beach Post's "Gator Bytes" blog who today posted this:

"We always strive for accuracy here at Gator Bytes, and in the sake of fairness, it is only proper that we clarify the actual number of police incidents that have involved Florida football players since Urban Meyer came to town in December 2004. 

While the universally-accepted number has been 24 “incidents” — arrests, sworn complaints, etc. in which charges were actually filed — a little research has turned up three more incidents, pushing the number to 27 (until we find more)."

Then there are these insightful and seemingly incredible comments coming from Mike Bianchi (surprise of all places) inside of the designated Gator safety zone of the Orlando Sentinel:

"And does anybody believe fans at Florida State and Miami wouldn't trade a few arrests for Meyer's national titles? Coach Bobby Bowden at FSU has only had 13 arrests in four years. Coach Randy Shannon at Miami has only had 2. Both of those coaches are on the hot seat because they don't win like Meyer wins.

The Gators won the 2006 national title mainly with defense, and perhaps the most dominant player on that team was defensive tackle Marcus Thomas, who broke multiple team rules before finally being booted off the team late in the season.

The Gators won the 2009 national title mainly with offense and perhaps the most talented offensive player was Percy Harvin, who was suspended from competition during his senior season in high school because of anger issues.  Harvin managed to somehow stay out trouble and remain eligible at Florida, but when he recently decided to turn pro he immediately failed an NFL drug test.  Presumably, those tests were easier to pass at UF (or did he have a tutor take them for him?

Are all of Florida's arrests over the last four years serious crimes? Not at all. There is the usual array of alcohol-related collegiate antics. But there are also nine felonies. That's unfathomable, especially for a coach who came to Florida and bragged that UF would recruit "only the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent." Who knew Meyer was talking about the top 1 percent of America's Most Wanted.

And now we know why Tim Tebow is so skillful when he goes to prisons and preaches to inmates during the offseason. He gets plenty of practice — in UF's own huddle."

So now let's track where the courtside seats, the bail money and the cash flow for the extensive legal representation costs for each of these cases...oh, wait, I am being told that maybe, just maybe we shouldn't go there.  They have won National Championships and we should look the other way?

Does any more really need to be said?  I don't think so...