Canespace

How The Noles Will Beat The Canes

This blog was written by Seminole fan and Canespace blogger "scUM" as part of the "UM-FSU Canespace Challenge".  On Thursday the opposing point of view will be offered by Hurricane Fan and Canespace blogger "Loco".  Here is Part I...

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To me there is no better rivalry game than the Florida State Seminoles verses the Miami Hurricanes.  These teams defined college football through the 80’s, 90’s and even into the new century.  This game is going to be a hard-fought struggle between two teams that were once sitting on top of the college football world and are hungry to get back.  And this game is a turning point for both teams.

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Miami is coming off a very tough fourth quarter loss at home to UNC and is sitting at 2-2 (0-1).  A win would get Miami back into the hunt for the Coastal division while a loss would put the Canes in an up hill struggle.  The Seminoles will be riding the momentum from last Saturday’s win against Colorado. FSU is looking to get to .500 in the ACC and build on its 3-1 record.  Both teams look very similar but one team is going to emerge from this game as the better team.  Here’s how the teams stack up against each other:

Quarterbacks                           Edge: None

Let’s face it, neither team holds the advantage in this category.  Robert Marve’s QB rating is slightly higher than Christian Ponder’s but the stats for both quarterbacks are very similar.  Both Ponder (seen here) and Marve are going to be put to the test this Saturday.  Miami’s offensive line has given up 8 sacks so far this year and FSU’s defense has sacked opposing QBs 13 times.  The one wrinkle that could affect this category is the possibility of Jimbo Fisher bringing in Devontre Richardson who has shown the ability to break long touchdown runs.  The D’vo package could be brought into the game for a change of pace if Ponder struggles to produce in the red zone.  Ultimately, it’ll come down to which QB doesn’t make the mistakes that could cost their team the game. 

Running Backs              Edge: FSU

FSU has three very capable backs led by Senior Antone Smith (seen here).  So far, Antone has rushed for over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns. Sharing the workload is Jermaine Smith a freshman who has surprised the coaching staff has rushed for 162 yards and two scores.  Add to these two the playmaking ability of Preston Parker.  In the two games back from the suspension Parker served earlier this season he has yet to get into the groove of the offense but he has shown he can makes things happen at anytime. These backs combined with good run blocking are why I give FSU the nod here.

Receiving                                 Edge: None

The numbers are too similar on both teams and both teams possess talent and playmaking ability at this position.  Both teams are extremely deep at WR.  Even though FSU holds the slight edge statistically I’ll call this category a draw.

Rush Defense                           Edge: Slight FSU

Both teams have held their opponents to about the same number of yardage so both teams can stuff the run.  However, FSU has yet to give up a rushing touchdown while the Canes have surrendered three.

Pass Defense                            Edge: FSU

Miami’s defense has allowed 250 more yards and twice as many touchdowns as FSU so far this season.  The Noles received some additional help on defense last week as the remaining players serving a four game suspension were back on the field.  Cornerback Tony Carter (seen here), who was held out of the Colorado game for injury, will be back in time for the Miami game.  Everette Brown and Markus White have proven to be a good DE duo.  Combined with Budd Thacker and Justin Mincey clogging up the middle the pass rush should provide plenty of pressure on the young Miami QBs.

Special Teams                          Edge: None

Both FSU and Miami have returners who are capable of taking it to the house anytime they touch the ball.  With great defensive play, like what I’m expecting in this game from both teams, comes the battle of field position.  Which punter will be able to pin the other team inside the 5?  Can FSU’s punt rush block it’s third kick of the season?  The answers to these questions will have a huge impact on the game.

Home Field Advantage             Edge: None

When this game kicks off at 3:30 Saturday afternoon half of Dolphin/Hurricane Stadium half of the stadium (or more) will be decked out in Garnet & Gold joining together to make the Warchant sound loud and proud in Miami.

Prediction                    FSU 24  Miami 13

Three Reason’s We Lost

Blog written by Rhonny Dillon for Canespace...

After watching our ‘Canes go down Saturday afternoon in our ACC opener, it was clear we are a young team and will make mistakes, but unlike the Florida game, this one should’ve been ours.

In my opinion, here are the THREE main reasons we lost this game:

1. CLOSING
Coach Shannon stressed all week that Miami played great last Saturday vs. A&M but that we should have closed the game better. After leading the game 41-10 Miami let up two late meaningless TDs. That might have a lot to do with our inexperience. Maybe after sitting on a lead late in the game our players got a bit cocky. In the UNC game, Miami had a 24-14 lead with 9 minutes left in the game, only to lose 28-24. Now we can’t put all of the blame on the players. Conservative play calling had a lot to do with that, but I’ll get to that later. I’m sure going into Saturdays showdown with FSU, the coaching staff will make sure our team will play for 60 minutes.

2. SECONDARY
In coach Shannon’s press conference after the game he said our secondary was the biggest reason we lost. And that was clear to anyone who watched this game. The Tar Heels receiving duo of Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate combined for 195 receiving including a 74 yard-TD by Nicks in the fourth quarter. The thing that was most upsetting had to have been the cushion our corner’s were giving on plays. We always pride ourselves on speed, especially in the secondary, so why not hit them at the line and make them beat you with their speed? One bright spot I will say was the play of Brandon Harris. He’s showing he’ll soon be our #1 corner at some point in this season.

3. PLAY-CALLING
Was it just me or did you also notice how predictable Nix’s play-calling was in the game. Every other play seemed to Marve lining up in the shotgun and handing the ball off on a draw play to Graig Cooper. As soon as North Carolina began to notice it, Nix did nothing to adjust his play-calling. Our biggest Achilles-heal last year was the lack of depth at the receiver position. We don’t have that problem this year so didn’t Nix go deep with any pass plays? Last week everyone was quick to praise our OC for the ‘Canes putting up 41 in College Station, myself included. I hope now we wait and see a few games before anointing Nix as the next Norm Chow in college football.

I hope after reading this you don’t think I’m just a bitter fan. It’s just that we had a lot of opportunities to win Saturday’s game, and let them slip away. Like I said before we’re young and we will learn from games like this. And before you start posting messeges on how much you hate Kayne Farquharson, keep in mind he’s our most experienced wideout and personally, I’d take him in the same situation next time.  GO CANES, BEAT FSU!

Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

What a difference a week makes.  This week, after giving up 14 fourth quarter points and dropping a heartbreaking 28-24 game to the North Carolina Tar Heels, your Miami Hurricanes now stand at 2-2 (0-1 in the ACC) on the young 2008 college football season.

The Canes players, coaches, fans and pretty new stadium were simply not up to the task of winning the first big game for the Canes ever held there against ACC Coastal Division rival and former UM Head Coach and current UM antagonist Butch Davis.  The win moved Coach Davis to 2-0 against former apprentice and current UM Head Coach Randy Shannon.

So far, Miami has reached this point of the season by beating Charleston Southern and Texas A&M and losing to the Universities of Florida and North Carolina.  It is beginning to seem that every time the Canes are ready to take that next big step forward they wind up taking another step backward in their development and progress as a team.  Let us review...

The 2008 season began in late August at The New Place (TNP) against Charleston "Chucky" Southern when the Canes came out and dominated a significantly inferior team and scored over 50 points for the first time in three seasons.  UM fans left the first game at TNP simply giddy and brimming with confidence.

Then the team with The U on their helmets traveled into The Swamp and proceeded to score all of three points aginst the then fifth ranked Florida Gators. In spite of losing to Tebow of Nazareth and The Swamp Pope in gainesville, Canes fans were proud of their young team's effort in a hostile environment against a highly ranked opponent.  Hope was not only alive, it was growing stronger everday.

Next Miami went into College Station and proceeded to beat up and beat down the Aggies of Texas A&M.  The Canes won convincingly as they did against the Aggies in 2007.  Hope had now morphed into dreams of an ACC championship for the majority of positive and optimistic Canes fans.

Then, those dreams were crushed (again) only one week later on the dirt and the turf of TNP Stadium against the Tar Heels of North Carolina.  The Canes played well, looked good and even held a 24-14 lead with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.  They appeared headed to their first ACC win of the season and the sparse crowd at TNP was feeling good. 

Then the offense went stale (conservative?) and the defense went soft (not aggressive?) as the Canes gave up 14 points in what has become their nasty little habit: losing the fourth quarter.  Canes fans had not only proudly demonstrated but actually invented the practice of holding up four fingers go into the fourth quarter of games.  UM teams used to dominate the fourth like no other teanm in college football history.  Fifty-eight straight was often displayed as "exhibit A" to prove that it was true. 

Now, Canes fans can be found hiding their hands in their pockets during the transition to the fourth quarter at games.  We did not see a single fan in the pathetically small crowd at TNP Stadium hold up four fingers at yesterday's game.  It seems that tradition may have been left behind in the once revered and now demolished Orange Bowl.  Hopefully it will make it's return someday, but it was nowhere to be found on this cloudy, overcast Saturday in September at TNP Stadium.

The (very small) Legion of Canes fans that attended the game could be heard saying the same things over and over again as they left the stadium:

"Here we go again, another season of questions, doubt and concern about all things orange and green.  Can Shannon, already a Hurricane hero as a player and defensive coordinator be successful as a head coach?  Can Nix get it done as an Offensive Coordinator?  Are these young, unproven players really the stuff champions are made of?"

These questions will be answered quickly next week when ACC foe and in-State rival Florida State Seminole comes to town.  Will the Canes take another big step forward, or another small step back? 

A win against the 'Noles will give the Canes a 3-2 record and even their 2008 ACC record at 1-1.  A loss to FSU and 0-2 start in what was considered a weak ACC conference in 2008 will have the fans asking even more and maybe different questions next week.

The Short List To South Beach: Week Five

At week five of the season The Shortlist to South Beach stops looking at the losers and starts concentrating on the survivors in the race for one of the two coveted spots on the final Shortlist.  Only 47 teams remain in the running and they are listed in no particular order as follows:

Southern Cal, UConn, Louisville, Ohio St., Minnesota, Clemson, Iowa, Miami (FL), UNC, Michigan St., Duke, Ball St., Florida, BC, Texas, Arkansas, Auburn, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Purdue, Colorado, FSU, Cincinnati, WF, KSU, California, TCU, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Kentucky, Oklahoma St., LSU, USF, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, PSU, Utah, Nebraska, Northwestern, GT, Missouri, BYU, Boise St., Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Kansas.

Five winners found themselves bucking the odds and staying for at least another weekend on the Shortlist by pulling upsets from marginal to monumental and include the following:

1) Ball St. refuses to bow out for the umpteenth time this season and wins the battle for the state of Indiana against the Hoosiers on the road.  Brady Hoke's team is one of, if not the, feel good story of the season so far but how long can he continue to ride the tiger as the season slogs on?  So far the Cardinals have had all the answers but it seems to me to only be a matter of time until it all falls apart.

2) Michigan St. hands the most popular college team in America and in the world it's first loss of the season while shutting the Irish of Notre Dame out for three quarters.  Mark DiAntonio was obviously the brains behind the Sweater Vests' miracle run to a tainted title in 2002 with the Ohio State Buckeyes and continues to make a name for himself as a builder of second tier schools.  The last coach who suceeded at Michigan State was Nick Saban, is DiAntonio on the same career track?  I wouldn't be shocked if he was.

3) Boise St., the poster boys of BCS party crashing, catches another break as they spoil the Oregon Duck's season after destroying another quarterback on the roster and edging out a victory.  With only a game against Fresno State looming as the last major hurdle to another undefeated season the question now becomes is the Pacific 10 bad enough to discredit Boise's upset?  I would say of course.

4) Louisville starts to turn things around from last year's debacle with a solid victory over Kent State.  With Big East play now looming the Cardinals have a puncher's chance to run the table and finish with only a single loss to Kentucky on their record by season's end.  They will need a lot of help to reclaim what little squandered prestige last season cost them in the public's eye but don't be shocked to see them ranked higher and higher as the wins should begin pilling up on the cupcakes that litter the remainder of their slate.

5) Georgia Tech lays an absolute thumping on Mississippi State in a battle of mid-level SEC and ACC programs.  Paul Johnson proved his worth year in and year out at Navy and now tries to bring the Yellow Jackets up to the big boys' table in the BCS discussion.  Expect this well coached team to cause problems for every opponent they face from here on out.

Five BCS schools find themselves eliminated from championship discussion in embarrassing fashion last week and the victims read as such:

1) Oregon provides another punch line for picking on the perennial whiniest of all BCS conferences by falling at home.  Southern Cal's road to an undefeated season is paved with pretenders and this Boise St. result simply underscores that fact.  At this rate I'd rather see a one loss SEC champion against an undefeated Big 12 champion over an undefeated Trojan team getting handed their first BCS championship game berth simply for wearing a fashionable piece of laundry while scheduling Notre Dame on top of a rebuilding Virginia and an overrated Big 10 also ran.  Of course keep an eye out for all the questionable Pac-10 official calls to start breaking Souther Cal's way from here on out as they are the only thing that conference has to promote itself with now.  Collusion is alive and well in 2008 in college football, trust me.

2) Tennessee turns the heat back up on Phil Fulmer by talking a great game and then delivering anything but against Florida at home.  I've chimed midnight for the big orange pumpkin many times before only to watch him find a way to weasel his way back into job security but this time just feels different to me.  The 1998 National Championship was one that defined the word "lucky" on Rocky Top but a decade later the, "What have you done for me lately," mentality in Knoxville may have finally reached a critical mass in the fan-base.  Whether the same can be said for the athletic department will remain to be seen.

3) Baylor finally falls by the wayside by the slimmest of margins on the road as Art Briles proves that he although he's a great coach, he doesn't walk on water.  Still Briles will be a force to be reckoned with in Waco as the Bears have finally gotten a man who can work within the limitations of the program and still deliver results.

4) Indiana falls to Ball St. and suddenly the feel good story of last year has woken up with a hangover less than one year later.  The Hoosiers will have their work cut out for them from here on out as they attempt to return to bowl eligibility.  No word on whether the hardwood payback game in basketball will actually go down this year or at a later date but you can be sure that the hoops Cardinals have a major receipt due at some point in the future.

5) Iowa St. falls in overtime on the road to UNLV as Gene Chizik doesn't impart the importance of handling business before pleasure enough on a trip out to Sin City.  I'm sure the strip clubs after the game took some of the sting out of the Cyclones pain, but not all.

I expect these teams to find themselves outside looking in by next week on The Shortlist to South Beach:

Arkansas, Purdue, TCU, Illinois, UNC.

The BCS conferences begin to feast upon themselves in earnest this week and only TCU has the chance to pull another shocker of all time this week on the road against Oklahoma.  Butch Davis returns to face his former team while hoping to find a way to keep his new starting quarterback alive under a heavy Bill Young blitz.  I like TCU's chances slightly better to pull the upset as I expect the Hurricanes to make a statement to the rest of the ACC as to who should be considered the slumbering giant of the conference with an alarm clock going off in their ear. 

That sound you hear Saturday is the knocking of the knees of the rest of the league when the final gun sound.  Nothing in college football goes as planned anymore these days though so don't bet the house or anything, if your rate hasn't adjusted you right out from under your roof that is, but expect Miami to use this week to send a message about just how far back in the pack the Heels are while their bandwagon continues to fill up.  Enjoy the games this week and I'll be back next week as we start to bring the championship race into clearer focus here on the Shortlist to South Beach.

Copyright 2008 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

15 Things You Don’t Need To Know About the Tar Heels

This blog was written by SolarCane for Canespace...

1. UNC’s last winning football coach was named Dick Crum.

2. UNC is the oldest public university in the United States established in 1795.

3.  North Carolina provided the countries largest amount of pitch and tar during the wooden ship building era. This was one explanation for the term "Tar Heels".

4.  During the Civil War it was said Carolina’s volunteers would “stick” to the ground and fight rather than retreat, like they had tar on their heels, the more traditional explanation for the term "Tar Heels".

5.  The color Carolina Blue is in reality pantone #278 no matter what they try and tell you.

6.  Every running back on the Tar Heels current roster is a freshman or sophomore.

7.  The coolest names on the Tar Heel roster are LaCount Fantroy and Cooter Arnold.

8.  There are six Tar Heels in the College Football Hall of Fame.

9.  There is one Tar Heel, Lawrence Taylor, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

10. UNC was the first college football team to throw a forward pass in a game.  The punter panicked and threw the ball for a seventy yard touchdown against UGA 1895.

11.  At the beginning of the fourth quarter at home games Hell’s Bells by AC/DC is played while the players and fans hold up four fingers.

12.  UNC provided the world’s first internet radio broadcast on WXYC radio.

13.  There are currently 26 former Tar Heels playing in the NFL.

14.  There are 5 players from Florida listed on the UNC football roster.

15.  Butch Davis’ salary is $ 2,100,000 compared to Shannon’s $ 1,500,000.

Kyle Jolly On the upcoming game at Miami: "They are young, fast and they bring a lot of pressure toward the quarterback. Any game is an opportunity for us to improve and get a win on our record."

Mark Paschal on the upcoming game at Miami: "Miami is a good team, they beat Texas A&M soundly last Saturday. It is going to be another challenge defensively. They have a lot of talent and speed, but they are little young and inexperienced."

Quarterback Mike Paulus: "My job is to go in there and finish it off and run my drives and put points on the board. The first one (interception), I'd say yeah I forced it. We had little bit of a drive going there, completed a few passes, had a nice couple runs. When he (Yates) came off he told me let's go let's finish it. I recognized all of them (blitzes) as soon as they came, I tried to get rid of them fast as I could some of them I couldn't. I've just got to play faster and get it out of my hand."

Taking Over Texas

Blog by Canespacer MiamiMike01, Pictures by Canespacer Keoki:

In front of 84,165 at Kyle Field Saturday, the Hurricanes outclassed the Aggies in a game that wasnʼt as close as the score.  Patrick Nix opened up the playbook and we saw Robert Marve throw for over 200 yards and Graig Cooper set a career high in rushing yards. With elimination of some penalties and scoring touchdowns instead of kicking field goals in the red zone, the Hurricanes could have hung 60 points on Texas A&M.

Marve looked cool and collected, poised in the pocket, and ready to take this offense to the next level.  The wide receivers caught virtually every catchable pass.  The offensive line opened gaping holes for Cooper and pass blocked better for Marve.  The defense stuffed the run and kept the A&M ground game from becoming a serious threat to move the ball downfield.  With all these positive things occurring Saturday, there is still work to be done with tougher opponents right around the corner.

Several things can be taken from this game.  The 18 point victory handed A&M its worst home non-conference loss since 1988, when the Aggies fell to Alabama 30-10 in 1988.  The last time Texas A&M started 0-2 at Kyle Field was in 1972. Jerrod Johnson also became the seventh starter in a row to lose his debut as a starter at home.

The highlight of the UM/A&M trip was not just witnessing a Canes road victory, but the UMAA pre-game festivities. Among the alumni in attendance were Russell Maryland and Tony Tella.  There was also a visit from new Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt.

All the alumni seem solidly behind coach Randy Shannon, and are willing to give him the time it takes to return the program to its rightful place among the elite. The alumni and former players were very receptive to Canespace and want to help. Many stated that they would give Canespace a try.

Tailgating photos by Canespacer Keoki outside of Kyle Field:

UMAA Game Watch Party

The University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA) offers fantastic benefits to former students and graduates throughout the year.  One of these benefits is the sponsoring of Hurricane Game Watch Parties (GWPs) at multiple locations across the United States during football season every week. 

I had the opportunity to attend the Orlando area Game Watch event held at O'Boy's BBQ in Winter Park this past Saturday for the Texas A&M game.  And oh, what an event it was!  Over 40 orange and green clad Canes fans packed into one side of the large restaurant to enjoy the game, share stories of seasons gone by and offer their insights into the Canes performance this year.

The UMAA Orlando area coordinator, Mark McKay, has been holding events at this location for six years and trust me, the man knows what he is doing.  With two large screen TVs and several smaller sets tuned into the UM game and tons of great food and beverages available we were in Hurricane heaven!

Best of all, the Canes managed to please their fans on this Saturday in September dominating the game and crushing the Aggies 41-23.  If you ever get the chance to make it to a GWP at O'Boy's BBQ in Winter Park we highly recommened that you do! 

To reach Mark or the UMAA email: [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Here are some photos from the event:

    

Canes Get Offensive

BREAKING NEWS: This just in to Canespace...The UM offense can score points against a quality opponent!  The Canes have exciting playmakers on offense who can score from anywhere on the field.  Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix looks like he may just turn out to be an excellent offensive coordinator after all.

All of these things were learned by the doubters or confirmed for the believers on this Saturday in September when the Canes beat up and beat down Texas A&M 41-23 in front of over 84,000 fans at College Station. 

Coach Nix demonstrated his competence (if not brilliance) in calling his best game ever as a Hurricane coach.  The Canes ran and passed at will against the Aggies and looked both efficient and effective in moving the ball and involving multiple weapons in the offense.  Miami finished the game with almost 400 yards (398 to be exact) of team offense in a balanced attack.

After a less than impressive first start against the Gators in The Swamp, Freshman starting QB Robert Marve looked absolutely marvelous against the Aggies as he led the Canes to 41 points.  Marve threw his first touchdown pass as a college player and finished the day 16-22 for 212 yards with two TDs and one interception.  Marve explained his day this way after the game:

"We had a couple of touchdowns early that boosted our confidence. Today was another win. I had my first touchdown pass in college and that was very exciting. Everyone was a little more relaxed this game. (on TD pass just before halftime) Coach made a great call. I pumped the screen and threw it deep. Our execution was great today. We ran the ball good and we threw the ball good."

Graig Cooper, starting in place the injured Javaris James (ankle), was outstanding.  He scored on a 19 yard burst in the first and then broke a 51 yard run for the Canes second TD.  Cooper used his quick and explosive style to slash and dash through the Aggie defense all day long.  He ended the day with a career high 128 yards.

The pleasent suprise of the day was the play or another true freshman, Thearon Collier.  He caught Marve's first ever TD pass (future trivia question!) and had another phenomenal 66 yard scoring play called back due to a motion penalty on fellow WR Leonard Hankerson.  On the play, Collier caught a short flanker screen and after some incredible moves and a few good blocks downfield he was gone. 

This play was the kind of exciting, game-breaking display of talent that UM coaches and fans had envisioned when all of the freshmen WRs were signed this year.  Collier, Benjamin, Byrd and Johnson are starting to demonstrate their collective talent on the field and this is the type of positive news Canes fans everywhere have been waiting for.

Since the offense was having so much fun scoring on this beautiful day in Texas, the Hurricane defense thought they might as well get involved in the scoring output too.  Senior LB Glen "I can really" Cook not only led the team in tackles (9) but also snatched the ball from the A&M QB near his own goal line and returned the fumble for a TD.  DT Eric Moncur had a sack and an INT that he could have returned for another score had he not bobbled the ball and stumbled to the ground.

Head Coach Randy Shannon, his team now at 2-1 on the season, had this to say after the game:

"It was a good victory for us on the road. We felt good offensively and did a good job throwing the ball. The running game was solid. Our biggest problem was that we did not finish the fourth quarter. A&M did a great job and kept fighting. Defensively, we didn't tackle very well. We had a good game but they moved the ball up the field. We're going to focus on that defensively. (Robert) Marve did a good job and had only one turnover. He had the wind knocked out of him in the second quarter that kept him out a couple of plays. Jacory (Harris) came in and did a good job moving the ball. (Graig) Cooper did a nice job running the football."

Next up for Miami is ACC rival North Carolina coached by some guy named "Butch" at TNP stadium on September 27.  We can't wait to see you, and the Canes new offense, there!

Game Day Blog: Miami vs TAMU

The 2008 football season starts NOW!  After a warm up game at TNP Stadium against Charleston Southern and a somewhat disappointing visit to The Swamp for a game against the #5 ranked Florida Gators, the Miami Hurricanes go on the road to College Station to take on the Aggies of Texas A&M today at 3:30 PM (EST).

Canes QB Robert Marve will start his second consecutive game on the road in front of a hostile crowd, this time one full of angry, screaming Texans.  We anticipate that Mr. Marvelous will play loose and play well against a suspect Aggie defense which has been very weak against the run this season. 

If Miami can establish the running game early look for the Canes to throw deep off of play action late in the second and third quarters. 

UM back-up QB JaScory Harris is also scheduled to see some playing time for Team Shannon.  If you have been waiting for the talented and athletic Harris to run Miami's version of "the spread" offense you may get to see it today.  Watch for the Canes offense to run wide open when he is in the game with three or four WRs, or three wides and the RB split out in the slot.

With RB Javaris James out with an ankle sprain, co-starter Graig Cooper and back-up Derron Thomas will handle the bulk of the carries for the Canes. 

Also look for Texas speedster Shawnbrey McNeal (seen here) and Mississippi slasher Lee Chambers to also get some carries.  Even the recently relocated safety turned running back Damian Berry may get his first carries of the season late in the game if the Canes can jump out to a comfortable lead.

As I predicted way back during Spring ball, true freshman WR Aldarius Johnson will start his first game of the season for Miami.  That didn't take long now did it?  Watch for AJ to go deep and go big against the Aggie defense.  We are predicting that Johnson will score his first TD (and maybe two) of the young season today against A&M.

Speaking of Young, we assume that UM defensive coordinator Bill "Forever" Young will have his troops ready for A&M just as he did against Tebow of Nazareth and the Gators high octane offense.  Young had the Gators sputtering around through three quarters during last week's game in Gainesville. 

His attacking, agressive scheme is a sight for sore eyes after last year's lost and confused version of Hurricane defense was sent packing along with former DC Tim "Not John Boy" Walton.

On defense, look for Sean "Sleepy" Spence to join roommate Marcus Forston in action on the field more often.  Spence is a superstar in the making and had an outstanding game against the swamp lizards while seeing only limited action.  He recorded the first sack of Timmy Tebow and and earned the respect of Canes fans everywhere with his performance against the Gators.

On special teams, several changes were made this week at the return position that should produce immediate results. 

True freshman Travis Benjamin joins fellow true freshman Brandon Harris at kick returner.  Another true freshman, and SolarCane's favorite player, Booker T Washington's Thearon Collier (seen here) will be returning punts this week.  We predict the Canes get 6 on a return against the Aggies.

Game Prediction: All this adds up to a 34-13 win for Miami over Texas A&M.

The Short List To South Beach: Week 4

The Shortlist to South Beach reaches a milestone this week as over half the teams in the division that is now called the Football Bowl Subdivision find themselves judged lacking of championship mettle.  The unfortunate majority includes the following:

Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee, Army, SMU, Hawaii, Ohio, UAB, New Mexico, ULM, FIU, NI, WMU, ULL, FAU, UNT, Kent State, Idaho, Utah State, CSU, UTEP, VT, Pitt, Michigan, Miss. St., TAMU, Rutgers, SDSU, Memphis, Marshall, Temple, EMU, S. Miss., SJSU, Oregon St., CMU, Buffalo, WSU, UCF, Tulane, L-Tech, Houston, BGU, UNLV, Nevada, Toledo, Navy, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, Maryland, Fresno St., S. Carolina, NCST, Rice, NMST, Ark. St, UVA,

A total of three teams survived last week despite me specifically calling for them not to, this particular magic number includes the following:

1) Baylor now finds itself on a roll after benching Kirby "Jitters" Freeman for true freshman Robert Griffen and defeating Washington State at home on weekend that will live in infamy in the Pac-10.  Art Briles has been down this road before with a true freshman in Kevin Kolb behind center and again seems to have found another gem to build a moribund program around in Waco.  How does this guy do it is my first question, my second is what ever possessed him to tab Freeman as the starter in the first place?  I was much less surprised last year when Randy Shannon made a similar call with his QB situation but I knew it would be much sooner rather than later in the lone star state when Freeman would find his way to the pine this time around.  Still, Baylor holds only a loss to Wake Forest on their record and for the first time since firing Chuck Reedy over a decade ago seems to be on the rise.

2) Duke stakes a claim for ACC pride by defending Wallace Wade Stadium from the Navy Midshipmen in a tight game.  The Blue Devils took control in the second half last week and the early returns with the solid hiring of David Cutcliff are positive for this perennial cellar-dweller.  A win against Virginia this week would go a long way in ensuring their first ever finish above last place in the division which at this basketball school is cause for celebration.

3) Ball State continues to defy the odds and now stands at 3-0 after dominating Akron in Ohio.  Brady Hoke comes from Frank Beamer's lineage but his season so far has been much more impressive than his mentor.  He can't keep it up though and I expect them to finally be dropped from the Shortlist to South Beach this week yet again but so far this team has done nothing but become a royal pain in my you know what this season.

The pathetic athletic conference of the west coast may be flying high after exposing the Ohio State Buckeyes at the hands of the number one team in the country, but last week showed just how shallow the talent pool in that supossed power conference really is after the final guns sounded.  All four upset specials on the Shortlist come at the hands of teams from the Pac-10 and the roll call of shame looks like this:

1) Stanford gets shut down for three out of four quarters as a tied game at half time turns into a three touchdown route at TCU.  Jim Harbaugh pulled an all time upset last year on the road in Los Angeles but this week he joins a long list of infamous Pac-10 losses that should not be forgotten later in the year if Southern Cal manages to ride roughshod over a shoddy list of opponents in conference play.  Even more troubling, I missed calling for either team to be eliminated from the Shortlist despite this game amounting to a Shortlist elimination game this week.  I'd blame my new live in girlfriend but that would be making excuses and I don't want to go there with Miami's motto this year being what it is.

2) UCLA takes a trip to a Utah woodshed and lays a goose egg at BYU as the Mountain West makes a great argument for conference realignment.  One week after turning the ball over repeatedly only to be bailed out by Tennessee's failure to capitalize on the generosity the Bruins run into an opponent who isn't so generous as the Cougars run them back to Hollywood with their tail between their legs.  This game also constituted another failure on my part to make a call in what amounted to a Shortlist elimination game, so either I was giving way too much credit to this overrated BCS conference or I've just tuned them out after hearing about how great they play offense despite never making a tackle.  Maybe both.

3) Arizona gets outpaced by New Mexico on the road as the Pac-10's nightmare weekend continues.  Mike Stoops looked like he was on his way to saving his job, but this loss might be the proverbial straw that ends up breaking the camel's back.  The Wildcats won't be going to the Rose Bowl again this year, but they also might be looking for a new coach if they don't end up bowling in December.

4) Arizona State completes the Pac-10's denouement by shockingly falling at home to UNLV in overtime.  Dennis Erickson finds a way for his team to fall apart in the fourth and then falls in overtime by a field goal as the team that was expected to challenge Southern Cal for supremacy this year gets caught looking ahead to facing Georgia this week.  Don't count out the win-ingest coach in Miami history just yet, but this result does not bode well for a conference that is notorious for complaining about bias against it.

I expect the following teams to fall by the wayside after this week on the Shortlist to South Beach:

Louisville, Troy, ECU, GT, Boise St., Michigan St, Air Force, Ball St.

Ball State has now become the team that vexes me the most this year, replacing the Air Force Falcons from last year.  This week though, Texas A&M seeks to solve a team that vexed them last year in the Miami Hurricanes.  Both teams are hampered by injuries on offense but the Hurricanes will find a way to survive for at least another week despite the intimidating road venue they will be sure to encounter in my estimation.  Last year the largest amount of crow I had to eat was after a Thursday night beat-down that I expected to go the other way in Randy Shannon's inaugural season, I hope this time I'm right as opposed to last year.  Enjoy the games this weekend and come back next week as we mark a turning point in the college season and stop looking at who's out and start keeping track of who's left in the running on The Shortlist to South Beach.

Copyright 2008 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com