Canespace

One Down, Two To Go

Your Miami Hurricanes won the first of two elimination games on this last Sunday in May as Junior right-hande David Gutierrez tossed a complete game shutout to help No. 2 seed Miami advanced to the NCAA Gainesville Regional Championship Game with a 4-0 win over third-seeded Jacksonville Sunday afternoon at McKethan Stadium.

Miami (38-21) will now face arch rival and No. 1 seed Florida tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the second elimination game of the day.  Iden Nazario is scheduled to start on the mound for Miami.

If the Hurricananes win tonight against the Gators, UM and UF will play again on Monday to decide the Regional Championship. 

In game one today, Gutierrez (4-6) set career-highs in innings pitched and strikeouts. He scattered seven hits and struck out eight while walking just two. He didn't allow a baserunner past second base the final eight innings. The complete game shutout was the first for the Hurricanes since Cesar Carillo accomplished the feat on March 31, 2005 against Oral Roberts.

Harold Martinez led the Hurricanes at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jason Hagerty added RBI, reached base three times, and was one of five Hurricanes with one hit.

NOTE: Sunday night's NCAA Gainesville Regional baseball game at McKethan Stadium between No. 2 seed Miami and top-seeded Florida will be televised live by Sun Sports at 6:30 p.m.

Canes Beat Dolphins

Your Miami Hurricanes went up to Gainesville and saw Freshman RH Travis Miller (who is this guy?) throw four strong innings while Junior first baseman Jason "I ain't no old" Haggerty homered twice to lead No. 2 seed Miami to a 9-4 win over third-seeded Jacksonville.

Miami improved to 37-20 overall and won its 12th Regional opener under head coach Jim Morris.

Hagerty blasted two home runs - his 20th and 21st career home runs - in the first and seventh innings. He finished 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored. Dave "Heavy D" and Yasmani Grandal each added a pair of hits for the Hurricanes who managed 10 hits in the game.

After hitting a solo shot from the left side in the bottom of the first, Hagerty put UM up 8-4 in the seventh with a two-run shot from the right side, marking the second time this season the junior homered from each side of the plate in the same game.

Hagerty's first inning solo blast started the scoring in the Gainesville Regional. An inning later, Miami pushed its lead to 2-0 when Harold Martinez scored on an error from third after DiNatale's one-out double to right center.

Herrmann's ninth homer of the season capped off a four-run fifth inning, putting the `Canes ahead 6-0.  Melendres then started the inning with a single through the left side. After a Lawson sacrifice bunt and groundout by Jackosn, Hagerty was hit by a pitch giving Miami runners on the corners. Grandal then hit a two-run double to left-center giving Miami a 4-0 lead. Herrmann then went opposite field with a blast to left field for the six-run Hurricane lead.

Miami will take on the winner of Friday night's game between No. 1 seed Florida and No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. in the winner's bracket. Jacksonville will play the loser of the game between the Gators and Wildcats at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The State Of The U: Part IV Defense

his is the last feature of a four part series by blogger DZ8...

Defensive Tackle

Allen Bailey- The Manimal begins his third season at his third position, healthy this year.  An athletic freak, Bailey has tremendous potential, just ask Tim Tebow.

Marcus Forston- The top DT prospect in the nation last year showed talent in flashes.  The hope is that he can become a dominant force consistently.

Joe Joseph- The senior at the tackle position has played well in spurts but his time is running out and his chances are getting slim.

Josh Holmes- The undersized junior needs to show something this year before he gets passed by the younger players.

Micanor Regis- At a recruiting camp last year he started working out BEFORE the camp even started. Has a desire that will get him noticed.  This year he begins to make a contribution and maybe a major a difference.

Jeremy Lewis- Only started playing football his junior year of high school so he has tremendous potential.  He could surprise if he becomes more consistent.

Curtis Porter- An early enrollee from Butch Davis’ backyard, Porter (seen here with 2009 recruit CB Brandon McGee) has great size, a huge smile and a heart the size of Texas.

Luther Robinson- An incoming freshman from Fort Pierce who will help in the future.

Defensive Ends

Marcus Robinson- Think Indianapolis Colts All Pro Dwight Freeney, with more potential.  Then get out of his way, and quickly.

Adewale Ojomo- He was the first recruit to commit after Shannon was named the head coach.  Coach Hurtt says he upsets his teammates because he is so serious in practice, nice.  Was only a redshirt freshman last year.  Only question mark is his ability to find his way into Shannon’s dog house on occasion last year.  He will only be a redshirt sophomore this season so time is on his side.

Eric Moncur- The old man on the line enters this year healthy and ready to contribute.  Was a key contributor at the start of last year.

Steven Wesley- Has size and talent, this junior needs to get more consistent before he gets passed.

Courtney Harris- Has performed well in spots but needs to get healthy quick.

Andrew Smith- Very encouraging that he got playing time last year as a true freshman.   Loco says look away.

Gavin Hardin- Injury redshirt last year but he showed good heart from the sidelines of the FSU game.  We like his fire, we hope to like his game.

Olivier Vernon- An early enrollee who was injured his senior year of high school.  He showed no signs of the injury as he started the Spring Game. Could be an early contributor according to many experts.

Dyron Dye- The Machine has long arms and a quick first step.  Welcome to Miami.

Linebackers

Sean Spence- “Sleepy” Spence is an undersized linebacker with that “it” factor.  Who can forget where they were and who they were scaring when he had that pick six against FSU.  When asked if he celebrated getting his first sack against Tim Tebow, Sleepy replied, “No, we lost”.

Colin McCarthy- Evokes memories of former ‘Cane great Dan Morgan.  But, unfortunately, he also shares Morgan’s propensity to be sidelined with injuries.  If only C-Mac can stay healthy and it could be lights out for the competition

Darryl Sharpton- Has not progressed since his freshman year. Will now have a chance to shine in the middle linebacker spot. We think he will.

Arthur Brown- Sir Arthur has been moved to the middle where Shannon said he was “flying around practice” towards the end of last year.  He might not start at first but we guarantee that he will finish the year with more tackles than Matt Bosher (sorry OcalaCane)

Jordan Futch- Great size and tremendous heart he tried to early enroll last year but had to wait because of a paperwork SNAFU.  He missed most of the year with an injury.  He will be part of the next wave of great ‘Cane linebackers.

Ramon Buchanon- Endeared himself to Canes fans everywhere when he recommitted to Miami causing Urban Meyer to throw his cell phone at a wall.  “Cookie” is a smallish linebacker who made his name on special teams last year.  Another with that “it” factor.

Kylan Robinson- The #11 RB prospect in the nation in 2006 he moved from that position to linebacker to help the team out.  One of my favorite memories of last year was when he got a high five from Randy Shannon after recovering an onside kick and returning it.

C.J. Holton- A big safety prospect taken from the Seminoles backyard Holton has kept on growing and moved to linebacker.

Shayon Green- An incoming freshman that Hurtt projects to middle linebacker.  The high school defensive end shows great hustle and tremendous drive.

Safeties

Vaughn Telemaque- Miami Vice was drawing comparisons to Ed Reed from Boss Man Shannon himself.  Injuries kept him from making an impact last year.

Randy Phillips- The veteran comes back to provide leadership.  The former cornerback should know all the positions on the field and help the younger players out.

RayRay Armstrong- According to some Canespacers the big, fast safety prospect might not play a down for the Hurricanes and go directly into the Hall of Fame.  Big things are expected but he will be a true freshman who didn’t get the benefit of spring practice.  Settle down Legion.

JoJo Nicolas- A junior who got some starts last year, JoJo must be more consistent.  He showed potential at times but also took some bad angles on other, should’ve been tackles.

Ryan Hill- A corner-turned-receiver-turned-safety has experience all over the playing field but only a little time left to leave his mark.  Hill is pictured here (L) with Sam Shields who has been moved from WR to CB.

Jared Campbell- Calais’s younger brother has shown some flashes in the spring and will contribute on special teams.

Joe Wylie- This legacy Cane (father was a basketball great at The U) is rumored to be transferring.

Prince Kent- A top corner recruit with great size missed a chance to early enroll and gain valuable knowledge.  Hurtt projects him to safety and he will be one to watch in the future.

Cornerbacks

Brandon Harris- Got a good amount of playing time as a freshman and needs to take the next step his sophomore year.  A coach’s son Harris has great work ethic and character.

DeMarcus Van Dyke- Took a step back last year from a promising freshman campaign.  Has long arms and good height and is still filling out his frame.  Hopefully a simplified defensive scheme will let his athleticism come into play.

Chavez Grant- Will always be special to me because of that game clinching INT against Nevada in the MPC Computers Bowl.  Has been productive as a nickel back but failed to step up when asked to cover on the outside. He may be the luckiest Cane player because for some reason CanesgirlNC just loves him!

Brandon McGee- A very good kid, committed early and never wavered.  He was showing some swagger in the spring then broke a finger.  He should be healed in time for the fall and could be the third straight freshman starting cornerback for Miami. (I heard from a good source that he ran a 4.1 second forty, just kidding)

Jamal Reid- This kid has the “IT” factor.  He didn’t enroll early but he will make an impact this year.  Good chance of seeing some time on defense but more likely to make his impact felt in the return game.

Sam Shields- Last, but definitely not least is the prodigal son, Sam Shields.  The former receiver who found himself in Shannon’s doghouse, he responded by working his tail off.  Lights out effective as a punt team gunner he might’ve been drafted on that ability alone.  When asked about his sons move to cornerback his father said, in a Canespace exclusive interview, “If he gets his hands on one he’s going all the way”.   Even more encouraging was the progress that Shields made at his new position in the spring.  Shannon himself said that Sam has put himself in a position to be considered for a starting position in the fall.  Best of luck to #9.

Kicker

Matt Bosher will be a finalist for all the kicking awards this year. 

He did everything last year including laying some returners out with some vicious hits. 

The team MVP, seen here with his #1 fan (and recently married) OcalaCane, will still be asked to do the punting and place kicking but hopefully kickoffs will be handed to Jake Wieclaw, a redshirt freshman.

 

The State Of The U: Part III Offense

This is Part III of a four part series written exclusively for Canesapce by blogger DZ8...

Quarterback:

Jacory Harris: Although not a classic “dual-threat QB”, Jacory Harris is a more athletic version of former Cane great Ken Dorsey.  His biggest strength may in fact be his leadership as could be seen in his late game heroics against Virginia last year.  His growing but still slight frame might be vulnerable behind a suspect offensive line.  

Taylor Cook: If Jacory were to get injured Taylor Cook currently holds the backup spot.  An athletic 6’7” QB with a strong arm, Cook has great potential. 

Cannon Smith: Will be competing to get playing time in case Taylor falters in the Fall.  Smith has a strong arm but needs to display some Flutie-like intangibles to make up for his listed height of six feet. 

A.J. Highsmith:  Is a good athlete with a funky delivery.  In high school all he did was win leading his undermanned team to the Texas state championship game.  This will probably be a red-shirt year for the son of ‘Cane legend Alonzo Highsmith.

Running Back:

Javaris James: A solid running back in every phase of the game, The Edges’ cousin needs to stay healthy and have a productive season (800-1,000 yards) for the Canes to be successful in 2009.  The Canes must be able establish the run to set up the play action pass.

Graig Cooper: The ‘Lightning’ back needs to make more plays.  He wasn’t used properly in the past but also failed to take advantage of opportunities when they did present themselves. He has continued to fill out which might enable him to stay on his feet more often and not go down on first contact.

Lee Chambers: When he makes an appearance (Cal game) he shows flashes of productivity.  He might not have the trust of the coaches from practice performances.  With a new offensive coordinator he has a fresh start.  If he doesn’t seize the opportunity he could get lost in the incoming numbers.

Damien Berry: A Canespace (read: Loco) favorite, the former safety showed good potential in the Spring game with some long runs for scores and his bruising style.  Berry, seen here with Mike James, will provide depth behind James and continue to be a factor on special teams.

Mike James: “Smiley” as he is known among his teammates was a Spring sensation.  This big back enrolled early and immediately impressed everyone.  Great character and phenomenal strength for a true freshman, his running style evokes comparison to another #22 at a rival school.

Lamar Miller: This Miami Killian High School product was the #1 ranked recruit from Miami Dade County and has blazing speed.  Some critics say that as a result he avoids the tough, inside yards.  His fall arrival will probably prevent him from contributing much on offense, but look for Miller to make a big impact on kick off and/or punt returns.

Full Back:

Patrick Hill: An athletic bowling ball will get more opportunities with Whipple in charge of the offense.

John Calhoun: Showed he could catch the ball in the spring and will begin to see more time on the field.

Tight End:

Dedrick Epps: His knee injury is healing ahead of schedule which is good news for Miami’s offense.  His size to speed ratio will create mismatches in the middle of the field.

Richard Gordon: This freakish athlete has this last chance to become a dependable target.

Daniel Adderley: Was going to transfer before deciding to give it one more shot.  Occasional good reports from practices overshadow the fact that he is no K2 on the basketball court.

Tervaris Johnson: Tervaris is a smallish TE who used to be a big CB so he should have good body control.  Lost valuable development time in the spring with an injury.

Billy Sanders: A freshman who comes in as a top tight end prospect.  A red-shirt candidate that will contribute at TE in the future.

Stephen Plein- Another freshman who will start at TE but probably grow into the tackle position along the OL.

Jimmy Graham: Who knows what will happen with this basketball turned football player? Could he be the missing link at TE in 2009?  We loved his hustle on the basketball court and he can’t foul out on the football field right?  Can U say “jump ball?”

Wide Receiver:

LaRon Byrd: Proved he is NOT scared of competition as he committed AFTER we had a full class of receivers.  Great size, good speed and an uncanny knack for coming down with the big catch.  It takes a lot of confidence to wear #47 at The U.

Aldarius Johnson: Good size and great hands make him a favorite target of his high school QB, Jacory Harris.  An obvious first round draft pick, will probably be picked ahead of all other Canes when he comes out of Miami and intothe NFLU (that’s for U 86!).

Travis Benjamin: The Blur, seen here signing the football next to AJ, was truly electric at times last year.  Some have compared him to Devin Hester but his speed is more straight line and not as quick or sudden.  An ankle injury towards the end of last year affected his playing time and confidence.

Thearon Collier: The safety blanket who would work his way back towards his QB when he was in trouble.  Settles down in the seams and has very reliable hands.  A great kid, hard working, a class act, so of course his nickname is “Pimp”.

Tommy Streeter: A very tall, lanky receiver who had an injury red-shirt last year but is a player from whom big things are expected.  His reunion with Jacory, his high school QB, and a new offensive coordinator will help him catch up with the other receivers.

Leonard Hankerson: Yet another big receiver with good speed.  If his hands remain inconsistent he won’t get as many second chances this year.  As a junior he is the “old man” of the group and might lose playing time to more consistent performers.

Davon Johnson: a sophomore from BTW who is known for his speed and quickness.  DJ is also a player who could help on punt returns.

Kendal Thompkins: Another Northwestern Bull who comes in with less publicity but is quick and elusive working over the middle.

Offensive Line:

Jason Fox: The most vocal member of the offensive line needs to take the next step at the left tackle position.  If he does that he could start a new first round streak for the ‘Canes next year.

Orlando Franklin:  The #2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Chris Long, said some very good things about  Franklin after facing him.  That type of potential play needs to become consistent play for the left guard.

Joel Figueroa: Inconsistent play last season at the right guard spot.  He was injured this spring and might be pushed for playing time.

Matt Pipho: Senior with experience will be given the first shot at the right tackle position.

AJ Trump: Senior will be another first time starter at the center position.

Brandon Washington: The top line recruit (seen here) had to wait a year to join his Northwestern teammates at UM.  He is a lerge man who will see playing time in 2009 and might be starting by the end of the year.

Harland Gunn: ESPNs second ranked guard prospect from the 2007 class.  Has not played much yet but is being counted on to provide depth this year.

Tyler Horn: Can play either center or tackle but according to some Canes fans may be better off playing the saxophone.

Ben Jones: An injury prevented him from progressing last year.  Some positive reports so far this year indicate that he could challenge for a starting spot at tackle before the year is over.

Jermaine Johnson: Only played football his senior year of high school and then the following year at a prep school.  Did not play last year as he got his academics in order.  Even without a lot of playing time he became a top prospect.  Despite his enrolling early he might take a while to contribute unlike Mike James (M) and Brandon Washington (R) seen here with JJ (L).

Ian Symonette: Huge, but lacks foot speed forcing a move inside.  The clock is ticking.

Corey White: He is eating 10 PB&J sandwiches a day to grow into the tackle of the future.  Got milk?

Malcolm Bunche: Very low body fat on this workout fanatic.  Might take a little while to learn the ropes at this level but definitely a prospect with a future.

Jared Wheeler: Has 4.2 GPA and good size already.  Also comes from a large family with at least one brother we are recruiting now.

The State Of The U: Part II Coaching

This article is the second of a four part series written exclusively for Canespace by blogger DZ8...

The biggest news this offseason was the hiring of Mark Whipple as offensive coordinator-assistant head coach.  The offense will be his baby and with the talent on that side of the ball big things are expected. 

Whipple comes to UM from The NFLU and has had the players watching film of games from Sundays.  He immediately showed a tough love approach to all the players and let them realize that they haven’t done anything yet. 

Whipple’s background is as an innovative coach in the smaller college ranks and then as a QB coach where he tutored Ben Rothlisberger during Pittsburgh’s 2005 Super Bowl year.  He comes to Miami from the Philadelphia Eagles and the rumor is he’ll be the first hire by Bill Cowher when Big Jaw makes a return to coaching.

Jeff Stoutdtland might not have had the best talent in the past but with Clint Hurtt as Recruiting Coordinator the talent up front is incoming.  It will be Stoutland’s job to quickly develop that talent.  He might not be on the hot seat now but his seat is getting warmer.

Aubrey Hill has no chance to not look like a good coach.  There are NFL teams with less talent at their receiver position.  In coaching terms this is called a jackpot.

Tommie Robinson has not produced legendary Canes back.  The lack of playing time for a seemingly talented player like Lee Chambers indicates that Robinson might be doing things the right way and will not play a back until they learn all facets of the game.

Joe Pannunzio is the TE/STs coach who is the center of many chicken vs. egg debates on Canespace.  Is he a poor coach because of our lack of game changing plays on special teams and no top flight tight end?  Or was he hamstrung by a lack of talent on special teams and poor offensive leadership (using bubble screens and QB draws as opposed to the middle of the field with an athletic Dedrick Epps) at the tight end position? 

Special teams are made up of linebacker-safety types and last year was the first year we began to have those in abundance again.  This year with an increase in athletes and a new offensive coordinator we should see more game changing plays from special teams and an increase in the use of the tight end.

Corey Bell is the unsung hero as the Director of Football Operations.  I just wanted to put that out there about the man behind the scenes and the proverbial curtain.

New defensive coordinator John Lovett comes from former ‘Cane Butch Davis’s staff via a recommendation from former Cane Tommy Tubberville.  He should know the ‘Cane way of playing defense.  We have the best athletes let them use their athleticism to make plays.  My only complaint of former DC Bill Young was a reliance on zone defenses.  If we get beat I want my player to get beat by their player making a great play.  We need our players instincts to be utilized and the zone scheme was making our players think and not just play.

Clint Hurtt is very valuable as a recruiter but has yet to prove he is bona fide as a position coach at DL the position he played in college at Miami.  We now have talent at his position so now we’ll see what he can do.

Michael Barrow is another top recruiter who is still learning as a position coach.  The fact that Lovett will be more directly involved with the linebackers is an indication of this.  Officially Barrow was moved to a roaming defensive assistant so that he can see and be involved in the bigger picture on the defensive side of the field.

Wesley McGriff must produce more than two interceptions from his secondary.  A good recruiter, McGriff is bringing in the talent and now must have that talent produce.  Another coach that isn’t on the hot seat yet, but his seat is getting warmer.  Then again isn’t EVERY coach’s seat hot at the University of Miami?

Andrew Swasey is the strength and conditioning coach that former players swear by.  The lack of progress some recent players made in their workout numbers should not be reflective of Swaseys’ ability.  As the caliber of athlete return to The U, in numbers, the competition will force players to work even harder than they thought possible.

Randy Shannon is a “Man on Fire”.  He is on a mission to return Miami to its rightful place of dominating the football world.  His entire life is about not making excuses.  He lost his father at an early age.  Two of his siblings died from AIDs.  His remaining brother is constantly in trouble making wrong choices. 

The man from Miami who grew up where most of these kids grew up, knows how hard it is to make the right choices because his life is an example of someone making the right choices.  Randy attracts these kids because they can sense that if they listen to him, follow his path and make the right choices too they’ll accomplish what he’s accomplished: success.

In this world of top recruits having handlers and showing up to signing day in stretch limousines Randy searches for and attracts the kids who aren’t looking for that.  All the other coaches come in and sugar coat it to the recruits while Randy and his team come in and say it straight.  “You can play as a freshman at Miami.  You need to beat out the guy ahead of you.  Then next year I am going to find someone to take your job.” 

Shannon knows that competition is the key to returning this program to greatness.  When he was named head coach he immediately appointed Clint Hurtt as recruiting coordinator and hauled in a top twenty class.  The next year he put together what many sources considered the top class in the nation with many kids from the area of Florida affectionately known as “the bottom”.  Randy spoke about the 2008 class and said it is “the foundation for the future”. 

One of his prize recruits that year was QB Jacory Harris.  Before Harris and his teammates from Miami Northwestern High School traveled to Texas to play a powerhouse team remarked “We aren’t just going to Texas to show that they were a good team.  We are also going to show them that we are gentlemen.”  This is from a 17 year old!  That is the type of character Miami is recruiting.

Miami is recruiting kids with good character who have the grades to get into and succeed in the university environment.  Miami finished seventh this year in the NCAAs’ Academic Progress Report. SEVENTH! 

When Shannon first took over he had the players sign a Code of Conduct Contract.  No guns, no hats, open doors for ladies, can’t live off campus if your grades aren’t good enough.  And Shannon enforces it consistently.

Some Canes fans don’t like the fact that our star player won’t play in a game because he was late to his third class.  That star player signed the contract, knew what was expected and is being punished for his actions.  Shannon knows that down the road in life these guys will not be given breaks for being star players.  He knows that the important lessons learned now will benefit these young student-athletes later in life.

The dynamics of recruiting is changing and thanks to the Internet there are no more unknown players.  More importantly it now seems more than ever before that the entire nation knows of the talent that resides in South Florida.  After loading up with young talent Miami will not get the kids who think they should be given a starting job right away.  Miami doesn’t want them. 

Miami will continue to look for the best players around the country always keeping ties to the local, State of Miami, schools.  With Shannon we now have a plan enacted by Clint Hurtt in recruiting, constantly searching for talent to improve the roster.  Not worrying about hurting current player feelings.  Because if you do, you might end up with a QB who just ducks his head and keeps running even when his tight end is wide open twenty yards down the field.

The Hurricanes have improved and we will keep improving.  The roster is filling up with Shannonites and as Shannon himself said, “when will we get back to being Miami, I don’t know.  But when we do it will happen quickly”.  Or in the words of our Captain Optimist, “our rate of improvement won’t be gradual, it will be exponential”.

The State of The U? 

It is strong, and getting stronger. 

And don’t blink now, it could happen faster than U think…

The State Of The U: Part I

This article is the first of a four part series written exclusively for Canespace by blogger DZ8...

The five National Championships.  The epic games.  The big plays.  The talented players. 

No other school evokes such an image of dominance in college football as the University of Miami. 

From 1983 to 1991 the Hurricanes won four national championships.  Their pro-style offense and swarming defense was an exciting type of football to watch for both spectators and NFL scouts.  Not belonging to a conference enabled Miami to schedule anyone, anytime, anywhere and their games had a “Prime Time Event” atmosphere to them. 

To this day that image endures.  A friend (himself a Florida State fan) recently asked me what station the Miami game was going to be on and I said, “ESPNU”.   He looked at me incredulous and asked, “You guys have your own channel?” 

Each and every week Miami’s opponents would rise up to take their shot at the Hurricanes and more times than not they would fail.  Miami has an impressive record against #1 ranked teams and has broken four opponents winning streaks of twenty games or more. 

In the late 1980s the Oklahoma Sooners had a record of 33-3 over a three year period.  Those three losses were to Miami.  Florida State patterned their style of play after Miami and gave the media a team filled with urban players they could root for.  It didn’t matter as poor Bobby Bowden saw kicks go wide right, right, right and then left, dabgumit. 

Who can doubt that an unknown coach in Blacksburg Virginia named Frank Beamer saw Miami’s’ emphasis on special teams and defense and began to instill that as the foundation of his program.  When a Texas Longhorn team announced in the weeks leading up to their bowl game with Miami that they were the team with the “new swagger”, Miami destroyed them 46-3.  

Notre Dame and Florida went so far as to just quit playing the Hurricanes. 

Such heights would prove impossible to sustain.  But even in the fall from grace constant talent added to the Miami mystique.  First round draft picks in 1995 in Warren Sapp, 1996 in Ray Lewis and three Hurricanes chosen in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft.  In 1998 Duane Starks was drafted as Miami was led by Butch Davis and still recovering from probation and loss of scholarships. 

On December 5, 1998 Miami stopped the #3 ranked UCLA Bruins 20 game winning streak as Edgerin James carried the ball 39 times for 299 yards and three touchdowns, in a wild 49 to 45 upset.   Edge would be drafted in the first round of the next NFL draft followed by Bubba Franks the next year.

The 2000 season saw the Hurricanes beat both a #1 ranked team (Florida State) and a #2 ranked team (Virginia Tech) in the same season for the first time.  They would go on to victory over Florida in a bowl game and have four players chosen in the first round of the NFL draft. Miami was poised for greatness with a veteran team and a coaching staff that had rebuilt the program. 

But then, like many in the Miami program, Head Coach Butch Davis left a year early for the riches and glory of The League.  The players took ownership of their team and asked for Offensive coordinator Larry Coker to be named head coach.  They didn’t want an outsider messing things up when they were so close.

The following year saw a return to dominance for the Hurricanes as they went undefeated in their regular season and destroyed Nebraska in The Rose Bowl National Championship game.  An amazing five Miami Hurricanes were chosen in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft, including three quarters of their secondary (Philip Buchanon, Ed Reed and Mike Rumph).    

The defending National Champion Hurricanes continued to win their regular season games in 2002 but not in as dominant a fashion.  They played in the BCS championship game at the end of the year and had four players selected in the first round led by WR Andre Johnson.

A slow decline from greatness was taking place.  First the win streak was stopped.  Then against Virginia Tech Miami’s regular season win streak ended.  The following week at home against Tennessee Miami had their home winning streak broken.  Maybe this would be the bottom for a great program on the downturn.  Maybe after a long period of winning it would take a “wake up call” to regain their focus and dominant ways. 

As a consolation prize Miami beat their rival Florida State in their bowl game that year.  Later in the NFL draft a record six (6!) Miami Hurricanes were chosen in the first round led by Sean Taylor. 

The following year Miami posted an unheard of three conference losses in their new home in the ACC.  The only consolation was beating another hated in-state rival (Florida) in a bowl game that year.  Defensive back Antrel Rolle represented the ‘Canes in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

The 2005 season had high hopes as the #1 QB recruit in the nation, Kyle Wright, was set to take over the reins at Quarterback U.  Despite a close opening night loss Miami rebounded and performed like the ‘Canes of old on a prime time showdown at #2 ranked Virginia Tech.  Miami needed a little help but was in a great position to play in a meaningful bowl game, not just against a hated rival.

A let down against Georgia Tech ruined that and the Hurricanes faced off against LSU in their bowl matchup.  The Canes lost 40-3.  Even worse was after the game when a couple of Hurricanes were knocked out in a fight with some LSU players. Was this the bottom?  After the game Coker put the spotlight directly on him when about half of his coaching staff was fired.  With the second to last pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft Kelly Jennings was selected by the Seattle Seahawks.

The 2006 season was filled with low points.  There was the game against Louisville where the Network coverage switched to another game because of the uncompetitive nature of it.  Was that the bottom?   After a six loss season Larry Coker became the first Miami coach in over 30 years to be fired. 

One of Miami’s own was named head coach and brought new hope to Coral Gables.  Randy Shannon took over and made immediate changes in recruiting and responsibility.  Three players were chosen in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. 

The 2007 season showed how far the Hurricanes had really fallen.  The bottom of the year had to have been the last game played in the historic Orange Bowl. 

On a nationally televised star studded “event” night, Miami did not show up and lost to the Virginia Cavaliers, 48-0.  Was this the bottom?

With the final pick of the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Kenny Phillips, safety, from the University of Miami.

In the 2009 NFL Draft Spencer Adkins was the first Miami player taken and that wasn’t until the sixth round. 

Surely this must be the bottom, right?

How Do U Spell Optimism? W-h-i-p-p-l-e

This article was written for Canespace by Canes305 from allCanes.com...

 

While perusing ESPN.com earlier, I saw "Cane Mutiny" author Bruce Feldman’s pre-season Q&A. I scrolled for a Canes-themed question and finally stumbled upon one asking about Miami's shot at an ACC crown. Feldman didn’t discount it, going as far as quoting strength coach Andreu Swasey as saying, "it feels a lot like it did 7-8 years ago when you had all these explosive athletes ready to take off." 

 

While I'm not quite Swasey-esque and willing to compare the ’09 Canes to the ready-to-explode talent of ‘01-‘02, there’s definitely reason for optimism. Contrary to negative opinion, Miami is going to turn some heads this season.

 

Those of you not quite willing to believe, I get it. This fan base has been burned lately and burned often. Teased in ‘03 by a supposedly 'famished' team, hungry to re-reach their third straight title game and falling short. (Where was that hunger in Blacksburg or the second half against Tennessee?) 

 

A pre-season top ten team in 2004, an OT thriller over the Noles, a 6-0 start only to limp to a 9-3 finish year one in the ACC.

 

An eight-game win streak after a season-opening loss at FSU. Ranked #3 in the country mid-November and a month later on the wrong end of a 40-3 bowl game beat-down.

Kirk Herbstreit called Miami a dark horse in the National Championship race when 2006 kicked off. A few new coaches on board courtesy of LSU, yet the same result – a second straight Labor Day loss to Florida State.

Thumped at Louisville thanks to some immaturity and false bravado. A brawl against FIU and an almost-loss a week later at Duke. The murder of Bryan Pata and two especially painful road losses.

After dropping four straight, the lone bright spot - a win over BC on senior night. Pata was recognized, honored and his spirit willed UM to a win that looked impossible after a disastrous first half. 

The consolation prize; New Years in Boise and an eventual 7-6 record, making for the longest off-season in recent memory. Larry Coker literally found a way to take Miami to a darker place than Tony Russell and a Pell Grant scandal did a decade prior. 

 

Those quick to question Randy Shannon and looking to turn up the heat year three? Re-refer to the 2006 break down a few paragraphs and rethink that. 

 

The Shannon Project is barely 2 1/2 years underway and the clock just started ticking. The foundation has been laid and new coach’s sophomore campaign showed promise. Could've easliy been 10-3. Could've again been 5-7. Games were that close.

A Thursday night win over Virginia Tech, proved the Canes biggest win in three years. Same foe, different venue and less on the line - but an important step forward in the overall growth process.

Defensively, Miami showed it had the potential to ‘bring it’, just not consistently. 

Offensively, the Canes lacked identity, were inconsistent and for the most part, ineffective.

The Canes haven't truly clicked on O since Kellen Winslow II's would-be game-winning Fiesta Bowl touchdown. Ken Dorsey proved irreplaceable and a year later, Brock Berlin had an up/down year under his belt while Rob Chudzinski was lured to Cleveland to coach tight ends for Butch Davis.

A few months later, an undeserved in-house promotion for quarterback coach Dan Werner. The result - a two-year 18-6 run for a program coming off a 46-5 stretch. Werner’s eventual firing led to the short-lived Rich Olson/Todd Berry era – Olson, pushed on Coker because the admin didn’t have faith in Berry, a Coker buddy from his Oklahoma State days. The retread and the newbie, a complete and utter disaster when attempting to join forces and run an offense.

 

Four years after the first chink in the armor surfaced, it was officially time to clean house. Miami canned Coker; a first time head coach and lifelong signal caller who ironically enough did himself in by not finding a quality offensive coordinator.

Shannon was hired and eventually settled on Patrick Nix, a risky experiment nipped in the bud after two seasons. A lesser coach gives Nix one more shot to revamp the offense. Shannon cut bait, started fresh and reeled in a big fish.

The Canes former defensive coordinator made Miami’s biggest offensive splash in two decades; the hiring of Mark Whipple. If at first your fifth choice, no name OC doesn't succeed... try, try the NFL.

 

Whipple's resume isn't Olson-esque, an NFL assistant landing where his buddies hire him. Atop Whipple's ‘has-done’ list, helping mold Ben Roethlisberger and most recently, getting Donovan McNabb back on track with his best showing since 2004. McNabb threw for a career-best 3,916 overall yards, with a 23-to-11 TD/INT ratio. Philly coach Andy Reid offered a promotion to keep Whipple, knowing the fifth-year quarterbacks coach would turn him down. 

 

"I've learned a lot and I want to put it to work," Whipple told Reid. The successful quarterbacks coach missed calling plays. 

 

A riverboat gambler-type in his six-year stint as head coach at UMass, Whipple possessed a devil may care attitude too brash for a team leader, but the man knows how to run an offense and develop a quarterback. Two things the University of Miami has been void of for over half a decade. Whipple is the Canes' missing link. 

 

That intangible that kept a ‘pretty good’ Berlin from being ‘great’. The skills to make sure "can't miss" five-star Kyle Wright doesn't miss. A resume to lure in better prospects, especially if he works his magic with Jacory Harris; the type of superstar who grew up on the hometown and wants to make a difference – something the Canes thrived off during all those championship runs. Whipple is the remedy to all of that.

 

Harris/Whipple has potential that Miami hasn't seen in forever. Ken Dorsey was phenomenal, but don't confuse Rob Chudzinski's offensive prowess with the fact the '01 Canes were as loaded as loaded could be. (A year later, where was the game plan when Ohio State's defense came to play all night long?)

 

The last time Miami boasted a tandem with this much going for it, rewind two decades to the Steve Walsh/Gary Stevens era or Craig & Dennis Erickson show.

I’m not drawing a comparison before the season's first play has been called. It's simply a statement. On paper, Miami is inching their way back. Offensive needs are being addressed and it's high time the Canes are get back to high-spirited offensive performances. 

 

Hard to be brash and full of (that overused-yet-relevant-here) "swagger" when a beat-down defense is grinding out 16-14 wins, picking up the slack for an incompetent offense for half a decade now.

 

You want to fill a stadium? Find this generation's "Thrill Hill". Put that ball in the air and make some plays. For God sake, we're talking about an offense where receivers used to print "BOMB SQUAD" on their hand towels. 

 

The Dink-N-Dunk era is over. Miami will soon again be flying high and lighting up scoreboards. The defense finally gets its chance to feed off the other guys. Playing with a lead or knowing you can score at will - that's when you see a defense loose and making plays. That's when you get you turnovers. When it's "feel" and not "forced". 

 

We're a long way from knowing where this season will wind up and for the skeptical folk, I get it. I don't choose to see it that way, but I understand why you're not sold. You have valid reasons for not buying in just yet. That said, at least acknowledge the potential of Harris/Whipple. Give Randy credit for the hire and recent recruiting haul-ins.

 

Wide receivers galore, all entering year two after a hit-the-ground-running freshman campaign. Depth at running back and a beefed up line, offensive coordinator and quarterback are looking at the most talented squad since '02. Nowhere near that level of talent, but nowhere near 2006, either. (Oh Kirby where art thou?)

 

Skeptics, you have your first reason to believe. Proceed with caution if you choose, but get back on board. This ship is back on course.

Player Profile: Harland Gunn

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

Here’s an article about one that didn’t get away.  It’s about a player who committed to Miami early on – not from any recognizable Florida area code, but from the 402 – Omaha, Nebraska. From a state where a revered mascot dresses in overalls and rules supreme, where the fan base follows their football team in a sea of Husker red, Harland Gunn, one of the state’s premier offensive tackles committed to Miami in March of his senior year.  Playing for Omaha Central (the same high school as Gale Sayers and Ahman Green) as a right tackle, he formed a serious threat with fellow lineman D.J. Jones, now at – you guessed it - Nebraska. Despite their efforts Omaha Central only made it to the first round of the Class A playoffs.  The Omaha World-Herald listed him as one of their top 6 prospects from the Nebraska-Iowa area and the Omaha World-Herald believed him to be the first Nebraskan to receive a University of Miami scholarship.  His commitment never wavered, no other visits were scheduled, not even after the firing of maligned head coach Larry Coker.   

In an interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Harland Gunn “didn’t watch football growing up. I just played it”.   In his off-season he was back in Nebraska speaking with elementary school children about peer pressure and other issues. Why?  His mother wanted him to.  After playing only one game as a red-shirt freshman he earned himself a spot as of the end of March, as right guard beside right tackle Matt Pipho.   When the strength & conditioning numbers were released this past April, Harland was benching 425 followed by Allen Bailey at 405.   

Harland’s cousin, Justin Gunn, is a long-jumper at Oklahoma which could make for some serious smack talk between the cousins.  According to Coach Stoutland “Harland Gunn is going to play”.  That’s great to hear because the Sooners, like Santa Claus, are coming to town.

Hurricane Bats Finally Wake Up

The University of Miami baseball team closed out its 2009 regular season with a series sweep of Wake Forest, picking up a 4-2 win in the series finale Saturday night at Wake Forest Baseball Park. 

The Hurricanes managed to wake up their slumbering bats and accounted for a total of 46 runs in the three game series.  Do the math and that's an average of over 15 runs per game!

After knocking the Demon Deacons silly by a score of 23-5 in the series opener on Thursday, Miami (35-18, 18-12 ACC) finished off the weekend with a doubleheader sweep over Wake Forest (22-30, 6-24 ACC) banging out a 19-6 in the first game on Saturday before edging out the Demon Deacons in the finale. 

Miami's sweep of Wake Forest helped the 21st-ranked Hurricanes earn the No. 5 seed for next week's Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship.

In 2008 Miami (35-18, 18-12 ACC) won the ACC championship in 2008 in Jacksonville.

The Canes moved up to the No. 5 position for the 2009 tourney, joining No. 1 seed Florida State (19-9 in ACC play), No. 4 Georgia Tech (17-10-1) and No. 8 Boston College (13-15) in Division A.

The `Canes will face the fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets in the opening round of the tournament.

Atlantic Division champion FSU and Coastal Division winner North Carolina will be the two top seeded teams for the championship, which will be held from Wednesday, May 20 through Sunday, May 24, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.

North Carolina (19-10) is the No. 2 seed and will be joined in Division B by No. 3 Clemson (19-11), No. 6 Virginia (16-11-1) and No. 7 Duke (15-15).

Under the pool-play format, each team will play one game against each of the other three opponents in its division Wednesday-Saturday (May 20-23). The two teams with the best records within their respective division brackets will advance to the title game on Sunday, May 24, with the winner earning the ACC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

All 13 games of this year's 36th annual ACC Baseball Championship will be televised for the third straight year with RSN, a regional network that includes Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, FOX Sports Net South, FOX Sports Florida and New England Sports Network, providing coverage. Selected other games will be available via Sun Sports and SportsSouth.

Note: Some information for this article was collected from www.hurricanesports.com the official web site of the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Waiting On The Pheonix

I looked up from the TV in total disbelief.  The final score was 40-3.

 

WHAT THE HELL??? 

 

When does Miami ever lose a bowl game by 37 points?  When does a team score on Miami on eight straight possessions?  Oblivious to the shouting and cursing going on around me, I sat there staring at the scoreboard.  In spite of my raging disgust and bitter denial it still read: LSU 40  Miami 3.

 

I reached under the couch and retrieved the splintered remote control, some fresh batteries and a couple rubber bands would have me back in business in time for Sports Center to replay my agony over and over.

 

“I don’t need this crap!” I muttered to no one in particular.  I wiped the salsa off the TV screen and headed for bed.

 

South Florida and the entire Cane Nation was pissed! Something had to be done, and in a hurry was the general consensus the next morning.

 

Larry Coker, still numb from the bayou ass stomping he had just endured shuffled up to the podium: “I’m the head coach here. I take responsibility for the season, and I also want to take responsibility for these decisions.”

 

“OK then I thought, Coker’s going to do the class thing and resign right here on national television.”

 

Even more unbelievable than the LSU thumping, Coker informed us his coaching staff caused the Miami Hurricanes to lose their killer instinct and they had to go.  The guillotine fell swiftly.  

 

Dan Werner, Art Kehoe, Don Soldinger, and Vernon Hargreaves joined Greg Mark (who had been fired earlier in the season) in the unemployment line. What was that, like a hundred years of coaching experience scuttled in one fell swoop?

 

The “Malfunction in Miami” continued its downward spiral for another season and everyone except Larry Coker knew Larry Coker was going to have a lot of spare time on his hands.

 

After Coker’s departure, the Canes selected then Defensive Coordinator Randy Shannon to try and return Miami to the top.  The majority of fans thought Shannon had the resume to make changes. Like all devoted fans everyone talked about going 9-3 or 10-2 under Head Coach Shannon’s first year. 

 

Not so fast my friend.  We watched and we waited.  The first year revealed just how far we had slipped and how long the road back really was.  An unimaginative offense, a defensive coordinator that was in over his head, and rookie game day head coaching turned a lot of winnable games into heart breaking losses.

 

The 10-2 true believers were willing to settle for what seemed like a realistic 9-3 for team Shannon’s second year.

 

With a group of freshmen that didn’t know anything about losing Randy’s kids played their hearts out. The offense still played with the parking brake engaged and Patrick Nix was about to seek alternative employment opportunities.

 

One small step at a time is hard to swallow when you grew up watching the Canes routinely rout ranked teams every Saturday afternoon.  How long will Cane’s fans put up with seven or eight win seasons?  Call Larry up and ask him what the timeline to unemployment is running right about now.

 

The third year of the long road back is upon us.

We have quality players at all the skill positions again.

We have an Offensive Coordinator that knows how to score lots of points lots of ways.

We have hitters on defense and that old time Miami speed everywhere.

 

The one thing we have above all else is a head coach with patience and purpose and a master plan.  All we fans need now is some of Randy’s patience, Jacory’s optimism and Spence’s refuse to lose attitude and then we are back my friends.