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This Could Be Heaven Or This Could Be Hell

Much has been made about the first four games on the University of Miami's 2009 football schedule. 

Many have asked: "Who was the masochist that could have put this schedule could together?" 

Some have wondered how many wins the Canes can manage to squeeze out of the first four games against three top ACC foes and one non-conference national title contender with a Heisman hopeful at QB. 

A few have even said they would settle right now for a 2-2 split to start the season.

I sum it up by using a familiar line from the Eagles song, Hotel California: "This could be Heaven or this could be Hell."

That's right Canes fans, you can forget about "settling" for 2-2 record after the first four games.  Instead let's take a look at the two extremes at each end of the win/loss spectrum: 4-0 or 0-4.  

If the Canes come out of the gate, uh the tunnel of smoke, and win the first four games they will be ranked in the top 10 and in the drivers seat to win the ACC with wins over FSU, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. 

They will have beaten four top 25 pre-season ranked teams in consecutive weeks, two of them on the road in very tough places to win like Tallahassee and Blacksburg. 

Canes fans will be in Heaven!

Miami will have won four games on national TV in front of huge audiences.  The first two games alone will be the only games on TV when the Canes have their Labor Day match-up against the Seminoles and the Thursday night game on ESPN against Georgia Tech. 

Follow that with what are sure to be nationally featured games @ VT and then against Oklahoma at The Shark and ESPN will be in overdrive expalining how they all predicted "Miami would be back this year."

No matter how you look at it, the first four games of the season are likely to be Heaven or Hell. 

Win all four at it will be like Heaven!  Lose all four and there will be Hell to pay.

Tomorrow we will look at 0-4.  

Say your prayers now...

Pride and Prejudice

In the end, not even the 2001 BCS National Championship and another near miss in 2002 against Ohio State could save his job.  By the conclusion of the 2006 season the downward spiral of the University of Miami football program was complete. 

When hope was gone, it would be replaced by change. 

Back in 2001 Larry Coker was the players' choice to replace the departing Butch Davis, who after swearing he wasn't leaving UM, did.  As punishment he was sentenced to serve hard time at the Mistake by the Lake. 

Davis, who had he stayed at UM would have been a Champion, instead failed miserably in Cleveland and is now soaking his heels in the tar of North Carolina.

As it would turn out, Coach Coker's eventual downfall would be not be attributed to his X's and O's but to his failure to recruit enough talented Jimmies and Joes to maintain the recruiting momentum that Davis had clearly established at Miami by the end of the 2000 season.

When Randy Shannon was hired to replace Coker as the Head Coach of the Hurricanes prior to the 2007 season, many Canes fans felt an overwhelming sense of pride.  Shannon was seen by most as the truest of all Hurricanes.  He was the one choice that met all of the criteria.

Randy Shannon grew up on the mean streets of inner-city Miami.  After earning a scholarship to UM he would go on to star at linebacker for the Canes and help them win the 1987 National Championship. 

Drafted by former UM coach Jimmy Johnson he would go on to play for several years in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys before returning to his Alma Mater to coach linebackers. 

Later he would be promoted to Defensive Coordinator at UM, help coach the Canes to the 2001 National Championship and would then go on win The Broyles Award as the top defensive coach in all of college football. 

Randy Shannon was home gown in the 305, a National Champion as a player and coach at Miami and a highly respected and honored Defensive Coordinator.  There was no doubt in anyone's mind that bled orange and green and was all about The U.  Or was there? 

Somehow, among some hard core Canes fans, there were some serious doubters who had some major reservations about Shannon's qualifications and capabilities to handle the top spot.  They asked some hard questions about the new head coach: 

How could UM, one of the top programs in the Country, hire someone with no head coaching experience to fill the top spot? 

Wasn't Shannon part of the problem with Miami's downward spiral as Defensive Coordinator under Coker? 

As Defensive Coordinator didn't he have some roll in the poor recruiting decisions and the drop off in talent at UM?

Didn't he fail to coach up the highly rated defensive players that Coker had recruited?

Some of the haters even allowed their prejudice to show when the selection was announced.  

Some of them wanted one of the top names in college football to be hired and were not happy with settling for the Canes third or fourth choice even if he was a former and current Hurricane hero.  

Other haters, though they would never say it right out loud, were always there in the background.  Surprisingly, you got a sense that a small minority objected to the choice simply because Randy Shannon was an African American.  "No black head coach had ever won a National Title" they claimed as they pointed at Tyrone Willingham and others who had failed before.

No matter where you fell along the spectrum, Hurricane fan, Shannon fan, doubter or hater you knew that there was no doubt that the new head coach at Miami was going to be under a bright spot light and a strong magnifying glass all along the way.  And so far, the way has been a difficult struggle marked with potholes and detours for Randy Shannon.

Now as the 2009 season begins, he enters his third season with his second offensive coordinator, his third defensive coordinator, a 12-13 record and not an ACC championship in sight.  These facts give the doubters and haters just more reasons to continue their negative beliefs about the team and the head coach.  Apparently when Shannon realized that Patrick was Nixed and Bill was no longer Young they were let go and change happened sooner and faster than was ever expected.

The believers blame the lack of talent left behind by Coker as the primary reason for Randy's recent struggles.  They claim that the "Club Coker" culture and atttitude that engulfed the team had to be eradicated before any improvement could be seen.  They look at the incredible success Shannon has had in recruiting top talent to Coral Gables since taking over and promise that the Canes return to prominence begins this year.  They confidently state that the Canes next BCS Championship is surely just around the corner and that Shannon is the man that will bring Miami back into the national spotlight.  Their pride in their team and their their coach remains strong.

The doubters argue that the Canes have not made the amount of progress under Coach Shannon that they thought they would see almost instantly upon the purging of "Cokeritis" from the program.  They claim that decisions such as taking the names off of the jerseys in year one, the poor game management in critical situations in year two and the constant turnover of staff as issues to criticize Shannon for.  They also site the on-going exodus of players leaving the team to transfer to other schools as a reason for concern.  Their doubt allows them to hope that Shannon will get the job done but also makes them open to change at the top if things don't improve, and soon.

The haters simply continue to do what they do best: hate.  They claim Shannon has always been in over his head.  They blame Shannon's lack of success on what they categorize as old school methods, poor communication skills and seemingly chilly disposition for poor relationships with his players and the media.  Their prejudice, present from day one, blinds them to any hope that Randy can pull off the complete resurrection of the program and allows them to see only the darkness of failure in his future.

Pride and prejudice are what separate the believers and the haters current view of their head coach.

Only Randy Shannon can prove one of them wrong.

U Can't Handle The Truth

This article was written by OcalaCane for Canespace...

Miami Killian Senior High School sits on 97th Avenue and 106th Street in a nice residential area of Southern Miami-Dade County.  The school' s mascot is the Cougar, its colors are green and gold and has a rich tradition of producing talented football players such as Randall Hill and Sean Taylor (who started out at Killian before transfering to Gulliver Prep). 

I know this well because it is where I and UM Freshman running back Lamar Miller attended high school.  We both share the Cougar Pride!

Miller, who was labled "The Truth" for his amazing abilities on the football field, was an all-everything football player at Killian before making his way to Coral Gables and switching his green and gold uniform for one of orange and green. 

The Truth was the most highly recruited player in Dade County last year after he led the County in rushing against some of the toughest competition in the always highly competitive and talent rich 305.   Miller had offers from every major college in the Country but chose to stay close to home and attend The University of Miami and play for the Hurricanes.

The Truth was also an elite track star in high school and I first met up with him at the State championship track meet in Winter Park.  Miller was there to run the 100 meter dash, an event he specialized in and one that also attracted some of the other top high school football recruits like Andre Debose. 

As Canes fans know Debose, who was heavily recruitied by Miami, chose to attend the University of Florida.  He attended Seminole High School, the same school as current Hurricanes S Ray Ray Armstrong and DE Dyron Dye.

At the State meet in Winter Park, Miller qualified for the semi-finals and even led his semi-final race of the 100M dash for the first 50 meters or so before fading and finishing fourth to some of the other full-time track stars in the race. 

Miller (seen here throwing up The U for Canespace) was the only runner who actually looked like a football player in all four of the 100M races we watched at the State track meet. 

By comparison, Debose is tall and very lanky (think Lamar Thomas right out of HS) and can really fly.  Yet, in the finals he finished last after pulling up lame with a hamstring injury that looked pretty serious at the time (he tumbled to the track about the 60M mark) but turned out to be nothing more than a bad cramp as he later walked it off after some tense moments laying on the ground in pain.

This year at Miami, Miller enters the season with hopes of earning some serious playing time at RB and also on special teams as a kick returner where his blazing speed may be most useful and dangerous. 

The Hurricanes backfield is already crowded with returning co-starters Senior Javaris James and Junior Graig Cooper, the star of last year's bowl game in Senior Lee Chambers, a converted safety in Damien Berry and fellow Freshman and Spring sensation Mike "Smiley" James (seen here with Berry at the Spring game). 

Smiley got the jump on The Truth by being an early enrollee and gaining some valuable experience during Spring practice.  But Miller has come on strong during Fall drills and has turned some heads by showing some elusiveness and his trademark speed and acceleration that made him a prized recruit and a legend all over the 305. 

So I went to Killian during their Spring practice to get the truth about The Truth from some players parents and some fans watching the Cougars practice.  The only problem is that what we learned is so highly classified that we can't tell you. 

What we can share with you one small yet important fact: Lamar Miller is so fast that we have photographic proof the he can actually run right out of his track shoes!

Miller is thought by many to be one of the leading candidates to return kick-offs for the Canes in 2009. His speed and vision may make him the first UM returner since UM star Devin Hester to actually pose a serious threat every time he touches the ball.  Some here at Canespace have even envisioned him going 98 yards in about 11 seconds to open the second half against FSU!

Whatever role The Truth plays for the Canes in 2009, it is almost certain that with his level of talent and character, that he will eventually be a star for the Hurricanes before he is done in Coral Gables.

And when he is, The Truth and I will share some of that Cougar Pride as we celebrate the Hurricanes' next national championship!

The Miami Way

This feature article was written for Canespace by UMike...

 

After the recent surprising departure of Miami Hurricane quarterbacks Cannon Smith and Taylor Cook, there seems to have been a never ending argument. 

 

That argument centers around one thing: “The Miami Way”.

The Miami Way is competition. It is where Coach Shannon tells a recruit that next year he is going to recruit someone to take his job. It is where competition breeds greatness. It is also where egos and sometimes hearts are broken.

 

So the question is, is The Miami Way always the best way?

 

This is a new day and age in college football, where more and more each year the talent level all across the Country is becoming closer and closer. The main reason for this could very well be teams playing more and more freshman.

You saw it last year with your own “Baby Canes”, and in other high profile programs with players such as Terrell Pryor and Julio Jones.

 

Each year more and more talented freshman play, and make big plays than possible ever before. 

Can you say “Sean Spence” or “Aldarius Johnson”? 

Yeah I thought you could!

Many of those same freshmen may have grown up wanting to play for one team, but end up somewhere else after the promise of playing time as a freshman. And let's keep in mind, in the mind of a 17 or 18 year old there is a big difference when hearing “I promise you will get playing time as a freshman”, versus “I promise you will get a chance to compete for playing time as a freshman”.

 

The difference in those two lines may very well be the reason so many kids play at schools they probably never knew anything about. It is also the reason why we “lose” so many kids from our own back yard.

 

Let’s face it, most of these kids, especially the highly regarded ones have a dream they want to fulfill, and that dream is playing in the NFLU. And like most kids, they most likely want the easiest route there. You can say what you want about that, or about parents teaching their kids certain values, but you can’t argue the logic.

 

When a kid wants to follow his dream who are we to degrade them or think any less of them? I would not be surprised if some kids commit to a school with the belief that if they don’t see the field they could always transfer. A lot of kids don’t see their “commitment” as a four year deal, but rather a “lets wait and see how much PT I get” and go from there kind of deal.

 

The Miami Way made UM great and will play a huge role in the road back to the top of college football.  But the true Miami Way may also be a dying breed. How else can you explain teams like Wake Forrest, Duke, Ohio State, Rutgers and others coming into South Florida, from the Muck down to the 305 and “stealing” all these talented kids?

Depending on the year and depending on the position, they can all offer or promise playing time as a freshman. For example, could Randy Shannon really walk into Michaelee Harris’ home and promise him playing time at the WR spot when we have the best receiving corps in the nation?

 

Probably not, but that will not stop other coaches from doing so which is why kids like him will play elsewhere or commit and transfer.

A lack of playing time has to be the biggest reason kids transfer. They want to see the field, they want to play and they want to fulfill their dreams. I am not saying this is the best way to go and I’m not falling on one side of this argument or the other, just trying to open a few eyes.

Someone earlier on the blog made a great point when he said “do you think Atkins regretted his decision to stay” because now he is a pro. That is a great point, but it’s also very rare that a lifelong back up makes the league.

And when you think about it, the numbers will show that most kids that transfer i.e. Kirby Freeman and Charlie Jones, don’t get any more playing time elsewhere.

 

So with that logic most would think to stay, ride it out and see where it takes you. That might be easy for a bench warmer to say or do, but not a kid use to starting. 

Most of these kids have started for years on their high school team and every other level of ball from Pop Warner on up. Now all of a sudden they are second string. When your kid comes home with a broken heart because he wants to play so bad, or because he perhaps sees his dream slipping away, what would you tell him?

All I’m saying is that I understand both point of views, and respect both sides of the argument, but in all honesty it doesn’t make much of a difference. If Jacory went down we would still be calling upon an inexperienced player who has never taken a college snap before.

So let’s all relax, take a deep breath and get ready for FSU. 

 

One thing is for sure: Labor Day can’t get here soon enough.

Something Lost, Something Gained

Now that the smoke has cleared over the loss of two quarterbacks in one day from the UM roster, Hurricane fans are trying to make sense of what this situation actually means to the team for the 2009 season. 

While some Canes fans may ponder the loss of the Cook and the Cannon, most will not blink an eye over the loss of two back-up QBs who may have never played for Miami.  In addition to the two new open roster spots and the additional scholarships available for the 2010 recruiting class we think that these are some of the benefits to the recent roster changes:

U can time the Market, but U can't time a transfer: While some stock market players believe timing is everything, timing the transfers of college football players appears to be much more difficult.  A transfer announcement two weeks before the season opens at The Doak was not only completely unexpected but simply unacceptable to the team and most Canes fans. 

Canespace blogger Fran recommends U buy HGSI which has recently gone from $4 to $18 and could hit $30 if bought out. I'm just sayin'.

U can tune a piano, but U can't tuna fish: A skilled offensive coordinator such as Mark Whipple can fine tune an offense and a quarterback.  This he has already demonstrated at his stops at the Pittsburgh Steelers with Ben Rothlisberger and at Philadelphia Eagles with Donavan McNabb.  But when U are working in warm sunny South Florida, sometimes U have to cut bait or fish. 

Or like Randy Shannon does, send some of your less desired players on their way to Baylor, Purdue, Memphis or other destinations unknown.

U can transfer, but old bloggers never die:  If U are a player at Miami, U can bail out on your teammates, embarass your coach and find yourself at a new school before dawn.  However at Canespace we are proud to announce the U can check in and then never leave! 

The recent return of some old skool bloggers like Carlos, CaneSince1982, Hassan and many others have recently shown that once it is in your blood, Canespace will call U again and again.

U can recruit, U can coach but in the end, U must deliver results: Now in his third year Randy Shannon must now begin producing results.  He has proven he can recruit with the best of them.  He has shown that he can now land competent coordinators.  Next up at Canespace: WINNING! 

This year 8-4 is necessary, 9-3 is preferred and anything more is gravy. 

Anything less would be, well U know, unacceptable...

One Bad Cook and One Loose Cannon

Back-up Quarterbacks Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith announced today that they were leaving the University of Miami.  

The shocking and stunning announcment came just two weeks before the Canes first game of the season on Labor Day against FSU in Tallahassee.

The moves leave Miami severely depleted at the QB position with only first year starter Jacory Harris and Freshman A.J. Highsmith, who has been on campus all of about three weeks, as the second string QB for the 2009 season.

This sudden announcement comes on the heels of the highly publicized transfer of former UM QB Robert Marve to Purdue over the Summer. 

Marve, who struggled on and off the field at Miami in 2008, was suspended twice last season by Head Coach Randy Shannon for violating team rules and poor class attendance.

Now the Hurricanes have lost three QBs in three months and face the difficult task of facing a tough early schedule and the entire 2009 season with one QB with very limited playing experience and one that went to his high school prom a few months ago.  Not exactly what Shannon or new offensive Coordinator Mark Whipple would have wanted.

Canes fans literally lit up the message boards this afternoon to express their shock, fear, anger and confusion over the news. 

Some immediately jumped to conclusions and began questioning Shannon's coaching style and leadership ability.  Some fans questioned how this situation could happen so suddenly and so close to the season opener.  A few fans even wondered out loud: "What happens if Jacory gets hurt?" 

Others took a calmer and more measured approach and attempted to minimize the loss citing the fact that neither Cook nor Cannon were likely to see much if any playing time unless Jacory was injured. 

Some stated their support for the coaches and players involved and simply moved on. 

A few fans also stated that this situation happens at many programs as players see the competition in front of them and decide they might be better off at another University where more playing time beckons.

The reality is that while however discomforting or disturbing these decisions may have made even the most hard core Hurricanes fan feel, their impact may never be felt unless the unthinkable happens. 

But then it was always true, even before today's decisions were announced, that If Jacory goes down the Hurricanes hopes are likely to go right with him.

The Dream Police

Knowing right from wrong, good from bad, acceptable from unacceptable are virtues most boys learn from their parents, not their high school coach.

 

When a parent isn’t around to provide guidance it leaves a kid few alternatives to learn citizenship.  Even worse is the parent that steals, lies, and gets high while his children look on.

 

If no one is a role model for a child it doesn’t matter if he is the best athlete in the world or the next person to walk on the moon, somewhere, sometime there will be decisions to make and consequences to suffer.

 

Traveling down Sesame Street with the aroma of weed hanging in the air and stealing money from the back of grandma’s purse plant the seeds of crime that are cultivated until it is an everyday part of life.

 

So if it’s not a parent, a pastor, a policeman, or a probation officer who is it that can change these kids around?

 

It’s their peers.  And for the Miami Huricanes, it's The Dream Police.

Jacory Harris, Marcus Forston (seen here with the OcalaCanes) and Brandon Harris are kids that have resisted the easy way out.

 

They worked hard in the classroom, in the community and on the ball fields.

These are kids that have been showered with affection and love from a parent or relative and realize how lucky and truly blessed they are.

 

These are the players that police their teammates when they are all far away from Shannon’s watchful eye. They know things Coach Shannon, The Miami Herald, ESPN and a million fans will never hear about.

 

Somehow over the last few seasons leadership at Miami was about  missing classes, jumping around on another teams logos, doing your own thing, and a me first attitude.

Leadership is more than being the bravest, the fastest or the strongest. 

It’s also being the kid that listens in private, the kid that doesn’t judge, the kid that say’s ”It’s OK, together we can fix this.” 

When a kid with a mixed up background makes it into Miami he has already made huge strides in changing his life.

 

If he plays for these particular Hurricanes he knows in the back of his head he owes it to his team mates as well as himself to do the right thing. 

 

The Dream Police they live inside of his head...

Speaking Words of Wisdom

The Miami Herald's Manny Navarro, the hardest working media man in the 305, takes time out of his busy schedule to share these words of wisdom with Canespacers... 

 

Q: Ask Manny about the younger OL and what he thinks of their potential and progress?   Posted by: MM01

 

A: Not sure what to make of who is really shining among the young guys. The one name I've heard the most good about is freshman Brandon Washington. We keep hearing how far along he is and how he'll really be able to help the team in the interior. Ben Jones is now at left tackle and Jermaine Johnson is now the backup right tackle. But I haven't heard teammates raving about either of those guys. It's more -- they're coming along. Harland Gunn is probably more ready to contribute this season than the rest of the guys UM has at this point. So figure, UM has two tackles (Jason Fox and Matt Pipho), and five guys that could play inside (Joel Figueroa, Orlando Franklin, Harland Gunn, AJ Trump and Brandon Washington) with two (Washington, Trump) that could play center. That's the real deal. Everybody else will probably not be able to handle major minutes.

 

Q: My question for Manny is threefold concerning 2010 verbals: (1) does he think this class will finish Shannon's project of building up the OL and secondary, (2)  What other areas does he think the 'Canes need to address in recruiting and, (3) out of the verbals, who does he think has the most potential?  Posted by: Palm Beach 'Canes Club

 

A: I think Miami has done a great job recruiting offensive linemen in 2010 and a decent job in the secondary. Jon Feliciano is a steal and someone I believe will be able to help this team after a redshirt season. Shane McDermott is another kid who could come in and compete right away for playing time at center. He's smart, mature and physically tough enough to handle it. Tavadis Glenn is a big, athletic kid who with time could develop into a very good tackle. But the real gem come signing day will be St. Thomas Aquinas' Brandon Linder. I've basically been told by his family that as long as Shannon and his staff remain intact, he will be heading to UM (the school he grew up cheering for). Linder is your starting left tackle for the next four years. Defensively, they have a ways to go. Jeremy Davis is the best corner UM has. Buxton is a safety who has potential, but needs to prove it to me. Kacy Rodgers is an unknown. He plays for a great school in Southlake Carroll and has a Canes connection. But UM has gone to Texas before and grabbed a few duds... Lance Leggett anyone? 

 

As for the area UM has to address -- without question it is tight end. Clive Walford is a nice project, but the Canes will absolutely be hurting at this position in 2010. Both Jimmy Graham (who I suspect will be a nice surprise) and Dedrick Epps will be gone. Billy Sanders is a nice young player, but he's not a horse. I'm expecting UM to go the JUCO route and try to find someone who could really slide into that spot in 2010 -- a season UM could be a contender again.

 

Of UM's current list of verbals, I really like what they've done at linebacker. Tyrone Cornileus, Javarie Johnson and Kevin Nelson are all three-star recruits who are much better than advertised. I'd consider those guys to be nice surprises. Also, I think Todd Chandler has all the makings of a future Canes star. I love the kids motor and his mouth. He's an old school Cane. He is without question the best player UM has landed yet. But once Linder joins, he'll be No. 1 on my list. 

 

Q: That Darion Hall RB commitment hit me out of left field.  Ask Manny if the Canes are looking at another RB for the 2010 class OTHER THAN Bernard or Clements.   Posted by: CanesAddiction 

 

A: The No. 1 running back on UM's board has long been Eduardo Clements. UM loves this kid. But there are problems because his brother-in-law, the receivers coach at Booker T. has this kid looking at Georgia and Florida State hard. Clements would probably be UM all the way if not for this. Bernard likes UM a lot, but FSU probably can sell him a lot more playing time than the Canes. Neither one of these kids honestly want to sit on the bench. The reason UM ultimately went with Hall was because he bit early. Whipple likes his size (6-1, 200) and the kid has great breakaway speed. I'd suspect the only way Hall doesn't come to UM is if Clements decides to join the class. At this point, though, I'd consider it a longshot. The only way UM grabs another back is if fullback Maurice Hagens jump ship, which is possible.

 

Q: In your ranking of the Top 60 UM players, you had Aldarius Johnson rated as the 5th MVP for the Canes in 2009.  I couldn't agree more and AJ is my favorite current Hurricane!  Now, which WR do you think leads the team in catches, yards and TDs this season?  Who gets drafted higher by the NFL: AJ or Marcus Robinson?  AJ right?  Posted by: The Truth

 

A: Aldarius has always had the street toughness you like in wide receivers -- kind of like Michael Irvin. He'll make the tough catch in traffic and outwork defenders for the football. Is he a burner? That's something he still needs to work on. His 40 time isn't eye-opening. Honestly, most scouts would tell you LaRon Byrd is probably the bigger prospect at the moment. But with a stellar season AJ could put himself in position to be a Belitnikoff Preseason Favorite in 2010. I think UM's leading receiver -- if not AJ -- will be either Thearon Collier or Kendall Thompkins. They are going to have so many one-on-one matchups throughout the season (because Byrd and AJ will draw attention) that it would be stupid for Jacory Harris not to look their way. As for TD catches, I'd go with Byrd. He's going to catch a bunch of jump balls in the end zone. As for the NFL, I think both AJ and Marcus Robinson have first round potential written all over them. It probably comes down to need on draft day.

 

Q: Ask Manny how much different practice is this year vs. last year. The one uncle of a recruit commented on that and I'd like to hear Manny 's take on it. Is Whipple a night-and-day difference vs. Nix? How has the defense changed so far with Lovett in charge?   Posted by: DZ8 

 

A: Hard to say. The only practices we got to see were in the spring. But if you base it on what we hear, there is no question Whipple is more experienced and knowledgeable than Nix. The players always talk about how many big plays happen in the passing game. We obviously didn't see a lot of it last year. I think that's what Whipple definitely brings. As for the defense, Lovett himself said this is a simple defense, meant for athletes to make plays. What you'll see is a lot less zone coverage and zone blitzes and much more in your face, man-to-man, Randy Shannon-type defense.

Canespace LIVE: Part II

The interview continues...

DBJ: Let's talk about the competition at WR.  There are fewer seats on the plane or the bus this year.  How does that make the team better?

LT:  "Well competition always makes your team better.  When you look at back in the days when we I was on the team, we had competition.  We had guys that ran a 4.3.  I couldn't run a 4.3, so I couldn't let that guy get on the field.  And I think what these kids understand now, is that the guy behind him, and the guy behind him, might take my position if I don't work my tail off."

"The young guys come in to do one thing: to take positions and win ball games."

DBJ: Steve, everybody loves to talk about offense at Miami, but let's talk about the defense.  You can't win a championship unless you have a great defense, right?

SW: "Well I think when you look at the Defensive Line, and I know I said this name last year at this event, but Allen Bailey has to step up.  He's an unbelievable looking athlete, and he's had injuries, but this year he has to step up and elevate the DL.  If you remember all of those championship years that Miami has had it has always been the front four that was the difference.   If there is a weakness you would have to say it is the secondary.  But that comes back to the front four. If Miami can rush the passer, and pressure the QB, it will be a good year on defense."

LT: " I'll tell you I am very happy for a kid like Sam Shields (seen here with Ryan Hill).  He's making an impact in the secondary and Sam finally feels at home and understands he put himself behind the eight ball by not doing all the things he needed to do.  But he has finally gotten himself to where he feels he is doing the right things on and off the field, and that makes his life a lot easier."

DBJ:  Lamar we have a young man that was the highest rated recruit out of high school.  He played QB, and DB and any other position he wanted.  We are talking about Ray Ray Armstrong. He competely took over the game at the State Championship to beat MNWHS.  No matter how great you are in HS it is a BIG step to college ball?

LT: "Well I am pretty sure he had an eye opener when he got to college (laughter).  I know I did.  I know when I got to Miami, we were warming up and against FSU, [Walsh interjects: In our first game of the season] and I tried to do my duty to warm up the regulars [Walsh again: FSU was ranked number one] and Steve told me: Who the hell is this guy?  Get him the hell outta here!" 

"But in practice later on in the season to actually catch passes as a freshman from Steve Walsh, I was like this guy throws on the money; and it's nice and soft! (more laughter).  I never forgot that."

DBJ:

So are there any questions from the audience?  Oh, we have a lot of questions!  This is like a quiz!  Here we go from Canespace:

 "Steve are you jealous that Jacory is gonna break your single season TD record at 29?" (LOUD laughter!)

SW: It has been an on going bet ever since Craig Erickson.  And actually it is more like 31 TDs with the bowl game (more laughter).  I thought when Dorsey came along my TD record was toast but it didn't happen. It could happen but the running game should be so successful this year that I don't expect it to happen."

DBJ: OK LT, have you ever seen a more talented group of receivers at the U than the 2009 group?

LT: "I would say it is a very talented group, they have so many guys.  Of course I am biased to the Ruthless Posse (cheers and applause)!  I wish I was young again so I could compete against these guys every day and see where they stack up. But I am confident that this will be a great group of receivers at Miami."

DBJ:  OK this is good, we have some picks.  Legends of the Fall, pick one player on offense and one on defense that will have a "breakout season" in 2009?  It can be a Freshman or Senior, it doesn't matter. Let's start with offense:

SW: "You gotta look at the running back position.  I still think that Cooper is still your money threat.  I don't know enough about Mike James yet, but your money guy is Cooper." 

LT: "I'll go with Hankerson, I think he's gonna have a good year.  He's worked hard this summer, and he finally has himself in a position where he believes in himself.  He's gained confidence."

DBJ: OK, what about on defense?

SW:

"I'll think Sean Spence has the chance to make the biggest impact.  You know the LB position is key to the Miami defense.  the one thing the Miami defense has not done in recent years is pick up the turn over ratio."

"I think if the front four can get some pressure on the QB then you can get some turnovers in the passing game.  Spence will benefit from that."

LT: "I have to agree with you on Sean Spence.  I think he's a play maker, a Ray Lewis type, always around the ball.   But I am going to go with Randy Phillips.  How great would it be to see him pick off two passes against Oklahoma!"  (loud cheers)

Canespace LIVE: Hurricane Season Kick-Off Party

We are LIVE from Miller's Ale House on Yamato Road in Boca Raton with Ben Leis and Mary Clark from the Palm Beach Canes Club at their annual football season kick-off party. 

Joining us are the voice of the Miami Hurricanes and event emcee Don Bailey Jr. and special guests Steve Walsh and Lamar Thomas (seen here with Canezilla). 

We will be blogging LIVE from the event and hoping to get some of your questions answered by Steve and Lamar as the evening progresses. Post your comments and questions on the blog and we will do what we can to get you the news you can use. 

Here is a summary of the Q&A session with DBJ and Steve and Lamar:

Don Bailey Jr.:  Let's get straight to the point: Talk about Jacory Harris.  What does he have, where is he at and what does he need to do to be great?

Steve Walsh: "A lot has been made recently about some of the quarterbacks (at UM) lacking some of the intangibles over the last several years.  One of the things about Jacory, one of the things that Randy Shannon loves about him, is that he is a leader.   And leaders can come in a lot of different forms and fashions.  The leader can be the rah-rah guy getting up in your face and screaming, Jacory is not that guy." 

"But Jacory Harris in that locker room, and Jacory on the field in the Summer when the players are working out, he can go up to any player and just lay it on the line.  He has seven other team mates from MNW high school on that team, so he has built up a lot of trust among his team mates.  He can tell somebody look, you are either with us or get the heck out of the way." 

"And Randy Shannon shared a couple of stories with me that that is what Jacory did.  And he really changed that attitude in the locke room and established his position as a leader this Summer, which quite honestly the last few quarterbacks were not willing to do.  Now when you combine that with a kid who is very talented then you have something."

"I remember the first game last year against Charleston Southern where Jacory got the surprise start and on the first TD and I am on the sideline watching and they blitzed him and he could have thrown the ball away real quick, but he stepped to the side and he ran for 25 yards and scored.  It was like the first drive of his college career and they scored.  And to me that was, well that said something that this player has a great amount of poise, and he's patient, and that's what you have to have as a QB."

DBJ: Lamar at the WR position you are an expert. You did a fantastic job at The U, you had a great career in the NFL, you have Aldarius Johnson and thearon Collier, you just go down the list, Hankerson is the only guy that has been there three years, how tough is it to come in and start as a freshman and when do you get your feet under you as a receiver?

Lamar Thomas: "Well to start as a freshman back in the day was almost unheard of but for these kids to come in and get that experience, well it is incredible to watch them mature.  And watch them go into practice now and growing up right in front of you is amazing.  I watched these guys in HS and I went to a couple of games.  Aldarius everyday is getting better, I watched him in practice.  Streeter, last year he redshirted, now the guy is out there making plays in practice."  

"I talked to Aubrey Hill the receivers coach and he talks about each one of them being able to do something different.  So when I talk to these kids I say to them hey you have got to separate yourself you have to be able to do something extra special.  Those kids, like Hankerson, he's gonna be a play maker.  They just have so many kids who can make plays it is impressive to watch all of them."

DBJ: When you talk about offensive coordinators I guess Miami has had three in the last four years. Whe you talk about Mark Whipple the new OC now who tutored Ben Rothlisberger, took them to the Super Bowl, he went to coach at the Eagles, what do you feel the impact is going to be that Coach Whipple will have on the team this year?   How long does it take?

Walsh: "When you look back at Randy Shannon and who he has hired, Patrick Nix was one of the last guys he hired on his staff, and lets be honest he did not want Patrick Nix, that was not his first choice. They were never comfortable with each other, Nix wanted to run a certain style of offense, Randy wanted something else, but they had to work together.  But it blew up, it blew up in the bowl game in California, the Emerald Bowl, and after that game I knew something was going to happen."

"But now Randy had a chance to sit back and really interview people and ask them hey this is what I want, can you do this and Mark Whipple is able to do those things.  Now I think you are going to see an identity on offense.  And as a former player, that's what I see immediately.  there has to be a logical strategy about changing your personnel groups. "

"You think about the great teams in the 1990s and the 2001 team, those guys could come at you.  You had guys like Portis and McGahee.  But the last several years you didn't know what you really had.  Now maybe that's skill, the players we were dealing with, but I think it had a lot to do with the system.  Now Randy Shannon has somebody that he's comfortable with and they know who they want to be." 

"Now they gotta go out and execute."

DBJ: Lamar there is nothing that helps the passing game more than a good running game.  You have Javaris James who has been banged up, he hasn't been able to be himself, now he's skinnier, faster, how important is he to the offense?

Lamar:  "Well I think he is very important to the offense.  It think it took him over the Summer to realize how important it is to be THAT guy.  I mean I talked to him a couple years ago and he just kinda said yeah, but now he's a Senior and he realizes this is the year I have to put it all on the line and make this a better team."

DBJ: Steve are you jealous that Jacory is going to break your single season TD record at 29 (laughter)?

Walsh:  "First of all it's 31 TDs because of the bowl game!  But yeah, it has been an on-going friendly wager with all of the QBs that came after me at Miami about who was going to break it.  Going all the way back to Crag Erickson who told me he was gonna do it.  Gino Toretta said he was gonna do it too. I challenged Kenny Dorsey to try to break it.  But yeah, Jacory has a shot at it, but I think the running game is going to work so well this year that he will not have a real chance at it.  He could do it, it's possible, but probably not."