60 Minutes

If football games were only 30 minutes long, University of Miami fans would have been seriously disappointed in yesterday's game against Duke.

Fortunately for Miami fans, football games are 60 minutes long, which was plenty long enough for the Hurricanes to beat the Blue Devils 34-16 on a sunny Saturday in Miami. 

By the way, just for the record, I had predicted 34-20 all week long so I wasn't too far off on my estimation of exactly how this game would turn out.

Canespace was on hand to see the festivities before, during and after the game.  And oh, what a game it was!  We attended the game with RaizeCane (seen above at R), his buddies Tim and Dietrich, and Canespacers AngryCane and Canechic. 

Talk about a good time?  Oh yeah, this was it!  Before the game we boogied with the band in the parking lot (see below).  We met at E22 with Canezilla (who unfortunately was without "The Shoes" because she was sick), then visited KLCaneFan in W13, then the Swag Man (see above in the first photo at top) in W12, then Canechic and Angry in W33.  Then I walked RaizeCane and his buddies over to the RV lot for a short visit with the JSQ, who we also ran into at haltime at the Smirnoff bar near Section 107.

During the game we moved around and sat anywhere and everywhere in the over half empty (see below) stadium.  Canes fans, just forget the first half.  It never happened.  All I remember was it was slow and boring and Miami was losing.  Let's fast forward to the second half.

Jacory hung tough and got hot, hitting his receivers consistently, including WR Leonard Hankerson for a long TD.  Miami got the running game going with Damien Berry, who is quickly becoming a crowd favorite, doing the heavy lifting.  You could here chants of "Berry, Berry" throughout the fourth quarter at the Shark.

The Canes scored some quick points when Senior LB Daryl Sharpton came up BIG for Miami as he intercepted a pass and used his blazing speed (LOL) to take it back for a pick six for the Hurricanes.  The game was over and the fans that did show up breathed a sigh of relief as Miami notched it's 8th win of the 2009 season with USF left up next week at The Ship.

But it was the fans that we met, and the time that we had, that made this day a very special event.  There are only a few times each season where the perfect storm happens.  It happend at at home against OU, then again at UCF in Orlando, once again in Durham for UNC and then again at home in a spectacular finish against Duke. 

U simply had to be there!  And if these pictures don't tell you that, then well...

Comments

[86Cane]

1982...U need 2 tickets to USF? If so they are on Canespace!

[j.w.]

Durand Scott is going to be a fan favorite! And McGowan just has to pull up a few steps earlier to get that shot off. 64-49 Canes w/ 753 to go

[j.w.]

That sucks, 82. I'll keep looking 4 u.

[canechic]

I love rebounds...nice to see rebounding!

[Daytoncane]

we look really good at breaking the press. that's gonna pay dividends later on in conference play.

we're up 68 - 58

[j.w.]

u[ 8 with 3:45. Need to hit FT

[Old Skool]

Ok Canechic

Since the Cocks are going down by not doing enough scoring.

What's the story?

BTW What's the opposite of 'man up'?

[j.w.]

82, you may have to pay for this one, but I think it has the game:
http://basketball-online.tv/default.asp?tcg=1&PID=ef9ffc01-bb94-4069-9b7c-ee8dba940463

[j.w.]

2:59 left, UM up 68-61

[j.w.]

Collins Dunk and 1!!!!

[j.w.]

ball movement tonight is excellent, we're up 11 with 1:47 to go. Dews and Thomas drained threes

[Old Skool]

81-66 Miami 1:30 left

[canezilla]

well boys and girls the nfl streak ends.no cane player in the nfl scored a touchdown.it ends at 115 weeks and started in the 2002 season..go canes

[j.w.]

85-70 final, Haith and the Canes!

[Old Skool]

85-70 Canes win

[Six]

Canezilla - how does it end when Andre Johnson still has to play .. Devin Hester has to play .. Greg Olsen still has to play .. those are just guys on the O

[Six]

Frank Gore scored in the 49ers game as well

[canechic]

The cocks just got goobled up....oh that is bad!

GO CANES!

[SlingBlade]

canes win canes win....this team can upset alot of teams this year if they can cut down on the turnovers....

[SuperCooper]

I love this team. They are so much fun to watch. Might have to raise my expectations for this season.

[SlingBlade]

there are only 3 teams in college basketball that are 5-0...and we are one of them.............northern colorado and texas tech the other two

[Old Skool]

Canechic
Why did the Cocks lose?
Was their offense flaccid or impotent?
Or was it a matter of rebounding. They didn't grab enough balls

[canechic]

I think it is not enough ball grabbing! But they did look a little soft and soft cocks are not that good!

[SlingBlade]

their best player was the shortest of all the cocks...

[Old Skool]

LOL
We're getting to see your other side

[canezilla]

i saw it on procanes maybe it was last week?

[Daytoncane]

we looked good tonight, but we really can't judge this team until we play some real competition and get into conference play.

breaking the press may actually be a strength for us this year. Scott and Grant found open guys out of the double teams with ease. im pretty surprised that we exploited the press so well despite being so young.

i didn't like us playing so much 2-3 zone because good shooting teams can burn a zone. we looked kind of out of place at times playing it, sometimes having two guys rotate to an area where the ball was thrown and leaving a shooter wide open. it's early though, so we have time to improve.

i don't expect us to make the dance, but we got a LOT of good things to look forward to.

[ChicagoCane]

Question regarding bowl games - When it says ACC 3rd for a game, does that mean the team with the third best record in the conference? Or, does it mean that bowl has third choice of team?

Couldn't the Canes not technically be the 3rd place team but get selected by the third place bowl? They would travel well to Orlando.

Someone explain...I have no clue how bowl selection works.

[CaneRock]

This basketball team looks promising, that Scott kid has a smooth game. With improvement at the FT line, and better ball-handling, this team can make some noise in the ACC...

[SlingBlade]

Someone explain...I have no clue how bowl selection works.

Posted by: ChicagoCane | November 22, 2009 at 08:23 PM

its the third selected acc team....

[canezilla]

my bad guys for the bad reporting i should get a job at the sun sentinal.i was reading it wrong.again my bad

[canechic]

Me neither Chicago but I would love Orlando or Jacksonville!

[Old Skool]

How was their jacking? Did they get off many 3's?

[SlingBlade]

http://www.procanes.com/

looks like uncle luke has made a song about the canes for espn...

[miamimike01]

Proud of the Hardwood Canes. Nice game, good tournament win for UM. Beat a decent USC team.

Super,

don't raise your expectations just yet. UM still is careless with the ball, can't shoot F/T's, and plays out-of-control too much. There are plenty of positives, just not sure this team is Tournament Good, yet. Time will tell.

Very good rebounding team. Good defensively. Average offensively, only b/c of the t/o'ers and free throw shooting. Decent from the arc.

UM has plenty of room to grow as a basketball team. But the outlook is bright, and Haith is building his team. I have complete faith in his vision.

As we all should have with Shannon. Complete faith in his vision, already improved the win total from last year with two games left.

Although I would like to see at least one more win, this season ALREADY is an improvement from last.

PROGRESS

Hang in there, Canes' fans. Be patient. It's harder to be when this team could easily be 10-1, but this ship is cruising in the right direction.

Just be glad U aren't Notre Dame, FSU, or Michigan fans.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Coker recruits...how old are the kids that are left? Are they all 4th year players now?

Personally, I'm getting tired of using Coker as a scapegoat for players that are not contributing. Just because Larry recruited a player doesn't mean that Larry is still the reason that he's underperforming. RS and staff have had all these players for years now.

The word "Cokerite" shouldn't be used when referring to any current player IMO.

If a guy doesn't pan out then he doesn't pan out. Randy will recruit plenty of players that don't pan out. It's the nature of the biz.

The Coker horse is dead, it's time to stop beating it.

Posted by: CanesAddiction | November 22, 2009 at 03:29 PM

>>>>>>

Addiction, it's the reality that the only ballers on this team are underclassmen. It was even more evident last year.

And I use the term because there's a clear pattern with kids who Coker recruited.

PB alludes to the fact that the attitude has changed tremendously since 2007, which is totally true but until we have 11 on 11 Shannonites, with nothing but Shannonites behind them, we won't see the type of football we all expect from that U on the helmet.

And I'm not the only one saying it. Morgan said it. Sapp said. Irvin said it. Searcy said it.

So maybe you're tired of hearing it but the facts remain the same because the team's leaders are not ballers or they're too young to really take control.

[Cat 5 Cane]

The game... It's a W... that's all that counts as we are learning to win when so many other things goes wrong

I watched the game again and again... stopping and taking notes as I went.

lets face it... Jacory was making bad choices and he was lucky that he wasn't lit-up for 4 other interceptions for the day before he found his stride... was it his hand or his head, I don't know but he was also throwing into heave coverage... not good, but finally he found his rhythm and hit some great passes in stride.

Defense was sorta jekyll and hyde... but great to see Sharpton have a MVP day... on a senior day!

Vaughn was awesome so many times, that I lost count and his killer hit with 6:27 to go in the 4Th, just lite the stadium up... Don't know, but that should be the "Hit of the week or maybe the month! "

Bailey's roughing the passer call was bogus and if it wasn't for Vaughn's hit the next play, we could have been in trouble. but the very next play, Sharpton cut in and snatches the ball for a INT and a TD for 70 yards... what was closing in for a close game at the end, turned out to be the final straw...

got to go!

later

[ChicagoCane]

MM01 - or Georgia. They are terrible.

[miamimike01]

MM01 - or Georgia. They are terrible.

Posted by: ChicagoCane | November 22, 2009 at 08:44 PM

Yeah,

UGA might have hit a wall.

Although, the Bulldogs have a promising young QB and Richt is a good coach. They also have very good young weapons at TE and WR; I expect UGA to rebound next season.

[Montreal-Cane]

Any link for the highlights Miami vs Duke?

[86Cane]

ball movement tonight is excellent...

Posted by: j.w. | November 22, 2009 at 07:55 PM

That's what SHE said...

[86Cane]

MM01...did U mail those tix to me?

[miamimike01]

Yes, sir. Dropped them today, should have by Wednesday.

[86Cane]

So maybe you're tired of hearing it but the facts remain the same because the team's leaders are not ballers or they're too young to really take control.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 22, 2009 at 08:37 PM

THERE IT IS, RIGHT THERE.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

did you know devin hester is on his way to a 1,000yd receiving season....?

and some say he wasnt smart enough to play wide receiver....

Posted by: SlingBlade | November 22, 2009 at 06:26 PM

>>>>

I definitely didn't know that. You'd think Under Armour would be shouting it from the roof-tops. lol

Another example of the one who shall not be named. lol

[CanesAddiction]

So maybe you're tired of hearing it but the facts remain the same because the team's leaders are not ballers or they're too young to really take control.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 22, 2009 at 08:37 PM

I'm saying that just because Coker recruited a guy doesn't explain why he's underperforming. Coker has far less to do with a current players' performance than the current staff.

The elimination of "Cokerites" from this team will not improve the Canes on it's own. Only the improvement of its players will help.

I'm saying that I'm sick of the "once we purge the team of Cokerites everything will be back to normal" mentality. Coker is long, long gone and that mentality is very, very old.

Also, every "Cokerite" player on this team has been coached by Shannon for longer than they were with Larry. Shannon booted the Cokerites he didn't want. There's no such thing as a Cokerite any more IMO. Personally, I'm sick of the term.

[miamimike01]

Another example of the one who shall not be named. lol

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 22, 2009 at 08:57 PM

THERE IT IS, RIGHT THERE.

[86Cane]

MM01...roger that, check is in the mail tomorrow. Tell Randy we will miss U guys at the game.

R E S P E C T

GO CANES, BEAT THE BULLS!

[Montreal-Cane]

Where is Rusty 98 when you need him?

[SuperCooper]

"Super,

don't raise your expectations just yet. UM still is careless with the ball, can't shoot F/T's, and plays out-of-control too much. There are plenty of positives, just not sure this team is Tournament Good, yet. Time will tell.

Very good rebounding team. Good defensively. Average offensively, only b/c of the t/o'ers and free throw shooting. Decent from the arc.

UM has plenty of room to grow as a basketball team. But the outlook is bright, and Haith is building his team. I have complete faith in his vision."

Agreed on all counts man. It's a young team, so you will definitely get as many bad moments as you will good. We definitely can't play as sloppy as we have early in games against teams like UNC/Duke/Wake. Free throws and defending the three are two key areas that they need to get better in. But, I'm sure this team will improve in the each month.

It's a good start, and that is all you can ask.