Cassano Wins The Lotto

Everyone is familiar with the phrase: "It is better to be lucky than good."

And when it comes to being lucky, Mike Cassano is your man. 

Now that's not to say Cassano is not a good coach, but when it comes to being in the right place at the right time, Miami's new running backs coach could not be any luckier.  And he didn't have to drive very far to get there either! 

You see Cassano was working across town in the 305 as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at FIU for former UM player and coach Mario Cristobal when he got the call from Randy Shannon at Miami to join the Hurricanes staff.   

Fortunately for Cassano he fell into a perfect situation at UM with the Hurricanes once again on the rise to National prominence and also currently in possession of a boatload of talent for him to coach.

Just take a look (and try not to salivate) at the talent he has to work with:

• Graig Cooper*
• Damien Berry
• Lee Chambers
• Mike James
• Lamar Miller
• Storm Johnson
• Eduardo Clements
• Darion Hall

* - Returning from knee injury in the Champs Sports Bowl.

With Javaris James graduating last year and Graig Cooper returning from injury the running back position may be the most wide open and competitive of any on the team.  Here are some of the players expected to fight for carries in the crowded backfield at Miami:

Damien Berry came on strong late last year to the delight of many Hurricane fans who called for him to play at games and on the Internet message boards, chat rooms and blogs.  The big, bruising converted safety was dominant at times and his tough, straight-forward, punishing running style was a refreshing change of pace in the UM backfield.

Mike James played early and often as a true freshman in 2009.   The Central Florida (Davenport HS) product saw quality playing time at RB and returning kickoffs for the Hurricanes last season.  James is effective at picking up the blitz and at catching the ball out of the backfield.  Always solid and stout in stature, he has bulked even more during this off-season and looks to make even more of an impact in 2010.   James is another powerful, yet shifty runner who is able to gets yards after contact.

Lamar Miller is the type of speedy, elusive back not seen at "The U" since Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee left town to play in the NFLU.  Speed kills and Miller has speed to burn as he proved on the track as part of the UM 4 X 100 relay team, on the field as a red-shirt freshman on the scout team in 2009 and during Spring practice this year.  Miller (seen below in 2008 representing Miami Killian HS at the FSHAA track meet) will likely return kickoffs this year and look to get his opportunities on specially designed plays to get him the ball in space to let him work his fleet-footed magic. 

Lee Chambers is a senior RB who is expected to get more playing time this season if Cooper is not 100% ready after undergoing extensive knee surgery for the injury he suffered in the Champs Bowl in December.  Chambers has paid his dues and has shown some flashes of talent while at Miami but he may get passed by a few of the talented freshman and sophomores now roaming like hungry young lions all around the practice field in Coral Gables.

Storm Johnson:  The name says it all right?  A Miami Hurricane player with the name "Storm"?  Even Hollywood would have a hard time topping that one!  Johnson plans to storm right through the stacked and talented field of running backs now at UM and earn some serious playing time as a true freshman.  Storm may be the most talented of all backs and is certainly was as highly recruited as any on the UM roster.  Many predicted he is too good to keep on the bench and will play for The U in 2010.  Some UM fans have even selected him as their Legend of the Fall for this season and have come up with this cute little slogan: "Fear The Storm!"

If you asked Eduardo Clements who should be the starting running back at Miami in 2010 he would without hesitation say: "Eduardo Clements".  Thought to be a good candidate to red-shirt this year, Clements was recently quoted by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald as saying: "Red-shirting me would be a waste of time.  I can line up at running back or wide receiver." 

Uh, Eduardo we like your attitude and 305 swag but in case you haven't been paying attention wide receiver and running back are the two deepest positions on the team.  If Clements plays at UM in 2010 he will have done it the old fashioned way: He will have earned it.

Comments

[CGNC]

Cool Commmercial for seatbelts

http://embracethis.co.uk/

[canechic]

Soup here is an article about Ted Blackman...he disagreed with Jim Morris not so good.

http://varsity.orlandosentinel.com/sports/baseball/os-hs-blackman-brothers-20100716,0,7484987.story

[j.w.]

Agree, and lol, Ungar!
And CGNC- what a man that Bryce Brown is! The smartest thing Shannon ever did was cut ties with him, and his decision looks better every day.

[Ungar]

Acane, congrats on the FIRST, but can I suggest a name change? My dylexia turned that into Acne.... 8-)

[solarcane]

Cassano will have that typical BS line in his future bios of how he coached such notables as Berry, Miller, Johnson, James,Cooper while at Miami.

Although it will be true, how much coaching do running back coaches actually do compared to any other position coach?

Cause you know Clinton, Edge, Gore, Mcgahee would have struggled and gone nowhere without the elite coaching they received... yea that's the ticket.

[Ungar]

solar, sorry to disagree, but I gotta remind you that there is more to it than just "run forrest run".

Blitz pickups, hot reads for the short throw, and decent faking of the run on play-action are all the marks of a well-coached RB and is part of the reason Berry didn't see the field until we were almost guaranteed to be running the ball.

I know youtube doesn't have alot of shots of Portis and others doing blitz pickup (it's not sexy, I guess), but here is a shot of an RB not doing it AGAINST the Canes.

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2009/7/27/883265/emerald-bowl-review-part-vii

Cassano has got to have Berry ready to read those hand motions, or Jacory will be in the same situation Longshore was in on that play.

Just my opinion, but the Cal folks really know how to dissect a play!

[Ungar]

Uh Oh, now solar is gonna pay off Old Skool if I go on the next rafting trip.... 8-)

[Ungar]

Of course, I wonder why the Cal lineman got away with waving his hand like that and no Cane jumped at him for moving.

False start, Cal, 5 yard penalty, repeat 3rd down.

[Sebastian]

360Cane,
Tickets are at the Trop

You can pick them up anytime you want

[solarcane]

ungar,

I know what your saying.

What I'm sayin is it's football.

You been a running back since you were in your pop's backyard.

You are the one of the top running backs in the nation in high school or you wouldn't be here.

Now you are a college student

Tell me being a running back and learning
to pick up the blitz, release as a hot receiver is akin to an opthamologist learning to perform laser surgery and I'll be impressed with running back coaches.

The guys you see that don't seem to get it are more victims of being ate up with the dumb azz rather than having a mediocre running backs coach.

old skool is to rafters what Richard Kulinski was to people walking their dogs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kuklinski

[Ungar]

Hi, my name is Ben Dover, I am here for my tickets.
Nothing?
Oh wait, my name is actually Ben Ladden.
No?
How about Ben Drinken?
Nope?
I see that all of them have been guessed.
Yes to Ben Guessed?
ID?
I have it here somewhere. Is a coupon for two for one drinks okay?

[Ungar]

Yeah, I know, there is nothing funny about dog killers....

OR IS THERE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVGMsMws9Y

[Sebastian]

Even the couple of the bleacher crew people I know at the ticket office came over and said that cant really be someones name is it

I told them the guy said it was so that was good enough for me

By the way..good ones with the other names

[Ungar]

Laser Surgery For Dummies? Not written (yet).

Coaching Football for Dummies?

http://books.google.com/books?id=OIzwNBU6qlAC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Okay solar, you win, call off the assassin...

[Ungar]

I left tickets for Elvis Presley, but he didn't pick them up....

[solarcane]

Thanks ungar, I knew you would see the light.

[solarcane]

I'm reading a thing about the greatest inventors of all time.

I could see it was flawed by the third paragraph when it occurred to me there was no reference to Wile E Coyote.

[solarcane]

Did this guy used to sing for The Beach Boys?

Al-Jazari, (1136–1206), Iraq

— crank-driven and hydropowered saqiya chain pump, crank-driven screw and screwpump, elephant clock, weight-driven clock, weight-driven pump, reciprocating piston suction pump, geared and hydropowered water supply system, programmable humanoid robots, robotics, hand washing automata, flush mechanism, lamination, static balancing, paper model, sand casting, molding sand, intermittency, linkage

[solarcane]

Charles Macintosh, (1766–1843), Scotland — waterproof raincoat
WTF??

Obviously beat out the less known Joseph Soaker - sponge rain boots.

[MassivCane]

New SI Article...

#1 and #11

Go Canes!!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/07/23/most.hated.teams/index.html?hpt=T2

[Ungar]

Six, was this you?

From the comments on the article:

"What a shocker. SI, the magazine that has wanted Miami to shut down it's team for YEARS, places the Miami Hurricanes at #1, adda photo of Johnson and Irvin, TWICE, so they can add the Dallas Cowboys in there, and even takes a shot at Ted Hendricks just because he was a Hurricane.

Quoting Rick Reilly as PROOF of hatred is more like PROOF of his years of bias against the Hurricanes. Even the claim that Canes are the only team to deserve a double dose of SI hatred just shows how biased you guys are. Then, to make sure you hit the city again, you hate on the Miami Heat because some FANS might change to cheering for that team. Why aren't the Lakers on here then, since they have the current batch of bandwagon fans?

SI hates the University of Miami, we GET it, but the fans and players still love Miami, even with your demand that we shut down our football team. how about a cover story about the Gators and their 28 or more arrests? You freaked about seven misdemeanors, how about their FELONIES? Nah, you want to keep hating on the Canes instead."

Glad to see a Cane fan defending on SI.

[Ungar]

oh, and thanks for the link, MassivCane.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Loved that SI article. lol Absolute classic.

[360Cane]

Bennie and the Jets!!! (sorry Fins)

Thanks Sebas!

Ungar, it's pronounced ben-jammin' not ben-ja-min.

[Ungar]

360 Cane, the Bob Marley fan....

I'm out till tomorrow, time for the night shift...

eace-pay!

[Nashvillecane]

Cassano will have that typical BS line in his future bios of how he coached such notables as Berry, Miller, Johnson, James,Cooper while at Miami.

Although it will be true, how much coaching do running back coaches actually do compared to any other position coach?

Cause you know Clinton, Edge, Gore, Mcgahee would have struggled and gone nowhere without the elite coaching they received... yea that's the ticket.

Posted by: solarcane | July 28, 2010 at 03:11 PM

another solar classic...lol

[SOUP]

By Heather Dinich

Some of you were asking on the chat today when your teams report and start. Well, here it is:

School: Reporting Date / Practice Starts

Boston College: Aug. 8 / Aug. 9

Clemson: Aug. 2 / Aug. 3

Duke: Aug. 8 / Aug. 9

Florida: State Aug. 4 / Aug. 5

Georgia Tech: Aug. 4 / Aug. 5

Maryland: Aug. 9 / Aug. 10

Miami: Aug. 4 / Aug. 5

North Carolina: Aug. 5 / Aug. 6

NC State: Aug. 2 / Aug. 3

Virginia: Aug. 5 / Aug. 6

Virginia Tech: Aug. 5 / Aug. 6

Wake Forest: Aug. 4 / Aug. 5

[Nashvillecane]

Six, was this you?

From the comments on the article:

"What a shocker. SI, the magazine that has wanted Miami to shut down it's team for YEARS, places the Miami Hurricanes at #1, adda photo of Johnson and Irvin, TWICE, so they can add the Dallas Cowboys in there, and even takes a shot at Ted Hendricks just because he was a Hurricane.

Quoting Rick Reilly as PROOF of hatred is more like PROOF of his years of bias against the Hurricanes. Even the claim that Canes are the only team to deserve a double dose of SI hatred just shows how biased you guys are. Then, to make sure you hit the city again, you hate on the Miami Heat because some FANS might change to cheering for that team. Why aren't the Lakers on here then, since they have the current batch of bandwagon fans?

SI hates the University of Miami, we GET it, but the fans and players still love Miami, even with your demand that we shut down our football team. how about a cover story about the Gators and their 28 or more arrests? You freaked about seven misdemeanors, how about their FELONIES? Nah, you want to keep hating on the Canes instead."

Glad to see a Cane fan defending on SI.
Posted by: Ungar | July 28, 2010 at 05:03 PM

Sounds like 6 to me...

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Cause you know Clinton, Edge, Gore, Mcgahee would have struggled and gone nowhere without the elite coaching they received... yea that's the ticket.

Posted by: solarcane | July 28, 2010 at 03:11 PM

>>>>>>

I don't know about that part. They praise Sol for turning that potential into reality, every last one of them.

Now if these guys start praising Cassano like this we'll learn a few things.

[404]

Consolation for UM fans: The 2002 Ohio State football team, which defeated Miami in a highly controversial double-overtime Fiesta Bowl national title game, was named as one of seven most-hated ``honorable mention'' teams.

``Miami appeared to have won at the end of the first overtime,'' SI.com wrote, ``but an unusually late pass-interference flag by field judge Terry Porter saved the Luck . . . er, Buckeyes.''

[Mr Troutman]

The thing I am keeping an eye on is how well conditioned we'll look against FAMU. That right there is the beginnig of TROPICAL DEPRESSION that will form into a FULL BLOWN CAT 5 HURRICANE BY SEASONS end. THE DEPTH IMO will be the first thing people notice once we start playing with game experience.Teams will try and cheat to hurry up their offense to keep us from rotating but the only problem with that is they'll be off balance with us constantly attacking. UNTIL WE KNOCK TEAMS OUT THE BIAS MEDIA WILL CONTINUE TO PUT TEAMS LIKE ALA, FL, AND TEX ON TOP.....THESE TEAMS TOOK OUR SPOT TEMPORARY NOW WE ARE ABOUT TO SHOW THESE TEAMS THE BLUEPRINT OF A REAL DYNASTY. I have not seen a team yet that can compare to our 2001 team. We took our lumps since then but like all things U WON'T STAY ON THE BOTTOM FOREVER...This team is hungry as well as the coaches and fans for a NC.... I believe they are giving it 100 percent on everything they do now on the field, and that is a recipe for success.

[elliott]

Greetings Canespace, just got back from Tybee Island, GA. Really loved the beach front condo and fell in love with the area. Looking to relocate and if I can not find anything in South Florida (Port Charlotte area) then I will look into Savannah. Meanwhile glad to be back and become another daily viewer. Allow me to take a break and check out the comments. O yeah I forgot to mention I was listening to rivals radio today and the host (not sure of his name) commented on the canes and their db's went on to say about how good they are going to be.....Also talked about how a 95 Nebraska squad was the best team in CFB history. He did say however that the 04 USC and 01 Miami team would had given them a run for there money. I though yeah right 01 Miami would crush 95 Nebraska. No team will ever be better than the 01 team......

[SOUP]

Circling around the 850. Looking for Money?

[solarcane]

I don't know about that part. They praise Sol for turning that potential into reality, every last one of them.

Yea I agree Sol's a good coach, but everyone of them would excel with or without him being there don't kid yourself or let press clippings kid you for a second.

Coaching Accomplishments

•Coached Willis McGahee to a record season at UM in 2002 as the sophomore set single-season records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, all-purpose yards, total points, rushing yards per game, rushing attempts, touchdowns in a game and 100-yard performances.

•Instrumental in the development of 1999 first round NFL Draft choice Edgerrin James and subsequent draft picks James Jackson (2001), Najeh Davenport (2002), and Clinton Portis (2002).

•Has produced 1,000-yard rushers six of the last nine seasons: Willis McGahee (2002), Clinton Portis, (2001), James Jackson (2000), Edgerrin James (1997 and 1998), and Danyell Ferguson (1995).

Those guys were going to do what they did if Sol or Cassano or Capt O was their coach.

I feel running back coaches are like jockys.
They get on the right horse people say they won the triple crown.

[WindyCane1]

ITS OK ABOUT OUR LINEBACKERS OUR D LINE WILL STOP ANY RUN.THEY JUST HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE TIGHTENDS

Posted by: canezilla | July 28, 2010 at 07:12 AM

Cookie, some of the new linebackers and a solid pass rush will shut down those TEs. Our LB depth may be lacking, but the Canes may have a few good LBs on their roster. Nelson will come in and play right away.

[canesluvr]

Running the ball for a running back is instinctual. There are somethings that just can't be taught like vision and cutting back. What a good running backs coach will do is accentuate what the RB does best, play up to his strengths. Edge was a very different back than Portis. James Jackson was a different back than Najeh. Sol didn't try to make them a cookie cutter RB (like the RB and OL coach in Denver tries to do.) But the one thing those guys did and did well was blitz pickup, catching the ball out of the backfield and blocking, running with patience and not tip toeing or dancing in the backfield. Setting up blockers on the line or down field is coached, especially if the back has a lot of speed. (A good coach will slow the back down so he can set the blocks up), and protecting the football. That is taught by the RB coach, or focused on by the rb coach if the back wants playing time. When each of those guys went to the pro's they were NFL ready because of all of the other things they can do besides running the football. They were three down backs because of being coached by coach Sol. Running is instinctual, but to be an effective all around back, they have to be coached to do all of the other things other than run the ball.

[Nashvillecane]

Imma gonna go out on a limb and say henderson takes over for figs buy f$u…I jus don’t think he’s athletic enuff to play on the outside…but I could be wrong???

[solarcane]

canesluver,
good post.

I like Sol I think he is a great coach.
Put him at Ball State or somewhere and he surly would get more out of the backs than they thought possible,

Put him at Miami and he gets a lot of pats on the back for 1000 yds rushers that were going to have a 1,000 yds regardless of who coached them.

Your point about being those guys being NFL ready in all phases, is a credit to Sol.

Although I think they were going to be drafted right where they were regardless of how sound they were fundamentally.

What I said about Cassano getting the BS notable backs he coached line in his future bios is common to every program that recruits elite players. Not picking on Sol at all , just my opinion on the guys that get the keys to the Porches.

[Nashvillecane]

Posted by: solarcane | July 28, 2010 at 10:16 PM

Sol speakin of keys to porches, what did coker do with the porch butch handed him the keys to? Lol

[SOUP]

Sol speakin of keys to porches, what did coker do with the porch butch handed him the keys to? Lol

Posted by: Nashvillecane | July 28, 2010 at 10:25 PM

Crash and burn

[SOUP]

Solar...did you check your street mail and email recently?

[solarcane]

soup,
I replied to your email.

I didn't check my mailbox today but I'll keep an eye on it.

[solarcane]

2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team

Offense

WR Donovan Varner, Duke (27); Junior

WR Torrey Smith, Maryland (19); Junior

TE George Bryan, NC State (21); Junior

T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College (43); Senior

T Chris Hairston, Clemson (21); Senior

G Rodney Hudson, Florida State (43); Senior

G Thomas Claiborne, Boston College (21); Senior

C Sean Bedford, Georgia Tech (25); Senior

QB Christian Ponder, Florida State (35); Senior

RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech (45); Sophomore

RB Montel Harris, Boston College (30); Junior

Defense

DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina (47); Junior

DE Allen Bailey, Miami (31); Senior

DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina (32); Senior

DT Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson (27); Senior

LB Alex Wujciak, Maryland (34); Senior

LB Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina (32); Senior

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College (25); Sophomore

CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina (27); Senior

CB Brandon Harris, Miami (26); Junior

S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson (48); Senior

S Deunta Williams, North Carolina (41); Senior

Specialists

PK Matt Bosher, Miami (32); Senior

P Matt Bosher, Miami (20); Senior

SP Torrey Smith, Maryland (24); Junior

[SOUP]

Ungar...do me a favor, please try to do less humor and more sports. Thanks!

[SOUP]

Cat5...good talking to U today. Hope things get better for U!

[SOUP]

Autumn...how's that Canespace T-shirt working for U?

[SOUP]

Canezilla...What's up? Haven't heard from U in a while? U going to the first practice on 8/5?

[Sarasota 'cane]

Were not a few of you talking about wearing Lebron's new Heat jersey to the Horseshoe in September?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38459999/ns/sports-baseball/

P.S. The D-line and D-backs will make up for any shortcoming from the linebackers. No team is 100% at all positions.

Go 'canes!

[CaneRock]

"Running is instinctual but to be an effective all around back, they have to be coached to do all of the other things other than run the ball."
Posted by:caneluvr July 28, 2010 at 9:32 PM

Great point. Reminds me of a segment on NFL Network where Eric Bienemy was coaching up Adrian Peterson on how to run zone. Now you'd think a back like AP could just naturally do this, but in watching the segment, being a zone back is no walk in the park...

[Sarasota 'cane]

http://wqam.com/index.php?page=347

There are too many great interviews here to mention just one! Michael Irvin and Sid had the 'cane talk rocking today!

Go 'canes!