Take Me To Your Leader

According to researchers in the field of social sciences the definition of leadership is:

The "process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task."  Leadership is "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal."  A leader is "a person capable of inspiring and associate others with a dream."

Bernie Kosar had it in bunches.  Steve Walsh had it.  Gino Torretta had it.  Kenny Dorsey had it too.

 
Yet if you conducted a survey this morning after Miami's thrilling come from behind victory over the Maryland Terrapins at Sun Life Stadium yesterday, many Miami Hurricane fans would define leadership in two simple words: Stephen Morris.

Yes, I realize that it was only one game, but considering the circumstances, Morris' performance against Maryland certainly deserves some serious assessment, praise and accolades.  And while I am not trying to compare him with all of the Hurricane QB greats mentioned above (and in photos) to say that this comeback was almost Walsh-like would not be an exaggeration.

Morris, a true freshman quarterback from Miami Pace high school, stepped in for the injured Jacory Harris, struggled in the first half then showed the resilency and leadership to bring the Hurricanes back from the dead with an absolutely picture perfect touchdown pass to the sure-handed Leonard Hankerson with under a minute to go in the game to seal the deal.

Thanks to Morris, Hurricane fans managed to breath a huge sigh of relief as Miami escaped from the crucial ACC contest with a win that kept their slim conference championship hopes alive. 

Miami trailed 17-15 at haltime as Morris threw two interceptions and the formerly relaible Matt Bosher continued his recent funk by missing two PATs.  Some Miami fans began their typical "Here we go again" mantra as the Hurricanes looked inconsistent (again) and unmotivated (again) and failed to utilize their home field advantage by keeping the Terrapins in the game. 

 
In the end all that mattered to Hurricane fans was that when the game was over the scoreboard read Miami 26, Maryland 20 thanks to Morris' late game heroics.

That and the fact that a leader was born.

Morris looked cool, calm and collected and much like a seasoned veteran as he maneuvered the Hurricanes down the field for the winning score on the final drive of the game that did nothing less than save Miami's season and head coach Randy Shannon's job. 

There is nothing like a little pressure to bring out the true leadership qualities of a young athlete, is there?   Morris carried the entire weight of his team and their coach on his apparently broad shoulders and responded with the ability, confidence and execution necessary to pull off the last minute victory for the Hurricanes.

 
On the game winning play Morris dropped back to pass and under a heavy rush and delivered a perfect spiral to Hankerson who ran a post-corner route and had somehow managed to get behind the Terrapin defenders. 

Morris did not see the end of the play as he laid on his back and simply listed for the roar of the crowd to tell him the results of his heroic effort.  And a deafening roar it was as the 40,000 or so Hurricanes fans at Sun Life Stadium sounded more like 80,000 as they had found new hope for the season.

And a new leader.

Freshman QB Stephen Morris, jsut as young and inexperienced as he could be, stood tall in the pocket and watched the drama unfolding in front of him.  Then, under tremendous pressure and at the most critical moment of the game and the entire 2010 season, came through for his team and his coach.

Now that's leadership.

Comments

[DallasTX Cane]

Guess who leads the ACC in Penalties?

U guessed it!

PENALTIES G No. Yards Avg/G

1. NC State 9 50 340 37.8
2. Virginia Tech 9 41 380 42.2
3. Duke 9 42 385 42.8
4. Wake Forest 9 47 424 47.1
5. Clemson 9 51 498 55.3
6. Georgia Tech 9 59 508 56.4
7. Boston College 9 56 516 57.3
8. North Carolina 9 63 533 59.2
9. Florida State 9 63 581 64.6
10. Maryland 9 69 595 66.1
11. Virginia 9 68 631 70.1
12. Miami 9 83 679 75.4

Posted by: SOUP | November 08, 2010 at 01:52 PM

Yeah, BUT we only committed like 3 of them. And those were questionable.

[DrewZ2]

According to Canesport, Lamar Miller has been named National Freshman of the Week. By whom, I don't know.

It could be Duke Alumna Karen Owen's weekly award.

Posted by: Old Skool | November 08, 2010 at 09:24 AM

Rivals - http://miami.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1149488

[Canestruck]

Posted by: Six | November 08, 2010 at 02:08 PM

Gametime for VA tech is 3:30 unless they change it.

[mi@mic@ne]

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | November 08, 2010 at 02:30 PM

Time to stir the pot... Randy is the only black coach in the acc...

[DallasTX Cane]

When Whipple calls a deep ball in double coverage to a 5'9 wr who dont fight for the ball..and when they pick the ball and all our super fast skill players make no attempt to tackle..then lets see how much you all love Morris lol

Posted by: UMike | November 08, 2010 at 02:20 PM

I'm pretty sure we've had that play in the playbook since at least Kyle's 2nd to last OC...

Red 24, deep ball into double (or triple) coverage, for the short guy...ready, break

[willie will in nashville]

umike,

they don't tell j12 that he has to throw it to a certain wr, its j12's fault when he throws into double coverage

[UMike]

DTX...lol...what i hate the most is watching guys run after the pic..these DB's and LB's look like Carl Lewis or something..out guys just watch them run it back..soft!

[UMike]

willie..imo..whipple can see who is covering who and what side of the field what wr is on..i could be wrong..i dont think whipple cares lol

[DallasTX Cane]

Posted by: mi@mic@ne | November 08, 2010 at 02:34 PM

Randy's just about the only black coach in NCAA D1 period. Aren't there maybe 3-4 others only?

If all the refs are racist AND willing to make BS calls ON PURPOSE because of their racism; how to explain any calls in our favor?

[UMike]

DTX..i dont think any bad calls and race related..everyone gets hosed for one reason or another...saturday i watched the refs steal a game from my sons 7yo team..dont know why..but it wasnt race..just happens. refs are people to..they get pissed and want pay back for whatever reason lol

[willie will in nashville]

willie..imo..whipple can see who is covering who and what side of the field what wr is on..i could be wrong..i dont think whipple cares lol

u r probably 100% correct sir about whipple not caring lol. but it seems to me that j12's decision making ability has regressed since his freshman year which probably has something to do with the coaching that he's getting here

[UMike]

williw..i agree..i think last year, or actually in 08..whe he was making game winning throws..his WR's were hungry,,fought for the ball and made him look good..not so much any more

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

If Bama or Oregon lose it's just a loss. If RS loses, it's his head.

For THIS team, it matters a great, great deal.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 08, 2010 at 12:54 PM

I think if the Canes finish 8-4 Shannon is safe. Worse than that? Not so much.

Posted by: SOUP | November 08, 2010 at 01:23 PM

>>>>>>>>>>

To me, for this team, for recruits, he needs to win out. He set this season up as something that could be special and his pet basically threw it in the trash.

He needs to win out to establish some sort of confidence going forward. Another mediocre season isn't going to work, esp. not if Morris wins the next two games, J12 comes back and stinks it up trying to throw balls he can't throw and we lose, RS is on the hot-seat whether he wants to be or not.

What I want to see happen is the Dr. tell J12 he can't play the rest of the year, MOrris ball out and we win out then RS is forced to live up to the talk he's been talking about "we're going to recruit someone to take your job."

Hmmmm. Coach gets to eat his own words.

[DallasTX Cane]

UMike, speaking of soft...did U see Mike Jenkins last night? He had a chance to hit a Green Bay WR right at the goal line and instead stopped and held up...didnt want the contact. He did the same thing two years ago. Soft.

[willie will in nashville]

williw..i agree..i think last year, or actually in 08..whe he was making game winning throws..his WR's were hungry,,fought for the ball and made him look good..not so much any more

Posted by: UMike | November 08, 2010 at 02:48 PM

my honest opionion, to me our players do good when they come straight out of high school their freshman year then once they get coached up here for a year they regress. compare our players freshman yrs to their sophomore yrs

[UMike]

willie..this is true..BUT..we boost these kids heads up..the fans, the media..we call Byrd the next Irvin, w elabel J12 the best since Dorsey, etc..wonder how that affects these KIDS

[DallasTX Cane]

Posted by: UMike | November 08, 2010 at 02:43 PM

I agree. many others feel otherwise tho.

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Dallas, one game at a time indeed, but the facts have become clear as this season has progressed.

1) Mini Martz's offense is built for a strong-arm QB. J12's problems all revolve around his lack of arm-strength for this offense. Last year we had no other option so it was ride or die.

2) The players do not respect or look to J12 as a leader or even as a valued member of the team.

You know this is probably worse than the lack of arm-strength for anyone in a group competitive situation.

Again, this was not clear last year. So with this new information the factors involved in this decision are different than anything we saw last year.

Unless Mini Martz suddenly does a crash course in Bill Walsh Offense, J12 is behind the 8-ball in ways that have nothing to do with his past performances.

[SOUP]

"I thought quitting was the attitude that was unacceptable for the players."

The only thing I know is that:

"Rehab is for quitters."

KoolAid drinkers included!

[UMike]

Cap..imo..in 08 J12 had plenty of arm strength

[Stat1124]

For any of you who missed the Maryland game and a chance to see Morris play for 4qtrs...you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmyNdCMtPqk

Besides to 2 ints which I wouldn't have had my freshman QB try to make across the middle, Morris has a real good game and I like how the offense rallyed around him. Will he be the next true leader of the Canes...doubtful..not while J12 is healthy but I think he is plenty capable of doing it.

[SOUP]

He needs to win out to establish some sort of confidence going forward. Another mediocre season isn't going to work, esp. not if Morris wins the next two games, J12 comes back and stinks it up trying to throw balls he can't throw and we lose, RS is on the hot-seat whether he wants to be or not.

Hmmmm. Coach gets to eat his own words.

Posted by: Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer | November 08, 2010 at 02:50 PM

I knew it!

Captain Optimist = Donna Shalala

[UMike]

what i liked most about Morris was this...on that game winning td..he did not throw it up from grabs and get lucky (j12 vs uva in 08)..he threw it over the defence and hit Hank in stride..it wasnt underthrown, the D didnt have a shot..it was hanks ball or noones..even on the long pass to Byrd..if he isnt hit and gets to step into it he probably hits Byrd in stride for a td...imo of course

[SOUP]

Stat1124...welcome to the Space! Post here, post often.

Nice collection of vids on the Tube I see?

[SOUP]

Red 24, deep ball into double (or triple) coverage, for the short guy...ready, break

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | November 08, 2010 at 02:34 PM

Then there's the infamous Graig Cooper play:

Blue 56, bring the TE in motion to the strong side (telling everybody exactly where U are gonna run the ball), then run into the line, break through the crease and then get tripped up by the turf monster (in the OPEN field) and go down well short of the first down then punt play.

[DallasTX Cane]

Not CANE news, but...Cowboys fire Wade Phillips. News conf at 4pm central

[SOUP]

we need better management... after the final score we had the kicker in for an xtra point making it a 5 point game. The right call was to go for 2.

Posted by: Lou of M | November 08, 2010 at 02:16 PM

Lou...we need a lot of things, better time management and use of time outs is one of many things on our "wish list".

[SOUP]

Cowboys fire Wade Phillips.

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | November 08, 2010 at 03:17 PM

SHOCKER.

[Stat1124]

Thanks Soup! Someone told me that I should make sure I swing thru and post the Hurricane FlashForwards here for those who don't know about it. I'm here reading everything...but never posted! I will be sure to continue in the future though! Love the Blog!

[SOUP]

The 2010 college football season has more Blacks leading Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams as head coaches than ever before. African-Americans lead 13 of the 120 FBS teams. Last year, the FBS counted 10 Blacks as head coaches.

It shouldn’t be hard for fans to notice the increased presence of African-American head coaches especially since many of their games, like last week’s matchup between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, will likely draw considerable scrutiny. Incidentally, Kentucky’s Joker Phillips and Louisville’s Charlie Strong are first-time head coaches in their rookie years.

The opening college football weekend also saw first-year head coaching starts by Kansas’ Turner Gill, Virginia’s Mike London, Western Kentucky’s Willie Taggart, Memphis’ Larry Porter, and East Carolina’s Ruffin McNeil. Returning coaches such as the University of Miami’s Randy Shannon, Miami University of Ohio’s Mike Haywood, Houston’s Kevin Sumlin, Eastern Michigan’s Ron English, and New Mexico’s Mike Locksley also saw action by their respective teams this past week. This weekend, second-year coach DeWayne Walker will lead New Mexico State University in its season opener against visiting San Diego State University.

[DallasTX Cane]

SHOCKER.

Posted by: SOUP | November 08, 2010 at 03:20 PM

Thats what she...

[SOUP]

I will be sure to continue in the future though! Love the Blog!

Posted by: Stat1124 | November 08, 2010 at 03:21 PM

U know where to find us, now tell all of your friends. We'll be right here!

[SOUP]

Soft.

Posted by: DallasTX Cane | November 08, 2010 at 02:53 PM

That's what...

[DallasTX Cane]

Posted by: SOUP | November 08, 2010 at 03:25 PM

I stand corrected on the number of black HCs. Thats good.

I still maintain that its very doubtful that large numbers of referees are making biased calls against the CANES and even more doubtful that large numbers of referees are making biased calls against the CANES due to racism.

[Bad Bart]

Wade Phillips for the Next Canes coach!! LOL

NOT!!

[carolinacane]

Has anyone got any info on our recruiting situation, especially at DT & LB. All I'm seeing is everyone loving FSU all the sudden.

[ColoradoCane]

Has anyone got any info on our recruiting situation, especially at DT & LB. All I'm seeing is everyone loving FSU all the sudden.

Posted by: carolinacane | November 08, 2010 at 03:43 PM

Carolina - Everything I'm reading is that they are going after the DT from Arizona (Todd Peat) pretty hard. He is in the process of scheduling an official to UM. LB Nick Menocal has committed and there are whispers that Denzel Perryman is a soft commit but who the hell knows anymore with these kids!

[DallasTX Cane]

http://www.theticket.com/Shtick/TicketTubeVideos/VideoPlayer/TabId/554/VideoId/1351/Hot-Chick-Gives-Cowboys-Endzone-More-Action-Then-Its-Seen-All-Year.aspx

At least this guy got his money's worth going to a cowgirls' game...

[carolinacane]

Thanks Colorado, I knew we were after Peat and I believe Perryman is a silent commit anyway. I know we need to get on the ball because to me this is where we are weakest at. We need more size, especially at LB.

[SOUP]

OK, quick...guess who the Defensive Line Coach at New Mexico?

OK, times up!

Trust me U were NOT gonna guess this anyway:

Carter has a long and storied career in the game, highlighted by 12 seasons (1975-86) as a defensive tackle with the Denver Broncos' famed "Orange Crush" defense. He played on five AFC West championship teams and in two Super Bowls (1978, 1987). In 1977, Carter was featured on a Sports Illustrated cover which touted him at "The Prototype NT in the 3-4 Defense."

Upon his retirement, Carter had 1,036 tackles and 33 sacks and had played more games (152) than any other nose tackle in NFL history. Carter received the NFL's Ed Block Award of Courage in 1986.
As a coach, Carter got his start as an assistant for Dan Reeves and the Broncos in 1987-88. He also had professional coaching stints with the Washington Redskins (1999-2000) and New York Jets (2001-03), all as defensive line coach.

Carter has coached Pro Bowl players John Abraham, Shawn Ellis, Marco Coleman, Greg Kragen, Rulon Jones and Karl Mecklenburg.

In the college ranks, Carter was defensive line coach at Temple (2004), Maryland (1997-98) and San Jose State (1995-96). He was also defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Howard University (1989-93) as the Bison led NCAA Division I-AA in total defense and scoring defense in 1989.

Carter was an All-America defensive lineman as a senior at Miami (Fla.) in 1974. He was MVP of the 1975 Hula Bowl and selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL Draft.

Carter was inducted into the University of Miami's Hall of Fame in 1992.

[SOUP]

The three finalists for the Joe Paterno award will be announced on Monday, December 6th. The formal announcement of the award will be made on Saturday, December 18th, 2010.

(Coach Paterno is not eligible for this award.)

Semifinalists for the 1st Paterno Award

Beamer, Frank, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Bielema, Bret, University of Wisconsin
Calhoun, Troy, United States Air Force Academy
Ferentz, Kirk University of Iowa
Fitzgerald, Pat, Northwestern University
Harbaugh, Jim, Stanford University
Niumatalolo, Ken, United States Naval Academy
O’Brien, Tom, North Carolina State University
Patterson, Gary, Texas Christian University
Petersen, Chris, Boise State University
Pinkel, Gary, University of Missouri
Shannon, Randy, University of Miami, Florida
Stoops, Bob, University of Oklahoma
Tressel, Jim, Ohio State University
Whittingham, Kyle, University of Utah

[SOUP]

We need more size, especially at LB.

Posted by: carolinacane | November 08, 2010 at 04:44 PM

U are correct.

[usagainstheworld&thereferees]

. . .

[SOUP]

Solar:

Miami vs GT is at 12 noon.

VT vs UNC is at 3:30 PM.

We will know more by then, yes?

[Ungar]

We need more size...

Posted by: carolinacane | November 08, 2010 at 04:44 PM

SOUP, solar, Native, you let that one get through?

solar, your friends are disappointed in you.

[Ungar]

BTW, is it safe to mention that Mike London, former cop turned coach, impressed me?

1. Sideline demeanor? Active.
2. Timeouts? Didn't screw that up.
3. Afraid to disagree with the refs? Nope.

The story about him having a gun to his head, getting the trigger pulled, and being a coach today because the gun was empty was pretty cool.

Yeah, I know, he is the enemy, and he kissed the ground like he was the Pope after a win, but he is an overachiever, and I like overachievers.

[mi@mic@ne]

We need more size...

Posted by: carolinacane | November 08, 2010 at

ok this one is mine... thats what she said lmao

[ColoradoCane]

We need more size, especially at LB.

Posted by: carolinacane | November 08, 2010 at 04:44 PM

U are correct.

Posted by: SOUP | November 08, 2010 at 05:08 PM

Yeah I'm getting tired of seeing safeties converted to LBs at the U. I thought for sure Randy and Co would go balls out after Jeff Luc last year but for one reason or another didn't. Speaking of LBs....I don't understand why we aren't seeing more of the Cain kid after his performance at Duke.

[Felipe]

Heh, Sam Shields, current fill-in nickel/corner for the Packers had yet another pick last night against Dallas, and has kept Pro Bowler Al Harris off the field as a result of his play. Anyone besides me NOT surprised that a guy who's chewed up by the 2nd string Oklahoma QB on the first drive as a Cane, is finally able to excel with this thing called coaching?

[ColoradoCane]

Posted by: Felipe | November 08, 2010 at 05:42 PM

Nope not surprised at all. There are obvious coaching deficiencies on this staff. I just wonder when people in a position to send dudes packing will catch on and start making improvements. (Our ST coach has sucked ass for years now....start with him)