When Life Gives U Turtles, Make Turtle Soup

After a tough loss on the road to Virginia next up for your Miami Hurricanes is a home game at noon (better get used to it) against the Maryland Terrapins at Sun Life Stadium.  The Hurricanes will try to continue their yo-yo like season with a bounce back win over the slowly emerging Terps.

Just in case you aren't sure exactly what a "Terrapin" is here is some background and history for you on how Maryland adopted the cute little turtle as their school mascot:

The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) was made the State reptile and official mascot of the University of Maryland College Park in 1994 (Chapter 476, Acts of 1994; Code of State Government). 

As a mascot (also fondly known as Testudo) the Terrapin, however, has been affiliated with the University of Maryland's athletic program since 1933.

 
Terrapin are carnivorous predators whose preference for unpolluted saltwater make them indicators of healthy marsh and river systems. In winter, they hibernate underwater in mud. Around late May, diamondback terrapin emerge to mate, nest, and bask in the sun on coastal dunes or narrow sandy beaches.  Chesapeake Bay area colonists ate terrapin prepared Native-American fashion, roasted whole in live coals. Abundant and easy to catch, terrapin were so ample that landowners often fed their slaves and indentured servants a staple diet of terrapin meat.  Later, in the 19th century, the turtle was appreciated as gourmet food, especially in a stew laced with cream and sherry. 

For a turtle soup recipe click here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/turtle-soup-recipe/index.html

Maryland steamrolls into the game with a 6-2 record (3-1 ACC) and fresh off a thrashing of Wake Forest.  Maryland picked up its fourth straight home win, became bowl eligible and most importantly, remained in a second-place tie in the Atlantic Division race with Saturday's dominating 62-14 victory over the Demon Deacons. 

 
Maryland has won six of their first eight games for the fifth time under Coach Ralph Friedgen (2001, 2002, 2006, 2008). The Terrapins are bowl eligible for the seventh time in Friedgen's 10 seasons. Maryland, 2-6 at this point last year, has posted the best turnaround in the ACC. No other team has improved by more than three games from its 2009 record after eight contests.  

 
Interesting Fact: Maryland has not had a punt blocked in 132 straight games, but over that time span they have blocked 16 of the opposition's, including four on the season (two vs. Wake Forest, 10/30; two vs. Morgan State, 9/11).

Miami meanwhile is limping forward after suffering a 24-19 loss against Virginia to to send their record tumbling to 5-3 (3-2 ACC).  The Hurricanes had appeared to be taking turns struggling on offense or defense each week.  That is until the Virginia game where Miami decided to go all "fair and balanced" and struggled equally on both sides of the ball against what was perceived as a weaker opponent.

 
UM running back Damien Berry is currently averaging 86.2 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. The senior has scored four TDs on the season, in addition to 93 receiving yards.  Leonard Hankerson leads the Hurricanes in receiving with 681 yards this season. The senior ranks second in the ACC in both receptions (5.5 pg) and receiving yards per game (85.1 pg) . Hankerson also leads the league with nine TD receptions, including a three-TD game against Clemson (10/2). 

 
Miami linebackers Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence anchor the Miami defense with 128 total tackles between the pair. McCarthy ranks fourth in the ACC with 8.7 tackles per game, while Spence sits right behind him with 8.4. The Hurricanes have the top-ranked passing defense in the ACC, and are ranked seventh in the nation, allowing only 152.5 yards per game.

As all Hurricane fans know Miami suffered a significant loss against the Cavaliers when UM starting QB Jacory Harris was body slammed to the turf and suffered a concussion that is likely to keep him out of this week's contest.  If Harris can't go then Miami will turn to true freshman Stephen Morris who played well and led the comeback in the second half of the Virginia game after Harris was knocked silly.

Somehow, in spite of their records and the nay-sayers, the wisdom of the odds-makers has the Hurricanes listed as an 11 point favorite over the Terrapins.  Go figure.

Having officially retired the "I GOT THIS" saying after last week's debacle against Virginia I will not be making a score prediction for this week's game. I will only offer this:

GO CANES, BEAT THE TERPS!!!

Comments

[macjones]

Soup I was responding to the sitting Jacory for the remainder of the season thing and having Morris the starter. But if my comments are not welcome, I will not make them.

Posted by: canechic | November 04, 2010 at 06:16 PM

Well, U's don't have to be so edgy about it. LOL

Yet, the irony is this. Depending on the ' severity ' of the concussion, Harris may just miss the remaining FOUR regular season games, and be back for the bowl game.

[j.w.]

Injuries and Gore
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2010/11/gore-visits-practice-injury-report-for-maryland.html
And canechic, I could be totally wrong, but that's not what I think soup meant.

[NativeCane]

sota, How did you find out the Mullah was a Cane fan?

[usagainstheworld&thereferees]

slow day today!

[j.w.]

I thought it was Michael Savage, not a Taliban guy. :)

[macjones]

I thought it was Michael Savage, not a Taliban guy. :)

Posted by: j.w. | November 04, 2010 at 06:24 PM

j.w., it figures yous be the type of character to listen to Michel Savage. Say it ain't so. LOL

[solarcane]

I wonder if we get to see Cooper or Aldarius Johnson at QB , those are the number 3 and 4 emergency qbs Randy said day before yesterday
I'd rather see Ray Ray than either one of them if Morris needs to come out for a series, and Whipple Jr implodes on his first play.

[solarcane]

GT a 13.5 underdog to VT tonight huh?

Maybe VT comes in all over confident, unfocused, and unprepared, as a big favorite... naw , that's our job.

[Old Skool]

Please no Cooper at QB. The last two passes he's thrown (Wisconsin and UVA) were way off target. If they were hand grenades, no one would have been injured when they exploded.

I was hoping he would work on his throwing while he couldn't run, but I guess that didn't happen.

[Sarasota 'cane]

sota, How did you find out the Mullah was a Cane fan?

Posted by: NativeCane | November 04, 2010 at 06:22 PM

Funny you should ask. I was backpacking across Afghanistan looking for a new hashish supplier a few months back, and I'll be damned if I didn't run right into the Mullah, Osama bin Laden, and some other freaky looking guy.

Once I assured them that I hated George Bush worse than they did, we all laughed and got REALLY stoned on some of the Mullah's Kush!

Well a few minutes later I look over and I swear that bin Laden is doing the tomahawk chop! Out of pure instinct I throw up a "U" at the same time as the Mullah! I thought bin Laden was going to cry!

I really could not understand much of what they were saying, but I was looking at bin Laden while making a kicking motion with my leg, and a choke sign around my neck with my hand. The dude got so mad that he took his hookah and went back to his cave!

Just when I was ready to leave, the freaky looking guy started to do the Gator Chomp with his hands, and the Mullah shot him dead! We high fived, smoked a little more Kush, and I beat feet out of that dump! End of story!

Go 'canes!

[SOUP]

NEW BLOG IS UP!

[SOUP]

LAST

[Hurri']

Mark May and Dr Lou say Coach SHOULDN'T be on any hot seat......

[SOUP]

LAST

[CGNC]

Last

[Ungar]

LAST to match my FIRST