Your Miami Hurricanes played well enough to win their game against ACC rival Virginia Tech.
Yet they did not get it done and lost 38-35.
And in the end that is all that matters, right?
The UM offense started slow but later in the game played well enough to win.
Miami QB Jacory Harris, RB Lamar Miller, and WRs Tommy Streeter and Allen Hurns as well as Hurricane offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch did their jobs well enough to score 35 points.
The only problem was that the infamous Miami Hurricane "Swiss Cheese" defense appeared, or was it failed to appear at all, against the Hokies.
The Mark D'Onofrio coached defense looked less prepared for this game than well any Hurricane defense has ever looked in their storied and glorious history.
Reports from reliable sources are that Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were repeatedly asking themselves and anyone near them: WTF is this guy doing?
Miami faces another team with another offense next week.
And still Miami has no defense whatsoever.
We are afraid. Very, very afraid...
Lamar Miller!!!!!
Posted by: caniak | October 08, 2011 at 10:26 PM
great title after what happened today....
Posted by: raizecane | October 08, 2011 at 10:29 PM
Yup. Short and sweet, good blog.
Posted by: Felipe | October 08, 2011 at 10:34 PM
Ray and Ed need to ask randy Shannon why he couldn't recuit/develop better defensive players. Young guys are playing well. Upperclassmen (save spence) aren't. Coincidence??
Posted by: Marc | October 08, 2011 at 11:24 PM
My the first time in 20 years, I didn't catch a Cane game I could have. Watching this defense hurts! I'll say it again, D'onforio=Tim Walton!!! Same results as the MD, KSU, games. Golden was a damn defensive coordinator, so WTF? The question is do we want Golden to stay? This defense is the worse in the country. You can't win shootouts!! This is not on Shannon or the players.
Posted by: dg | October 08, 2011 at 11:26 PM
What I don't understand?
Why is it that on SP our second n third string players can take good angles n tackle but our D can't?
Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | October 08, 2011 at 11:27 PM
Jedd Fisch may be the next head coach!
Posted by: dg | October 08, 2011 at 11:27 PM
Are we actually calling for a new head coach already? Good lord....
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | October 08, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Here is the Al Golden post-game video: sunsent.nl/olgI72 #UM #Canes
U wanna change coaches? Pfffffff
I'll take that passion any day! Add that to the change in effort and attitude, and like I've said since his first press conference. AL GOLDEN IS THE MAN FOR THIS JOB.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | October 08, 2011 at 11:45 PM
Golden's the man for the job I agree. Wish there was some recruiting news about DTs. Sigh. Nothing, even on pay sites.
Posted by: Felipe | October 08, 2011 at 11:52 PM
Silver, no, Platinum lining for our 2-3 status with the new staff: Jimbo Fisher is also 2-3 with heightened expectations. The disappointment proves him to be more of a continuation of the end of Bowden's reign, and thus the 2012 class can't have too much confidence in him. Willing to bet with continued improvement that Golden and staff can snag a couple of guys.
Posted by: Felipe | October 08, 2011 at 11:57 PM
AL GOLDEN IS THE MAN FOR THIS JOB.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | October 08, 2011 at 11:45 PM
He is but his old team mate IS NOT!!!
Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | October 09, 2011 at 12:19 AM
He is but his old team mate IS NOT!!!
Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | October 09, 2011 at 12:19 AM
------------------------------------
Their tenure is still in its infant stages. Give em time.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | October 09, 2011 at 12:28 AM
we are two players away from being a 5-0 team...Just Vernon would have made a big difference on defense. Keep the faith Al is the man...Coach D...Not sure yet!
Posted by: Montreal-Cane | October 09, 2011 at 12:28 AM
Dave Hyde Sun Sentinel Columnist
9:59 p.m. EDT, October 8, 2011
BLACKSBURG, Va.
The final seconds were still on his mind, still in his voice, still across Al Golden's face as it lost a struggle for composure, and he looked down at the table before him for a few extended seconds.
"I …" he said.
His voice wavered. His eyes teared.
"Whew,'' he said, exhaling deeply. "Really proud of …"
His words gave out. His face went still. He rapped his knuckles on the table for several extended seconds.
"They're starting to get it,'' he said in a voice still trying to shake the emotion out of it after Miami's final-seconds loss to Virginia Tech, 38-35. "They're starting to understand what it means to be tough."
What a game. What an ending. What an opening scene in Golden's postgame news conference that was raw and real and so much more revealing about who he is and what played out on the field Saturday than a dozen coaches spouting cliches and telling nothing.
And does it help, Miami fans? Does it tell you a little more about who Golden is and what he wants to do and how on a heartbreaking kind of day he's not afraid to show his heart break a bit, too?
Golden cleared his throat and got to the heart of Saturday's loss.
"We've got to grow up fast on defense,'' he said. "Playing with too many guys right now, too young, and if I didn't see the effort I'd be discouraged. But they're playing hard.
"We've got to play smarter. Some of the penalties were just selfish penalties. I don't want players on the team that play like that. But I do want a team that never thinks it's out of the game and competes like our guys did.
"We just need to make one stop on defense."
One of Golden's main goals this year was to get a team to stage a fourth-quarterback comeback. It was behind six times last year in the fourth quarter and lost every game.
It was behind 21-7 at half Saturday. It was still behind 24-14 to start the fourth quarter. Then you either started to see that Virginia Tech isn't the kind of team it usually is or you saw something new out of Miami. We'll see in the coming weeks.
Lamar Miller became every adjective brought to type about Edgerrin James, as usual, finishing with 18 carries and 166 yards rushing. He scored Miami's final two touchdowns, the final one with under three minutes left for a 35-31 lead.
Quarterback Jacory Harris was Saturday's difference, though. His offense scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half. On the fifth and final one that began with 47 seconds left, it came up a play short.
"Jacory was exactly what I thought he was,'' he said. "You saw it today. I thought he'd win it for us. I really did. I thought they'd take it down there at the end and score."
Second-guess away, if you want. Second-guess the fake field goal on the opening possession against a Virginia Tech team known for special teams.
"I was disappointed we didn't get second-and-1 and third-and-1,'' Golden said. "We got the look we wanted [for the fake] and it didn't work."
Second-guess the final series, if you want, too. Miller never touched the ball? Huh?
But, ultimately, there was enough good stuff from the offense and the comeback and the progress that showed that the burden falls to the defense. Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Morris, who completed half his passes entering Saturday, completed 23 of 25 for 310 yards and three touchdowns.
"Got to get better there,'' Golden said.
This was an awful Saturday for the state's Big Three programs. Florida got smashed by Louisiana State. Florida State lost to Wake Forest. Miami lost the most acceptable game, even if it went down hard.
"Emotional for the guys,'' Golden said of his opening postgame scene. "Emotional for guys like Jacory and Sean and Lamar — guys that laid it out on the line and deserved to win."
Miami made some good steps. Golden showed who he is. But, ultimately, the noise that delivered Saturday's snapshot wasn't him rapping the table and gathering his thoughts. It was, as he did so, a raucous cheer that came billowing down the hallway from the Virginia Tech locker room.
Posted by: Felipe | October 09, 2011 at 12:31 AM
Their tenure is still in its infant stages. Give em time.
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | October 09, 2011 at 12:28 AM
Offense has been good and is proving and Special teams has been great, Defense has sucked all year and is getting worse. If Fisch can get j12 to stop throwing int's then y can't D'onfrio improve anybody? I wanted to give him time too but to sit back 10-15yrds off the wr's the whole game without any adjustments is ridiculous. Our defensive game plan made their qb look like brady, hell even better than brady, and the players didn't come up with the game plan
Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | October 09, 2011 at 12:48 AM
I believe in what Coach Golden is doing. I can make all the excuses for Coach D which to ME they are valid...no exp at corner..converting RB's to CB's a corner who was "ranked" top ten but is honestly a bum. Im praying hard for Tracey Howard and Thomas Finnie to ball out next year. Ray Ray needs his legs to get back and Vaughn is Vaughn..
Posted by: Q | October 09, 2011 at 12:54 AM
Q
va tech's tight end was 23-25 for 310yrds 3td's and 2 rush td's. So we can't say nuthin about our db's being former rb's
Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | October 09, 2011 at 12:59 AM
Just a couple of thoughts... Again I try to be level headed especially after a loss.
First off, I did not like the fake field goal on the opening drive. Even if it worked... Take the points, the momentum and the lead in the game on the opening drive.
This has to be the worst defense since probably the 1997 season when I was a senior down there. Miami makes one player from every team look like an All-American each and every Saturday. Each week you hear something like, the announcers saying, this kid has one catch all year and today he has four including his first career touchdown. Or this kid is having a career day. I cannot truly fault the freshman and sophmores considering they should not be playing significant minutes. The upper classmen are disappointments. I cannot wait for the '08 and the '09 classes to finally leave.
Again, I do not blame the coaching staff entirely for the losses this year since they are not working with kids they recruited. Changing the culture of a team does not happen overnight. I also think being medisore for almost past ten years is engrained in the teams DNA. Until that changes the team will continue to lose close games.
I personally think that college football changed in the last 10 years or so and Miami has not adapted all to the new game. It ain't the 80's or 90's anymore where you just beat everyone with speed and quickness. Every BCS team has speed these days. I also think the quality of high school recruits in S. Florida has taken a step backwards. The quality ain't the same that it was during the "winning years". I still would recruit the skill players from S. Florida but hog mollies from the midwest or northeast, QB from Cali, Texas or the Northeast, LB's from the South. Forget about locking down S. Florida.
The postives I took from the game are the team did not fold or quit. they kept and fighting and clawing back. Jacory has played very well all year and he is not the reason why we are losing. Enjoy Lamar for 7 more games because he will gone after this year. I do like some of the younger guys such as, Chikillo, A Hurns, Seantrel, Clements and Perryman. They will be the leaders of this team in the coming years.
Posted by: MIA Chi 'Cane '98 | October 09, 2011 at 01:30 AM
Can't disagree with that, 98. If I had to argue any point, I'd say that South Florida recruits are as good as ever, it's just that the rest of the country caught up with them. But that's more based on what I've seen than any research.
Posted by: j.w. | October 09, 2011 at 01:57 AM
nolekiller69
Just because the Hokies didn't pick it off a bunch doesn't mean JSkinny played well. He is still the reason we didn't win. We need a winner leading us badly. Only 7 more games of his leadership.......
Yesterday 11:17 PM
>>>>>>>>>This is the ignorance that pisses me off, until we lose fans like this we deserve to lose every game.
Posted by: The Brahma Bull | October 09, 2011 at 04:16 AM
Things to be really happy about IMO:
Offense- Playcalling, O-line play, Playing backups and getting them trained for future game experience,excellent TE play from Walford, and the wr’s were on fire.
Defense- Getting more guys to play and gain valuable experience for the future, recruits can look and see they have possible playing time available, even though they were beaten badly this unit can gel and get a lot better.
ST- Botts was on point all afternoon. Wieclaw made only one mistake which was the out of bounds kickoff. Golden made a trick play call showing the team he has trust in them and their abilities.
Posted by: The Brahma Bull | October 09, 2011 at 07:14 AM
Golden gets it !! The defense is our weakness we have no d-line . Its a secret the whole world knows so they are going to keep running at us. We need to BLITZ more . We dont BLITZ because we are afraid of giving up the big play.The only problem is we are still giving up the big play . I love Golden I think he is the right man for the job .
Posted by: Sebas is Pissed | October 09, 2011 at 08:14 AM
Like i said the D is like swiss cheese.. lol... can we get the offense to play both ways... its obvious that our o line coach was probably the best recruiter under the former regime.
We do not have the hogs on the d line to take away the option. I wish we could clone chikillo and put him on both d ends.. He was the only one on the d line that can run from side line to side line. He beat most of the d line to the opposite side he was playing..lol
We do not have tough guys who have a motor and football intelligence. Our linebackers do not scrape across the field and close up the holes especially in the red zone in the interior. We better learn how to manage the clock and get the time to put a drive together on the last drive of the game. We need to get better at the two minute offense.
This reminds me of the yr Jimmy took over and Boston college with Futie came back from a 20 something point deficit. We were swiss cheese that yr, also.
Posted by: mi@mic@ne | October 09, 2011 at 08:15 AM
Some of you people just dont think when it comes to sports you fall to the typical agruement!
To blame the coachig staff is crazy this isnt the NFL where you can go get F/A and pay big money to get great players....the people you bring in are all 18 y/o kids who can barely play with the big boys. They need to be developed.
Coach D may not be good coach but I will not judge him with his group of players....to do so is lazy. You really dont think a football coach doesn't see he's not getting pressure with his front 4? Hello he sees it but go watch the game again....when he blitzed we gave up a long TD pass. He had to pick his poison. Let them dink and dunk of just score in 4 plays.
Again lets look at the one guy who stood out on the DLine...Hmmm Chick....a freshman who is being taught by this coaching staff and has no bad habits to fall on......Coach Golden even said it that when the D gets in trouble its players falling to old bad habits.
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 08:29 AM
and I said this last night......The fake fg was a GREAT call! Whipple needs to pitch that and we get the first you can even see Golden say why didn't he pitch it.....Coaches can only call plays they can't excute them... If you UM gets it and score 7 you all call him a freaking genius! He went for the kill right away and I love it! What was horrible was the FB hand off on 3rd down that play hasnt worked.
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 08:34 AM
I am all for emotion, all for handsomeness but I think I like winning better!!!!! ;)
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 08:36 AM
LOL take the momentum ummm we drove it down there throats and then VT stops us on 3rd and 1 settling for a FG would not have given us momentum....if anything VT gets it for holding us
AG went for the big MO.....by playing with guts and trusting his players to make the play if UM gets that play now they can get the big MO if they score.....We did not lose because of that play we lost because our D couldnt stop a read option
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Pb we have been blaming coaches for what about 8 years now????
So what makes you think that will change!!!
And don't give me this garbage about Randy' s recruits, those kids all had offers from many other schools and they would have taken each and every one. If anything we can blame Randy for taking that team together. (although i do believe other schools would have taken them all too) All together these kids were cocky and lazy and every frickin time Randy tried to discipline or teach them every fan screamed why is storm sitting, why is aj sitting, why is dye sitting....well now we see why. These kids are all flash but no substance. If you don't plan to work hard to get better, you won't get better no matter the coach.
And yes I still like Randy and in my eyes will always be a Cane.....Gruden was the reason he got fired so fast, had gruden not almost been signed, I believe Randy would still be the coach this year. After the school made this move and it blew up in their face and the picked Golden as the second choice.
Also do not forget RANDY was told to recruit a different athlete via orders from the president!!!!!!
Al golden will get his time but I am not extremely impressed with what I see.....oh and chick would have been at the u no matter the coach.
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 08:47 AM
Im not blaming randy for the recruits he took....Everybody would have taken these kids....and I know Chick would have been no matter what not what I'm saying I mean and yes very good football player....but the only one on the line that doesn't seem to crash down the line and stays home on most plays is him......again how much goes to him and how much goes to the coaches teaching him what they want
A new coach is not going to change a SR who was taught 3 if not 4(if RS) years a different way.
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 08:57 AM
As I was literally on my knees praying for the Hurricane defense to stop the Hokies on the last drive last night and I even had Mrs. Soup yelling and screaming at the TV I thought for sure they would somehow manage to find a way to stop VT.
I was wrong.
Posted by: SOUP | October 09, 2011 at 09:02 AM
Coach Al is not a miracle worker. He's not GOlDen. He's just a college football coach who needs TIME to turn things around.
Unfortunately, with NCAA sanctions looming large, it may be a LONG time . . . too long a time . . . and too hard a challenge . . . for Coach Golden to return the U to the top tier. Only time will tell, if he is truly up to the challenge.
So, I guess we have to be patient. But for how long?
How long can WE wait? How long will HE be willing to wait?
Posted by: 2002nemo | October 09, 2011 at 09:06 AM
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/gators/os-bianchi-florida-lsu-football-1009-20111008,0,6024306.column
Gators seem to have the same issue with bad recruits....I guess Florida kids who go to Florida schools are no good?????
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 09:07 AM
Pb I completely agree and told everyone it would be a three year deal but my disappointment is coming from not winning winnable games. And I did not see missed tackles yesterday. What I saw was a defense in the wrong place, being told not to be aggressive, and no adjustments until the other team scores 21 points. This is coaching!!!!!
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 09:17 AM
The Canes problem is not and has never been recruiting. These terrible Canes team are still sending stars to the NFL. The problem under Coker and Shannon has been player development, though.
Good coaches win almost immediately. If you go back and look at the coaches who won national champtionships since 2000, and you will see that almost all of the coaches won 1st championship with their new team within their first three years with their predecessor's recruits - Stoops, Coker, Saban, Miles, Meyer and Sweater vest. Exceptions are Pete Caroll (won in his fourth year, but averaged 11 wins after his first year) and Mack Brown (won NC in his eighth year, but averaged about 10 wins beforehand).
Even Paul Johnson won an ACC championship (11-3, Orange Bowl berth) in his second season with other recruits who did not fit his system.
The truth is that in the last decade, the method of slowly building championship teams by loosing a lot of games until new recruits arrive does not work. Good coaches may loose games in their first year, but by their second year you typically see a big difference in W-L column and a championship run.
I think Golden will get this team ready for a bowl game and they will be much better by the end of the year. Next year, we should see a much better team on the field and Coach D will (and must) improve this team's defensive performance on the field.
Posted by: windycane-forecast1 | October 09, 2011 at 09:20 AM
Also do not forget RANDY was told to recruit a different athlete via orders from the president!!!!!!
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 08:47 AM
Yes. And remember back before Randy was coach - how many interviews did Coker give saying "we're graduating players". That became a signature statement. I began to see back then the adm's vision for the football program - after I had fans of other schools point it out. Sigh :\
The Gators are under a new regime so they will have growing pains. Their run under Urbie was successful with the fullback\quarterback. Their fan base is going to get really antsy!
Posted by: CGNC | October 09, 2011 at 09:23 AM
Ray and Ed need to ask randy Shannon why he couldn't recuit/develop better defensive players. Young guys are playing well. Upperclassmen (save spence) aren't. Coincidence??
Posted by: Marc | October 08, 2011 at 11:24 PM
Why does everyone give Spence a pass? HE SUCKED yesterday and gave up that game winning TD.
Posted by: BEERicane | October 09, 2011 at 09:27 AM
Bowl game????? Bowl game?????
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 09:28 AM
Soup - where is Da Skreetz? Prowling around Blacksburg looking for slurpees? LOL
Posted by: CGNC | October 09, 2011 at 09:28 AM
Posted by: windycane-forecast1 | October 09, 2011 at 09:20 AM
Saban at Bama comes to mind
Posted by: CGNC | October 09, 2011 at 09:30 AM
I remember someone telling me Eduardo Clements would top Storm & make him ride the pine, and the way that bad muh truckah is playing on ST and RB, I think I'll go ahead and call my friend up and eat some crow. Clements looks like he has unlimited upside.
Posted by: Felipe | October 09, 2011 at 09:32 AM
I thought for sure they would somehow manage to find a way to stop VT.
I was wrong.
Posted by: SOUP | October 09, 2011 at 09:02 AM
No way you ACTUALLY thought they would get the stop. That's why you were praying.
I was just hoping they would let the hokies score their TD fast so we could get the ball back with more time on the clock. But VT took to long to score that inevitable TD (and it was inevitable, we had NO PRAYER to get a stop).
Posted by: BEERicane | October 09, 2011 at 09:38 AM
I know Logan Thomas was a TE, but he was listed as per rivals the #1 athlete...shame. Its okay guys. We are only getting better. Whoever said 9-3 well their is 3 games. The next look winnable.
Posted by: Q | October 09, 2011 at 09:40 AM
We are getting beat because the dline is not getting penetration. The VT option is decided by the qb. He can either hand off, run, or throw. So when their o line opens up they pass block. The most important component in stopping this is for the d line to get penetration and surround the qb. They are not run blocking.. i dont understand. When we beat them in blacksburg in 2003 we were in the back field all game long.
If we do not pinch the qb bull rushing the pass blockers and we get neutralized at the line of scrimmage then our lbs cannot see and move around freely to get to the ball. This is not rocket science. The reads are always the same. Only Chick was able to consistently get into the backfield and disrupt their option. Shoot ... even when he caused the fumble there was no one deep enough on the d line to recover it... we lost because they could pass block and keep our d line from penetrating.. period.
Posted by: mi@mic@ne | October 09, 2011 at 09:43 AM
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/seminoles/os-game-story-florida-state-wake-forest-1009-20111008,0,7782995.story
Noles are really falling apart!!!!
Posted by: canechic | October 09, 2011 at 09:44 AM
Yea I said 9-3 ouch! lol
Me and my brother both joking of course were screaming miller take a knee at the 1 yard line so we can run out the clock! Then when he scored we said he let them return it for a td so our Offense can get the ball back with a lot of time....so sad!
Btw it was nice to see we had 3 TO left at the end of the game saw somebody posted that last night lol.
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 09:45 AM
and to who asked how long we have to wait......I know cane fans are spoiled and me bein 28 missed the real glory days, but go ask Bama, Auburn, FSU, OU, USC, ND, VT,UT, Penn St, OSU, Mich, Clemson....I mean go ask how long they had to wait....the longest UM fans had to wait since 83 has been 10 yrs between Rings ONLY 10 MOTHA BLEEPING YEARS!!! Yes after this season will be 11 so its bad but hey at least were not waiting 20-30 yrs for the 6th AKA the 7th ring.....like some other schools well at least not yet.
Btw really next year should be the 10 year mark saying we did beat OSU in 2002
Posted by: pbcfrcane13 | October 09, 2011 at 09:50 AM
The option teams we played... KSU and VT are all trying to copy the Tebow success. The big physical guy really gives them a pure run option. We could not take away on part of the o.. either run or pass .. so we got sliced and diced like a Japanese steak house chief does. lol
Posted by: mi@mic@ne | October 09, 2011 at 10:02 AM
You got to get those big qbs before they turn up field. It makes all the difference in the world.
Posted by: mi@mic@ne | October 09, 2011 at 10:04 AM
This should make you guys laugh
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YGLQQZTHoU0/SRL9GLKuQ2I/AAAAAAAAGEA/rB7XpaecBJA/s400/absolut_jonestown.JPG
Posted by: CGNC | October 09, 2011 at 10:20 AM