Too Painful To Watch

This team. This season. This game.

They are all just too painful to watch.

Just when you thought it was safe to believe that your Miami Hurricanes would almost definitely, certainly and easily win an ACC game late in the season against an overmatched opponent, become bowl eligible and win the Coastal Division for the first time in history you were left to wonder:

"What the hell just happened?"

Yesterday in Charlottesville Miami head coach Al Golden and his assistant coaches, to put it simply, failed at their job descriptions.

The highly maligned swiss cheese UM defense, for lack of a better description, was in a word, indefensible.

The highly praised Hurricane offense scored lots of points but could not seal the deal with a simple first down when it mattered most in the final minutes.

This team, in need of their biggest win in over five years, just could not get it done. They lost and in the end that is all that really matters. Miami could not win a game they needed so desperately that at least a few of their fans (including me) were actually on their knees praying, begging and shouting for some sort of divine intervention to get the win.

Yet once again it was to no avail. Even divine intervention wasn't enough to help this Hurricane team win a game it should have won as many fans' hopes, dreams and prayers went unanswered on this Saturday in November.

The loss left Miami fans asking more questions than they started the game with and no answers in sight. Whatever the questions you found yourself asking the reality is that for hard core 'Canes fans it has been a difficult period of time over the last 10 years and yesterday did not make it easier or better. In fact it made it worse, much worse.

After Miami went three and out and punted to Virginia with about three minutes left the game was beginning to become too painful to watch.

Around 90% of Hurricane fans apparently knew what was now seemingly inevitable. Miami's swiss cheese defense would somehow give up the winning score and the Hurricanes would lose the game they so desparately needed to win.

Still, at that point I remained defiant and as one of the 10% who believed that UM could, and would, still win this game. They had to; losing was simply not acceptable and they simply had to win. 

With just over a two minutes left I stood there with my heart pounding, adrenaline racing through my veins while cheering and pleading with the Hurricane defense to stop the Cavaliers just this one time.

With under two minutes to go I literally got down on my knees and prayed. I shamelessly begged each of the UM defensive players to make a play and groveled with the UM coaches to please do something, anything, to make a call that would work.

With under a minute left and the Cavaliers now in scoring position in Miami's red zone I turned off the television and left my house to go to the "Sunset and Symphony" concert at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales.

I could not take any more suffering and had yelled and prayed my last.

I needed to see (and hear) something beautiful.

I just knew that the ending of this game was going to be too painful to watch.

Comments

[mi@mic@ne]

This is a positive problem for Al... its at the point where he can revamp the defense and start guarding receivers so he would have only lost 3 games this year because there are a lot of young players or continue on and maybe go 6 and 6 again..but we lost to teams that had no business beating us this year.

[mi@mic@ne]

Positive in that you can see it coming together and the problem is blaring. Its a simple problem. He fixes the d and hes the next JJ lol

[Terrance Sullivan]

So Rashawn Scott is suspended for this game as well I would be surprised if EJ and GT play so I would imagine we would be without those 3 again. Hopefully Perryman will be back. Bush would be questionable.

[solarcane]

For the record, the thing that bums me out more than anything is knowing people I have met or blogged with on here and the SS for the past 7 years don't deserve a team like this to devote the amount of time and money they have invested.

I've been an avid Cane's fan pretty much as long as anyone here.
Somewhere in the middle of Randy's term it dawned on me college football championships nowadays are going to be won by schools that pour billions of dollars into stadiums, coaching staffs, and promoting "The Brand".

We are small potatoes and will continue to be a middle of the pack school with an occasional outstanding season.
Being 5-5 and having a shot at still winning the division just magnifies how crappy the ACC conference is.
G Bernard and then Duke will probably be the only current ACC players you will see have a shot at 1st team All Americans or the Heismen over the next few seasons.

Soup puts more bucks and time into the Cane's than any of us and he tries to get some of you guys to liertly stop and smell the roses.

Hell yes root for the kids , at the same time if your own wife and kids aren't ranked right around 70th in the nation right now consider spending those dollars and time doing something they might consider important also.

[solarcane]

literally

[orange 'n green in the vein]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADVYXDpZ1Xs

Things to watch for in this bowl game highlight reel;

UVA CB's five or more yards off and bailing right before the snap? Check.

DL square dancing at the line with the guy lined up across from them? Check.

Larry Fitzgerald being covered across the middle by a linebacker? Check.

TE running free down the middle of the zone constantly? Check.

Now where have I seen this all before? Al Golden defense? You know it spanky!

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/pittsburgh/2003.html

Pitt that year, Larry Fitzgerald once made Rod Rutherford look like a decent QB, that's how great he was in college.

UVA going into the year;

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/2003/preview/teams/virginia/

Stats for the year;

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/virginia/2003.html

And how they shook out in the ACC that year when it was all said and done;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Virginia_Cavaliers_football_team

This is a decent example, there's plenty more I can dig up for you guys if anybody isn't convinced that Al's not letting D'No go until he's shown the door himself because the defense is Al's idea of what to do to win at a high level.

Every week that goes by with no change is showing me there's a context problem in the thinking of the defensive shot callers at UM, they can't fix it because they have no point of reference of what is wrong with what they are doing, mentally they are suffering from a blind spot that probably only Barrow isn't afflicted by and he's just biding his time for a better job anyway so why's Mike going to rock the boat with a staff that's about as friendly to each other at this point as a pit of vipers?

[orange 'n green in the vein]

LOL, leave it to soiler to bottom line the whole conundrum in the time it took me to type that last post out.

Great point man, SOUP passed me along a sweet 'Space decal prior to VT's tailgate Ralph, thanks for making those up, going to have to find the perfect place for that, preferably where the neighbors flying the lizard flag down the street will see it every day, but then they'll be glad to talk smack considering they have the single digit number next to their over-promoted brand and I'm stuck waiting for UM to get the cogs placed back in the right spots to get this thing revved up again.

[86Cane]

Solarcane...as usual right on point. I love U man!

[Terrance Sullivan]

Excellent point Solar.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Good point OGV

[laquinton]

Omg. Ogv is dead right. .. though ahmad brooks was a beast.

We alll know d'no isnt going anywhere tho. This is Goldens defense.

And solar you are also right. I love Miami and living in Seattle Sucks and I wish I could go to every game but idc win or lose in a fan but every week with the same showing is tough to swallow I'm tired of looking towards next year. We have the talent to beat uva and n.Carolina . Things need to change and yes this team is young but let them make mistakes that's the only way things will change.

[WWIN]

Who compared DP EJ and Bush being out to the ravens not having #52, #20 and suggs ...you are going to compare replacing the greatest mlb and maybe safety the nfl has seen to some freshmen or soph's on a defense that wasn't very good with those 3? Come on.

Posted by: texican cane | November 11, 2012 at 05:09 PM

Me. Did I say they were just as good as them? No. My point is, take the three best players off any team and what do you have??

[SinisterCane]

Great post OGV

[WWIN]

Willie, your lady is so lucky, you've obviously treated her to the longest honeymoon in recorded human history, well except for this one you're spending with D'No, but still, impressive man!

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | November 11, 2012 at 04:53 PM

Funny coming from a guy that supported and still supports Larry Coker. He is only second to nevin shapiro in the worst people ever involved wit the U.

[Montreal-Cane]

Mens Hockey play Nov 16,17,18 in the UCF Showcase (Rockledge, FL)! They will take on Alabama,USF,and UCF! They're 13-0-1

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Willie, don't get sour now, it's all in jest, you're good in my book.

Besides, Golden to this point makes Coker look like the second coming of John Heisman. He's working MIRACLES at UTSA after all.

[WWIN]

Please don't fall into OGV's web.

He thought Larry Coker was a great coach, shows what he knows about coaching. How could you support Coker and not like Golden that's called thinking a$$ backwards

OGV no disrespect, you still my homie but you crazy as hell lol

[86Cane]

OGV...I may be thick but I didn't get your point in the long post with links above?

[CaneRock]

My point is, take the three best players off any team and what do you have??

Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | November 11, 2012 at 09:07 PM

Exactly.
Some folks act like personnel doesn't make a difference.
Armbrister ain't no Perryman or Johnson.
Paul ain't no Perryman or Johnson.
Rodgers ain't no Deon Bush.

[WWIN]

OGV,

We good, you still my boy. Even tho I don't agree wit everything you say it still be funny lol. Like the mutants thing lol. Its just crazy that every time the D played good you have a excuse for it.

[CaneRock]

Exactly.
Some folks act like personnel doesn't make a difference.
Armbrister ain't no Perryman or Johnson.
Paul ain't no Perryman or Johnson.
Rodgers ain't no Deon Bush.

Posted by: CaneRock | November 11, 2012 at 09:23 PM

What I'm saying is, it don't matter what scheme you put those guys in, they're gonna make plays.
Hell, you can line their asses up in the PARKING LOT!, on 4th and less than the width of a blade of grass, and they'll make plays!

[Terrance Sullivan]

I like Coach Golden just hopes he let D'No go promote Barrow and call it a day. Recruit Linebackers and Safeties cause we are paper thin at those positions.

[WWIN]

Canerock,

Thanks, that's exactly my point. Then people keep talking about tamu won with a red shirt freshman, yeah they did but they wouldn't have without him, like we didn't have our best red shirt freshman.

[WWIN]

Tsully,

What has barrow ever done besides recruiting???

[mi@mic@ne]

I agree with ogv about the above post ..it showed that Virginia was last in the acc that year on the d side. Its a cardinal rule in the U camp to look at the stats and that will show you why we are last on d. Its kind of obvious that even tho Al is doing a good job of bringing in the players and all the accountability along with off season disciplines he is gonna take himself out of the culture of coaches that won in the past if he persist on having his d scheme. He doesnt have any proven record in this area and it shows he should let someone else bring in the old U defense that was always in the top five in the country. You cant go wrong with proven statistics.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Willie Will I imagine he can't be any worse than D'No. But if we can do better than Barrow I am all for it man. We all know the current situation has to improve dramatically.

[mi@mic@ne]

Its best for Al to start turning the d around because the high school coaches in dade are some of the best in the business. Al is showing that he doesnt like to listen and he needs to part with the losing. In Miami there is no time table to start winning. There is not excuse for losing. Thats why we have 5 national championships and a history of always being in the top five. It has nothing to do with money. Its a mind set. The best thing to do here to build that fence around dade is to get the respect of the coaches in miami by at least using a college d in college. Thats what we were about back in the day...

[Terrance Sullivan]

Miamicane you also need to include Broward and Palm Beach Counties as well.

[mi@mic@ne]

Yes i agree Terrance... all we can do is say what is obvious... at some point it will be ...we told you so... lol .. this should have been taken care of after we lost to unc in my opinion.

[j.w.]

The things you learn in teitter: UM apparently has a polo team, and they are good. I assume they meant water polo at the club level, we haven't been good in horse polo since that national championship team in 1950.

[Al]

Barrow can't freaking coach. Who says he is good. He sucks at coaching. Our Linebackers suck.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Exactly Miamicane.

[Montreal-Cane]

Al Golden looked in shock...devastated after the game yesterday...A lot going on behind the scene and the NCAA coming soon...Can we get over it and see brighter days ahead...If Al stays he will need to go after the best D coach and Donna will need to show some $$$ to get this program back to the top.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Great point Montreal.

[Montreal-Cane]

Boy did we miss Deon Bush yesterday...Just look at the tapes and you will be very sad for # 30...Good kid but really not his position...Sorry Zo.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

86, when you ask me what's going on in the coaches head while they get nuked on D nine times out of ten this year, the post is illustrating that Al is doing the only thing he knows how, soft zone, make the QB picks the holes, DT's clogging lanes instead of getting up field (which Porter was causing problems for UVA yesterday doing by the way), match up a zone linebacker on a WR running a crossing route, basically all the things that make you turn off the TV for the last drive because you know the end result thanks to the same old problems that are never solved are the problems week in and out because that's what Golden did his entire career before he got his MAC job because that's what he learned with his roomie from Paterno/Sandusky in college.

Look, let's go to the the quotes from the relevant parties, the mutant from Philly himself speaks about the 'special' learning he received from the life in jail 'innocent' man;

http://www.collegian.psu.edu:8080/archive/1999/11/11-13-99cm/11-13-99cm-3.asp

What the life in jail 'innocent' man thought the mutant needed to get better at back in his playing days;

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19890926&id=wKtdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cl0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2581,8099397

Now the video, this is a Lou Holtz option team with Rick Meier at QB, but let's see;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VksZXyGYGc

CB's bailing out from soft zone pre-snap so there's five to 10 yards of cusion? Check.

DT's square dancing with the middle OL instead of shooting a gap to cause disruption? Check.

Sure TD reception open at the goal line that a better passing team should have converted but instead shot themselves in the foot for a defensive 'stop?' Check.

Option team TE running open over the middle against the zone for a big gain? Check.

WR matched up with a LB dropping into zone responsibility for him as he catches it wide open for a big gain? Check.

Pre-Mutant-from-Philly D'No thinking this is the high point of his football playing career and wanting to recreate this moment again and again and again like Sandusky in a shower with an underage, underprivileged kid? YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY THAT'S A CHECK!

Now this looks familiar, where have I seen all this before on the defense, minus the boring high school offense with a future NFL QB running the triple pitch? That's right! Al Golden coached football teams!

Of course, you don't need me to tell you who was the best team in college football in '91 and how different their defense looked from this one 86, do you?

[texican cane]

But Willie...its a lot harder to replace 2 (maybe 3 ) HOF'ers than a couple of freshman who when they were playing the defense wasn't very good. There isn't the drop off from freshman to 2nd teamer than there is from first ballot HOF to their backups.
this defense isn't good. No matter who is on the field

[WWIN]

Willie, I appreciate your perspective, but if that's the case, does that mean U Tough was a failure? I really do hope your point is correct, that the team is a lot closer to where we want to be than I think, and that was ailing us is something that can be fixed quickly.

Posted by: j.w. | November 11, 2012 at 04:07 PM

U Tuff is going to be the backbone of this program but it takes about 3yrs to fully kick in and we're only in year 1. Example, take Raphael Kirby look how much he improved his weight room numbers in year 1 now think what he'll look like his junior year.

[WWIN]

Texas,

I said take the best 3 players off of ANY teams defense and what would you have?? So you mean to tell me that Eddie Johnson = Armbrister, Bush = Rogers??? HOF has nothing to do with it, they were the best 3 on the ravens team just like Bush, Perryman, and Johnson are the best 3 on our team.

The last four games when they played the defense improved every game so to say it doesn't matter if they played or not would be false

[WWIN]

I just wanted to say you were 100% right on our defense. Or as some have said "offenses waterbreak." I am hoping you are 100% wrong on Al Golden believing in this garbage. He has to move on from his bff.

Posted by: The Dude | November 11, 2012 at 07:02 PM

"offenses waterbreak" I invented that saying and I also said we shoulda fired d'no at the end of last season but I would be lying if I said the D hasn't improved. Just keepin it real, the D was improving since the unc game and the offense has sucked.

[Felipe]

Yeah. Im over d'no also. if al wants to be at the university of miami he needs to.figure that his bff,best man at his wedding doesnt need to be a coach here. look at the scheme... tracy howard arguing with him... playing every player ? for what...

Posted by: laquinton | November 11, 2012 at 06:18 PM

Right on.

[WWIN]

Added Miami redshirt sophomore Ladarius Gunter: “The first half, we didn’t do well [on third downs].

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/11/3091772/miami-hurricanes-third-down-woes.html#storylink=cpy

Another piece to the mystery of Gunter's classification

[Hassan]

Gunter is a RS Soph. Spent 2 years in JC but played one year as he RS his first year. I actually am the person that had chris freet fix this on the roster.

[laquinton]

Hassan do you mind going to chris freet again and telling him to scratch of d'no, jethro and Williams please. Thanks in advance

[panamacitycane]

Eddie johnson not on the depth chart.... not sure what he did but obviously it is not good... too early in the college career to be having off the field issues. Perryman has to step up and be this defenseive leader. I feel like this year there isnt really a leader like a sean spence. Could be part of the problems also?

[86Cane]

Heading into the final home game of the season, head coach Al Golden released the Miami Hurricanes' depth chart for USF week.

After making his first start of the season Saturday at Virginia, redshirt junior Curtis Porter is listed as one of the No. 1 defensive tackles along with Olsen Pierre. Sophomore Thurston Armbrister is No. 1 at one of the two outside linebacker positions, while both sophomores Gionni Paul and Denzel Perryman are listed as co-starters at the other OLB.

On offense, junior Allen Hurns, sophomore Phillip Dorsett and senior Davon Johnson are listed as the top wide receivers. Redshirt freshman Garrett Kidd is listed as Johnon's backup.

Saturday's game at Sun Life Stadium will kick at 3 p.m. ET on RSN (Sun Sports in South Florida). Miami's seniors will be honored prior to the game.

[mi@mic@ne]

The rumor is that Johnson and Scott were participating in behavior that violated the NCAA rules. Did they talk to an agent? Which causes me to think that the splintering has already started.

[mi@mic@ne]

I was reading that they need to be reinstated by the NCAA before they can return to the field.

[86Cane]

Of course, you don't need me to tell you who was the best team in college football in '91 and how different their defense looked from this one 86, do you?

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | November 11, 2012 at 10:48 PM

Yeah even I know the answer to that one.

[86Cane]

Miamicane...RUMORS are that they were selling their complimentary tickets which is a no-no but a very minor offense that occurs ALL the time at EVERY school. IF the rumor is true then they will have to pay back any $$$ and be reinstated.