Miami Tries To Avoid Falling Into The Pitt

MIAMI HURRICANES (8-3, 4-3 ACC) at PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (6-5, 3-4 ACC)

Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 • 3:30 p.m. ET • ABC • Heinz Field (65,500)

SERIES HISTORY:

Miami leads 22-9-1 ... First series meeting since 2010 ... Miami has won last seven meetings (1998-2003; 2010) ... Miami is 12-5 at Pitt ... Miami’s longest win streak in series is eight. 

FIVE THINGS U NEED TO KNOW:

1.       Senior QB Stephen Morris is one of only four 7,000-yard passers in program history.

2.       Miami is seeking its first 9-win season since 2009 and fourth 9-win season since joining the ACC.

3.   3.       Senior WR Allen Hurns needs 35 yards to post the fourth 1,000-yard receiving season in UM history.

4.       Miami is 10-1 in its last 11 games when scoring 30+ points and trailing in TOP.

5.    Canespace is a fantastic blog with great research and tremendous fans.

HERE’S THE KICKER:

What an addition graduate P Pat O’Donnell has been to the Miami Hurricanes in 2013. O’Donnell, who was a two-time All-BIG EAST punter at Cincinnati, ranks second nationally in punting with 47.6 yards per punt.O’Donnell leads the ACC by more than 3.0 yards per punt. Virginia Tech’s AJ Hughes is second behind O’Donnell with a 44.5 yards-per-punt average.19 of O’Donnell’s 43 punts this season have gone for 50+ yards.

SCORING IN BUNCHES:

·         Miami scored 45 points in its win Saturday against Virginia, improving the Hurricanes record to 103-1 all-time when scoring 45+ points. Miami’s lone loss when scoring 45+ points was the infamous “Hail Flutie” Game in 1984.

·         Miami is 79-0 when scoring 45+ since then.

·         Miami has scored at least 45 points four times this season. That matches Miami’s total from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons – combined.

·         Miami’s four games of 45+ points this season are the most by a Hurricanes team in a single season since 2002.

INSIDE THE SERIES (MIAMI LEADS 22-9-1):

·         Friday is the 33rd series meeting between Miami and Pittsburgh and the first as conference opponents since 2003. Miami leads the all-time series 22-9-1 and has won seven straight meetings.

HURNSY RULES:

·         Senior WR Allen Hurns is enjoying – quietly – one of the best single-seasons by a Miami Hurricanes receiver in program history. Hurns has 965 yards in 2013 and is 35 shy of posting only the fourth 1,000-yard season in school history.

·         Hurns already has more yards than any Miami receiver had managed in 20 of the previous 22 seasons.

·         Hurns’ 110 career receptions rank 10^th in school history. He is four shy of tying Wesley Carroll (114) for 9th all-time.

·         Miami’s 1,000-yard seasons: 1,114 – Eddie Brown (1984; 1,092 – Andre Johnson (2002); 1,156 – Leonard Hankerson (2010).

Comments

[Pbcfrcane13]

First?

[Sinistercane]

I have no prediction versus Pitt

[hassan]

3rd

[Clwtrdan]

Canes 26-Pitt 19.

[hassan]

Soup thanks for the 411

Morris needs a great finish to the season to improve draft stock, I say we win.big 42 / 10
Hurns is a beast

[SOUP]

Canes 34, Pitt 20

[SOUP]

Hassy...Yeah I think there was some confusion about what I sent U but U did get part II.

[IraqiCane]

Let's GO []__[]!!!

[The Dude]

I'm not going to do a score prediction today because I'd pick Pitt to win. I'm very angry at this staff for pretending the defense isn't an issue. What will it take for Al to make a change? He knows this isn't working, but so long as Miami wins, it will be an excuse to stay the course. I want changes but fear the pressure to make those changes will only come if Miami loses. This prospect angers me. It takes a lot of joy out of the games. Hopefully, this is game 2 of a 100 game winning streak. Go Canes.

[The Dude]

For Ohio Cane and all the others going to the game. Have fun, I hope for your sake they win.

[TJL]

go Canes!

Is this immaturity or is he a gangsta?

http://tracking.si.com/2013/11/27/jameis-winston-bb-gun-burger-king-florida-state-college-football/?sct=obnetwork

[hassan]

Just spoke to a chick fil a bowl rep in the airport heading to the game

[UMike]

When it comes to recruiting, nobody has come up with an exact science of how some coveted “4 and 5 Star” athletes never live up to the hype.

Though there are a number of reasons you can point to, the actual reason is that many of these people who are putting those lofty ratings on players never really see these athletes play football – with full gear on – live.

Talk to any head football coach across the country that isn’t looking for a job every other year and you will find someone who is doing a lot of recruiting on their own. Butch Davis insisted that his coaches evaluate and not to listen to what others say – or judge from watching someone in shorts.　

To fully understand what recruiting is all about, maybe you should follow the lead of University of Miami head coach Al Golden. If you want to know something about what it takes to get the “lofty” players, but also uncover gems – across they country – this is the man I would ask.

I happen to believe what Golden and his staff have done the past two years – under the cloud of the NCAA – is amazing. I don’t know anyone – and I mean anyone – who could have attracted the athletes that the Hurricanes have.

Ask just about anyone who has played football at the “U” and they will all explain how “void of talent” this program was when Golden arrived. This program had deteriorated to the point that the once flowing pipeline to the NFL had dried up.

Unlike most current-day Hurricanes who will talk about Randy Shannon, Larry Coker, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis and Jimmy Johnson, I remember when selling this program was not so easy. Lou Saban, Fran Curci, Pete Elliott, Carl Selmer and the legendary Charlie Tate set the table for Howard Schnellenberger and the success that would come for over two decades.

At a time when this Hurricane program didn’t meet the expectations of the fans, for Golden and his staff to be at this point – after coming in and watching this program lay down in the Sun Bowl against Notre Dame, they have to be beaming inside.

The smiles have to be over a tremendous 2012 and 2013 class that addressed some needs, but for a 2014 group that has the entire country watching and has the attention of Florida-bred players.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/29/3785541/miami-hurricanes-defy-odds-with.html#storylink=cpy

[Ohio_Cane]

Anyone coming to the game that needs an extra ticket? I've got 1 extra...

[UMike]

Ohio..I will be there in like 8 hours..hold it!!! haha

[UMike]

Ohio..take lots of pics

[Ohio_Cane]

UMike, U'll be just in time to watch overtime! LOL jk

[Ohio_Cane]

New Raising Canes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6o_LJwhgzE&feature=youtu.be

[Terrance Sullivan]

27-20 M-I-A-M-I. Go Canes! Beat Pitt! Great article Soup!

[MaryLouAlumni]

It's 32 degrees at kick-off. Bundle Up Canes!! If it's sunny and cold, and we are winning, hell, you will feel like it's
springtime. No score prediction here.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Terrance, got nothing but love for you man, but we are going to agree to disagree here.

Offense is averaging a fantastic 444 yards a game. 35 points on the board a contest. Has great balance at 172 and 272 yards rushing and passing respectively a game. 5.1 yards a carry, just a shade under 60% completion percentage and Morris and his backups only gets sacked 4% out of all pass attempts. Those are extremely great to good to healthy numbers however you want to measure it.

If the defense was just passable, not bottom of the commode circling down like it is, but passable, those numbers would go up. The OC was worth the money, the guy who hired his counterpart and his counterpart aren't.

Meanwhile, as it is on earth, it's 33 degrees today and partly cloudy in Pitt. Nick Stahl is UM's football program legacy. Claire Dames is the average UM football fan as our POV character. Arnold is UM's new football coach (he's from the future, you see), and Kristanna Loken needs to be wearing a tie to make this whole sloppy analogy hold together by spit, tape and bailing wire, but barring that look, she can just go blue and white with a Nittany Lion logo on her chest;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHhZK-g7wHo

[CGNC]

OGV - I agree on the 98 squad. LOL how would this team deal with Santana Moss or Reggie Wayne, Edge, Najeh, etc., etc.

[CGNC]

Marylou, nice to see you around. Hope that you are feeling better!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

CGNC, add Bubba Franks, Rich Mercier, James Jackson (#2 career yardage rusher in school history), Nick Williams, Mondriel Fulcher, Andre King, Morgan, Reed, Michael Boireau, Damione Lewis, Leonard Myers all the 2002 draftees who would have been true freshmen providing depth to that list. Then with that decided talent advantage, you add in the historically bad coaching staff this year's team has calling the shots for them and it's not close and could get real ugly, uglier than the Duke blowout even.

(Did I mention Duke blew out UM, in football, this year? OK, good, just checking.)

If you want to see a good staff from the MAC earning a shot at a job like Miami's by you know, WINNING GAMES OTHER THAN AGAINST REALLY BAD TEAMS, tune into Bowling Green playing for the division title on the road today in a de facto division title game at 1:30. If UM can steal their coordinator on defense before the staff leaves intact for a better job this off season, UM might just have a defense that can win games for the retooling offense next year, but don't hold your breath that Blake will grow the set needed to stand up to the incompetence in that coaching office just yet.

[raizecane]

I'll say it again…..Cold Weather 24 - Canes - 17

[BigWindyCane1]

Saw many of the recruits play live and they are very good. If golden develops them when they arrive, the Canes should compete for a title.

The problem the Canes have had is they did not recruit good players in their backyard. The top three high school teams with the most NFL players at the beginning of the season was Norland, St. THOMAS and pahokee, and only one of those players (Hankerson) went to UM. Many were not even recruited by Shannon or Coker. And most really wanted to go to UM.

There is so much talent in Florida, and it appears Golden does a better job recruiting the best players regardless of star rating.

[CGNC]

5. Canespace is a fantastic blog with great research and tremendous fans.

Yes it is, it really is.

OGV, I know. Offseason will either be interesting or sad

[BigWindyCane1]

Canes play well in cold weather under Golden. The Canes win impressively, Hurns gets 1000 receiving yards and Canes prepare for post season with a chance at 10 wins with a bowl victory.

[CalgaryCane]

Canes play well in cold weather under Golden.

Posted by: BigWindyCane1 | November 29, 2013 at 12:55 PM

Better or worse than they play in warm weather?

[Nomad]

At grille 36 in Pitt. We are outnumbered 10 to 1, but representing well.

[Yoopercane]

It was 5 degrees outside this morning and all I could think about is how the Canes will compete in cold weather. You never really get use to it but you just learn how to deal with it, mental toughness baby! Lets do this! Shout out from Upper Michigan! Da UP, eh!

[laquinton]

Well, not sure what you guys think of this but the whole defense and Jared wheeler are practicing with no shirts on.

[roachcane77]

FIVE THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW...
5. Canespace is a fantastic blog with great research and tremendous fans.

LOVE #5 SOUP! LOL

(But we all already knew that.)

Thanks again for all you do.

Let's Go Canes!

[Surfercane]

Ohio - Al golden is killing it on the recruiting trail!

Canes!!!

[UMike]

They will all have pneumonia by half time lol

[roachcane77]

Hey. At least they're trying to act like the cold doesn't bother them. I LIKEY!

(That's better than huddling up around heaters... )

[dj moonbat]

The OC was worth the money, the guy who hired his counterpart and his counterpart aren't.

Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | November 29, 2013 at 11:21 AM

To pile on to OGV's excellent statistical explanation of why the offense is nowhere near as culpable:

Miami has only been held below 21 points once. That was FSU, which is tied for the nation's #2 scoring defense.

Miami's scoring offense is currently ranked #28. It built that ranking against some decent scoring defenses: 4 in the top 25, and 8 in the top 50.

Miami's scoring defense is currently ranked #57. That's not good, and it looks even worse when one looks at the offensive firepower of the teams we've played. FSU (#2) is the only scoring offense Miami has faced in the top 20, and joins GT and Duke as the only teams in the top 50. On the other end of things, USF, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Florida(!) are ranked below 100. And then there's Savannah State. Eight teams ranked 50 or below.

[SinisterCane]

Ohio - Al golden is killing it on the recruiting trail!

Canes!!!

Posted by: Surfercane | November 29, 2013 at 02:14 PM

Too bad he can't kill it with the coaching staff

[UMike]

DJ..if you take away the cupcakes we played that #57 looks even worse lol

[KYcane]

Raize & KY present & accounted for.

GO CANES!

[pbcfrcane13]

Wow we got ESPNs F team for the broadcast AH this year has gone to crap fast. Lets end it great boys!!!

[Account Deleted]

nice start, fumble recovery and a missed coverage.

We're up early, and it looks cold!!

[pbcfrcane13]

WOW this team with coley and Johnson on O....just give me a QB who wont throw picks and it wont be stopped!

[pbcfrcane13]

MOrris to Coley wide open after a fumble recovery on the opening KO. 7-0 UM wooo

[Yoopercane]

Lets do this! lets hope this is the start os a great game for the Canes!

[Yoopercane]

good hustle by the D!

[pbcfrcane13]

3 and out and now a blocked punt!

[Account Deleted]

wow...pitt self destructing early.

players look slow and tight in the cold.

Game speed much slower

[pbcfrcane13]

COley with another bubble screen TD!!! 14-0

[Account Deleted]

holy cow!!! Did Pitt even show up today???