An Open Letter To Coach Cutcliffe

Dear Coach Cutcliffe,

As a fan of college sports in general and the college football in particular, I have to admit that I am totally shocked and dismayed that a seemingly reasonable, mature, experienced man and coach as yourself could say such ridiculous and stupid things after a football game.

After Miami beat Duke, in spite of overcoming 23 penalties for almost 200 yards and several phantom calls, you had the absolute nerve and the audacity to say this to the media:

"The NCAA should have a process to reverse the outcome of the game," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said in his Sunday news conference. “Nothing has changed other than they realized they got the replay wrong."

Surely, you can't be serious? Are you, a once respected college football coach, really saying out loud and in public that now you want every coach who contests any game to have the game overturned the following day by some group of anonymous conference officials?

Have you ever asked this question after ANY other game? Have you ever asked this question when your team won a game on a official's call and asked for the game to be given away to the other team? 

Now, I say this even though Miami Hurricane fans once admired you for your achievements in Durham. In fact, some UM fans may have even considered you as a replacement for the coaching vacancy at Miami.

However, after your completely ignorant comments you are just another narrow minded, bitter complainer who apparently needs an emergency waambulance to rescue you from the horrible despair of ACC officiating?

Wow, just how far has your self dignity and self reliance fallen?

Now you have become a man who must be punished on the football field.

And you must be punished very soon and very badly by our Miami Hurricanes.

Trust me when I tell you that all of the Miami coaches, players and fans are going to be looking forward to our next little soiree in Miami next year. In fact, we can't wait for your next appearance in our cozy little town.

Next year we will beat you and your team into the ground at Sun Life Stadium. We will not leave it to the referees to decide. The game will be over by halftime. Trust me when I tell you this.

Trust me, in the name of all things orange and green, there will be some serious hell to pay. Your reputation is done and your street cred is wiped out.

Coach Cutcliffe, we can't wait to welcome you to the 305 in 2016!

Respectfully,

Fans of The Miami Hurricanes

Comments

[Raizecane]

Bingo.....

[LA3]

Nice work

[Raizecane]

I need to get that T-shirt in time for the Virginia game if at all possible

[TonyCane]

I hope next year that even if we are up by 45, that we run a lateral on a kickoff. Just for fun.

[Raizecane]

After reading the open letter above, something came to mind so I ask this question.....what typically happens (in most sports) when a coach questions or basically says the refs screwed up?? He gets fined or hand slapped, correct?

If thats the case, why hasn't coach get-a-life been reprimanded?? Just curious.

[TonyCane]

Updated List of Woe, for next head coach.

1. Clemson - 2001 Washington-style victories will be required in the future. Plus trick plays.

2. Ohio State

3. Notre Dame

4. Duke - For the complaints

5. LSU

[Montreal-Cane]

Great!

[DeeCane]

Great work!!! #itsAlwaysGreatToBeAMiamiHurricane

[SJMPARMAN]

Wait, wasn't the most ridiculous thing he said, after the ACC refs called an ACC record 23 penalties against us for the most yards in history, that they should have called more? How much more cheating did he expect from the refs when it was his job to win the game? He just hiding the fact that his team practiced the kickoff return in question, he chose to leave off the return team the special players like Cash from the return team, and his mistakes first, to not kick it out of bounds, and two to not put his best players on the field when only six seconds were on the game clock, were a colossal mistake for which he will forever bear culpability.

[Terrance Sullivan]

David Cutcliff I am going to need you to come to the Front of the Congregation!

[SJMPARMAN]

I think he should begin every game with a letter from Swofford to the referees saying look, I am an old coach, I am not so good anymore, you must spot me 30 penalties a game and 300 yards for this to be fair to Duke and the ACC. He would then present the actual letter with Swofford's signature on it.

[Terrance Sullivan]

John Swofford I am going to need you to come to the Front of the Congregation!

[Raizecane]

After some research, I found video from the ACC's officiating crew's previous job -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLEw6lFp-ys

[SJMPARMAN]

Belotti, former coach at Oregon, saidtoday on College Football Daily, look, I can't tell whether Walton was down or not from the replay, but the bottom line is this, when Dallas Crawford had the ball at the three yard line, there were still 22 players on the field, 11 versus 11, and Duke never brought the guy with the ball down before he scored. That is the truth right there.

[86Cane]

David Cutcliff I am going to need you to come to the Front of the Congregation!

Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | November 03, 2015 at 11:47 PM

HELL TO PAY!

[86Cane]

John Swofford I am going to need you to come to the Front of the Congregation!

Posted by: Terrance Sullivan | November 03, 2015 at 11:47 PM

#TheDevilWentDownToGeorgiaButDiedInFlorida

[Lurk-er]

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lurk-er]

Honestly, this is the most pissed off I've been about anything related to our opponents for a long time. The idiot statements by the media are not a huge surprise, but I was surprised by coach cutty's b*tch ass comments.

Are you kidding me? He wants to completely change the game. What's wrong with that old fool.

"The NCAA should have a process to reverse the outcome of the game"
Think about that. Let it sink in. WOW! Really? Really?

[TonyCane]

That's absurd. How far back do we go. Should we be looking at replays from 30 years ago and trying to fix college games.

I say strip Colorado of its National Championship. After all, there needs to be a process.

[86Cane]

Just wait until next year when Duke visits Miami. That ish gonna get ugly. I am taking about 305 style UGLY!

[SJMPARMAN]

Yes, if the league in question, whether ACC, Big 12, Pac 12, AAC, SEC, does not like the result of ANY game, they are permitted to review the last play only, decide if they disagree with the judgement calls of the officials, and declare the officials incompetent, suspend them for 2 games, and ask that only the most qualified refs come and officiate their games. As I understand it, only multiple prison inmates recently released from the joint and seeking fast cash, and some guys from Jersey and Las Vegas, have applied for the job as an ACC official at this point.

[SJMPARMAN]

Jim Harbaugh is asking for a retroactive application of the rule for the persons from New Jersey. Jimbo has applied as well but couldn't get release from Raiford before the deadline.

[86Cane]

If ALL refs were from Vegas we would at least know what we are dealing with, but with only half on the take, it is so hard to tell which ones are which? LOL

[SJMPARMAN]

Nah, 86 we have a competent coach in 2016, and Duke will remain the basketball school it is, and always will be, when we win by twenty five points after we start taking a knee for every play in the fourth quarter.

[86Cane]

I heard that someone in the NFL is challenging the "Immaculate Reception" (ball hit the ground) and that the Russian's are challenging the "Miracle On Ice" (never went in the net)?

Also I am told that the Miami Dolphins never went undefeated in 1972, that is Fiction, kind of like US never landing on the moon?

[86Cane]

when we win by twenty five points after we start taking a knee for every play in the fourth quarter.

Posted by: SJMPARMAN | November 04, 2015 at 12:26 AM

Take a knee? BS, throw the ball, fake a FG, lateral 8 times, I do not care just score again!!!

[86Cane]

I am telling you I am not even close to being a violent person or young buck looking to build a rep but I am hostile towards them Blue Devils right now.

(legal disclaimer: within the boundaries of the law of course!)

[SJMPARMAN]

Well I dunno lets lateral 8 times, get to the one yard line up by 28, take a knee with a second left. And then score on the final play of the game. Does that work for you?

[SJMPARMAN]

Deer in headlights were skeered until you clarified that it wasn't the Duke Blue Deer who were targeted. Some of those Deer can be devilish sometimes, looking so innocent while they eat your roses and such. But they okay with you targeting Dookies, by a 91-9 percent of the vote.

[SJMPARMAN]

The 9 percent hadn't registered with your county for the tags targeting them for the kill yet. Deer dodgers and such. Many headed towards Canada.

[SJMPARMAN]

Al Golden was among them but he stopped in PA.

[SJMPARMAN]

I gotta go good nite bud, love this blog and the great people who visit and comment on it. As you have said so many time, not much happens good after midnite but some times it does. Or you said something near that. Or maybe you didn't but it is always fun to be here. :-)

[TonyCane]

A perspective from someone who lives in Austin...

Okay, so let's look at how the Longhorns recruited under Mack Brown, and what Charlie Strong inherited

2002: 5 *****, 15 ****, 05 ***, 02 **
2003: 1 *****, 11 ****, 06 ***, 00 **
2004: 1 *****, 09 ****, 09 ***, 01 **
2005: 0 *****, 08 ****, 06 ***, 01 **
2006: 2 *****, 11 ****, 12 ***, 00 **
2007: 2 *****, 16 ****, 05 ***, 01 **
2008: 0 *****, 12 ****, 06 ***, 01 **
2009: 3 *****, 11 ****, 07 ***, 00 **
2010: 2 *****, 19 ****, 04 ***, 00 **
2011: 1 *****, 15 ****, 06 ***, 00 **
2012: 2 *****, 15 ****, 10 ***, 02 **
2013: 0 *****, 09 ****, 06 ***, 00 **
2014: 0 *****, 06 ****, 15 ***, 02 **
2015: 1 *****, 14 ****, 12 ***, 02 **

So on the surface, Charlie Strong appears to have inherited a strong team. That's on the surface.

Let's look at who actually stayed with the team, and how the Longhorns strength has ebbed:

2006: 4 *****, 37 ****, 30 ***, 02 **
2007: 6 *****, 39 ****, 29 ***, 03 **
2008: 4 *****, 41 ****, 25 ***, 03 **
2009: 7 *****, 38 ****, 26 ***, 02 **
2010: 6 *****, 48 ****, 23 ***, 01 **
2011: 7 *****, 49 ****, 20 ***, 01 **
2012: 7 *****, 47 ****, 23 ***, 01 **
2013: 6 *****, 49 ****, 22 ***, 01 **
2014: 4 *****, 34 ****, 29 ***, 03 **
2015: 2 *****, 32 ****, 34 ***, 05 **

The roster strength is definitely trending downward, due to the following factors:

a) Mack Brown's 2012 class has been parred down. Of the 17 four and five star players signed for the 2012 class, 9 are gone.
b) Mack Brown's 2013 class had a very low number of four and five star players (for him), only 9. Three are now gone.
c) The 2014 class was affected by the coaching transition, as is to be expected. Strong only reeled in 6 four star players.

Basically what happened to Texas is very similar to what happened to Miami in 2010 and 2011. Miami's 2010 class eroded away due to failures to qualify or transfers, and the 2011 class was wrecked by the coaching transition. The Hurricanes were thus unable to recruit at a replacement level, and the number of our four and five star players quickly dipped from around 40 to a nadir of 22 in 2012.

Mack Brown was unable to recruit at a replacement rate his last two years, and the coaching transition affected Strong's first class. The 2015 class that Charlie brought in was much stronger, featuring 15 four and five star players. He'll need to replicate that success in 2016 and 2017 if he's to get the talent level at Texas back to where it was under Brown in previous years.

Some further facts about Strong at Texas:

- 19 of the 34 four and five star players on his team presently are in their first or second year (mostly true freshmen).

- Of the 73 scholarship players on the team, only 26 are third, fourth, or fifth year players.

- Strong kicked 9 players off Texas for rules violations in 2014.

- The Longhorns entered the 2014 campaign with one deficiency - quarterback. David Ash was the starter, but had sustained multiple concussions. A career ending concussion was sustained in Strong's first game as UT coach, leaving the Longhorns to start the inexperienced Tyrell Swoops. The latter was a spread QB in high school who would have problems adapting to the new UT west coast offense.

- A much larger deficiency opened up last season when injuries quickly decimated the UT line, plus another starter was kicked off the team for a rules violation a few weeks into the season. That further hampered the offense.

- Following the 2014 season Strong met with the OC who promised to change up the offense and become more up tempo. However when the season started, little changes appeared to be evident. Strong replaced the OC in Week 2 of the season and the team has been learning on the fly, gradually expanding their playbook.

- UT is starting a redshirt freshman in 2015, Jerrod Heard. He's an extremely fast, running QB.

- His effectiveness is limited by the offensive line play. Strong has 12 linemen on the roster, but 6 are freshmen. He's starting two freshmen on the OL.

- Numerous freshmen are starting on defense, and it is showing in terms of points given up.

[WWIN]

Posted by: SJMPARMAN | November 03, 2015 at 11:37 PM

Scott will get to finish out the season regardless... even if we hire Butch tomorrow. The only thing Scott is auditioning for is a spot on the new staff... and it'll look good for his resume... but he shouldn't be considered for the head coach job.

[WWIN]

FWIW... I don't think we'll have ANY players out this Saturday... none of em will wanna miss the chance to wear the new all black uni's... something that we've never done before!

I guarantee it! Lol

[TonyCane]

I heard that someone in the NFL is challenging the "Immaculate Reception" (ball hit the ground) and that the Russian's are challenging the "Miracle On Ice" (never went in the net)?

Also I am told that the Miami Dolphins never went undefeated in 1972, that is Fiction, kind of like US never landing on the moon?

Posted by: 86Cane | November 04, 2015 at 12:29 AM

Stanford will be looking to use VHS tape upconverted to 4K standards to petition the Pac-12 on a reversal of this 1982 contest. They will be looking for blocks in the back. The band on the field will also be cited as a dead ball foul.

The Tennessee Titans will petition the NFL to overturn the result of The Comeback. During a third quarter TD catch, one of Don Beebe's feet went partially out of bounds during the run before he made the catch. Upon development of time travel technology, the Titans then hope to send a squad back to 1993 to successfully advance into the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

[Dude on a Pale Horse]

Remember when we had staffs that would punish other teams for their comments? That was cool.

[Dude on a Pale Horse]

I'd like to see everyone's list on who's asses we need to kick to get our respect back.

[Dude on a Pale Horse]

2015, year of the comeback. June Jones wants Hawaii job.

[UMike]

### We hear UM football is close to finalizing a deal to play at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) next season, with the teams playing a game at Sun Life in a future year. Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is 7-1, with its only loss to Clemson. The Canes needed to fill an opening, and Appalachian State was one school that could accommodate UM on short notice.

UM’s other 2016 non-conference games: Florida A&M, FAU and at Notre Dame.

### If UM wins its final four games, it would win the Coastal Division if Duke loses at least one among four (at UNC, Pitt, at Virginia, at Wake Forest) and UNC loses to UM and at least one among Duke, at Virginia Tech and at N.C. State.

### For all the talk about the last play Saturday, UM football people privately have complained about a bunch of other things in that game – not only unjustified penalties against UM but the strong belief that Duke committed illegal picks off wheel routes. The ACC has been made aware of UM’s concerns, a UM staffer said.

### Most famous person to reach out to UM’s Corn Elder (via Twitter) to congratulate him for his touchdown Saturday? Singer/actor Tim McGraw, who has won three Grammys. “His daughter went to my high school,” Elder said.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2015/11/marlins-set-offseason-plan-try-to-reverse-free-agent-cold-streak-canes-schedule-news-um-dolphins-hea.html

[nemo2002]

I hope next year that even if we are up by 45, that we run a lateral on a kickoff. Just for fun.

Posted by: TonyCane | November 03, 2015 at 11:35 PM

The swag is back!

[LA3]

Has anyone seen the kickoff time for the GT game yet?

[VfB_Cane]

The Indianapolis Colts have fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton after three seasons, the team announced Tuesday.
Special assistant and associate head coach Rob Chudzinski will take over for Hamilton. He served as offensive coordinator with the Browns and Panthers, and was Cleveland’s head coach for the 2013–14 season.
----------

So in all likelihood Chud is not going to be our next coach. A chance to establish himself as OC in the NFL is nothing you walk away from, unless he sees his future in college instead of the NFL, which I doubt.

[BigWindyCane1]

I saw a coach from Appalachian State at the Al Golden camp last summer. He was a very good coach

[Go Canes]

Cutcliffe can suck it:

@dgould151: I'm not familiar with this perfectly legal route @Duke_FB https://t.co/VL4h3xPFkT

@dgould151: Play after Artie's "PI". I'm sure this WR was just running his route though. https://t.co/N9TAtXcgZA

[CaneRock]

Ferman:

Coaching Search Update - Ferman "Butch Leading Candidate"

There still are no signs that any interviews have taken place but based on what we have been able to find out you would have to think that the leading candidate to replace Al Golden right now is Butch Davis.

On face value, it seems insurmountable but guys like Mario Cristobal and Rob Chudzinski can't be counted out and the University is believed to still be very interested in finding out who else out there is interested.

Sources tell me that Davis has the support of several of Miami's most influential boosters, led by guys like tomato grower Paul Dimare and Chicago businessmanTed Schwartz, who donated a big chunk of the money for the Schwartz Center.

Davis also has the support of several former players. There have been a few conference calls organized by Jon Vilma and among a select group of former players such as Jerome McDougle and Edgerrin James. The players would like to have input. But the problem is that there really is not a platform for it and is not something the University has expressed interest in. Sources told CaneSport that the players are lined up behind Butch right now, but are open to other candidates if they emerge.

Davis also has the support of 70% of the fan base based on a poll conducted by CaneSport.

So why doesn't Davis have the job already?

Well largely because the University wants this to be a legitmate search, not a rush to judgement. And not EVERYBODY is lined up behind Davis. In fact one of the greatest concerns has been that there has been such a groundswell of support and buzz over Davis that some coaches out there might be considering it a done deal

The Mario Cristobal camp has been surprisingly very quiet, though there is no denying Cristobal's strong interest in the job. He is preoccupied with preparing Alabama's offensive line for its biggest game of the year this Saturday against LSU. But Cristobal passed by several South Florida high schools on a recruiting trip Friday and Saturday and several high school coaches have told CaneSport they favor his hiring as coach. However there has been internal debate on whether Cristobal is experienced enough to match up against some of the other guys on the board, such as Davis or even Rob Chudzinski, with deeper resumes. Cristobal has a ton of support for a staff position under the head coach, but is unlikely to be interested in that.

We have told you from Day 1 that Texas' Charlie Strong would be interested in Miami if Blake James chose to reach out to him. Strong even mistakenly had a slip of tongue in a press conference the other day and said "Miami" when he meant Notre Dame. But we do not believe there has been any contact there to this point and Strong's stock took a massive drop when he lost Saturday to Iowa State.We are also hearing that Georgia, currently weighing whether to keep Mark Richt, also might have some interest in Strong. So I would not eliminate Strong as a candidate, but it is looking less likely.

So that's about it for right now. There is no timeline so the University is not putting pressure on itself with this search. It is willing to take its time in the interest of getting the best coach available. Right now though, even though there is a long way to go, it is looking like Davis has the best chance of the candidates who have been mentioned publicly.

[CaneRock]

Those illegal pick plays were clear as day. Don't know if He does it already, but if Scott sees something illegal on film, He needs to bring that to the attention of the officiating crew.

[Go Canes]

Going to be a wild 30 days

[thirstybuzzardcane]

"The NCAA should have a process to reverse the outcome of the game," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said in his Sunday news conference. “Nothing has changed other than they realized they got the replay wrong."

Bulletin board material for next years game?

[UMike]

I honestly don't know why everyone is so up in arms over his comment. What do people expect him to say? He felt he was robbed, a justifiable feeling, and is standing up for his team. If the table was turned we would be pissed and wanting our coaches to call out the refs.

Obviously we cannot change the outcome of games after the fact, but you cant blame the guy for blasting the refs and making these comments.

I am more upset with the ACC commissioner taking sides.