Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

We interrupt this sports blog for a short, but important, religious lesson...

The first four gospels of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Matthew is the name of the strong, category 4 hurricane that is currently threatening the east coast of the State of Florida.

Mark is the name of the new Miami Hurricanes head football coach that hopes to play, and beat, FSU badly on Saturday.

Luke is the name of one of our famous Uncles who is associated with UM football and is projecting very good things for this team.

John, well we have know idea who he is, but according to his gospel, he is apparently all about love. We like that. Love is good.

We hope the game goes on and that your Miami Hurricanes will get to play, and beat, the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The stadium, and Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, were spared the wrath of Matthew on Thursday.

Central Florida may not be that lucky on Friday but only time will tell. If the eye of the hurricane decides to stay offshore we may just get a passing glimpse of the incredible storm and the damage it could have done.

Until then we wait, and hope, and pray.

Comments

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Destroy the indian impersonators from the trailer park.

[TJL]

2

[Dude on a Pale Horse]

First!

[Dude on a Pale Horse]

^^^ as in my 1st comment on this article.

[Lur-ker]

Cancel the game

[Go,GoCanes!]

Everyone up the coast stay safe. Praying this thing wobbles east off the coast.

[🐜🌀]

Wtf

[Lur-ker]

Posted by: KYcane | October 06, 2016 at 07:55 PM

All I'm saying is that if the eye just manages to stay offshore by even just 20 miles, it will make a HUGE difference in terms of destruction. There will still be damage - that's unavoidable

Unfortunately for the northern part of the Bahamas, Matthew just seemed to squat over them for an hour on the northern part.

I know just how bad the eye is because I've experienced it first hand. I had the displeasure of having one pass right over me, so we got battened, it stopped for about 45 minutes/1 hour, we walked outside and actually stood under clear skies, then got hit by the second eyewall. It was the second one that did about 50K damage to my house.

At the end of the day, it's just property. Replaceable.

[Lur-ker]

That picture of the clouds up above looks like a bear laying on its back and looking up and smiling.

Look at it,

[Lur-ker]

Just saw the last report.

Looks much much better.

Looks like the eye will stay offshore. Cone has shrunk dramatically.

Not saying there won't be damage, there will be, but it's would have been much worse.

[BigWindyCane1]

Great article Soup. Maybe Jon Richt could qualify for the "John" spot?

[thirstybuzzardcane]

I'm surprise my power hasn't gone out yet (knock on wood). Winds are blowing hard now.

[jcane]

As a friend pointed out earlier, Matthew must be an Fsu alum....got to Miami and went wide right. Good omen.

Winds are in the low 60s out there and should be reducing quickly over the next two to three hours.

[WWIN]

Those clouds are DEFINITELY a bear! Is that pic real Soup???

[VfB_Cane]

Good morning Canespacers!
I hope everybody's OK.

For SoFl, the thing seems to be over by now according to the NHC's 5 AM advisory:
"The Hurricane Warning from Jupiter Inlet south to Boca Raton has been replaced with a Tropical Storm Warning. The Tropical Storm
Warning has been discontinued south of Boca Raton, as well as for Lake Okeechobee. The Tropical Storm Watch has been discontinued
south of Anna Maria Island."

Stay safe!

[UMike]

Darryl Williams remembers the insomnia.

“Couldn’t sleep all week,” he said. “We felt jittery, twitchy.”

Kevin Patrick remembers the intensity.

“We’d say each game was important, but we treated that one very differently,” he said. “It was mano a mano; for all the marbles.”

Gino Torretta remembers the buildup.

“My freshman year, they had a rap video starring Deion Sanders, and Jimmy Johnson brought Hector “Macho” Camacho in to inspire our team,” he said. “I ran out through the smoke in the Orange Bowl and the place was rumbling and I thought, ‘Holy Cow! This is what college football is all about!’”

Leon Searcy remembers the stakes.

“With us being the egotistical, arrogant Miami players that we were, we’d check off all the teams on the schedule — ‘OK, we’ll beat them’ — but we’d always circle the game in Tallahassee,” Searcy said. “We looked at Florida State as our mirror image. We felt we made them into a power because of the butt-whippings we gave them. But we respected them.

“In 1991, it couldn’t have been any bigger. They were No. 1, we were No. 2 and the winner would springboard into the national championship game while the loser would watch.”

Twenty-five years later, the University of Miami and Florida State football teams are not at the peak of the sport, but their annual rivalry still brings out the best in the players and fervor in the fans. The nation still expects a wild nail-biter and ABC concurs, televising the Hard Rock Stadium tilt with an 8 p.m. primetime slot — unless the after-affects of Hurricane Matthew are worse than expected.

A 25th reunion celebration for UM’s 1991 national championship team will coincide with the 61st edition of a series rich in history that parallels the trials and triumphs of both programs.

“We’re supposed to run through the smoke and onto the field at halftime but I’m not doing any running on these bad knees — maybe a fast stroll instead,” said Searcy, 46, the offensive lineman who played 11 years in the NFL.

The presence of Searcy, Torretta, Williams (Patrick will be busy coaching Texas Tech’s defensive line vs. Kansas State) and a couple dozen of their teammates from the glory years will give the 2016 Hurricanes a snapshot of the legacy they are trying to revive.

The current players should take it upon themselves, if they haven’t already, to learn from their predecessors. Don’t take the wisdom of one’s elders for granted. What made UM great? What gave UM such distinctive personality? They know. They remember.

Quarterback Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner, lost only two games as a starter. Searcy played on three national championship teams and was drafted No. 11. Williams was an All-American at safety, a Pro Bowler for the Seattle Seahawks and now coaches defensive backs at St. Thomas Aquinas High.

The undefeated 1991 team, coached by Dennis Erickson, beat FSU 17-16 in the Wide Right I game, crushed Nebraska 22-0 in the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl and split the title with Washington, which won the coaches’ poll.

No. 10-ranked UM (4-0, 1-0) enters the game with a defense highly rated in aggression stats such as tackles for loss and sacks. Against Georgia Tech, the defense scored off two forced fumbles. Quarterback Brad Kaaya could unveil some twists in the offense.

Florida State (3-2, 0-2) fell to No. 23 after losing to North Carolina a few weeks after being embarrassed 63-20 by Louisville. The Seminoles rely on dangerous Dalvin Cook, but their defense has allowed 35.4 points per game. They’ve beaten UM six times in a row.

Which team is for real?

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/linda-robertson/article106508457.html#storylink=cpy

[SOUP]

Those clouds are DEFINITELY a bear! Is that pic real Soup???

Posted by: WWIN | October 07, 2016 at 01:55 AM

It is real, and it is a BEAR!

[UMike]

For a decade-plus now, UM has had to take a backseat to FSU, losing nine of their last 11 meetings, and watching the Seminoles qualify for five Atlantic Coast Conference championship games, with UM appearing in none.

That’s what makes what we’re witnessing now --- UM ranked 10th in the AP poll, 13 spots ahead of FSU and favored slightly by oddsmakers in their matchup Saturday --- so fascinating.

This much is clear: UM, which has played a much easier schedule than FSU, has been far better defensively, ranking seven in yards allowed per game at 253, while FSU is 94th at 438, and standing second in points permitted per game (11.0, behind only Ohio State), while FSU is 105th of 128 FBS schools (at 35.4).

FSU’s offense has been terrific, but UM has scored more, on average (47 per game, fourth in the country), compared to FSU (22nd, 41.4).

What’s less clear is this: Does FSU still have clearly better talent? I spoke to two evaluators that I respect and received very different answers.

One veteran NFL scout who has attended practices at both schools in recent months believes UM has closed the gap, where there is now no appreciable difference.

”FSU was way ahead, but people leave early and get injured and defensively, they are a shell of themselves from the past two, three years,” the scout said. “FSU and Miami are more equal now, but not because Miami has taken a big step. Both of their defensive lines aren’t what they used to be.”

But recruiting analyst Larry Blustein disagrees: ”I still think you have a pretty good gap. Miami has kids that can match up with FSU’s frontline talent. If you line up the top 22 for each, they're fairly close. But in depth, FSU has huge advantage. From a depth perspective, Miami is at least two years behind FSU, two years away from being able to compete for the playoffs.”

Recruiting rankings are unreliable, but as perspective, consider: UM starts just one Rivals five-star recruit (Chad Thomas) and 10 four-star players. FSU starts four five-star players (that number would be five when defensive back Derwin James is healthy and playing) and 12 four-stars.

UM’s Brad Kaaya was rated the No. 8 pro style quarterback in his class, but FSU’s Deondre Francois the No. 1 dual-threat QB in his. UM’s Mark Walton was the No. 9 running back in his class, but FSU’s Dalvin Cook was the No. 2 in his.

UM’s Stacy Coley was the No. 13 receiver in his class, but FSU’s Travis Rudolph was the No. 1 in his. UM’s Kc McDermott was the No. 11 guard in his class, but FSU’s Landon Dickerson was No. 1 in his.

And there’s this: Of FSU’s 11 regular starters on defense, an astounding eight were rated in the top 10 at their position by Rivals coming out of high school, compared with three for UM.

Here’s the big difference though: Under the previous two coaching staffs, UM fans complained about players not playing up to their recruiting rankings.

Now, that criticism can be fairly leveled against FSU’s underperforming defense, while a bunch of UM’s three-star players (Mike Pinckney, Rayshawn Jenkins, Richard McIntosh, among others) are playing above that level thanks to better coaching, personal growth, a managable early-season schedule and perhaps miscalculations by Rivals evaluators.

Another encouraging sign for UM: Rivals rates Miami’s 2017 recruiting class 10th (even after losing four-star cornerback Christopher Henderson this week). FSU is ranked 15th.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article106366847.html#storylink=cpy

[SOUP]

#StormPatrol

[SOUP]

The eye is still offshore and the storm is weaker to Cat 3. Friggin weather people acting disappointed that the storm stayed offshore. They actually seem upset that it didn't cause more damage and destruction.

Yo weather peeps your Super Bowl is OVER!

[SOUP]

VERY windy here in West Orlando but NBD otherwise. Gusts to 60 mph. Next three hours will be interesting with wind and rain but not worried anymore.

[thirstybuzzardcane]

I didn't lose my power at all. I'm shocked! Is it game day yet?!?!?

[thirstybuzzardcane]

Ft Lauderdale airport is open.....Those bitches from Tallahassee can come on down now!

[SOUP]

The hype from the weather people is like ESPN on the SEC on steroids times 100! They are like, "It is not bad yet, but it still could get really bad, trust me, we are hoping it gets worse so we have something to report."

#Idiots

[1mg of Epi]

That picture of the clouds up above looks like a bear laying on its back and looking up and smiling.

Look at it,

Posted by: Lur-ker | October 06, 2016 at 10:58 PM

Awwww! It is a cute happy bear!!

[Go,GoCanes!]

Let's play some football tomorrow.

[1mg of Epi]

Worst thing about that his storm... it gave UF a reason to avoid a loss.

[VfB_Cane]

Posted by: ANGRY SOUP | October 07, 2016 at 06:05 AM

Coverage in the German media made it look like there are millions of U.S. citizens literally running from the storm and up to 300 people dead.

Mix the past 6 day's Hurricane related news into one stew and serve it hot and spicy.

[NativeCane]

I agree A.S., Cantore and the Global warming propaganda center stayed up all night for a tropical storm.
Dem Canes!!!

[SOUP]

Still may be some coastal damage so not minimizing the storm, but not worth all the hype so far.

#BeatTheNoles

[NativeCane]

That picture of the clouds up above looks like a bear laying on its back and looking up and smiling.

Look at it,

Posted by: Lur-ker | October 06, 2016 at 10:58 PM

Awwww! It is a cute happy bear!!

Posted by: 1mg of Epi | October 07, 2016 at 06:18 AM

Yeah Epi, not at all like the one that chased Soup through Wakulla Park....he was big and black, and he was PISSED!

Dem Canes!!!

[Go,GoCanes!]

In case anyone still wasn't aware:

Green Lot opens at 2:00 and all lots open at 3:00

[Sarasota 'cane]

Spot on with your news assessment Soup! I've been listening all morning and they keep hyping, swinging and missing on the landfall! They have now pivoted to Jacksonville! I'm in Sarasota on my way to Naples. I might even go to the hotel Lauderdale tonight to avoid all the evacuees who will be headed back to the east coast tomorrow.
Can't wait to see you all tomorrow before the game!
Go 'canes!

[CaneRock]

I hear ya' SOUP...but hopefully this storm's a wake up call to those who don't prepare to hunker down, or evacuate. Hopefully Raize & Tuck have power to check in this morning.

[Go,GoCanes!]

Who's going tomorrow?

[Sarasota 'cane]

My brother and I will be there!

[NavyCane]

I'm going with my brother and his kids

[NavyCane]

I feel like this Hurricane Matthew was a precursor to what's going to happen tomorrow night when the U takes the field against those Seminoles. GO CANES!

[Lur-ker]

Listen to your boy...

[KYcane]

All I'm saying is that if the eye just manages to stay offshore by even just 20 miles, it will make a HUGE difference in terms of destruction. There will still be damage - that's unavoidable

Posted by: Lur-ker | October 06, 2016 at 10:56 PM

Absolutely and it appears that has been the case. As of 8:00 it has moved 23 miles east of the projected position from last nights post.

[TonyCane]

In honor of the 25th anniversary of that game, you should repost the pictures I took on campus that day after Wide Right 1.

[UMike]

Anyone else watch the 2004 Miami-FSU Orange Bowl last night on classics?

[Lur-ker]

I absolutely believe there were people cheering for this thing to hit and be a disaster ... absolutely

[fran]

life in Debary at 28deg 54 min 19.86sec N
81deg 18 min 33.00 sec W
is on going with gusty winds rain and gloomy skies Power generator ready with 3, 5 gal cans of fuel at the ready, not needed yet. UM game at 8 tonight was priority 1.
Go Canes
Fran & Jean in Debary
@ sister & Bro-in-law in residence fleeing from mobile home in Kove Estates Vol County

[Lur-ker]

I agree A.S., Cantore and the Global warming propaganda center stayed up all night for a tropical storm.
Dem Canes!!!

Posted by: NativeCane | October 07, 2016 at 06:31 AM

So true, these weather people seem literally disappointed this hasn't caused more damage.

Would have been a bunch of "I told you so's" backed by renowned scientists like Leonardo DiCaprio

[KYcane]

Posted by: ANGRY SOUP | October 07, 2016 at 05:36 AM

Posted by: NativeCane | October 07, 2016 at 06:31 AM

Posted by: Lur-ker | October 07, 2016 at 09:12 AM

Easier to fill that 24-7 news cycle with disaster.

"I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something
Something I can use
People love it when you lose
They love dirty laundry"
Don Henley

[CaneRock]

Might sound crazy, but I think it's a good thing that Matthew skirted SoFlo as a Cat4, instead of the Cat3 that we're seeing today. Reason being, with as tight as the eyewall was yesterday, it kept a lot of those dangerous outer-bands away from SoFlo...whereas today, with the loosening of the eyewall, the storm is more extended...if that makes sense.

[Go,GoCanes!]

Driving by the stadium right now.

Can't wait!!!!!

[Ohio_Cane]

Read it: http://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/95339/miamis-defense-leaning-on-trio-of-freshman-linebackers

[Sarasota 'cane]

Game time temp 85 degrees, 5% chance of rain, 7 mph wind! That's nearly perfect given the situation over the last 24 hours!

Go 'canes! "F" Matthew!