Canespace

Whisky Baby!

On New Year's Eve we will be having one Bourbon, one Scotch and one Beer, not necessarily in that order.

But tonight it is straight Whisky baby when your Miami Hurricanes face the Wisconsin Badgers in the Orange Bowl Game at Hard Rock Stadium at 8 PM.

Wisconsin will attempt to impose their will on Miami's "Turn Over" chain defense by demonstrating their powerful offensive line and dominant running game.

Miami will attempt to score points by using explosive big plays and their superior speed on the perimeter to grab an early lead and make Wisconsin pat catch up. 

We say that the Hurricanes will bash the Badgers by the score of 34-13.

#GoCanes

Answer The Question (Part II)

We started this series with the most obvious answer of all simply to get it out of the way. We all agree that there is no doubt that to play at the highest levels of college football Miami head coach Mark Richt and his staff must recruit many more, and much better, players to Coral Gables.

So, for UM to beat teams like Alabama, Oklahoma or Clemson, win the ACC title and play for a National Championship they need more talent on the field.

That's actually so simple that we can all agree that it is a no-brainer.

But not so fast my friend! You see the devil is always in the details.

Simply amassing or stacking up talent in and of itself does not a National Championship win. The college football landscape is littered with uber talented teams, in terms of "star power", that have failed in their quest to win it all.

Coaching, chemistry, competition, injuries, attrition and even scheduling can impact and even derail a team's quest for the trophy and the ring.

So we took the time to take a closer look at the specific areas of performance on offense, defense and special teams that would help Miami compete with the top teams in the Country like the Clemson Tigers. Today we look at few key NCAA offensive stats to see where the Hurricanes stack up against the Tigers:

Total Offense: Clemson #31 / Miami #58

Clemson ranked 27 spots better than Miami in total offense in 2017. Miami's offensive struggles were well documented and the inconsistent performance at the QB position was the primary reason for this difference.

Malik Rosier was both good (Notre Dame) and bad (Pitt), lucky (Hail Mary's) and unfortunate (drops) and seemed to have more hot and cold spells than a 50 year old woman. To be honest he was spectacular at times and downright awful at other times as he completed less than 60% of his passes which is generally considered the dividing line between good and bad QB play.

The second factor that impacted the Hurricanes offensive performance this season was injuries to key players at several key positions. Star RB Mark Walton went down early in the season, followed by a lingering hamstring/knee injury to top WR Ahmmon Richards and then dominant TE Chris Herndon was lost the season late in the year and before the big game against Clemson.

Solution For 2018: Miami must have better and more consistent play at QB and avoid injuries to key players due to a lack of depth that still permeates the roster. Easy to say, hard to do. We do know one thing: Competition at QB in Coral Gables will be fierce going into next season. We like competition, yeah, we like it a lot!

Rushing offense: Clemson #33 / Miami #73

Yeah we get it, spread offenses and the passing game are all the rage in college football. But the best teams still run the ball effectively when and as needed to impose their will on the other team and to control the game and the clock.

Once potential Heisman candidate Mark Walton went down the UM running game went down with him. Replacement RB Travis Homer actually did a nice job replacing Walton for most of the season but the Miami OL performed poorly and did the rushing attack no favors. The offensive line often lost the battle at the point of attack and backfield penetration was fairly common.

In spite of the injury to Walton experienced RB Trayone Gray rarely saw the field and Freshman Dee Jay Dallas was used sparingly even though he ran the "Wildcat" offense efficiently when called on to do so. Apparently highly touted RB Robert Burns was placed in the FBI's Witness Protection Program and accordingly has not been seen for years.

Solution For 2018: Hurricane fans are still waiting to see if Mark Walton will return for next season. We hope he does and think that he will. Regardless help is on the way as 5 star RB Lorenzo Lingard is on the way to Miami along with talented 4 star RB Camron Davis. We contacted the FBI regarding the aforementioned Mr. Burns, but they declined comment for this article.

Passing Offense: Clemson #52 / Miami #50

This is the one area that Miami ranked ahead of Clemson in the NCAA offensive stats for 2017. For not having a quality QB I am sure that is pretty surprising for most Hurricane fans. We have already discussed the QB quandary in depth so no need to regurgitate those facts or sentiments.

The WR core was hurt by star WR Ahmmon Richards being hurt most of the season in one way or another. Richards was about half speed for half of the season when he could get on the field. Numerous key drops by other members of wide receiving squad hurt Miami's offensive production and reduced third down conversions and scoring opportunities.

Freshmen Jeff Thomas and Mike Harley made some contributions in 2017 and will be expected to step up next year with the departure of the 'Canes MVP Senior WR Braxton Berrios, Senior TE Herndon was severely underutilized in the Miami offense. That too must change with new talent coming in.

Solution For 2018: Ahmmon Richards must recovery from injury, manage to stay healthy and return to his Freshman form. Thomas and Harley must improve and team up with Cager and Langham to help the UM passing game.

Add in true Freshmen Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and Brian Hightower along with highly regarded TEs Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory and you have quite the WR core with excellent depth. Assuming they have an accurate QB to get them the ball on time in the right location so that the yards after catch can also improve.

Scoring Offense: Clemson #21 / Miami #57.

This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to offensive performance. Forget total yards, rushing yards and passing yards, just show me the scoreboard and I will tell you who won the game. And not surprisingly this is where Clemson outpaced Miami  by 36 spots in the NCAA stats.

More specifically, that equals out to a TD more per game or 35 points for the Tigers versus 29 points for the Hurricanes. The old wise saying of "35 points will win you most games" still rings true even in pass happy 2017 college football.

Solution For 2018: Here we will choose to follow the famous KISS principle...Keep It Simple Stupid: Score more points!

With better quarterback play, more creative play calling and more talent on the field, Miami should be able to be more consistent and score more points in 2018. For Miami to catch Clemson they must find a way to convert more third downs, improve their running game, make more explosive plays in the passing game and improve their red zone offense.

Will it amount to a TD more a game? To keep it simple...It must and it better. Or else the same results will follow and that is not what head coach Mark Richt, his Miami Hurricanes or their fans want to see in 2018.

#Storm18 Gathers Strength On Early Signing Day

We were surprised that there were no surprises at the University of Miami on the first early signing day for college football players.

All 18 of the players expected to sign with UM did, with no additions or subtractions, from what looks to be be a very strong and deep class that could become the first major building block for head coach Mark Richt's time at the helm of the Hurricanes. 

Sure, you could argue that last year's class was the first step in the right direction for Miami and coach Richt and there would be some merit to that line of thinking. However, this year's class is even more talented and deeper than the 2017 bunch that came to Coral Gables last year and contributed to the Hurricanes best season in a decade and their first ACC division title. 

Miami's class is currently ranked #5 in the Nation by ESPN. Contrast that to the situation at Florida and Florida State where new coaches are taking over this year after one coach got fired (UF) and one coach bailed for more cash (FSU).

The Gators' Dan Mullen had a decent day by flipping two highly ranked players yet his class is still ranked 25th. The Seminoles' under new coach Willie Taggart did not have much fun or good news yesterday with their current class ranked all the way down at 36th in the Country.

Here are the players that signed with the Hurricanes on early signing day:

FB Realus George
CB DJ Ivey
OG Delone Scaife
WR Dee Wiggins
CB Al Blades Jr.
DE Gregory Rousseau
K Bubba Baxa
OT John Campbell Jr.
WR Mark Pope
RB Lorenzo Lingard
RB Camron Davis
WR Brian Hightower
TE Will Mallory
CB Gilbert Frierson
TE Brevin Jordan
DE Patrick Joyner Jr.
QB Jarren Williams
S Gurvan Hall

The next infusion of talent will come in early February on the more traditional signing day when the Hurricanes hope to add several more 4-5 star players still uncommitted at this time.

But first the Orange Bowl bowl game against Wisconsin on December 30 and then a brief break before we get back to work for the 2018 football season.

Answer The Question (Part I)

Recently I asked this simple question here on Canespace:

"What does Miami have to do to be able to compete with Clemson?"

Well, of course there were several different responses related to specific player positions (QB, OL, RB, DB, P) and a few more about some coaching matters (OC, OL, ST and play calling), but by far the number one answer was:

"Get more and better talent through recruiting."

The fact of the matter is we have often debated over the years between the relevant importance and significance of having talented players versus having great coaching as if one and not the other mattered most (talent) or even at all (coaching). But most reasonable college football fans (all three of them) would agree that it is a combination of the two that takes teams over the top to compete at the highest levels where National Championships are won.

Just based on the issue of recruiting talent alone, Miami trails the top four college football playoff teams by a wide margin. Here are the tallies of the last four recruiting classes for each school courtesy of our own researcher extraordinaire TonyCane. These numbers do not take into account players who left after three years, those who transferred, or those who did not qualify.

The numbers are striking and shows just how big of a gap that UM head coach Mark Richt has to close:

Alabama: 22 five stars, 57 four stars

Georgia: 7 five stars, 47 four stars

Clemson: 10 five stars, 32 four stars

Oklahoma: 2 five stars, 40 four stars

Miami: 2 five stars, 24 four stars

So the first part of the answer to "The Big Question" is that the University of Miami needs more talent on the field to compete with the best teams in the Nation. Those who firmly believe in the argument that "It isn't the Xs and Os but the Jimmys and the Joes" that matter most will take refuge in this fact. 

However the full answer to the question is much more complicated and complex than that. In our three part series we will fill in the fact gaps that most Miami fans are not aware of. So stay tuned Canes fans because the details and the facts might just surprise U.

Look At U Now!

The University of Miami men's basketball team moved up to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press Poll, marking the Hurricanes' highest ranking since a No. 5 ranking on March 18, 2013. UM is ranked No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
 
At 8-0 this season, Miami is one of seven remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. The 8-0 start matches the Hurricanes' best in seven seasons under head coach Jim Larrañaga.
 
Miami's defense has been its calling card in the first month of the season. The Hurricanes have limited opponents to 35.3-percent shooting and 57.1 points per game, each of which ranks second nationally. Opponents are shooting just 25.7 percent from 3-point range, which is tops in the ACC and fifth-best nationally.
 

UM is averaging 79.3 points per game, featuring a balanced attack with four players averaging in double figures and eight averaging at least 5.5 points per game. The Hurricanes are outscoring their opponents by an average of 22.1 points per game this year.
 
Miami returns to action Saturday with a noon contest at George Washington in Washington, D.C. The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
 
UM's next six games are away from home, including a trip to the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic from Dec. 22-25. The Canes' next home contest is Jan. 7 against No. 19 Florida State. Fewer than 100 season tickets are still available to purchase beginning at only $210. Call 1-800-GO-CANES.

Lady Canes Get Impressive Win Over Kentucky

The University of Miami women's basketball team earned an impressive 65-54 win over No. 20/23 Kentucky Sunday afternoon at the Watsco Center.
 
Led by senior forward/center Erykah Davenport's third double-double of the season, Miami (6-3) overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to earn its first top-25 triumph of the year.

"I said in the locker room that at one point in this game one team would break and that the team that doesn't break will win this game," Miami head coach Katie Meier said. "I told the team there will be runs, but you cannot be emotional [when reacting] to the runs. Expect it; bend, but do not break . . . We just kept fighting and our defense really held in the first half."

Davenport scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first period, but Kentucky (8-3) held an 18-14 edge through 10 minutes of action.

The Wildcats scored three points in the final nine seconds of the second quarter to extend their cushion to 30-23 entering the intermission. Both sides shot under 39 percent from the floor in the first half.
 
Miami went on a 20-8 run, including scoring eight of the first 10 points, in the first 6:03 of the third frame to take a 43-38 lead. The Hurricanes held Kentucky without a field goal for the final 3:08 of the session and took a 51-48 advantage into the fourth.
 
"That third quarter was really pretty. We were going inside early and it worked. When we went away from going inside [we struggled]," Meier said of the team's play after the break. "As I'm walking into the locker room, I could hear Emese Hof telling her team what we wanted as a staff. We wanted to go inside, but we didn't want it to affect our flow . . . and we finally got that nice mix. Also, I think our post rebounded really well."
 
Kentucky pulled within three in the last period, but could not get any closer, eventually falling by 11 and finishing with a season-low 54 points. The six points Miami conceded in the final session tied for its fewest in a quarter this year, matching the third frame against Vermont.
 
Redshirt senior guard/forward Shaneese Bailey, who made her first start of the season Sunday, connected on a 3-pointer to beat the shot-clock buzzer and make it 59-52 with 1:01 to go, essentially sealing the victory.

Richt Getting Rave Reviews From His Peers

University of Miami head coach Mark Richt has been named the Walter Camp 2017 Coach of the Year, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Tuesday.
 
The coaching honor is the second in the past week for Richt, who became the first Hurricane to be named ACC Coach of the Year on Tues., Nov. 28.
 
The Walter Camp Coach of the Year is selected by the nation's 130 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.

"It is wonderful that the Walter Camp Football Foundation and its voters recognize what we at Miami have known up close for two years - Mark Richt is a phenomenal man and football coach," Director of Athletics Blake James said. "We know that we have a special coach leading our talented staff and incredible young men in our football program, and we are thrilled that Mark has received this prestigious honor."

Richt is the second Miami coach (Jimmy Johnson, 1986) and the third from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the last five years (Dabo Swinney, Clemson, 2015 and David Cutcliffe, Duke, 2013) to earn the Walter Camp Coach of the Year honor.
 

Under Richt's direction this season, the Hurricanes have tallied a 10-2 record, won their first-ever ACC Coastal Division title that earned them a berth to the league's championship game. Miami's 10 wins this season are the most for the program since 2003 and the Hurricanes' seven league wins were their most since joining the ACC in 2004.

Wally Porter (NativeCane) Is My Friend

When I started Canespace I had no idea of what I was getting into. 

I knew it might be fun, or maybe interesting, but never as rewarding as it has become. Most of all I never knew that I would make real, long and lasting friendships with real people over time. One of those close friendships was with some country boy from Plant City named Wally Porter (NativeCane).

NativeCane has gone with us on camping trips and saved me from a bear.

NativeCane has taken us out on his boat to go scalloping in Crystal River.

NativeCane has been with us to Tallahassee to grill ribs and beat the Noles.

Nobody can ever question is that NativeCane is a man of his word.

He has consistently lived up to his word and his promises time after time.

This guy is rock solid (as seen on R with Old Skool and Terrance at FSU).

Wally Porter had a quadruple bypass heart surgery today and he is alive and well. May God bless him and his family and may the Cane Family wish him well.

I am proud to call Wally Porter AKA NativeCane my friend.

Familiar Surroundings

The Miami Hurricanes football program announced Sunday that it has accepted a bid to the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl and will take on Wisconsin on Dec. 30 at Hard Rock Stadium. The game will be aired live at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, 560 WQAM and 990AM ESPN Deportes.

Miami's appearance in the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl marks the 41st time in school history the Hurricanes have competed in a bowl game but the first time in a New Year's Six game, which began as part of the College Football Playoff in 2014.

The Hurricanes (10-2), who were ranked No. 10 in the final CFP rankings released Sunday afternoon, own a 20-20 overall record in 40 previous bowl games. Miami's appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl marks the fifth consecutive year in which the Hurricanes will compete in a postseason game.

Miami is playing in the Orange Bowl for the 10^th time in program history; the Hurricanes own a 6-3 all-time record in the game, including a 16-14 win over Florida State in their last trip to the Orange Bowl in 2004.

The Badgers (12-1), who fell to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Sunday, were No. 6 in the final CFP rankings and will be competing in the Orange Bowl for the first time.

Miami's matchup with Wisconsin represents the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools and second in a bowl game. The series is tied 2-2; the Badgers won the last matchup, 20-14, in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

"The Capital One Orange Bowl is one of most prestigious bowl games in all of college football, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to play in front of our hometown fans," Director of Athletics Blake James said. "This top-10 matchup with Wisconsin caps a terrific 2017 season for head coach Mark Richt and our football team, and we hope to see many Hurricanes fans packing Hard Rock Stadium and cheering us on December 30."

The Hurricanes, who won the ACC Coastal Division for the first time in program history and finished with 10 wins for the first time since 2003, are looking for their second straight bowl win; Miami topped West Virginia, 31-14, at the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando.

Hurricane Club members have until Wed., Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. ET to request tickets to the Capital Orange Bowl. The ability request a ticket does not guarantee receipt of a ticket.

Face Plant

Your Miami Hurricanes rolled into the ACC Championship game for the first time in conference history and ran full speed ahead into the mighty Clemson Tigers.

The Hurricanes wound up stumbling over their own two feet and then proceeded to show everyone exactly how to execute a perfect face plant.

We scored it a perfect 10.

The Canes got mauled without mercy by the Tigers 138-3. OK, OK, I know the real score was only 38-3 and that was bad enough because the game was never even close as Miami was held scoreless until late in the game. In fact the tough loss felt even worse than that for the fans who had bought into the hype of this turn around season brought to you courtesy of the "Turnover Chain".

And even though it may have ended on a sour note, a turn around season it was as the Canes did not lose a game until the final week of the season, won the Coastal Division and played for an ACC conference championship.

That my friends IS progress.

It became clear against Clemson that your Miami Hurricanes are indeed at least 2-3 years away from possessing the talent and depth and the confidence (read: Swagger) that comes with knowing you can compete with and beat anyone. At least that is what most people believe and what everyone is telling us.

The defense and Manny Diaz led the way in the Canes big improvement in 2017. Now the offense and Mark Richt must do what the defense did; get better, and get better fast if the Canes will to climb back into the National playoff picture.

The 2017 Miami squad reached as high as #2 in the Country before being exposed by two really good defenses and by revealing a seriously challenged offense that needs both better play calling and better play at every position across the board, especially at quarterback.

Sure, the ending is not what the fans would have wanted nor what the coaches and players would have chosen. But like it or not it is what it is until the next haul of talent reaches Coral Gables in the form of the 2018 recruiting class.

Until then we will prep for the bowl game that remains TBA but is likely an Orange Bowl invitation. But hang tough Canes fans, all that we learned is that the "Turnover Chain" can only take a turn around season so far.