Canespace

The Nuclear Option

Sometimes things have to be seriously corrected.

Sometimes things have to be completely changed.

Sometimes things have to be totally blown up.

And sometimes leaders are forced to implement the nuclear option.

New Hurricane head coach Manny Diaz seized the day and pushed the big red button on the University of Miami offensive football staff.

When he was done there was not a single member standing or anywhere within a 100 mile radius of the Coral Gables campus.

And we here at Canespace like that.

Yes, we like that a lot.

Carpe Diaz

In what has to be the most shocking, stunning turn of events in the history of modern college football, the University of Miami announced late Sunday night that legendary golfer Tiger Woods will be the next head coach at Miami.

His comment was: "At Miami our theory will be drive for show, putt for dough."

Hold on we are getting more late breaking news...NBA basketball star Lebron James has been hired as head coach at the University of Miami. He will bring in recruiting coordinator Pat Riley and Dwayne Wade as as his best buddy to chill out on South Beach. That sounds pretty good to us I guess?

Oh wait, this is just in...NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt has accepted the head coaching job at Miami. He will bring fellow racing legends Jeff Gordon in as Offensive Coordinator and Tony Stewart in as Defensive Coordinator. While we can see some hope with these important decisions...OK never mind.

Hold up...we are getting conflicting news that former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula is now taking the reins as the new coach at Miami. He wants to reinstate the "State of Miami" and have real dolphins jumping in the end zone during games. Why he wants to do that at UM games we do not know.

In the first installment of the "U really can't believe this" segment in the history of the University of Miami, Athletic Director Blake James has snatched up the first available candidate he could find during his "exhaustive National search" in former UM DC and Temple "head coach for a day" Manny Diaz.

While we have nothing against Manny Diaz as a person or a coach we just have to say...what the hell was the basis for this decision?

Among all of the possible available candidates from the college ranks and the NFL is he the absolute best candidate for the job?

Did the Miami Athletic Director, the Board of Trustees and the UM President even get involved in this process, and if so how?

We will see how this all plays out in the long run but for now the sense of concern we all now feel as fans is very, very real.

All we can say is: Carpe Diaz.

BREAKING NEWS: Richt Resigns

Earlier today, in what can only be described as a stunning turn of events, Mark Richt suddenly resigned as head football coach at the University of Miami.

Following a disappointing 7-6 season that culminated in an ugly, lopsided loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl, Richt had apparently had enough. 

It also seems that he may have realized that rather than completely rebuild a new coaching staff at UM that it would be better to pass the torch on to a new head coach at his beloved alma mater.

Richt left with the same class and grace that he brought to the job at Miami. For that we owe him our respect and appreciation.

At the same time, many fans had been clamoring for his resignation or firing after realizing that all of the positive momentum gained in 2017 was all but lost in 2018 with the results on the field and in the recruiting game.

The game appeared to have passed Richt by as his antiquated and ineffective offensive scheme grew old and tired among the fans.

Singer and songwriter Bruce Springstein wrote in his song "Glory Days" these words: "Glory Days, They'll pass U by, Glory Days, In the wink of a young girls eye...Glory Days, Glory Days." Those words seem to ring true for Mark Richt and his tenure as head coach at Miami. Richt was simply not able to recapture the glory days or return "The U" to the prominence that was once so expected and enjoyed that it was often taken for granted by Miami fans.

Richt's time at the University of Miami was short and bitter sweet. He restored pride in Miami and helped bring the Indoor Practice Facility. As a former Hurricane player, he held a special place in the hearts and minds of many UM fans. But, like former head coach Randy Shannon, that was not enough for the fans to overlook the obvious shortcomings on the field or the results in the win/loss column.

In the end, he made the best decision for himself, his team and his school.

Now, the National search for a new head coach at UM begins again just three years after Richt's hiring. Many names will be bantered about by the fans, the media and those on the inside of the decision making process at Miami.

With the NFL season ending for many teams after today we anticipate many coaching changes which will result in head coaches and offensive and defensive coordinators becoming available. In addition, the college football season will winding down over the next week or so also resulting in changes that will free up several talented coaches.

As a result, we do not expect a decision anytime soon. These exhaustive searches, numerous interviews and big decisions take time.

As fans, all we can do is just hope it is the right decision this time around.

Going Bowling

I'll be back in a minute with more details...meanwhile you know the drill.

Prediction: Miami 34 - Wisconsin 13

We Wish U A Merry Christmas

On behalf of all of the many great people and talented bloggers here at Canespace we want to wish U a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As you know if you have been around here for any amount of time this blog is more than just a Miami Hurricane sports blog.

It is a family. A family that at times can be a little dysfunctional but still a family of fans like no other blog on the Internet.

We would also like to thank the many good folks at the UM Athletic Department for their on-going support of our blog as well.

As we make our Christmas wishes, we ask U to join us in the Holiday season in wishing peace on Earth and good will towards all. Well, everyone except Florida State and Florida Gator fans of course.

Here are our simple Canespace Holiday wishes for 2018:

1. That UM wins their bowl game against Wisconsin.

2. That Mark Richt turns out to be the best coach any Miami fan could ask for.

3. That the Watsco Center and Mark Light Field are filled with 'Canes fans.

4. That UM baseball makes an early season statement on their way to Omaha.

5. That UM basketball comes on strong in ACC play later this season.

We would like to wish all of U a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Running Through The Smoke Or Playing In A Fog?

Seeing the Hurricanes run through the smoke used to bring fear to their opponents. In recent years, it just seems to make Miami play in a total fog for most of the game. In 2018, the smoke, and fog, seems thicker than ever. Even thicker than in the West End Zone of the OB. And trust me, it was THICK!

Yet the cause of the fog remains unknown while the investigation continues.

What we do know is this: The Miami Hurricanes played well below their talent level, capabilities and potential this season under third year head coach Mark Richt. Why we are still not completely sure, here are the facts as we know:

1. Throwing out the opening game loss to SEC team LSU, Miami lost four games to teams that ended the season with 7-5 records.
2. These four teams were ACC perennial doormats and also rans such as Virginia, Georgia Tech, Duke and Boston College.
3. On paper the Hurricanes had more talent than each of these teams based on the previous 5 years of recruiting rankings.
4. The Pitt team that Miami beat convincingly in their last game also beat three of the four teams that beat the Hurricanes.

Georgia Tech: Lost to Pitt, USF and Duke while they found a way to beat Miami in Atlanta with their 1945 offense.

Duke: Beat Miami at home while losing to Pitt, Virginia and being demolished by Wake Forest 59-7 in the season finale.

Virginia: Lost to Pitt, NC State, Indiana and Virginia Tech (a team Miami beat badly) but beat Miami in Charlottsville.

Boston College: Beat Miami in Chestnut Hill but lost to Purdue, NC State, Syracuse and an FSU team that Miami beat.

So that leaves the following questions to answer:

1. Is "talent" really the problem if Miami beat Pitt but then Pitt beat three of the four teams Miami lost to?
2. Are Duke, Virginia and Boston College really more "talented" teams than Miami?
3. Miami beat Virginia Tech and FSU but how did those teams then beat other teams Miami lost to?
4. Are USF and Indiana really better than Miami since they beat teams Miami lost to?

It seems that the closer you look, the thicker the smoke, and the fog, actually gets. Let us all hope that they clear in time for Miami to beat Wisconsin in the Pin Stripe Bowl game in New York on December 27th.

And, also in time for Mark Richt to save his job.

Start Spreading The News

The Miami Hurricanes are headed to New York City for a rematch against last year's bowl opponent, the Wisconsin Badgers. 
 
"I'm looking forward to it," senior Jaquan Johnson said. "I've never been to New York before so it's going to be quite the experience. My family is going to go up there. I'm looking forward to the rematch with Wisconsin. I know those guys are fired up again to be playing against us, looking forward to opportunity."
 
The two teams will meet in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. For many Canes, it will be their first trip to The Big Apple, but every Cane is looking forward to the opportunity to play in one of the most famous venues in sports.
 
"It's the second time for me going to New York," senior defensive back Sheldrick Redwine said. "I went to New York a couple years ago when I was younger, but that'll be a great experience playing in Yankee Stadium. That'll be a great experience."
 

As part of that experience, the Canes and Badgers will be playing in some chilly temperatures. But Miami's players are confident they are ready to face Wisconsin in any weather.
 
"Playing in the cold is not so much of a factor like people think it is," senior Tyree St. Louis said. "Once you get started, once you get moving around and active on the field, you'll forget you're even cold because you're still playing the game." 
 
With temperatures expected in the thirties, Miami's players are mentally prepared to play the Badgers in cold weather. In fact, the game day forecast has some Canes are dreaming of a white Christmas.
 
"I like it. I hope it snows," sophomore wide receiver Mike Harley said. "But at the same time it's a mental thing. We're mentally tough now. We played four away games in the cold so we're used to it. It's no big deal." 
 

No matter what the weather is, the Canes are motivated to avenge their 34-24 loss in last year's Capitol One Orange Bowl and UM's veterans are pushing their teammates to make sure Miami comes out with a victory this time.
 
"It's mainly just that team beat us last year in our home in a big time bowl game in a great season that we had," St. Louis said. "That was just kind of upsetting. We didn't do what we needed to do last year and we're not going to let that happen again."
 
The senior leaders on the 2018 Hurricanes roster have already begun setting the tone for this season's bowl game.
 
"Any time we take the field, we think it's a championship game," Johnson said. "We know everybody is going to give that championship effort. When we scrimmage each other, we're fired up so definitely when we get to play another team we're going to be fired up."
 
Redwine echoed his fellow safety's sentiments and knows every players wearing a U on his helmet will be giving his best effort when the game kicks off on Dec. 27 at 5:15 p.m.

"We're fired up to play football," Redwine said. "It's another opportunity for me to come out here and play football with my teammates. It could've been the National Championship and we're going to approach it the same or it could've been a regular season game playing against a high school team. We're always going to be fired up." 
 

Many of Miami's seniors are top pro prospects, but they are all relishing the opportunity to wear a Hurricane uniform one final time.
 
"I came back to play this final game with my brothers," Johnson said. "I mean any chance I get to play football, I'm going to take full advantage."
 
"We're all excited to be back on the football field doing what we love and now getting a rematch against a team we should've beat last year," St. Louis said.
 
In addition to finishing the 2018 season on a high note, Miami's players know what a win over Wisconsin would mean heading into next season.
 
"Everyone remembers when you win a bowl game," Harley said. "It's the last game. This game will give us a little hype, a little respect for next year and get us ready for next year. We're taking this bowl game seriously like it's a national championship."
 
"Next year is going to be a way better year than what this year was," sophomore running back DeeJay Dallas said. "I mean, we came into this season with high expectations and it didn't go how we wanted it to go. So, bounce back year. Revenge tour starts next week. So, I'm excited. We start next season off with Wisconsin, so that is how I am feeling about this."

Double Vision

There are usually two (or more) ways to look at any situation. In the classic example of this equation it is often said that you either see the glass as half full or half empty. Some people argue that the glass is just the wrong size but that is clearly a discussion for another day.

In evaluating the most recent defensive coaching changes at the University of Miami football program some fans saw it as a positive outcome while others countered that the changes were a negative decision. While nobody knows for sure what the results will be, we thought we would briefly examine both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourselves.

Positive: The promotion of the defensive assistants ensures "continuity on defense" (the best part of the 2018 team), prevents some assistants from leaving along with DC Diaz to Temple, and also maintains existing recruiting relationships already established to hopefully keep the 2019 and 2020 defensive recruiting classes intact for the most part. The theory is that these coaches can run the same defense that was successful in 2018 (as Diaz would have) with the same calls, signals and success as their predecessor. They believe Richt has proven that he is the right man for the job and will succeed given adequate time to get the job done right. They believe Richt is on the right track.

Negative: The proposed "National search" for an experienced Defensive Coordinator that would lead the UM defense never even got started. It was a sham and the head coach was desperate to hold the staff together of the strength of his team and sold out to keep them and their recruits in tow. He promoted severely inexperienced coaches (no debate here) to positions they have not earned and never deserved because if he lost the defense and their recruits then his pitiful offense that he is coordinating and his very un-special teams would be even more severely exposed than what has been done already. These fans believe that Richt is old and tired, has proven thus far to be the wrong man for the job and may wind up a failure if he can't fix it quick.

So please tell us Miami Hurricane fans, where do you fall on this positive-negative spectrum. And don't be shy of The Shark or D'NO!

On a scale of 1-10, what score would you give Head Coach Mark Richt for:

1. His overall performance to date?
2. His recent coaching decisions on defense?

The U: Talented And Smart

Twenty-six student-athletes earned degrees Thursday from the University of Miami in 2018 Fall Commencement exercises, which were conducted at the Watsco Center on the UM campus in Coral Gables. The UM student-athletes were among the more than 1,000 University of Miami undergraduate and graduate students who earned their degrees during the fall ceremonies.
 
Graduates from all of the University of Miami's schools and colleges were recognized by name and walked across the stage to be congratulated by University President Julio Frenk and their respective academic deans.
 

"Today is a memorable day for 26 of our student-athletes as they achieve their goal of earning a degree from the University of Miami," Director of Athletics Blake James said. "It's a testament to the hard work and dedication displayed by these outstanding young men and women, and I couldn't be prouder of them. I can't wait to see where their life's journey takes them from here, and I hope they realize that they are always welcome back and will always be a part of our U Family."
 
Seven of Miami's athletics programs were represented in the fall graduation ceremonies. The football team led all programs with 13 graduates, including 2018 All-ACC honorees Jaquan Johnson, Michael Jackson, Sheldrick Redwine and Tyree St. Louis.
 
Women's golf standout Dewi Weber will earn her bachelor's degree in advertising/motion pictures. She is one of the most decorated student-athletes in UM golf history as a three-time All-American.
 

The list also features several former Hurricanes who returned to school to complete their degrees, including former First-Team All-America defensive back Daryl Williams, who played at UM from 1989-91 before moving on to an 11-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. He was an NFL Pro Bowl honoree in 1997 and inducted into the UM Hall of Fame in 2017.
 
Former men's basketball standout Darius Rice also returned to earn his degree. Rice ranks fourth in career scoring at UM with 1,865 points and was a three-time All-BIG EAST honoree. He played at UM from 2000-04 and has had a 14-year professional basketball career.
 
Additionally, the list includes baseball standouts Danny Garcia, Ricky Eusebio and Brandon Lopez, each of whom went on to play professional baseball, and Tyriq McCord, a former football linebacker who played in 51 career games.

We Talkin' About U Willis!

University of Miami redshirt senior defensive tackle Gerald Willis III added to his postseason awards list Monday, picking up second-team All-America honors from both the Associated Press and Football Writers Association of America.

After a standout senior season, Willis was named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and The Athletic last week.

A New Orleans native, Willis started all 12 games in the regular season and finished with a career-high 59 total tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery and a whopping 18.0 tackles for loss, the most by any defensive tackle in FBS.

A midseason addition the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player, Willis posted five games with at least two tackles for loss and led the ACC in tackles for loss.

Willis' 18 tackles for loss were the most by a Hurricane since Jacksonville Jaguars' Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell had 20.5 in 2006. Willis was named a midseason All-America by both ESPN and The Athletic.

Willis' selection as an All-America marks the second straight year a Hurricane has earned the honor; safety Jaquan Johnson was named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) last December.