Hamburger Hill was the scene of an intense and controversial battle during the Vietnam War. Known to military planners as Hill 937 (a reference to its height in meters), the solitary peak is located in the dense jungles of the A Shau Valley of Vietnam, about a mile from the border with Laos.

Under the leadership of General Melvin Zais, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, paratroopers engaged a North Vietnamese regiment on the slopes of Ap Bia Mountain on May 10, 1969. Entrenched in well-prepared fighting positions, the North Vietnamese regiment repulsed the initial American assault, and after suffering a high number of casualties, U.S. forces fell back.
The soldiers of the North Vietnamese 29th Regiment—battle-hardened veterans of the Tet Offensive—beat back another attempt by the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry on May 14. An intense battle raged for the next 10 days as the mountain came under heavy air strikes, artillery barrages and infantry assaults, some conducted in heavy rainstorms that reduced visibility to near zero.

Due to the bitter fighting and the high casualty rate, Ap Bia Mountain was dubbed “Hamburger Hill” by journalists covering the Vietnam War.
Speaking to a reporter, 19-year-old Sergeant James Spears said, “Have you ever been inside a hamburger machine? We just got cut to pieces by extremely accurate machine gun fire.”
I don't want anyone to misunderstand my comparison of war with football or tragic death with losing a game. But, the performance by the University of Miami football team against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday night reminded me of this war movie. Both were brutal, ugly and difficult to watch.

The Hurricanes and their fans entered this game with high hopes and lofty dreams of returning to their glory days. Those hopes and dreams were dashed early and often by a superior team wearing orange and white with more talent and better coaching than the team in orange and green.
Long time fans like Harry Miller, MaryLou and RoachCane want to know what happened. So let's look at some basic facts and stats to analyze what happened to Miami's dashed hopes to win this game:
- Yards gained: Miami 210 - Clemson 550
- Plays run: Miami 54 - Clemson 88
- First downs: Miami 9 - Clemson 34
- Third down conversions: Miami 4/15 - Clemson 8/17
- Time of Possession: Miami 21 minutes - Clemson 38 minutes
- Penalties: Miami 15/135 yards - Clemson 8/85 Yards
- Turnovers: Miami 3 - Clemson 1

Running Game: Miami never got their running game going. The Hurricanes leading rusher was their QB thanks in part to one long run. Clemson's rushing game was in full gear. Their leading rusher was their star RB Travis Etienne.
Passing Game: Clemson's QB threw for three TDs. Miami's QB threw one. Miami's leading receiver was a true freshman and someone you have never heard of named Keyshawn Smith. The other WRs were absent during roll call.
Coaching: Miami went for it on fourth down twice. Once, on the most crucial call, the RB they gave the ball to weighs 190. Miami has running backs that weigh 210 and 225 but they were not in the game.
Coaching: As is the new norm, Miami came out flat in the first and second half after a bye week. Miami had two weeks to prepare and get healthy for this game. On offense they had nothIng new, creative or special for this game. At the start of the second half they received the kickoff and proceeded to go three and out. It was the most clear evidence of an epic fail.

Game Ball: Goes to safety Bubba Bolden for his outstanding performance.
Helmet Stickers: Go to kicker Jorge Borregales and punter Lou Hedley.