"Bulls Can't Weather Hurricanes"
by Chris Bello - October 5th, 2005

One patsy down and two more to go, this early stretch of the 2005 season. After an 0-1 start, the Canes have rallied to 3-1 and a #8 ranking. Bowl season is still an eon away – as it the ACC Championship game, so for now it must remain business as usual. One game at a time for Miami with conference rival Duke on deck this Saturday at the Orange Bowl.

Miami rolled upset-minded South Florida last weekend, 27-7 in yet another game we can file under “nowhere near as close as the final score.” Seems to be a common theme these days, unfortunately. On paper, a win is always a win. Be it by twenty points or one. Had someone mentioned to me two weeks ago (after South Florida rolled #9 Louisville, 45-14) that Miami would win by almost three touchdowns, I’d have been content.

Problem is the Canes jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter last Saturday in the Orange Bowl and then went into self destruct mode, outscoring the Bulls a paltry 10-7 in the game’s final three quarters. In typical frustrating fashion, it was mental errors again which kept Miami off the scoreboard. Scoring on four of its first five possessions, the Canes looked as if the were ready to pour it on. Shockingly, they didn’t score again until midway through the fourth quarter.

That’s not to say the opportunities weren’t there, though. A Devin Hester interception set the Canes up at the 7-yard line – but on 2nd and goal, Kyle Wright fumbled the snap and the Bulls recovered. Moments later, Wright hooked up with tight end Greg Olsen for a 63-yard reception – only to have it stripped, rolling out the back of the end zone for a touchback. Images of Lamar Thomas and George Teague in the 1993 Sugar Bowl creeping into the minds of Hurricane Faithful.

Earlier this week, head coach Larry Coker said his team left 24 points on the field. A lack of execution and finishing drives kept it from being a 51-7 blowout – and just what the doctor ordered for Miami Faithful. Fans are clamoring for more points and a return to the days of burying opponents. Outside of the overtime win at Clemson, Miami is yet to break the 28 mark in points scored in a game. Not exactly what everyone expected with Wright’s rocket arm and some veteran receivers lining up for the Canes in 2005.

Many are quick to call out Miami fans – calling us greedy, selfish or placing expectations too high. Sometimes that truly is the case. The bar was set high this decade as the Canes shot to a 46-4 between 2000-2003, yet are a mere 12-4 since. Still, the frustration is the lack of production with such a talented bunch. Muffed third down conversions didn’t cost the Canes in mini-blowouts against the Buffaloes and Bulls – but it did in that 10-7 loss to the Noles and will result in more losses this season if Miami can’t learn how to close the deal.

Championship teams must close red zone drives with an exclamation point. They know how to take over a game. The foot is always on the gas, players make plays and the confidence levels remain at an all time high – with winning teams believing they cannot lose.

Miami had that aura from 2000-2002, but hasn’t had it since.

I spent last Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, rooting for Arizona State – a program I have mild allegiance to as my brother is a grad and worked for the football team. In all honesty, I was rooting more for a Trojans loss than I was a Sun Devils win. As a fan of Miami’s recently dominant program, I – like many – am sick of Southern California’s dominance. They’ve stolen our thunder and are getting much more recognition than the hated Canes did during a 34-game win streak, back to back title games and four straight BCS games.

As the Trojans took the field, it felt like a Miami road game earlier this decade. The majority of that 71,706 were rooting against Southern Cal and looking for the king of the hill to fall flat on its collective face. Down 21-3 at the half, it looked as if Trojan haters were getting that wish.

21-3. The same deficit Miami faced at Washington in 2000 where the Canes fell 35-29 to the Huskies. A hostile environment. A fired up opponent. A quarterback who took a few brutal hits. Difference was in this case, there was no stopping the visiting team.

Just under seven minutes into the third quarter, USC went from being down 21-3 to 21-17. They marched down the field that opening drive and scored in under two and a half minutes. Pete Carroll and staff – the best in the game with halftime adjustments – had worked their magic again.

"We have our way at halftime," said Carroll. "Our guys know that situation well enough now that they know what's going to come from me, I know how they're going to respond, and we're going to go about our business in a particular manner that gives us a chance to win - because basically they believe they can't be beat."

They have their formula. They have that internal belief that there is no way they’ll lose. Even down 18 points to a very good Arizona State team, they knew what to do. Pound the ball with LenDale White and Reggie Bush. Take advantage of corners playing too far off receivers by completing a few short out routes. Methodically move the ball downfield and steal that momentum before Sun Devil fans had even returned to their seat post-halftime. At game’s end, an 18 point deficit was now a 10 point win.

After watching Hurricane Football for a solid twenty years now, I know playing down to the competition is just something which has to be accepted. Great Miami teams sometimes toyed with inferior opponents and at other times were bored and just going through the motions, providing another one of those “nowhere near as close as the final score” games.

Thing is, 2005 Miami is hardly great – and at this point, is nothing more than pretty darn good. Defense again is leading the charge while the offense looks to gel week in and week out. Duke is on tap this week. Another perennial conference doormat – no better than a Rutgers or Temple back in the Big East days. The Canes should hang fifty on the Blue Devils, much like it did the Scarlet Knight and Owls in the past. Of course doing that means executing. Make plays in the red zone. Not breaking concentration. Remained focused and finish the play. That has to be the goal this week. Don’t worry about the scoreboard. Make plays and you’ll score points.

Duke limps into the Orange Bowl with a paltry 1-4 record. Their only win, Virginia Military Academy (2-3) – a sub par, I-AA program. Conference rival Virginia Tech spanked Duke, 45-0 earlier this season. There is no reason Miami can’t do the same this Saturday. A shutout should be expected. As for points scored, again – it depends on if these Canes decide to concentrate, finish plays and execute. One more tune up next week at Temple and then it’s in to the meat of the ACC schedule with Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia all standing in the way of that ACC Championship game berth. Miami choked away a shot at winning the conference crown its inaugural – but can make history playing in the first ever conference title game this season.

This past weekend showed a tale of two teams. While Southern California was leaving it all on the field and proving why they are #1 in the land – Miami sleepwalked through a game where they could’ve made a name for themselves and proved they deserve the #8 ranking this week. South Florida is hardly a notable program at this point of their short tenure – but Miami caught them at the height of their popularity. If there was one weekend all eyes were on the Bulls, this was it. Fresh off that Louisville upset, could they pull a similar feat at Miami?

27-7 proved that they couldn’t. But it proved little more. Make that 51-7 and people might say, “Wow – these Canes might actually be for real.” Instead, it was another occasion where an opponent walked out of the Orange Bowl, pride in tact and taking a moral victory back home. In their minds, they proved they could hang with Miami. Vintage Cane teams would’ve taken their pride in the first half and sent them home with such a beating that the program might never be the same.

Thankfully there are two more patsies on the schedule back to back. Eight more quarters for these Canes to continue putting it all together. Come October 22nd, the ‘real’ season begins. The final five foes are all for real. Two beat Miami last season (North Carolina and Virginia Tech) while another gave them all they could handle (Virginia.) Georgia Tech is much improved in 2005 and Wake Forest on the road in a nationally televised Thursday night game is definitely no cake walk.

The mantra is the same this week as it was last – get out there and roll some heads. Let this be the weekend the Canes explode on an inferior opponent, get their confidence level up, insert some back ups in for some key playing time and take one step closer to being ready for hard hitting ACC play at month’s end. After next week at Temple, the gloves are off and Miami has to bring it consistently every drive for their final 20 quarters of regular season football.

This Miami bunch can still be great. The talent is there - it's just a matter of bringing it all together. If there is a silver lining to this cloud, it's that the mental mistakes are coming early in the season as well as against inferior opponents. If you are going to leave 24 points on the field - better to do so in a 27-7 win than in a 10-7 loss.

Work out the kinks against Duke and Temple, Miami. You have some breathing room. A few weeks from now, that will no longer be the case. Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia will hardly be as generous as South Florida.


The Call – Miami 41, Duke 0


Born and raised in Miami, FL and a CanesTime.com columnist since 1996, Chris Bello now resides in San Diego, CA and handling online sales and providing content for allCanes.com. Feel free to send your comments or to contact him at chris@allCanes.com