"The Day After Carolina"
Defensive issues & 6-1 - rise to the challenge or crumble?

by Chris Bello - allCanes.com - November 1st 2004



Looking back, it almost seems inevitable now – doesn’t it?

38 points given up to Louisville and then 35 to NC State? Something was out of whack - yet remained unfixable - two weeks in a row in big time games. The trap was set with a lesser opponent waiting in the wings this past weekend and the Canes fell hard in a very avoidable letdown game. The message was relayed – but remained ignored.

Louisville tapped lightly on the door. “Excuse me, we think we see some holes in your young defense. Allow us to try and exploit.”

The Cardinals brought it as long as they could, but fell short against the Canes, 41-38. In this barnburner – UL amassed 507 yards on a Miami defense who was then averaging just over 200 yards a game. Louisville found a wide open middle of the field – but couldn’t find an answer for Devin Hester, who’s 78-yard punt return wound up being the ultimate difference maker in the game.

A week later, the tapping got a little heavier. In Raleigh, it was full fledged knocking on the door. NC State saw what Louisville exposed and did their own damage to Miami. A respectable 180 yards on the ground and 260 in the air.

Sloppy play by NC State and a few big plays by the Miami D allowed the Canes the luxury of running the clock out for the better part of a 45-31 victory. The defense that allowed 19 points over the first four games of the season had now given up 69 points in back to back games and almost 1,000 yards in total offense. Time to get back to basics, one would think – but no.

Instead, a sub par North Carolina (3-4) bunch didn’t bother knocking last Saturday. They rolled up and kicked that door right in. It was the first time three teams have scored 30+ points in back to back to back games against Miami since 1984. The Canes survived the Cardinals and Wolfpack – but with the Heels, the third time was hardly the charm.

279 yards on the ground with a no-name, third string running back. 266 yards in the air with a decent quarterback – who somehow had a more impressive outing against Miami, than he did in the season opener against lowly William & Mary.

The ultimate blow? How about the fact a nameless, freshman kicker – who’d never kicked a game winner in his life – rolled up, survived the time out and drilled a knuckleball through the uprights as time expired.

All those big time games against big time teams with highly touted kickers that seem to go in Miami’s favor? Not tonight.

In most embarrassing fashion, the scrawniest kid on the field (think part Jeff Spicoli with a dash of Leif Garrett, in shoulder pads) booted a 42-yard dagger right into the hearts of every Miami player, coach and lifelong fan.

The morning after – everyone wants answers. How? Why? What was lacking?

Simply put, ‘The U” are every opponent’s National Championship game. Look at history. Everyone wants a piece of the Canes. Losing to Miami can suck the life out of a program.

Cough… Washington Huskies, 2001… cough… 65-7.

Conversely, a win over Miami can save a season or boost a program to that next level. There is an aura that’s followed Hurricane Football for a few decades now. Invincibility. Confidence with a dash of cockiness. Untouchable. Dare I say, it? Swagger.

Miami’s bravado in the 1980s and 1990s is exactly what “it’s a Canes thing” refers to. It’s that intangible - that extra *something* it takes to be a Cane.

Five star recruit? All state? No one’s impressed. Shave that head, Freshman and earn your way onto this squad. An underdog program that made its mark attracting kids who were underdogs, too. An “us against the world” mentality that couldn’t be fabricated. It developed early on and was enforced once signing to play for “The U.”

Right when it looked like Miami owned college football with four National Championships in a nine year span – things peaked. Jimmy left, Dennis took over, players objected, mistakes were made, egos got too big and in the blink of an eye Miami Football was on life support. There’s 1989 through 1994 in a nutshell.

We know the rest. Butch Davis. Time to clean house. Business approach for players and coaches. Prepare to lose in the short run. Recruit wisely. Sell the rebuilding process. Follow a strict set of rules. Return winning ways to Coral Gables.

Davis felt the brunt of a 40-19 record over five seasons – yet never reaped the rewards of his efforts. Larry Coker took the reigns, lead the Canes to a National Championship and back to back title games. After three seasons, his resume read 35-3.

A National Championship the inaugural season allows the head coach an extended honeymoon period. That’s the nature of the game. The drawback? Winning a ring that first season made it all look too easy and blowing out the gates with a 24-0 record set an incredible precedent. The unfair question has been posed – “why hasn’t that feat been accomplished again these past two seasons?”

Miami faithful are jaded because this most recent loss never should’ve happened. Not in a million years. Play the game ninety nine more times and the Canes win it ninety nine more times.

No disrespect to North Carolina, but they truly aren’t a good football team. Still, that matters little today. Last Saturday night they were the better squad and made the plays when it counted. They fought harder and wanted it more. A classic case of Miami playing down to the level of competition. Florida State, Louisville and NC State were billed as the big games the first half of the season. No one was thinking North Carolina – a squad that finished ninth in the ACC last season. In Big East terms, they’d be Rutgers in an average season and hardly a threat for Miami. A game that a previous squad hitting on all cylinders could sleep walk through and still win 38-3.

The Canes came out and made statements against the Noles, Cardinals and Wolfpack. Whether they start slow or come out strong – the Canes will go for four quarters out-willing you, out-gutting you and out-playing you. Mistakes were made, yet overcome.

The message delivered to the Tar Heels? This was just another game.

A week back there were rumblings of verbal jabs taken by players the week of the NC State game. A couple of Canes were told via text message, to bring their “A” game – to which they came back with something along the lines of – “we’d beat you with our ‘C’ game.”

Who knows the true validity of the statement above? Regardless, it sounds like something Miami would say. An aura of indifference displayed toward lesser opponents.

An aura no longer being put out? One of invincibility.

Somewhere between the pre-probation era and the post probation resurgence, some swagger was lost. To rebuild, Miami needed to trade cockiness for character – a word that Davis constantly repeated. Character was needed to rebuild this thing from the ground up. The Canes essentially lost the right to be cocky. Hard to display swagger when you’re going 5-6 in 1997 and losing to Florida State, 47-0. Just keep quiet, work hard, pay the price and your day will come.

Make no mistake – the Canes are not only back, they have been stronger than ever. Four straight BCS bowl games. Shafted out of a spot in the 2000 title game, undefeated the next season and won the National Championship. A year later, a 34-game win streak and second straight title berth. Entering the North Carolina showdown, Miami was sitting at 52-4 this decade.

One would think that all this success and dominance the past few seasons would instill a little more bounce in the boys’ step. Get a little more vocal. Exude that confidence - which sometimes bordered on arrogance - yet always made Miami, Miami.

Bernie Kosar, Melvin Bratton, Bennie Blades, Jerome Brown, Michael Irvin, Russell Maryland, Bernard Clark, Randall Hill, Gino Torretta, Lamar Thomas, Micheal Barrow, Jessie Armstead, Ray Lewis or Warren Sapp. Look at their swagger. Embrace how they represented this program on the field, all showed their unique personalities and what they – and countless others - as a unit did for this program

A 58-home game win streak doesn’t happen by accident.

One can only imagine how many teams lost at the pre-probation Orange Bowl before their team charter even touched down at Miami International. Not one home loss from 1985 until 1994. It’s mind-boggling in this era of college football.

The greatest Miami teams have suffered heartbreaking losses to big time opponents. There’s no crime in losing. National Championship dreams have come crashing down in Tempe, New Orleans, Miami and South Bend.

They’re never supposed to go down in Chapel Hill - unless it’s on the hardwood.

The Canes controlled their collective fate heading into Saturday night. 6-0 with five to go. On paper, North Carolina was Miami’s weakest remaining opponent. A 22-point favorite, the Canes found themselves trailing by a touchdown the majority of the game and unable to make the big late game stop to thwart the last second field goal attempt.

That’s more than a lack of swagger. It’s a team and coaching staff in need of a wake up call and attitude adjustment going into Clemson weekend.

Miami no longer instills fear in opponents just by merely showing up. Anyone still believing that’s the case, look at the two most recent losses – Tennessee and North Carolina. For all intents and purposes, both sub par teams. The Tar Heels will most likely not make a bowl in 2004 – but essentially won a National Championship the past weekend, going where so few have with a win over the Canes.

Had Miami merely brought their “B” game or played with intensity on both sides of the ball, both games are won.

The Vols came in after the Canes’ season changing 31-7 loss in Blacksburg. A vintage, prideful, hungry Miami team would’ve throttled Tennessee. The sting from the loss a week before would’ve hurt like hell. It could’ve been the ’72 Dolphins lining up across from them - old school Canes would’ve made someone pay.

Instead, Miami rolled over in a lackluster 10-6 loss and was shell-shocked the next two games - going to the wire with a terrible Syracuse team and lethargically stumbling past Rutgers.

A year later, what – if anything – was learned from that experience? Tune in this Saturday.

Part II of "The Day After Carolina"