"Full Circle - Back Where It All Began"
by Chris Bello - allCanes.com
November 22nd, 2005

It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

Not after what was accomplished in Blacksburg a few weeks back. Miami took a huge step towards becoming elite once again after beating No. 3 Virginia Tech, 27-7 on November 5th.

Two weeks later, a giant leap back towards the middle of the pack.

Painful to even write these words. I believed the Canes had turned the corner and were going to be prepared for the final three game stretch of 2005. Like many of you, I was blindsided Saturday night. The whole thing is still somewhat surreal.

Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10.

Kyle Wright sacked seven times. The inability to get into an offensive rhythm. The defense holding the opposing offense in check all night. Questionable officiating from our quality ACC referees. Seeing our staff out coached in a very winnable ballgame.

If it feels like we've heard this storyline before - we have. A few times too many the past three seasons.

Miami came full circle this weekend. From Florida State, to the ultimate high in whooping Virginia Tech and then crashing and burning against Georgia Tech in "Labor Day II: Deja Vu."

A few days Hurricane Nation is still wondering what the hell happened. Shell-shocked is the only way to describe it. Georgia Tech - an unranked, 18-point underdog - wrecked No. 3 Miami's season out of nowhere with everything on the line. The collapse is Impossible to comprehend.

Late November and Miami was in control of its collective destiny. Win out and an ACC Championship rematch against Florida State and BCS berth are in the cards. If USC or Texas stumbles, Miami is in the Rose Bowl and playing for a National Championship.

Twelve quarters of football. Two games at home and one at a neutral site against a bitter rival who tripped up The U in the season opener.

How could that not be enough motivation? A top-ranked defense needed to hold court while the offense just couldn't blow it.

They blew it.

For all intents and purposes, the BCS slot is gone - unless Miami beats Virginia and North Carolina pulls a miracle upset at Virginia Tech this coming Saturday.

The Hokies - the squad the Canes humbled two weeks ago in Blacksburg - are on the fast track to Jacksonville. They'll make mincemeat of a three-loss Seminoles bunch and will represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl, most likely against Ohio State. Back to back ACC Champions while Miami prepares for a lesser bowl, deals with two hated rivals in their own backyard for the Orange Bowl while wondering where it all went wrong... again.

Look no further than the offensive play calling. Inexcusable. Too much talent to not muster up more than 14 points against Georgia Tech. The seven point outing at Tallahassee was almost forgivable after this team rattled off eight straight wins and constantly improved weekly.

What remains unforgiveable - being shut out the second half against Georgia Tech, poor play calling and throwing the game away in the final moments.

The whole evening moved in slow motion. Maybe it's all a blur because it was so reminicent of past losses - Tennessee (2003), Clemson (2004) and Florida State (2005) all seem to run together at times. Now we can add Georgia Tech (2005) to that notorious list.

Failed drive after failed drive. Poor play selections. Miscues. Throwing from the shotgun and with a no back set on first downs reeked of desperation. No adjustment to the blitz. Was anything taken or learned from those recent losses? If so, what?

Miami has their formula - run the ball, set up the play action pass, open up the offense and occasionally throw a few deep balls to stretch the defense.

Where was any of that against Georgia Tech? The Canes looked desperate from the get go. The game was put squarely on Wright's shoulders - a sophomore with only nine starts under his belt. No run support. No short passes. Poor blocking and another night spent on his back.

Where were the high percentage passes we've seen in past outings? Look back at Virginia Tech. Throwing to the full back out of the back field. Short routes to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands as he avoids the blitz.

Take advantage of the middle of the field. If seven defenders are running down the quarterback - something has to be open. Have tight end Greg Olsen start to block, peel out a few steps, turn around and make the grab. Force Georgia Tech's defense to respect at least one aspect of Miami's offense.

Similar to the Florida State loss, an opposing defense brought the thunder and Miami's offense consistently tried to set up long developing plays instead of adjusting to what they were seeing on the other side of the ball. 

In the post-Fiesta Bowl era Miami has lost seven games.

Four of those losses were in the Orange Bowl and two with an ACC Championship and BCS bowl implications on the line.

More disturbing than the actual losses - the low point totals. Five of the seven losses Miami scored 10 points or less. Four of those losses the Canes' defense held the opponent to 16 points or less. You can't really expect the D to do much better.

Lots of folks are again quick to blame head coach Larry Coker.

To a point, yes - the loss is credited to a team's leader, as is the glory when a team wins.

His role is CEO and top dog. If there are chinks in the armor, the staff aren't carrying their weight and the program isn't getting the most out of its kids - the boss has to react. Shake things up. Right the wrongs.

All that said, Coker isn't the reason Miami lost to Georgia Tech.

Should Miami have attempted the field goal with eight minutes left in the game as opposed to going for it on 4th down? In hindsight, even Coach thinks so:

"A critical coaching mistake," said Coker. "I didn't want to leave the game on the field with the chance that if we didn't get down there again, [we'd] lose 14-13. From a head coach's standpoint, you need to have a feel for the game and we hadn't been running well. We should've taken the points."

I can actually live with his decision to go for it. I respect when a coach strays from the oh-so-typical conservative play calling.

We're talking one lousy yard here. The same one lousy yard Miami needed in a 4th and goal at Virginia Tech a few weeks ago - running Charlie Jones on the same play for a touchdown. Instead it proved to be that one stubborn yard the Canes needed in Tempe on 4th and goal againt Ohio State.

Stifled.

No, the struggle comes from two conservative runs up the gut on back-to-back plays for a three-yard loss. 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 were handled with the generic and unimaginative play calling. Run once - but get creative on the other attempt. If you have the stones to go for it in that situation - go all the way. Call something stronger than halfback dive left.

Everyone with a 404 area code saw it coming a mile away.

Wright rolled out on the final drive, hitting tight end Buck Ortega on a drag across the middle of the field. Perfect execution. Rolling out the quarterback has worked for Miami this season. On a night where the run was constantly stuffed, while the run was stifled the better part of the evening - why force the run two critical plays in a row?

There's a side to football where fans must defer to the head coach, trusting his better judgment. Larry Coker is entrenched in the program, these players and his assistants in a way the casual observer can't begin to fathom. Impossible to sum up based solely on a big win, bigger loss or missed opportunities.

Other times the answer seems blatantly obvious to even the most casual observer.

When a style of losing proves to be more a trend than a fluke, peel back a few layers and dig deeper.

Look at other programs, how they've handled similar situations and the success achieved. It makes you marvel at how so many others seem to do more with less while the Canes oft remain their own worst enemy.

Since 2000 - four straight BCS games , a 63-9 record, over 20 first round draft picks, two Heisman finalists and a 34-game win streak with only one title to show for it? Heartbreaking.

Should USC reach the Rose Bowl, their win streak will tie Miami's at 34 - one win away from the first 'threepeat' in NCAA history. Three titles to Miami's one. It's a sin what the Canes have let slip away at times - in most cases, a lack of offense as the main culprit.

Two years into it, The Dan Werner Project has occasionally shown promise - but when it's been off, the result has been disheartening.

This past weekend was a prime example of being way off - eerily reminiscent of two games last season - the second half shutout against Clemson and season finale collapse against Virginia Tech. Miami was again ill prepared this past weekend in an important conference game.

Unfortunately for Miami version 2005 - this loss is the least forgivable of the three.

Arguably the most difficult game of the season was behind - a road trip Blacksburg. After two straight losses to the Hokies, it looked like the Canes had taken the power back. The No. 3 ranking in late November was Miami's best outing since 2002. Everything was on the line this past weekend. The U knew it and should've learned from last season's mishaps.

I used the famous George Santayana quote in a previous article, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

This past weekend there was some serious repeating going on.

Though it was the case in the opener, Miami looked to have forgotten how a fast, aggressive, blitzing defense gives this young offense fits. The result - yet another late season collapse and a repeat feeling of that disappointment which comes in losing a do or die game. The ACC Championship game was in reach. Now it's at least another season away.

Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta followed a blueprint similar to what Virginia Tech (2004) and Florida State (2005) threw at Miami. Though it was broke (twice), the Canes didn't fix it.

The Canes' offense never adjusted and overcome what was thrown at them. The game was forced on Wright, the run was never established and it seemed that even though the offensive game plan faied in the first half - little was done in the second half to thwart Tenuta's aggressive defense.

There was almost a sense that Miami coaches felt their top ranked defense would again step up. Make a play, steal some points and put the game out of reach - not even relying on the offense. Reactive coaching as opposed to proactive.

For a program like MIami - mass producing NFL talent, carrying a tradition of excellence and is regarded as one of the most prominent, dominant programs in the game - the Canes need the best coaches in the game to consistently compete for the National Championship.

Entering 2004, the University of Miami promoted from within, offering the offensive coordinator position to then quarterback coach Dan Werner.

One of the deepest, speediest and naturally talented offensive units in college football was turned over to a relatively inexperienced leader. The Canes kept it in the family - as they have so many times before. Time would tell whether this was the correct decision.

With so many high-powered and prolific offenses in college football, one has to wonder why Miami didn't conduct a nationwide search and interview a handful of solid candidates.

Two states away the Auburn Tigers were also at a crossroads, looking to replace their offensive coordinator.

Instead of looking in, the Tigers looked north and found Al Borges - Indiana's record setting offensive coordinator. Borges spent the previous six seasons in the offensive-minded Pac 10 - one season at Cal and five more at UCLA as offensive coordinator and quarterback's coach.

The Canes not only knew Borges' offfense - they gave up 500+ yards to it in 1998.

One of the most exciting shootouts in school history - Miami 49, UCLA 45. Borges led the record-setting, No. 2 Bruins to a then-undefeated season before their defense collapsed that early December day at the Orange Bowl.

In his first season at Auburn, he hit the ground running - turning erratic quarterback Jason Campbell into a Heisman trophy darkhorse. He led the Tigers to an undefeated season, a Sugar Bowl win - and a legitimate gripe when being shut out of the National Championship game.

Some might point out that Borges benefited from a stellar running back duo in Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams - something Miami most definitely didn't have in Frank Gore and Tyrone Moss last season.

This season he has neither. He also lost Campbell behind center - yet still has Auburn playing as well as any team in the SEC. Two losses - the season opener, ironically against Georgia Tech - and a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Louisiana State, with Auburn missing five field goals over the course of the evening. Wins at Georgia and Alabama have since ensued.

How does a team lose the crux of its offense and still stay a top the SEC? A solid offensive coordinator.

Even larger than the 'Borges Effect' in Auburn - Norm Chow's impact on Southern Cal the past few years before bolting to the NFL this off season.

A 'pretty good' Trojans squad the beginning of the decade has since transformed into a powerhouse and offensive juggernaut. An erratic Carson Palmer his first two seasons sans Chow became a Heisman winner as a senior - year two in 'The Norm Experience.'

In 2003, first year starter Matt Leinart leads USC to a split of the National Championship under Chow's tutelidge. The following season he too takes home a Heisman - the second for a USC signal caller in three seasons. He topped that when he delivered Southern Cal back-to-back titles.

Without Chow, USC hasn't missed a beat this season. The plays were scripted and the players were in place to execute them. Over the next few seasons, we'll see the development of younger Trojans and if this new staff can carry on what Chow started. Time will tell.

For Miami to achieve even similar success, Larry Coker needs a stellar staff of his own. Period.

Randy Shannon has the defense in check and has remained one of college football's elite coordinators these past five seasons. A National Championship in 2001, Shannon also earned the Frank Broyles Award for defensive coordinator of the year. Coker now needs to find Shannon's offensive counterpart to complete the equation. His future depends on it.

I believe the right head guy is in place at Miami - as long as he can pull the trigger on some major decisions regarding the future of Hurricanes Football.

Coker relates to these players as they do him. A mutual respect is in place. He's also comfortable in Miami. No NFL job is ever going to lure this guy away. Ego isn't part of his make up. He's a class act.

While many don't think he 'looks' the part - kids from all walks of life respond to him. Be it a Willie Williams, Ken Dorsey, Ed Reed, Clinton Portis, Greg Olsen, Kellen Winslow or Jeremy Shockey - you get the sense these kids know and love the real Coker. There's a reason they're so quick to get his back. A reason the average fan will never get.

Good leaders need to lead. Tough decisions arise daily. When faced with setbacks or expectations aren't met - changes are in order. Coach Coker will face some major decisions this off season. His future at Miami is results driven and he'll need the best staff available to negotiate the ACC year in and year out.

Miami's offense has either been vanilla, erratic or merely found a way to get the job done the past few seasons. Talent bested average play calling between 2000 and 2002 when former coordinator Rob Chudzinski called the shots. Truth be told, Miami hasn't seen an aggressive and revolutionary offensive coordinator since Gary Stevens orchestrated things in the late 80s.

It's time to find this era's Gary Stevens. Where's Miami's Norm Chow or Al Borges?

The Canes need that difference maker. Someone who can develop players and get the most out of them while being creative, inventive and utilizing this team's natural talent, ability and speed. It's time to be cutting edge again - not just 'effective.'

Entering 2006, if Miami is going to make a title run - Larry Coker needs to think long and hard about his current staff and it's capabilities. Can they hold their own and take the Canes back to Tempe? This coaching chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

The situation is similar to what former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier faced after a demoralizing end to the 1995 season. His high-flying, fun 'n' gun offense ran into a nasty Blackshirt defense in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska 62, Florida 24.

The Gators had the offense - but a Swiss cheese defense when it came to schemeing. Spurrier knew a personnel change had to be made. It was inevitable.

In 1996, Spurrier tabbed then-virtually unknown Bob Stoops to run his defense. Stoops had cut his teeth at Kansas State as a defensive coordinator and assistant for five seasons before leading Florida's defense in their National Championship run his first season.

The horses were already in the stable for him defensively - he just needed a different scheme and intensity level. That new blood earned the Gators their one title in school's history.

A similar situation regarding Miami. On offense, the players are there. Someone just has to get the most out of the overall talent, develop the players and breathe some new life into the program. The Canes have yet another National Championship caliber defense - but a few poor offensive outings have killed this team the past few years.

All food for thought for the off season, though. Before sights are set on 2006 - let's truly close out 2005.

Virginia is on deck. Senior day at The U with a handful of kids making their final home start for Miami. National Championship dreams are completely squashed and the ACC Title game is a pipe dream, unless North Carolina pulls a miracle in Blacksburg. On any given Saturday? Sure. But don't bank on it.

Still, the Canes need to play for pride. The team who won eight games straight this season - it still exists. Shake off last week's performance and get after the Cavaliers.

Miami has failed miserably the past two seasons the week after a late season, heartbreaking loss. These Canes need to shake that stigma if it wants to set the stage for a title run in 2006.

A win on Saturday and a victory in the bowl game gives Miami a respectable 10-2 season. Ultimate goals weren't achieved - but Miami must at least salvage what they can. Win out. There truly is no other option.

Come the off season, time for change.

With Pete Garcia back on staff as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Coker wrapping up year five in his tenure as head coach, it's time to put collective heads together. These guys have been around the program for a long time. They know Miami's history and what it takes to be elite. Personal and professional feelings aside, it's time to do what's best for The U.

Figure out how Miami can return to elite status again after flirting with it and faltering in 2005.

The Call – Miami 24, Virginia 13


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