"Take The Power Back" - Miami/Virginia Tech Preview
by Chris Bello - allCanes.com
November 2nd, 2005



"It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?" - Rage Against The Machine


The Game of the Year. Here it is. Everything we've been waiting for - and then some.

A cliché and overused media statement? Absolutely. But this time, it’s the truth. No. 5 Miami is headed back to Blacksburg to take on No.3 Virginia Tech. The storyline – hell, this thing has written itself and grown leaps and bounds over the years.

For those who can't remember back that far - the Canes pounded on the Hokies in the early nineties winning the first twelve games in the series, dating back to 1953 and resurrected in 1992.

Late nineties, all Virginia Tech as Miami faced probation and was a shell of the powerhouse it once was. This decade, 3-2 in Miami’s favor – though the Canes have lost the last two in the series.

Make no mistake, come Saturday this rivalry will be taken to a whole new level as it's the highest profile meeting between these two foes. Everything is on the line this weekend - for both programs. The media has jumped Virginia Tech's bandwagon as of late – already painting them as the potential undefeated victim on the outside looking in, come bowl season. Miami was tagged early by Florida State and hasn’t had a marquee game since triple overtime in Clemson, week two.

The Canes are flying under the radar right now. Many are repeating the same mantra they have the past few seasons. Miami’s taken a step back. They're no longer elite. This is hardly the program that won a National Championship, played for another, saw four straight BCS games and amassed a 35-2 record between 2000-2002 - three of those wins coming against Virginia Tech.

Meanwhile the Hokies have shaken that "Chokie" stigma of being a team which collapses down the stretch. The earlier part of this decade, Virginia Tech found ways to fall apart late season after very promising starts.

In 2004 they seemed to flip the script – year one in a new conference, winning the ACC. But is that a fluke or a new trend in 2005? We'll find out soon enough. They definitely appear to be the team to beat in the Atlantic Coast Conference – something that certainly doesn’t sit well with a feisty bunch of Hurricanes who are used to having the rest of the college football world looking up at them.

As a writer and avid reader of all articles college football related, I'm stunned no one is screaming ‘upset’ this weekend. Seems almost all the media is drinking up that Hokies-flavored Kool Aid and believes the hype. Lane Stadium is invincible. Lil' Vick on track to being better than Big Vick. A clear-cut path to Pasadena for Virgnia Tech if Southern Cal or Texas fall apart because no one will beat Frank Beamer's bunch in the regular season.

That surely could be the case – but many are forgetting Miami has sixty minutes to shake things up a bit and make a case for themselves as a Rose Bowl darkhorse and ACC power.

There's a fine line between blatant 'homerism' when covering a team for a decade – and using one’s knowledge of a program wisely, seeing things other media members might miss.

I’ll in no way guarantee victory this weekend – but I sure as hell believe Miami has all the pieces in place to put Virginia Tech in check, IF Hurricanes Football is played under those Saturday nightlights.

Simply put, it’s not all about The U – it’s all about The U executing, finishing drives and playing a complete game.

A lack of execution and concentration is the difference between 6-1 and 7-0 at this point of the season. It’s also what keeps Miami from beating a team like a South Florida 51-0 or settling for 27-7 - playing down to the level of competition.

Missed kicks, muffed snaps, dropped passes on sure-third down conversions, snaps over the QB’s head and even a Lamar Thomas-esque strip out of Greg Olsen’s hands on a would-be touchdown. You name it and Miami has managed to let it slip away somehow this season. Once again, the Canes have been their own worst enemy more times than not.

The Canes can get away with boneheaded mistakes against the likes of a South Florida, Duke or Temple. One can even make a handful of mistakes against a Florida State – as seen by Miami’s first half debacle, though still in position to win in the game’s final minute.

Those mistakes will be unforgivable if looking to upset Virginia Tech in Blacksburg this weekend.

All the chatter this week, pre-game hype, aura of Lane Stadium, revenge talk, statistical information about the top two defenses going toe to toe – it all ends when that ball is kicked off. Xs and Os are what it comes down to - not Miami shaking it its collective boots when Metallica's "Enter Sandman" blares through the house PA.

T he team with the fewest mistakes wins this one – as shown by 2003’s match up, a game where Miami might’ve won the stats battle but lost on the scoreboard (31-7) thanks to turnovers and mental mistakes.

Much is being made of Virginia Tech’s so-called dominance over Miami recently. Actually, too much.

Last I checked, it’s 3-2 in Miami’s favor this decade. The Canes have lost three home games in the Orange Bowl to Virginia Tech’s six losses in Lane since 2000 - making Miami's house the more intimidating venue for foes.

Four BCS games for Miami and one National Championship this decade to Virginia Tech’s one BCS game and nothing close to a title game berth as well.

The records? Over the past five seasons the Canes are 61-8 while the Hokies are 55-17.

Why the trip down memory lane? To show that Miami deserves a bit more credit going into this weekend’s match up. It is definitely Virginia Tech’s time here and now in 2005 – but they're about to face the biggest challenge of their season. Miami isn’t Boston College. The Canes aren’t the Terrapins of Maryland. Intimidated by Lane Stadium? Please. Miami holds an NCAA record 58-game win streak at home and has traveled to Tallahassee, Gainesville, Happy Valley, Knoxville – and even Blacksburg this decade - leaving as victors.

Miami knows what it’s in for this weekend and welcomes the challenge. The underdog role is one the Canes haven’t seen to often, but when it happens – Miami thrives in that role.

Old habits die-hard and for the past few decades, the Canes truly do live for those‘us against the world’ moments. Be it last season in Charlottesville when many expected Virginia to topple Miami in their house - yet the Canes pulled away late, 31-21. Same can be said for a road trip to Tallahassee in 2003 where the higher-ranked Canes were an underdog to the Noles, yet rolled 22-14.

Make no mistake, a trek to Blacksburg might be tougher than both aforementioned challenges combined – but this is also the best offense Miami has fielded since 2002. Erratic and struggling at times? You bet. But still light years ahead of the offenses the Canes showed the Hokies these past two seasons.

One man holds the keys to Miami's O. Sure, a good running game, solid blocking and production out of receivers are all huge– but make no mistake, it all comes down to Kyle Wright this Saturday night. Wright's play will absolutely make or break these Canes.

Look at recent history. Ken Dorsey was 3-0 against Virginia Tech winning twicein the Orange Bowl and once at Lane Stadium - while in the following years Brock Berlin struggled and was 0-2 against the Hokies.

Granted Berlin didn’t have the same weapontry as Dorsey – especially in 2004 with a banged up offensive line, his two starting tight ends on the bench and a couple of overweight, unproductive rushers in the backfield.

Still, where Dorsey made plays against Virginia Tech – it seemed Berlin flat out gave the game away in 2003 while struggling immensely in 2004, letting the game winning drive slip through his fingers in a 16-10 loss.

Hopefully Wright can find a middle ground on Saturday.

No one needs #3 to be Superman – but he also can't play the role of villain. Make plays. Be effective. Get rid of the ball in time. Make good reads. Tuck, run and scramble for gimmie yards if they're there. Fire that perfect pass on a third and long when needed. Don’t under throw the deep ball if a sure touchdown presents itself, a la Florida State.

If Wright is effective, Miami wins on Saturday - bank on it.

In a battle of two of the nation’s best defenses, every offensive snap counts. Missed opportunities are almost as bad as a turnover.

One has to believe that Tyrone Moss can continue his effectiveness on the ground. If he could grind out 102 yards against Florida State’s defense – six games later, a much improved #30 can make plays against Virginia Tech.

Defensively Miami will be challenged – but as the top-ranked defense in the nation, one would believe the pressure they can put on Marcus Vick will be like nothing he’s seen in eight previous games this season. Hard to hit your target when running for your life.

The Canes’ front seven need to be nasty and in Vick’s face all night – while Randy Shannon must steal a page from Bud Foster’s playbook, throwing new looks at the Hokies which they haven’t seen when studying Miami’s film.

This weekend’s match up is being billed as Virginia Tech’s coming out party for all folk who are talking USC and Texas for the Rose Bowl. Much more high profile programs who have a stranglehold on the top two spots and appear to not only be a shoo-in for the big game, but also the match up sports fans are clamoring to see.

If the Hokies can lay one on the big, bad Hurricanes and embarrass Miami – they'll surely start making their case for Pasadena. There's your obviously storyline and the one the media hoping prove true. Controversy sells and another season with an undefeated being snubbed from a title shot – that'll get you tuning into SportsCenter while sipping that morning coffee.

Still, there’s another storyline. The one nobody outside of Coral Gables seems to care about.

Miami. One of the most dominant programs these past few decades. The feisty bunch with five National Championships the past twenty-one seasons and a handful of titles left on the field. A program with the best record and winning percentage this decade – even better than mighty two-time champs, USC.

The U deserves more credit going into Virginia Tech weekend than it is getting.

It’s not a slap in the face being an underdog – but not being given a chance this weekend? No one stepping up and talking upset? Absolutely asinine. The Canes have built a reputation as the perennial program in college football that thrives on big game situations like this. Let the boos reign down. Let the media call them out. It’s more fun when no one outside of Coral Gables believes.

If there was a turning point this season, it was last weekend against North Carolina.

Miami was embarrassed midseason 2004 in Chapel Hill, thanks to a last second field goal and inability to stuff the run. A year later the Tar Heels are in the Orange Bowl boasting a 16-7 halftime lead. Leadership surfaced in the form of a Rocky McIntosh pre-third quarter speech. The Canes woke from their post-Wilma slumber and took over the game the second half with swarming defense and a steady diet of ramming the ball down the opponent’s throat.

The result, a 34-16 victory and outscoring the Heels 27-0 in the second half.

Within that win, something more. Confident and loose play. Bouncing around on the field and sidelines. Excitement. Those who watched the second half saw as fired up a Miami defense as anyone can recall this year. Hard-hitting, intimidating and borderline arrogant. It's everything fans love about The U.

Every successful Miami defense has embodied that attitude – and what better time for Miami 2005 to get that defensive swagger back than Virginia Tech week? These Canes know they can bring it and are ready to tangle with anybody – which is a good thing, as they’ll have their hands full Saturday night.

It's almost been a Matrix-line rebirth. No sooner did Miami squash out North Carolina when the talk turned to Virginia Tech.

“We’re going to stomp them out,” said Quadtrine Hill. “They think they are invincible in Blacksburg, but they have another thing coming.

They can’t forget, this is The U. We’ve got something to fight for. Every time we step out on the field, we feel we are good enough to win. Anybody (reporter) predicting us not to win this game needs to re-think their job, because their profession should be on the line.”

Hill isn’t trash talking and he isn’t disrespecting Virginia Tech. He’s merely summing up the feelings of Hurricane Nation. Miami deserves some respect here. If no one wants to give it – dammit, the Canes will go out there and take it.

The final third of 2005 is here and Miami is about to play a pivotal game in regards to the future of this program. When the question was posed to me earlier this week, ‘how big is this game?’ – I gave it serious though and came up with the following: based on 2004 and a 9-3 season, this game is has now become as big Miami v. Florida State 2000.

Virginia Tech has been a thorn in Miami’s side on and off this past decade and a few years has gone by since the Canes’ last dominated the rivalry – much like Florida State 2000.

Entering that October 2000 contest, there was question as to Miami’s status. Were the Canes ‘back’ or were they that just below that upper echelon in college football?

The same question can be posed today. The early dominance of this decade is legendary. But put it on a shelf because that was then and thisis now. It’s been two and a half seasons since Miami was truly on top. Like Florida State 2000 – this is a chance on a National stage for Miami to take back what they feel is rightfully theirs.

A win on Saturday will have the entire country talking Hurricanes Football again. To be truly ‘back’ Miami will have to toppled media darling Virginia Tech.

The Miami/Florida State match up five years back also featured a one-loss, underdog Hurricanes team pitted against an undefeated, higher ranked bunch. The Canes were also led by a promising sophomore gunslinger who wound up having a coming out party and game winning drive. Ken Dorsey led Miami to that 27-24 win and the stage is set for Kyle Wright this weekend.

Wright came close on a game winning drive against a stingy Florida State defense in this season’s opener. Now he has another shot on the road, with a hostile crowd, to make plays against Virginia Tech. One can only imagine this young man's dream scenario to prove himself after falling two yards short in Tallahassee.

Come Saturday, a statement will be made.

The college football world will either know Virginia Tech is one of the Nation’s elite and deserving of the recognition – or it’ll be all about Miami. The Canes will be back and after stumbling out the gate year one in the ACC and losing to the Seminoles in this season's opener – they will become the team to beat and an instant Rose Bowl dark horse.

I’m going with the latter. A defensive battle, hard hitting, big game atmosphere eerily similar to Miami at Florida State circa 1991 with the Canes making a few more plays and coming out on top.

The Call – Miami 19, Virginia Tech 16


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