No Review Necessary, Chokies

Talk about a week almost too hard to put in words. A lot of biting one’s tongue leading up to game day for Hurricane Faithful. A wait and see mentality was implemented.

‘Us Against The World’ was in full force mode more this past week than it has been in years. The national media was picking against the Canes and even local Miami beat writers were struggling to give The U any chance this past Saturday.

Read any sports website or get sucked into some talking heads on ESPN a week ago this time and you wonder why they would even bother playing the game. The Hokies were expected to roll. Days before kickoff and everyone was already shoveling dirt onto Miami’s casket. The baton hadn’t been passed – it was snatched by Virginia Tech, or so the story was being told.

As CBS Sportsline columnist Dennis Dodd so eloquently stated the Hokie program, “Blew past Miami. Lapped ‘em. Passed ‘em up.” He cited better program, better facilities and better players. If the changing of the guard hadn't happened yet - brace yourselves, becuase it's inevitable.

He stated that the Canes’ legacy was being tested. Cracks were showing. The ACC was swallowing the program up. Simply put – Virginia Tech owns Miami, according to Dodd – and he wasn’t the only critic. Many were down on The U and were tuning in this weekend not even so much for a Virginia Tech dominating win – but smugly, to see Miami crash and burn on National TV.

The talk wasn’t just the Canes losing, but losing big. The assumption was that Virginia Tech would respond better in the BCS spotlight than Miami would the whole college football universe turning up it’s collective nose as its program.

Obviously these are exactly the situations those who bleed the orange and green live for. You know that moment. We’ve seen it countless times over the past few decades. The sleeping giant awakes. You can almost literally see that light switch go off. Immediately, Miami comes alive and wreaks havoc on anything in its way.

Those who read my article last week saw my prediction – Miami 19, Virginia Tech 16. That was the ‘head’ prediction. The 'heart' told me Canes by a smidgen more, but don’t push it. Call for a win, then watch and wait. For this writer, all signs pointed to Miami blowing through Blacksburg and strutting out, heads held high. Still, no reason to run the mouth. If Miami's players could hold their tongues - I could certainly do the same.

Something has been missing at The U for a few years now. At times it’s been an intangible. Other times that key playmaker or vocal leader. Regarding certain positions, it was merely depth. You don’t lose six starters in the first round of the NFL Draft and not miss a beat. Miami reloads – but that’s losing all six bullets and the damned gun.

A season opening loss set the tone for 2005. I’ve repeated it several times this year, but one more time for effect – 0-1 this season showed more promise than 1-0 in 2004. It was humbling for the Canes to lose out the gate. Six straight against your archrival – you’re eventually going to end up on the wrong side of the ledger. That being the case, what better time than Labor Day 2005?

Lose early, win out, get a crack at Virginia Tech in November and hope for a ratings boost. Ten straight and you’re in Jacksonville against that same Florida State team you beat everywhere but the scoreboard, while sitting pretty in that top three if a few upsets happen along the way.

Based on that scenario, the Canes are pretty much ¾ of the way home with their biggest challenges already met. Florida State – hung tough. Clemson – survived and grew up that day. Colorado – a dominant defensive performance against a physical opponent. South Florida/Duke/Temple – twelve straight quarters to maintain focus instead of sinking to the level of the competition. Hurricane Wilma postponing a match up with Georgia Tech and an extra down week where lethargy could’ve set in and killed this team’s momentum.

After thirty minutes against North Carolina, three Kyle Wright interceptions and a 16-7 deficit looking Miami in the face – this team faced that proverbial fork in the road. Would they take the path of 2003 and 2004 Miami teams – who remained undefeated until November and then fell apart down the stretch? Or was this that turning point all in Coral Gables were clamoring for? Based on last week’s media coverage, it was hardly the latter.

This is the exact reason “it’s a Canes thing – you wouldn’t understand” was coined and is now almost a twenty-year-old definition of Miami Football.

The mainstream media merely saw a box score – Miami 34, North Carolina 16. A sluggish start and Wilma-hangover for the Canes, the Tar Heels simply ran out of gas and wilted in the South Florida sun. Next story.

Maybe for those out of ‘the know.’

The Miami Faithful, we finally saw that ‘intangible’ resurface.

A good 11:58 remaining in the third quarter, score still 16-7 - that Hurricane defense started getting loose out there. A little bounce in the step and ‘enough is enough’ kicked in. Time to take over this game – and possibly the season. ‘Defense wins championships’ ain’t just coach speak. It’s gospel.

Miami had North Carolina pinned at their 4-yard line and took control of the play in one play. Vintage gang tacking and some extracurricular chest thumping ensued. One-yard gain. Next play, an incomplete shovel pass and dog pile for what at first looked to be a fumble. Third and long – batted back into the quarterback’s hands and he was swarmed on.

The Canes danced off the field – arms flailing, high stepping and confidence soaring. That’s when this team crossed the threshold. Miami was about to turn it around – the game and then the season.

The next quarter and a half of football was vintage Miami. Solid special teams, power football with Tyrone Moss and a defense who wanted nothing more than to get out there and keep making plays. The slow start wasn’t looking ahead to Virginia Tech – it was a Miami team in the midst of 2005’s maturation process. The Canes were coming into their own – on the heels of a postponed game, a Hurricane which really blew and the embarrassment of trailing a North Carolina team who ruined a then-perfect season in 2004.

Trailing 16-14 with 2:24 left in the third quarter, Quadtrine Hill sent a message to all of Blacksburg - and Beamer Ball – blocking a punt and diving on it for score. 20-16 and no looking back. More bone jarring hits, a recovered fumble, Moss bulldozing for six – dragging a six-pack of Tar Heels behind him. 27-16 and Dance Party USA on the sidelines. The uniforms were 1967 – but Canes were shaking it up like it was 1987.

Post game, word gets out of Rocky McIntosh dropping some inspirational words on his teammates. To have a vocal leader finally emerge is huge in it’s own right. To see those words result into a dominating 27-0 shutout in the second half? That gets you believing in the guy next to you and that much more confidence heading into Lane Stadium.

Lane Stadium - as if it’s some sacred, college football cathedral. All the talk last week about how Miami would cower; that just fueled the fire. Last I checked, the Orange Bowl was still home of the 58-game win streak. Going into Tech last Saturday, that streak was safe by about fifty games. Eight straight since falling to N.C. State in 2004. That’s not a mountain – it’s a speed bump.

65,000+ orange/maroon-clad Hokies payed top-dollar to witness what most predicted would be the biggest moment to date in school’s history.

They were spot on – it was definitely monumental.

Miami returned to that upper echelon of college football while Virginia Tech was slapped upside the head with a dose of reality. The Canes aren’t going anywhere anytime soon – and the ACC Coastal Division will be an annual brawl.

This year’s 27-7 dominant win separated the men from the boys. With everything on their side – the media, the fans, the home-field advantage, the supposed Vick factor, two-straight wins against the Canes, defending the ACC crown – the Hokies still folded. Miami even spotted Virginia Tech a few of its best players most of the game.

Tyrone Moss was sidelines early with a knee injury, Kyle Wright was knocked out of the better part of the first half and return specialist Devin Hester pulled up with a hamstring injury before even taking one of the twenty or so offensive plays scripted for him last Saturday night. The Canes shrugged off any bit of adversity that was thrown their way.

Virginia Tech, you were dominated.

All the talk about winning big, all the recent history and all the hype – it meant nothing once that ball was kicked off. Once the speakers stopped blaring “Enter Sandman” and the explosions ended, the game time fireworks began. Miami wanted it more and the Canes were the tougher bunch; not the ‘lunchpail’ crew boasting a blue-collar work ethic.

Lots of football left to be played this season. Wake Forest. Georgia Tech. Virginia. Hardly South Florida, Duke and Temple. Miami better focus on each task at hand before even thinking Jacksonville or Pasadena. One slip up over the next twelve quarters of football and the monumental effort of last Saturday night gets downgraded.

Should Miami get to the ACC Championship and earn that much-anticipated rematch against Florida State, this win over Virginia Tech will be long regarded as the true turning point.

As I stated last week, the Canes are only as solid as their play behind center. In this post-probation era, Miami was 3-0 against Virginia Tech with Ken Dorsey at quarterback. With Brock Berlin, 0-2 and a rough patch for The U. Kyle Wright now sits at 1-0 and has Miami’s offense looking as promising as it has the past few seasons. Unfortunately for the Hokies, Wright will be around a few more seasons and next year the annual match up moves south the Orange Bowl.

Miami was counted out last week and responded with an exclamation point. A statement was made. Thank you to the National media for pushing Virginia Tech as a Rose Bowl dark horse and billing this meeting as the Hurricanes’ funeral. Talk about your all time backfire. Not only was Virginia Tech exposed for sixty straight minutes – but Miami showed millions across the nation that this program is still a force to be reckoned with.

Southern Cal. Texas. Alabama.

Watch your backs. One mistake and you’re letting the wrong program get its foot back in the door. This team can smell the roses in Pasadena – but knows it’s a long way off. The pressure is all on #1, #2 and #3 in the BCS. The pressure has been off the Canes since dropping one in Tallahassee.

Loose play will guide the Canes to Jacksonville. From there, we’ll soon find out. For now – Wake Forest. Raleigh-Durham is next on Miami’s path of destruction. Stay focused. Press on. Dominate. Get it done.