Wright to push back...

Nate Harris spoke. Miami listened. Kyle Wright responded.

A guest on The Dan LeBatard Show (790AM) earlier today, LeBatard grilled Wright about the current state of the program and Saturday's matchup sending #17 Miami to the Bluegrass State to take on #12 Louisville.

The following exchange occurred (click here to listen)

LeBatard: He (Nate Harris) said Miami's not what they used to be. That Louisville player is now not being allowed, by Bobby Petrino, to speak to the media before this game. I thought he just told the truth, Kyle. This program isn't where it has been in recent years. Did you get bent out of shape by his comments?

Wright: Anytime somebody comes out in the media and basically 'tries' your whole program, of course you're gonna get bent out of shape. You know? We've been challenged.

We'll be there Saturday. They just need to make sure they show up.

We're gonna go out and play Miami Football. We didn't come out and have a great game the first game. To me, what's gonna define our team is how we're gonna respond from that.

We're not gonna let some kid from Louisville - who couldn't get into Miami; determine how we're gonna go out and play. Of course it gets you fired up, but it has no effect on me. We want to go out and kick their ass.

LeBatard: You sound pissed...

Wright: I'm just tired of people writing us off - and part of that's our fault. When someone disrespects your program, your players and your coaches - of course you're gonna take offense to that.

It was the perfect response. Now he has to back it up.

What Wright did here was bold. All those who piss and moan about this team lacking a solid leader? Someone just stepped forward.

A comment like this will be attached to Wright from this date on - win or lose on Saturday.

If he plays like garbage, there will be some serious crow to eat and he'll feel the pressure like never before. The City of Miami loves a bold statement, but doesn't forget a promise like this. Cane fans can be brutal if one of their own speaks out and then doesn't deliver.

But if Wright comes to play, wakes this offense from a three year slumber and lights up Louisville?

Look out, this thing is finally going to come together. Kyle Wright just went 'all in' with his bet. Everything is riding on this hand. Put this game on his shoulders Saturday, come away with a win, earn a place in history and set Miami up for a nice little five week stretch.

Bye week. Houston. North Carolina. FIU. @Duke. 6-1 heading into a revenge-fueled Georgia Tech weekend (10/28) while watching others in the polls drop like flies.

Things should really fall into place with a win this weekend. The Canes will in the thick of it come November, when the real season begins. The home stretch. An area where Miami has to prove itself.

Since joining the ACC, the Canes are 5-3 these past two years in November and December games - fueling the venom spewed by Coker's Hater Nation.

If you ask me, all the focus and chit-chat about Coker? Displaced. LC will coach this team throughout the season - win or lose. He's not getting canned mid-season at 1-2. Not with four pushovers leading up to Georgia Tech. This team could sleepwalk its way to 5-2. Any Coker drama will be dealt with in January 2007. No, the focus here isn't Coker. It's all about #3.

Coker needs Wright to not be wrong. The coach needs his quarterback to make today's comments a reality come Saturday.

Wright needs to use this opportunity to finally become that 'next level' Miami quarterback. Get that signature moment; like Ken Dorsey in 2000 - down by four with one minute to change history, knocking off #1 Florida State.

Dorsey had his bad game a few weeks earlier, losing at Washington, 34-29. He had to stew on that like Wright has had to endure this recent Florida State loss. Dorsey started his legacy that day against the Noles, 27-24.

On a smaller scale, Wright gets a similar chance this weekend.

#12 Louisville is no #1 Florida State. But Miami was on the up in 2000 when they knocked off the best and that was just the beginning of something special.

Right now, the college football world thinks the downward spiral is in full force if Miami gets worked here. They're right. There is nowhere else to hide if the Canes lose this game. It's all out on the table.

Get whooped by LSU? OK. Fire the majority of the staff and bring in some solid new guys.

Start the season with a 13-10 loss to an arch-rival and conference rival? Not good.

Scoreless in the second half, no halftime adjustments and beaten in the fourth quarter at home? Even worse.

Seriously, how can that seat not be hot?

Still, it'll get a-whole-lot-cooler for Coker if Wright can go out and be 'that guy' this weekend. A big win can quickly erase the memory of a recent loss.

I think this game is going to be the sleeper of this weekend. Miami's pissed and Louisville's standing its ground. This one is going to provide some highlights. It's not the marquee matchup of LSU at Auburn, but people are taking even more notice.

Is Miami on the ropes? Are the Cards about to deliver that knockout blow? ESPN's Mark May is calling for Louisville to rain down 40+ on Miami's defense. I guess that's his right since The U got worked for 41 three shorts games ago.

The D has something to prove and again, I'm liking what I'm hearing out of Jon Beason. Calling out teammates for half-assing it practice on Tuesday. Everyone tightning up their game and responding on Wednesday. It's a step in the right direction.

The Beast needs to take care of his squad and Wright needs to come out and work some magic with Rich Olson's O. Everything Olson left in the playbook and not on the field against Florida State? Make it happen this week. It's time to blow a team out in the second half; not hang on for our dear lives.

Things could very well be coming together here. Wright & Beason need to do their best Dorsey & Reed this weekend. Lead this team. Be those big-time players, making a big-time plays in a pretty damn big-time game. We haven't had one special player in a while and Miami's not going to Tempe (Glendale!) without one.

The Canes are 'all in' thanks to Wright. All that's left now is sixty minutes of football.



.:Canes305:.