Miami v. South Florida : The Highlights

Looks like our main man RustyUM98 is taking a temporary hiatus from the highlights business. Good news for us that our other friend 31spoonerstreet looks to have picked up where Rusty left off. 31 has cut up some great vids for allCanes in the past and we're glad to post his highlights here in the blog. Enjoy... in HD, no less!

Game Twelve : Miami 31, South Florida 10

A season-opening comeback win over Florida State was huge, as was the thriller against then-No. 8 Oklahoma.

Right after those ranks Saturday's 31-10 beat down of South Florida, this year's season finale in Tampa over a lesser program itching to crack the Sunshine State's "Big Three". Keep dreaming about the big time, Bulls.

South Florida fans were jacked for this one. The smack talking was at an all time high. Readers of this blog can peruse past 'comment' sections where Bulls fans ran their mouths and told the Canes to beware of the November 28th showdown.

Turns out there wasn't much to be afraid of.

Thankfully for Miami fans, the Canes came to play. Randy Shannon had his team pumped and Mark Whipple called the type of game necessary to negate South Florida's defense. Right out the gate, a 12-play, 81-yard drive, capped off with an 11-yard strike from Jacory Harris to Leonard Hankerson.

That said, the drive was highlighted by a potent ground attack. First string, second string, third string - no matter. Javarris James carried four times for eleven yards on the opening drive, Graig Cooper got one touch for nine yards and when the Canes needed some tough running on 4th and 1, Damien Berry got the call and picked up six yards.

South Florida then went three and out after strong play from Miami's defense and the tone was set. The Canes continued to grind it out with Cooper and amassed 43 yards on 10 plays, before punting. A few missed opportunities killed the drive, most notably a halfback pass where Cooper overthrew a wide open receiver on a sure touchdown.

On the second play of South Florida's second possession, Darryl Sharpton stripped quarterback B.J. Daniels and the Canes had their first forced turnover of the day. Two plays later James ran it in, push the Miami lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter.

In every facet of the game, the Canes came to play. The convincing 31-10 victory proved to be Miami's best coached and executed outing of the season. Harris was an effective 11 of 21 for 161 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, the nicked up sophomore didn't throw an interception - his first interception-free day since a win at Central Florida mid-October.

The Canes had 22 first downs to the Bulls' 11 and 401 total yards to USF's 220. The most glaring difference came on the ground, where Miami piled up 240 yards (to South Florida's 143) and was unstoppable. Berry put up 114 yards on 12 carries while Cooper had an 83-yard outing. James carried 11 times for 37 yards, but proved to be the red zone specialist with two touchdowns.

South Florida made an ounce of noise on their lone sustained drive of the day. Early in the third quarter the Bulls drove 83 yards on 13 plays, a few of them broken and aided by a Miami penalty. Daniels found A.J. Love for a 12-yard score after scrambling throwing a strike on the run. Both squads then traded their share of three and outs before a 19-yard Berry run set up a 33-yard bullet from Harris to tight end Dedrick Epps. 28-10, Canes and no looking back.

After an early fourth quarter field goal, Miami literally ran out the clock with eleven straight hand offs, most of which were to fourth-stringer Lee Chambers. 31-10 could've been a lot uglier had Shannon not called off the dogs.

Ordered was restored on Saturday and hopefully the line between a state power and an up-and-comer has been redefined. South Florida wants to be one of the Big Three, but it takes more than a few scattered wins here or there to be considered a powerhouse. The Bulls haven't even come close to sniffing a Big East title and their win over Florida State was diluted when the Noles stumbled to 6-6 this season.

Jim Leavitt has done a stellar job this past decade and he's the kind of guy you want to root for. Sadly, it's the South Florida fan base which makes it easy for a Miami fan to hate their program.

Right out the gate yesterday, a slew of false bravado from Bulls players. Popping off after plays. Getting in the face of Miami players. All hype and no substance. Someone needs to remind those baby Bulls that 'swagger' comes from winning games and bringing home championships; not before. If you're going to try and push the Canes around after a play, at least bring it when the ball is in your hands.

A full stadium, a pocketful of hope and the confidence taken from beating FSU aren't enough to take down a state power like Miami. The Canes have faced the Bulls twice and have now outscored their in-state foe, 58-17 in eight quarters.

9-3 sounds so much better than 8-4 and is light years better than 7-6 or 5-7. Anyone not celebrating Miami's run this season needs to have their head examined. The Canes didn't reach the ACC title game, but no one even had them penciled in as conference champs. Many saw Miami going 0-4 out the gates. Others had Shannon being fired mid-season. The Canes were picked fourth in the Coastal and wound up finishing third, while no one predicted anything close to a three-loss season.

Improvement was the name of the game in 2009. Miami put a better overall product on the field and found a way to win some ball games it wouldn't have one year one or two in the Shannon Era. The Canes improved in the ACC, going 5-3 this season, and the 3-1 record in November is much more impressive than 1-3 last year or 0-4 in Shannon' first season.

For all of those who predicted this team would wither down the stretch, hope you're enjoying your heaping helping of crow this morning. Especially those of you who called South Florida a 'nightmare' match up for Miami and predicted a big time beat down.

These Canes have improved as the year rolled on and despite injuries taking their toll, saved their best for last. Dominant on both lines of scrimmage, Miami outplayed South Florida in every phase of the game - further distancing the gap between these two budding programs and proving that Shannon is on track regarding the Canes' resurgence.

On the recruiting front, the future remains bright. Miami has two dozen verbal commitments and coaches will continue knocking on doors and selling this program these next two months. Shannon continues to keep his thumb on the pulse regarding Miami-style players, in regards to who he's targeting and who's already on board.

Case in point, the play of freshman Brandon Washington yesterday, subbing for fifth-year tackle Jason Fox. Sidelined due to illness, Miami's most experienced player was replaced on a green up and comer - a signee from the Northwestern Bull-heavy class of 2007. The 6'4" and 330-pound Washington attended prep school last year and is getting his snaps in 2009.

When thrust into a starting role, Washington shined - like so many freshmen and sophomore Canes recruited by Shannon. Just imagine where things will be with two more classes under his belt.

Next up, bowl season. Miami's third loss of the season knocked them from the BCS at-large list, but a solid bowl game is still in the cards. Right now there's talk of either the Gator Bowl or Capital One Bowl. Miami could face either Notre Dame or Pittsburgh in Jacksonville or Penn State in Orlando. Whatever the case, both are a step up from the last three seasons - San Francisco, stuck at home and Boise, Idaho.

9-3, Cane fans. Give thanks and gear up for bowl season.

Miami v. South Florida : The Preview

South Florida got their wish; Miami is headed to town. The contract was inked a while back and the first of five meetings is underway.

The Bulls wanted a shot a notorious powerhouse and the Canes agreed, citing in-state rivalry and guaranteed warm weather late November as reasons for agreeing to the match up. Miami and South Florida both started strong - albeit one had a much more difficult schedule than the other - and down the stretch, have both absorbed three losses. That said, a new state rivalry and a safe bet that both teams come to play.

Raymond James Stadium is sold out and Bulls fans have been running their mouths since this game was first put on the schedule. On the other side, Canes fans could care less about the match up. South Florida has been a feel good story the past few years and had their cup of coffee regarding their short-lived No. 2 ranking a few years back... but until you can win the Big East - a conference Miami dominated for over a decade - don't start woofing about national prominence and being a new Sunshine State power.

South Florida puffed their chest out after a late September win at Florida State. Impressive in theory, it doesn't look as impressive with the Noles limping into their season finale with a 6-5 record. The 17-7 victory was the Bulls first ever over one of the Sunshine State's "big three" and had USF feeling pretty solid at 4-0 early in the year.

Did the Noles give the game way with turnovers - including a 1st and goal from the USF three-yard line that they couldn't convert in four tries - and their season spiraled soon thereafter. The Bulls pushed it to 5-0 before losing three of their next four game; the lowlight, a 31-0 beat down at Rutgers mid-November.

South Florida responded with a 34-22 win against Louisville a week later, a Cardinals bunch who finished 4-8 and fired head coach Steve Kragthorpe this morning.

The Bulls strung together a seven-win season, but outside of Florida State and West Virginia, the other five wins are less than impressive. Wofford, Western Kentucky, Charleston Southern, Syracuse and Louisville. Regarding the three losses, worked over by Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.

South Florida may be hungry to take on a state power like Miami, but have they been tested at this capacity all year? Not even close. Conversely, the Canes were tested early, weathered the storm, but have had a few pitfalls of their own down the stretch - most notably Clemson and North Carolina, winnable games Miami gave away with turnovers and poor special teams play.

Miami bounced back from the Clemson loss with wins over Wake Forest and Virginia. After falling to North Carolina, an inspired second half performance accounted for last week's win over Duke.

Sitting at 8-3, this season is already a success. The Canes are looking at their best season since 2005 and are ensured the best bowl game they've seen in equally as long. Miami stepped up and knocked off then-No. 8 Oklahoma as well as throttling eventual ACC Coastal Division champ Georgia Tech. Jacory Harris shone early, starting with a pass-happy evening at Florida State in the season opener.

Down the stretch, the Canes got a little banged up and Harris lost a little of his luster. 21 touchdown and 17 interceptions on the year, J12 has seen ten of those interceptions in the past five games. Four came at North Carolina (two pick sixes) and three against Clemson, both ending in heartbreak.

South Florida's defensive staff doesn't have to be made up of Mensa members to realize that rattling Harris is the key to success over Miami. Follow and execute the blueprint of North Carolina and you have a good shot of upending the Canes.

With the ACC decided, this isn't a "must win" game for Miami. The outcome will determine the quality of bowl game the Canes participate in, but all the "do or die" stuff went out the window weeks back. Georgia Tech locked up the division with a win over Duke, so Miami is playing for pride and their goal of a ten-win season. Is that enough to motivate?

Based on today's sold out crowd and the enthusiasm of South Florida's fan base, you get the impression this is the Bulls' Super Bowl. A game that's been circled all season and a game that can breathe life into an up and coming program. They got a taste back in September when beating Florida State and everyone knows what a win over mighty Miami means.

The Canes will have to weather the storm, much like they did at Central Florida a few months back. Another 'game of the century' for a smaller in-state program, Orlando was ready to explode when Miami rolled into town. The Knights played inspired football and hung around late, but in the end it was the Canes that made the plays and rolled home with the 27-7 win.

Randy Shannon and staff better have these kids ready. It's as simple as that. This has been a successful season, but 8-4 and 9-3 feel worlds apart. Especially after opening 5-1 and surviving the much-discussed "murderer's row" schedule. The Canes have faded down the stretch over the past few years and that trend needs to end.

Miami has shown heart in defeat this season and took a step forward by never backing down in 2009. Lesser Canes teams have rolled over, but this bunch has pressed on. It's a sign of character regarding the kids Shannon is recruiting these days. Once this team is two-deep at every position with Shannon-style players, Miami will be fully "back". Until then, the Canes just have to find a way.

South Florida is a beatable team. Miami has the talent and can get it done, barring this staff has them ready to play and implements a worthy game plan.

For all the praise Mark Whipple has received this season, some criticism is deserved regarding the second half of this season. A stubborn nature has caused too much emphasis on a passing game (especially when the deep ball wasn't there) and a lack of consistency regarding the ground game.

A miracle 4th and 16 completion to Aldarius Johnson bailed Miami out against Wake Forest - the fourth straight deep throw in a row.

Airing it out worked against a Virginia team with a one-dimensional offense, but the emphasis on the running game opened up Harris' passing attack. Miami threw for 247 yards against Virginia, but racked up 268 on the ground behind Graig Cooper, Lee Chambers and Damien Berry.

A week later, Miami failed to get any consistency with their rushing game. North Carolina's defense stuffed the run, forcing Harris to win the game with his arm - which he didn't. A week later against Duke, Whipple was pass-happy early on but turned to Berry in the second half, opening up the passing game and allowing the Canes to outscore the Blue Devils, 21-0 in the final quarter.

Because of the effective ground game, Miami (1) wore down the Duke defense, (2) opened up the deep ball - as witnessed when Harris found Leonard Hankerson in man coverage for a 44-yard touchdown and (3) forced the Blue Devils to play "catch up" when down 27-16, which opened the door for a Thad Lewis interception, which Darryl Sharpton returned for the 73-yard score. Miami 34, Duke 16 - all thanks to a commitment to running the football.

Shannon has spoken this week of running Berry late and relying on fresh legs. This comment got some up in arms as they want to see Berry earlier in the game. First string or third string, find the hot back and feed him the ball today. The Canes need a solid ground game and have to set the tone against the Bulls.

Putting an injured Harris alone on an island (and without left tackle Jason Fox in the game) - it'll be disastrous. Especially with the speed South Florida possess with their front seven. George Selvie, Jason Pierre-Paul and Kion Wilson will come to play and the Bulls lead the Big East in pass efficiency defense thanks to experience in the secondary.

If Whipple and the Canes come out pass-happy, it'll make for a long day. Twelve games into this season, Miami offensive coaches have to know better. A win at South Florida is in the cards if the Canes prove they can run the ball. Miami has four capable running backs. Fresh legs in the second half will always be there. Figure out who has the hot hand, get them involved early and pound the football.

Don't end another season with a thud. Miami hasn't won a finale since upsetting Boston College in 2006. The Canes need to roll into bowl season on a positive note.

Sean Spence and Ray Ray Armstrong are expected back and both will be needed to slow down B.J. Daniels; a mobile quarterback with good arm and ability to throw on the run. Daniels is the type of quarterback notorious for giving Miami's "bend don't break" defense fits.

Create turnovers. Run the ball. Come to play. South Florida has made it very clear how badly they want this game. How bad does Miami want it?

This game has 'upset' written all over it, but I have faith in Miami's coaching staff - most notably the play-calling Whipple. If the Canes want a win, they must run the ball. Everyone knows it. Now let's see how it shakes down.


The Call: Miami 27, South Florida 20

Sean Taylor : Two Years Gone

Thanksgiving wishes to the Taylor family. Crazy to think that Sean has been gone two years. Absolutely tragic, uncalled for and downright awful.

R.I.P, #26.

Gators continue tradition of ducking Canes

Florida faithful are always quick to come up with excuses for why the Canes/Gators rivalry came to an end back in the late 80s, quickly bringing up their SEC schedule... yet never mustering up an answer for why Florida State remained on the schedule when Miami didn't.

UF cites proximity while UM fans pointed to two national championships ('83 and '87) and the fact that the Canes were on the rise and had the Gators' number.

An article in today's Miami Herald stated that the 2013 match up between Miami and Florida will be the last the rivalry could see for a while, with Gators AD Jeremy Foley reneging on a willingness to face UM twice every six years. Foley wants seven annual home games and while reeling Florida State will remain on schedule, rising Miami won't get their shot at the state power.

Miami AD Kirby Hocutt stated that "Miami-Florida is good for college football" and was working to renew the rivalry. Foley shot it down.

Glad to see that twenty years later Florida still wants no part of Miami... unless that means welcoming mighty Florida International back to The Swamp.

Game Eleven : Miami 34, Duke 16

Who ever thought Miami and Duke would be a rivalry on the gridiron? On paper, this sounded like a good hardwood match up, but when these two ACC foes were slated to meet during football season, most expected a one-sided affair with the five time champion Hurricanes rolling heads and dominating the Blue Devils.

Not quite.

Close match ups in 2006, 2007 and the first half of 2008, when Jacory Harris entered the game in the third quarter and blew things wide open in a 49-31 Miami victory.

This season's contest was eerily similar, with Duke again holding a three-point halftime lead. Rumors of the Blue Devils celebrating before the second half and Harris going ballistic might be blown out of proportion, but the result was enough to earn the Miami quarterback ACC Player Of The Week honors for the fourth time this season. Harris finished the day 25-of-43 for 348 yards with two touchdowns and one interception; the majority of his success coming in the second half.

Between Harris' arm, the legs and tough running style of Damien Berry and a tremendous effort of Darryl Sharpton - who recorded a career-high 12 tackles and a 73-yard interception for touchdown - Miami outscored Duke 24-3 in the second half, en route to a convincing 34-16 victory.

348 passing yards. 14-for-21 on third down efficiency. 148 yards on the ground with three capable backs. Cutting down on turnovers and penalties. Fighting back after being behind most of the game. On paper it may have been Duke, but in the end it was another successful day for Miami football, regardless of what the critics say.

The message board vultures were out in full force on game day; an easy task when only 38,200 show up to Land Shark. Coaches were trashed, play calling was ripped and a three-point halftime deficit was being treated like a three touchdowns loss.

What ever happened to looking at the bigger picture? How did overemotional behavior and knee-jerk reactions take the place of logically-fueled debates and friendly banter?

Hell, whatever happened to waiting until the end of a game and judging the final result?

The same portion of the fan base ripping this team at halftime is the same bunch shredding Randy Shannon early in the third quarter of his rebuilding project.

8-3 isn't where anyone wants to be right now. Not the coaches, not the players and not the superfans pecking away online. This is the University of Miami - the most accomplished program in the modern era. Expectations are high. Success is demanded.

That being said, the Canes don't simply get a pass for being "The U". There's a price to be paid for poor recruiting and a lack of player development. You can't go through the motions for half a decade and not feel the ramifications.

You also can't make up for five foot-dragging years in three pedal-to-the-metal rebuilding years.

Everyone wants their beloved "U" back and nobody more than the lone man to roll up his sleeves to take on this project. A former player, a former assistant and the current head coach with more invested at UM than every uber fan combined.

Year three on the job, two full recruiting classes under his belt (and one he saved at the final hour.) A revolving door regarding assistants who haven't held up their end of the bargain - be it through incompetence (Patrick Nix and Tim Walton) or leaving their post prematurely (Bill Young).

Mark Whipple was hired as offensive coordinator and fans jumped on that bandwagon immediately. Whipple's devil-may-care attitude was praised as fans dug up old articles where the 'whiplash' offense was described, as well as the demeanor of a balls out signal caller unafraid to go for a 4th and long, deep in his own territory.

Whipple was also praised for his tutelage of NFL stars Ben Roethlesberger and Donovan McNabb; yet he's not taking any heat for Miami's 8-3 record of J12's nation's worst seventeen interceptions - ten in the last five games.

Whipple holds the title of assistant head coach and has been given free reign to run Miami's offense, yet Shannon haters continue to pile on the head coach instead of their beloved offensive guru.

For the record, I'm not 'pro' or 'con' regarding Shannon, Whipple or anyone else on this staff. I'm all about the University of Miami and I want the Hurricanes to again be a top the college football world. I choose to support Randy and from day one have believed that this was a five-year rebuild. Should UM not be back on top by 2011, I'll be the first in line calling for change. Not now, though.

Not three years in. Not at 8-3, with a chance to go 10-3. Not on the heels of 7-6 and before that, 5-7. Not when Larry Coker left such a mess that not even Greg Schiano wanted to leave New Jersey to rebuild from the ground up.

You don't piss and moan when you're down three points at halftime and you don't call for a coaches head just past the halfway point of a rebuild. As we've seen often with these 2009 Canes, the second half is when things happen.

Miami trailed Oklahoma Wake Forest and Duke at the half, yet dug deep, found inspiration and pulled out big time wins. Close games against Florida State and Central Florida were also decided in the second half, proving there's a reason games are sixty minutes and not thirty.

The Canes continue showing they have fight and heart; a big step forward year three in the Shannon Era. Next up, South Florida and another interstate rivalry. A chance at 9-3. A bigger bowl game berth on the line.

Even more than that, another new experience for Miami. The Canes haven't won a season finale since an inspired win over Boston College in 2006. Time to reverse that curse in Tampa.

Canes v. Bulls preview coming later this week. Stay tuned.

Nike Pro Combat Gear : IN STOCK

The line has formed and the gear is on shelves. Click here to order online.

Currently available: "The U Knows" Premium Tee, "The U Knows" Rivalry Tee, Rivalry Campus Cap, Rivalry Premium Helmet Tee and Rivalry SwooshFlex Flat Bill Hat.

The Nike Pro Combat No. 12 Jersey is available in store and any remaining jerseys will be online by 2pm ET. Check back then.


UPDATE: As of 3pm ET all Nike Pro Combat Jerseys are sold out. Thanks to all who lined up at 10am ET this morning to get theirs and congrats to all who were able to pick one up online. We added some at 2pm ET, but they quickly sold out.

We apologize to those of you who missed out. Nike only sent a small allotment of these jerseys and though we tried to get more, they couldn't accommodate us. Within five hours, all jerseys were sold out. Again, we're sorry that some of you were left out but that's on Nike, not allCanes.

Miami v. Duke : The Preview

Here comes the Miami v. Duke preview. Hardly as exciting as some past match ups earlier this season, but at 7-3 every game counts... and don't think for a minute the Blue Devils won't come to play.

Par for the course, another underlying theme. Last week it was former Miami coach Butch Davis. This weekend, the return of homegrown quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, passed on by Miami in the Larry Coker era and the signal caller for Duke the past four seasons.

Manny Navarro sheds some great light on the Lewis situation in his blog earlier this week.

Lewis grew up playing at the Northwest Boys and Girls Club in Miami, where he befriended current Canes quarterback Jacory Harris. Despite a couple years age difference, the two became fast friends.

The Duke senior was a two-time All-Dade selection at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High, yet Miami coaches continued to overlook him during recruiting season in 2005. Members of the Canes staff showed up once to check out Lewis' game, but never followed up.

Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman were young and on the roster, so quarterback wasn't a glaring weakness. Coker and staff decided to go with Daniel Stegall instead... who promptly spurned UM for a MLB career. He's currently in the Mets minor league system. Stegall never stepped foot on Miami's campus.

For those interested, Lewis has amassed 9,375 career yards, 63 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. According to Manny's homework, the only UM quarterback to have better overall numbers is Ken Dorsey.

Who knows what Lewis would've done these past few years had he would up in Coral Gables. Safe bet it wouldn't have been any worse than Wright or Freeman, though. Then again, had Lewis gotten on board, would Harris have signed on two years back? Another reason it's impossible to play the 'what if' game.

Regardless, Lewis will be ready for the Canes and his homecoming, as he has been the past three years when Miami was on the other side of the ball.

As a freshman in 2006, Lewis threw four interceptions against a depleted Miami squad (suspensions for the FIU brawl). 21 of 40 for 284 yards and one touchdown in the 20-15 Canes win.

241 yards and two touchdowns in 2007 when Miami needed a late defensive stand to pull out the 24-14 win. 130 yards and two touchdowns last year in a 49-31 loss where Harris actually stole the show as a true freshman. After Robert Marve faltered in the first half, Harris turned a 17-14 halftime deficit into a 185 yard, four-touchdown performance and a 49-31 victory.

On the heels of a 33-24 loss at North Carolina last week, Miami is definitely in must-win mode regarding these final two games. A bowl game is secure, but regarding the expectations of this fan base, people want wins. Especially after a 6-1 start. The Canes are 2-2 in their last four games and simply put, everyone is sick of these recent November collapses.

In Miami's defense, losses to Clemson and North Carolina were as unorthodox as you're going to see. Special teams gaffes and a pick six in an overtime shootout with the Tigers. Two pick sixes and a wild lateral en route to a loss in Chapel Hill. The Canes battled to the end in both contests, but success-starved fans will point to the scoreboard and remember nothing but the loss.

Also lost in the shuffle, the fact this is a rebuilding year and that many were clamoring for a 9-3 or 8-4 season for 2009 to be considered a success. Based on the schedule, some were screaming for 5-7 or 4-8, yet sitting at 7-3 with two to play, the year is still considered a disappointment.

Duke will bring a one-dimensional game plan to Miami this weekend. Lewis and the passing game can fire on all cylinders, but the Blue Devils are dead in the water regarding their running game. The passing offense ranks ninth nationally, while the rushing offense is in the triple digits.

Miami hopes to get Ray Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence back before the weekend, but Sam Shields and the versatile Thearon Collier are the latest casualties in arguably the most injury-ridden season in recent memory. Vaughn Telemaque is a game time decision, having banged up the shoulder which sidelined him last season.

A few return and a few more go down. Welcome to Miami Hurricanes football 2009. Close, but not quite there. Strong, but not deep enough to absorb this many losses. Two more years, whether you want to hear that or not, Johnny Superfan.

The Canes should have enough offensively to wear down the Blue Devils' defense. Defensively, if Miami defends the pass and sells out on the run, it should keep Duke contained. Lewis should have a good day, but not enough to amass the 31 points Miami is averaging a game right now.

8-3 is doable, setting up a big time match up against a hungry South Florida next weekend. A 9-3 season is within reach, as is a quality bowl game.

It might not be the scenario many were hoping for at 6-1, but based on the past three seasons and where expectations were before the season opener (anyone remember those 0-4 predictions), this is still a damn fine season in the making. 2010 is when many had their calendars circled for Miami's resurgence and the Canes are still on track for that comeback.

Many are comparing 2009 to 1999, a year before Miami made its run. The '99 season ended 9-4 and '09 could wind up the same way or better. Three games remain this season. Keep the faith and remember, we just passed halftime regarding this five-year rebuild.


The Call: Miami 31, Duke 21

Miami Nike Pro Combat Jersey : On Sale Friday

Nike moved up the date of the new Miami Pro Combat Jersey. Originally slated for a Saturday release, the jerseys will now be on sale, in store at 10am ET on Friday November 20th.

The limited edition jerseys will be first come/first serve. One jersey per customer and no discounts will apply for this item.

In an effort to help our out of town customers, any remaining jerseys will be on sale, online at 2pm ET. Check back with allCanes.com then to see what's available.

Store hours this weekend are as follows: 10am to 7pm on Friday... 8am to 7pm on Saturday... 10am to 5pm on Sunday.

Nike Pro Combat Gear in store 11/20

Nike has finally released some pics of the new Pro Combat gear, now slated to be in store Friday November 20th. Above are two different caps and two new shirts. Hi-res No. 12 white away jerseys available later this week. Stay tuned!

Game Ten : North Carolina 33, Miami 24

A third straight loss to North Carolina and a third straight in heartbreaking fashion. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Especially not this year. Not only was the motivation there, but talent-wise Miami had a few more pieces in place. Kyle Wright was no longer behind center and Patrick Nix was no longer calling the plays.

This time around it was quarterback Jacory Harris and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple who were supposed to finally stick it to Butch Davis and his stout defense... and had it not been for a turnover marred afternoon, that might've been the case.

When discussing a win versus a loss, perception becomes reality. In the season opener at Florida State, had Christian Ponder connected with Jarmon Fortson on the game's final play, Miami loses. Had that happened, it'd have been an off week debating squib kicks and defensive breakdowns as the Noles racked up 404 total yards and what could've been 41 points.

With the 38-34 win in the books, the focus instead remained on Harris' breakout day and 386 passing yards. At 1-0 and with Georgia Tech on deck, nothing else mattered.

Had Miami not stepped up in the second half against Oklahoma, Harris' two early interceptions on poorly placed deep passes would've been the culprit. Instead, the game is remembered for a huge special teams hit, a forced turnover on a cornerback blitz and a well-executed pass on 3rd and 6 which allowed the Canes to run out the clock.

When you win, the scoreboard seems to negate the majority of the critique. When you lose, it's open season.

Par for the course, many are again calling for the head of Randy Shannon after this most recent loss. Miami was "outcoached" yet again. This sucks, that sucks and "fire everyone" remains the go-to solution.

For the critics out there, riddle me this - had it been known beforehand that Miami would put up 435 total yards and 24 points against a top five North Carolina defense, wouldn't that sound like more than enough to get the job done? Harris threw for 319 yards and the Canes amassed 116 on the ground between two backs (including 26 from Matt Bosher on a fake punt.)

Of course those stats leave out the x-factor; four interceptions - two of which were returned for touchdowns. The Canes gave up 17 points off turnovers, while failing to force a turnover of their own against T.J. Yates, statistically one of the ACC's worst quarterbacks B.M. (Before Miami).

In the end, how does poor execution lie at the feet of the head coach? Shannon may not have called the perfect game (clock management still an issue), but he called a game good enough to beat North Carolina, minus some on the field gaffes which are out of coaches' hands.

Whipple and Harris have pulled Miami out of some sticky situations this season. Against the Heels, they created the stick.

It doesn't take an Xs and Os guru to acknowledge that Harris' deep ball was off or that Whipple went back to that well too many times. On a few occasions this year, Whipple has gone deep inexplicably - most recently, the game-winning drive at Wake Forest where a 4th and 16 pick up was needed after some deep incompletions.

Facing a 23-7 mid-third quarter deficit, Miami finally turned it on. A short pass out of the backfield to Mike James for 13 yards. A Graig Cooper 9-yard rush. Damien Berry a play later for 20 yards. 14 yards to Travis Benjamin, two more with Coop and a 9 play, 58-yard drive resulted in a 39-yard field goal. The Canes had some life.

A quick three and out got Miami the ball back in under a minute. Four of Harris' next five completions were for 17, 10, 15 and 14 yards. Move the ball. Gain momentum. Put Carolina's defense on its heels.

10 plays and 59 yards in under three minutes and had it a 23-17 game just before the final quarter. Good coaching. Solid ball control. Great execution. The Canes were on the move.

A few changes of possession with neither offense showing life, Miami found a spark with 11:41 remaining.

Taking over at its own thirty-five, Berry rushed for a quick 11 and a play later reeled in 21 on a reception. A one-yard Cooper rush had Miami at the Heels' thirty-two before the game's second pick six; a ninety yard return, including a freakish 'fumble-lateral' pushed UNC's lead to 30-17. Momentum lost. Another scoring opportunity squandered, in a game where every possession mattered.

True to form, Miami battled back. Just as it did against Florida State. Just as it did against Oklahoma. Just as it did against Clemson, in a losing cause. Same to be said for overcoming a late 27-14 deficit at Wake Forest. Year three Randy's teams have proven that they don't quit; an ugly trait that started with that 40-3 LSU-style beat down four years back.

The Canes literally needed two minutes to go seventy yards. Cooper and Berry on the ground a few times. Harris to Aldarius Johnson for 23, the drive culminating in a 14-yard strike to Jimmy Graham - a six-point game with 7:21 to play.

The ensuing drive, Miami fell apart. North Carolina put together a 60-yard drive and shaved 5:24 off the clock. Casey Barth drilled a 33-yard field goal on 4th and 1, pushing it to 33-24 and ending all legit hope of a comeback.

On paper, it's "fail" cubed regarding North Carolina and to Butch. That stings. If there's one game Miami needs to win once Florida State and Virginia Tech are in the books, it's against the Heels. Winless in Chapel Hill. 2-4 against North Carolina since joining the ACC. A program that simply has Miami's number, as inexplicable as that may seem.

Three year in a row, three heartbreak finishes. It doesn't add up. Miami won this thing just about everywhere but the scoreboard. 435 total yards to 329. 319 passing yards to 213. Better efficiency on both third and fourth downs. The difference maker; Miami's four turnovers to Carolina's nil.

Kendric Burney was a one-man wrecking crew, hauling in three poorly thrown Harris passes. He finished with a single-game ACC record 170 interception return yards and proved to be the first Heel with three picks in a game since Dre' Bly did it thirteen years back.

Again, the Canes make the wrong kind of history.

A few weeks back it was the multi-dimensional C.J. Spiller putting up a school-record 310 all-purpose yards in a 40-37 win against Miami. An overtime thriller where a Clemson wideout called the game's final play - a would-be 26-yard strike which the Tigers has never run before. How fitting. This was also another heartbreaker where Harris threw a game-changing pick six.

Miami sits at 7-3 with one legitimate beat down on the resume; 31-7 at Virginia Tech. The Canes couldn't get anything going and were manhandled by the Hokies. A week later, Miami bounced back and upset No. 8 Oklahoma.

These last two losses - a completely different monster. Rip-your-guts-out type losses where one play literally made all the difference in the world. Poor special teams play. Ill-timed turnovers. Poor clock management prior to halftime, leaving points on the field. Interceptions returned for touchdowns.

No disrespect to Clemson or North Carolina, but Miami beat itself as much as both ACC foes beat the Canes.

It's year three of a rebuilding project for the ages. All of you on the sidelines clamoring for old schooler Tommy Tuberville or flavor of the year Brian Kelly, let the dream die. Lest some of you forget the line for 'next Miami head coach' wasn't a long one in late 2006 when Shannon said he wanted the gig.

Hell, Greg Schiano opted for smoggy New Jersey over sunny South Florida.

Any big name, flavor of the week head coaching option isn't going to do for the University of Miami what Shannon has signed on to do. The long-time Cane made a commitment to rebuild this from the ground up. This isn't a stepping stone to a NFL gig - which it would be for just about any other head coaching option. Keep the Canes humming and the big leagues come calling.

Just ask Howard, Jimmy, Dennis and Butch, all lured away from The U for big time pay days.

Furthermore, none of the aforementioned 'next best thing' coaching options are going to recruit South Florida the way Shannon and staff have, shutting down both Florida and Florida State's pipeline to the TriCity area.

It took three years to assemble the type of assistants Shannon needs to bring this thing back. You're not bringing in the big names year one as an unknown. It might be a one-year gig and no coach worth his weight is signing up for that... which is why you get fifth-choice Nix running the offense and promoted-from-within Tim Walton as the new defensive coordinator.

Walton got the boot year two and was replaced by veteran Bill Young - proving to the Shannon doubters that the second-year head coach wasn't looking for a puppet to run his plays. Young brought experience to the table and Shannon allowed him to run his own defense. Problem was a lack of personnel to implement said plays.

Young's dream job opened at Oklahoma State, so it was a short-lived run which opened the door for Lovett - a long-time ACC assistant who would focus on fundamentals. It's the type of defense that will gel when Miami finally has the players in place to make plays.

Shannon did go 'next level' with his hire of Whipple - an experienced OC with NFL experience and a headstrong quarterback coach. Having head coaching experience from his days at UMASS (where he won a national championship), Whipple was also give the title 'assistant head coach' as Shannon continues learning his role.

Misuse of timeouts on offense. Stubbornly going long when the deep ball isn't there. Shannon can't be your scapegoat for issues of that nature. Head coach? Sure, the buck stops with Randy. But some of this is on assistant head coach Whipple.

When the veteran coach was hired, message boards lit up with Whipple-related threads. Fans were hopped up reading about the 'Whiplash' offense and the fact the sometimes stubborn coordinator would go for it on 4th and long deep in his own territory. Great when it works, but disastrous when it blows up in your face.

Same with the deep ball. Great when Harris hits Benjamin in stride, but extremely frustrating to see your play caller continuing to go to the well when that play simply isn't there or your quarterback's timing is off.

Ten games it, it's a 7-3 season - which many of us would've been fine with had this been predicted back in August. Remember that as 2009 winds down.

If this thing isn't back on track by 2011, I'll be the first to admit change is in order. But I'm not the type to call out a man halfway through the job he took on. It takes time to rebuild depth and to fill years worth of holes created by poor recruiting and development of talent. Miami hasn't "reloaded" since 2002 and even then, the offensive line wasn't what it was the year before.

The full cupboard left by Davis was no accident. That was five recruiting classes and while Butch endured probation, he also took over a squad coming off of 10-2 and a No. 3 final ranking after the 1994 season. Hardly the shell of a 7-6 program Shannon took over after 2006.

Patience, people. Employ some logic. Losses to Clemson and North Carolina definitely sting, but figure out where to place all that frustration. It's not doing anybody any good when it's misplaced.

Miami v. North Carolina : The Preview

The craziest headline this week has to be "Miami winless at North Carolina". Seems hard to fathom there's a stadium in the country where the Canes haven't gotten a win.

That said, UM has only trekked to Chapel Hill on three occasions; way back in 1963 - two decades before the Canes were even relevant - and twice since joining the ACC. Miami rolled in No. 3 back in 2004 and lost 31-28 on a last-second field goal. Two years back an 27-0 halftime deficit was too much to overcome in a 33-27 loss.

Even more of a sting, last year's 28-24 loss after sitting on a 24-14 early fourth quarter lead. Butch Davis is now 2-0 against Miami. The Canes are 2-3 against the Heels after five seasons in the ACC.

I discussed the match up earlier this week at the Raycom Sports Miami Blog, where I've been chiming in all season. I went into match ups and breakdowns a bit, for those interested.

A day before the game, feeling a little bit more rah-rah and bleeding heart; something I haven't felt much these past few seasons. Miami is No. 12 and 7-2 with three to play. The brutal portion of the schedule is in the rearview, though the final three are no slouches. Entering Chapel Hill, there are reasons to feel good.

If you believe at all in the football gods, there's a sense the stars are aligning for Miami. Duke looked mortal last week in a 13-9 loss to North Carolina, while the Heels didn't look all that solid against the Blue Devils. For the Canes, both represent their next two foes.

A few days later, Rutgers beats down and shuts out South Florida, 31-0. The Canes get the Bulls in the season finale.

None of this should take away anything from the one-at-a-time mentality Miami has employed all season - but for fans, a reason to believe. 10-2 is a reality, as is an outside shot at a BCS at-large bid.

The odds of Duke upsetting Georgia Tech are slim, but as I watch film of the Canes/Yellow Jackets from a few months back, anything can happen on Saturday.

Should Georgia Tech take care of business, hopefully the BCS folk pop in a copy of the September 17th beat down at Land Shark: Hurricanes 33, Yellow Jackets 17... and it could've been a whole lot worse.

When healthy, Miami looked like it could hang with just about anybody. Ran into a buzzsaw and suffered a heartbreak along the way, but the Canes have continued to hold their own - even when banged up.

North Carolina will come to play on Saturday. Davis is playing up Miami as the be all/end all in college football right now, but don't be fooled - he knows his team can win. The Heels are a stout defensive bunch with solid fundamentals; a Davis staple. Their front seven will come after Jacory Harris all day, meaning the offensive line must show up like they did against Oklahoma.

The big-bodied Javarris James and shifty Graig Cooper need to be difference makers. Wear down North Carolina with Lee Chambers and Damien Berry, as well. The Canes finally have a few key ingredients missing from past match ups with the Heels - most namely, big time running backs and a capable quarterback.

Throw offensive coordinator into that mix as well as it'll be Mark Whipple going up against Davis and his defensive staff. The play-not-to-lose Patrick Nix era is officially over.

Nine games into this season, everyone should have a feel for where this team is at. Whether you get there through logic, emotion, elation or frustration, everyone has a feel.

Rewatching Georgia Tech this week and some of the Oklahoma game last week, it served as a solid reminder as to where this team is headed. At 7-2, Miami is truly a few players and an ounce of experience away from 9-0. This isn't the year, but the Canes are definitely on the brink of greatness.

The 2010 season truly begins now. In 1999 you saw Ken Dorsey saddle up as a freshman, beating three Big East nobodies as the season closed out, leading to a Gator Bowl victory and setting the stage for 2000.

Miami sputtered down the stretch the past four seasons, but you get a sense that can change with this current bunch. There's seems to be a will to win and a different overall mindset.

Against Virginia last week, talk of a revenge-fueled bunch wanting some redemption from a 48-0 shellacking in the Orange Bowl finale. The result - a 52-17 pasting of the Cavaliers.

The talk this week revolves around 0-3; Miami's record in Chapel Hill. Whether that's faux motivation or not, it's giving this team something to rally around. Combine that with last season's fourth quarter collapse and these Canes are playing with a purpose.

This was week two of lighter practices for Miami. Fresh bodies and sharp minds are the new MO at The U. Keep kids healthy, rest up and come to play Saturday. It worked last week and the Canes welcome back some fresh faces from the MASH unit sideline; most notably, senior defensive lineman Eric Moncur. DeMarcus Van Dyke is also expected back, while Ray Ray Armstrong, Pat Hill, Sean Spence and JoJo Nicolas are still out.

The Canes are far from healthy, but if a few veterans can return each week, it'll help Miami as a collective unit and could be the difference-maker in a close game.

Former Tar Heels assistant John Lovett is handling defensive coordinator duties for Miami, which also plays into the 'football gods' thing - should you buy into that. Lovett knows the Heels and their tendencies and safe to say he'll be ready for his return home.

The erratic T.J. Yates is behind center for North Carolina, which on paper plays into the Canes' hands. The Heels are banged up at running back, as well - theoretically making this offense one-dimensional. Combine that with Lovett's know-how and Miami's defense should have a sizeable advantage over North Carolina's.

On offense, look no further than Miami's offensive line as the gamemaker or gamebreaker. Harris and the running game will be as efficient as the line. With protection, it could be a long day for the Tar Heels' defense; even with all their talent.

Davis and his Heels have had the Canes' number the past two seasons, but this is a different Miami monster. A road game is no easy feat, but UM has hung tough with UNC the past two years, even in losses. This year, Miami has enough to get over the hump and to 8-2. Canes are due.


The Call: Miami 27, North Carolina 19

Nike Pro Combat gear in store 11/21

We've received a slew of emails this week from folks asking what's going on with the new-look Nike Pro Combat jerseys Miami will wear for the season finale at South Florida on November 28th. Here's the skinny:

>>> Nike is doing a limited edition run of the white away jersey and we will have our allotment in stock by Saturday November 21st, as far as we know. Again, it's Nike and it's on their timetable so nothing is 100% in stone. Absolutely latest, the jerseys will be in by Sunday November 22nd.

>>> Jerseys will only be available in store, not online. Since it's a limited run, we expect the jerseys to sell out quickly, which creates inventory chaos when selling both in store and online. Should there be any leftover jerseys after Saturday's run, we will post the remaining jerseys online for out of towners and online shoppers.

>>> The Nike Pro Combat Collection will feature a handful of new items. Aside from the jersey we will also stock a cap as well as two different t-shirts. When we can post the images online, we will. The jersey has already been leaked, so we'll feature it here... but the hat and shirts haven't, so we can't roll out the pics yet.

>>> Stay tuned for more info. Questions? Email us.

Miami v. Virginia : The Highlights

Much respect to the uber talented Rusty98UM for sticking to tradition and piecing together another great highlight reel - in HD, no less. Dig it. Go Canes.

Game Nine : Miami 52, Virginia 17

Virginia may not be the same caliber team as some of Miami's other foes this season, but a five touchdown win is a five touchdown win - a rarity for these present day Canes.

The Cavs have played the Canes tough these past few years. Overtime last season. A 48-0 shutout in the Orange Bowl finale. The previous three games decided by no more than ten points. Miami and Virginia usually bring out the best in each other.

A lot of talk last week about the OB massacre serving as revenge for this year's contest. Whether that was the case or not, Miami rolled and played a very solid games; punt protection aside.

Jacory Harris, a respectable 18 of 31 for 232 yards and two touchdowns while spreading the ball around to a dozen different receivers. Graig Cooper, a career-high 152 yards and a score, while back ups Lee Chambers and Damien Berry combined for 120 yards and two scores. On special teams, Thearon Collier brought the thunder with a "Hester-esque" 60-yard punt return for score, evoking memories of some old school-style Hurricane football.

Defensively, Miami finally locked things down a bit, only giving up 149 yards to Virginia. The Canes shut down the run, giving up a paltry 74 yards, 34 of which came on one play.

The 52-17 beat down was arguably Miami's most complete performance of the season, even with a majority of starters sidelined and unable to contribute. Regarding November, it was an all around solid start to this final month of football.

One down, three to go. Next up; North Carolina. Headed back to Chapel Hill, where the Canes have never won and are 0-2 since joining the ACC. Randy Shannon, the student, is winless against Butch Davis, the teacher. Safe to say this fact, combined with Miami's road track record against the Heels, will add some motivation to this week's showdown.

More important, Miami sits at 7-2 and is ranked No. 12 in the land. With three weeks remaining, the Canes still have an outside shot at an at-large BCS bid and should Georgia Tech lose to Duke this weekend, Miami is back in the driver's seat for a shot at an ACC crown.

With the Tar Heels looming, which Canes team shows up this weekend? Has Miami 'turned the corner' regarding a 52-point outburst? Or was this simply a talented team feasting on the less talented? Virginia was definitely a different monster without the versatile Jameel Sewell behind center. Marc Verica made the Cavs one-dimensional and the running game isn't what it was with Cedric Peerman handling the carries the past few years.

None of that is said to take any wind out of the Canes' collective sail. This is a win that should be built upon, but needs to be taken in stride. Virginia was thought to be a decent defensive unit, but Miami still racked up 515 offensive yards. North Carolina is said to be an even better defensive unit. Can the Canes bring the thunder again? What will Mark Whipple draw up and on the defensive side of the ball, what does John Lovett have up his sleeve as a former North Carolina assistant?

Since the loss to Clemson and close call at Wake Forest, Shannon and staff flipped the script. Miami practices are shorter, featuring less contact and more film work. The Canes are battered and bruised, so coaches are focusing more on the mental side of things as the seasons winds down.

The formula worked for Virginia and hopefully will for North Carolina, Duke and South Florida. No Canes were injured against the Cavs and there's talk of Eric Moncur being ready for the trek to Chapel Hill. More depth on the line is welcomed as much of the Miami defense has been decimated due to injury. Any added pressure the d-line can muster up will help an ailing linebacker corps and secondary. The Canes pass rush has been suspect as of late - especially against Clemson and Wake Forest.

The Miami that showed up for Virginia needs to be the Miami that shows up the rest of this season. The fluidity of the offense combined with the aggressive nature shown on defense proved to be the perfect storm, allowing for the Canes biggest win and offensive outpouring against a legitimate opponent since a 47-17 win at Wake Forest in 2005. (For obvious reasons, not 'counting' wins against the likes of Charleston Southern, FAMU, FIU, et al.)

Stay healthy, get mentally prepared, focus... and clean up those special teams issues.

Three winnable games remain, if the 'right' Miami chooses to show up.

A Cane treks to Storm Johnson's game...

Ron Lather, a good friend of the allCanes, sent in the following pic of future Canes running back Storm Johnson.

Ron attended Storm's game tonight at Loganville High and reported the following: "Second play he scored a 68-yard touchdown. He had a couple more scampers and than an 18-yard touchdowns. He even threw for a TD of a sweep and right before I left (after the start of the third quarter), he broke off another 74-yard run and score."

Sounds like the Canes got a good one. Welcome to the family, Storm.

Miami v. Virginia : The Preview

Virginia is headed back to Miami for the first time since they laid a 48-0 skunking on the Canes in the Orange Bowl finale. Even though UM got some 'revenge' in last year's 24-17 OT win in Charlottesville, current Canes are still smarting from the brutal send out in November 2007.

Hopefully Miami doesn't need to fill their sales with fabricated tales of revenge when Virginia heads to Land Shark Stadium for a noontime kickoff on Saturday. Sitting at 6-2 with four games remaining, the Canes should have enough motivation to win out and to reach a quality post-season bowl game.

It's been eight interesting quarters of football for Miami since re-cracking the top ten and sitting at 5-1 before Clemson came calling two weeks back. Defensively the Canes are reeling. 965 yards and 67 points surrendered over two games. Special teams breakdowns. If not for a few lucky bounces at Wake Forest, the Canes would be the not-so-proud owners of two straight losses.

That said, Miami was resilient in it's comeback last weekend, made the most of those breaks and the defense stepped up when it needed to, holding the once-potent Deacs offense scoreless in the final quarter and forcing two critical turnovers - an interception and a fumble on a punt return.

November hasn't been kind to the Canes these past few years and again, injuries are taking their toll as the season winds down. In almost two decades of coaching, Randy Shannon admits he's never seen or been around such a depleted bunch.

"I've never had this many injuries, even as a player,'' Shannon said. "And we've never had this many on one side of the football -- the defense. Think about it. We're missing Ryan Hill, Marcus Forston, Adewale Ojomo, Andrew Smith, Sean Spence, Jordan Futch, Ray Ray Armstrong, Jo Nicolas... There are a lot of guys who have had a lot of experience in games that are not out there.

"Are any guys coming back? No, not right now. The other guys have to step it up.''

Win or lose, inevitably some are going to cite the 'no excuses' mentality this team has attempted to employ this past two seasons. Still, truth is truth and the Canes are down a lot of bodies year three into this rebuilding project. As much as coaches want other guys to "step up", that might not be the case. When you lose a Spence... a Forston... a Futch... an Armstrong... it's going to take its toll and there are going to be some break downs - especially defensively, where most of Miami's injuries have occurred.

Simply put, the Canes haven't "regressed" these past few weeks. This isn't the same team that raced to a 5-1 start and slowed down No. 8 Oklahoma early October. The bodies and the chemistry aren't there and in some cases, won't be back until next season.

Virginia, North Carolina, Duke and South Florida. Hardly the "murderer's row" type schedule the Canes opened with, but four quality teams who could all beat Miami. Especially a beaten up bunch that has temporarily lost its collective focus.

Credit to Shannon, Miami's learning-on-the-job head coach who is attempting to negotiate dangerous terrain as this season winds down. 2-2 last November and 0-4 the November before, this staff is looking for answers.

In an effort to keep these Canes from breaking down further, the practice routine was shaken up a bit. Instead of the standard 5:45am start time on Tuesdays, drills have been moved to 3pm. All practices have been reduced in length and the focus down the stretch will be on the mental breakdowns, instead of the physical aspect of things. More film study, a faster tempo and a quicker overall experience, which allows for more recuperation time.

All great in theory, but Miami still has to find a way to win with a lot of its best players on the sideline and with Virginia sitting unpretty at 3-5, this looks to be the Canes easiest remaining foe. Offensively the Cavs are an inconsistent bunch (re: ACC's worst) and while their defense isn't half back. Miami should have enough firepower to put up some points and wear UVA down in that early afternoon South Florida sun.

This contest is the closest thing Miami will see to a 'preseason' type game in November. Embrace the homefield advantage, wipe the early morning cobwebs (this is the Canes first 12pm ET kickoff all season) and focus. 10-2 is still a reality, as is an at-large BCS berth, should some higher ranked teams fall over the next month. Keep the dream alive, Canes.

Take care of the Cavs and get this thing to 7-2. This isn't about revenge; it's about a win and keeping the goals and dreams of this season in tact.



The Call: Miami 34, Virginia 16

Recruits continue lining up for Miami...

Premature as it is to celebrate verbal commitments three months before Signing Day, the Miami Hurricanes have had a nice recruiting run the past 48 hours and it deserves mention.

On Sunday morning Miami got a commitment from four-star Loganville, Georgia running back Storm Johnson and later in the day Belle Glade three-star athlete Greg Dent pledged his allegiance to the Canes. Tuesday morning it was Booker T. Washington four-star running back Eduardo Clements who decided to end the suspense and commit to 'The U'.

Johnson is a bigger-bodied back who plans on enrolling early in January. He chose Miami from almost three dozen scholarship offers, other finalists being Penn State, Oregon, Kentucky and Michigan State.

Regarding Dent, he decided to follow Glades Central teammate TE Clive Walford to Coral Gables. Dent is slated to play cornerback for the Canes and committed after not 'feeling the love' after a recent visit to Florida State.

Clements' pledge might be seen as a surprise to come, though rumors swirled for months that the Booker T. back was a silent commit. Back in April, the Herald's Manny Navarro penned a piece where he questioned Clements favoring Georgia.

The UM beat writer talked of Miami coaches losing their stranglehold on local recruiting, yet a few months later Clements stuck with the hometown Canes - which should squash out any premature rumors about the Canes no longer being the program to beat in the Tri-County area. Some kids will wind up elsewhere, but for kids like Clements, it's nothing more than flirtation and weighing out one's options.

Take some recruiting trips, get out of your hometown and be the big fish in a little pond, regarding the hype that comes when visiting many smaller college towns.

Clements is Miami-bound regardless of the crop of running backs also signing on with the Canes next year; Darion Hall, Maurice Hagans and the recently committed Johnson. Unafraid of competition, Clements is a hometown kid with the mindset head coach Randy Shannon is looking for. Shannon talks about big time local kids from winning program, which Clements is.

Other Booker T. alum currently playing for the Canes, Clements' former teammates Brandon Harris, Thearon Collier and Davon Johnson. Clements comes from good high school stock and will bring a can-do attitude to The U, like his former teammates.

A lot can happen over the next three months, but at 6-2 and with almost two dozen verbals ready to sign in February, things are indeed looking up for the Canes entering year four of The Shannon Era.

Miami v. Wake Forest : The Highlights

Much respect to the uber talented Rusty98UM for sticking to tradition and piecing together another great highlight reel - in HD, no less. Dig it. Go Canes.

Game Eight : Miami 28, Wake Forest 27

Before nitpicking the hell out of Miami's win at Wake Forest, let's remember one thing - the Canes pulled it out. It was ugly, sloppy and frustrating, but it was a win. Better to be in Miami's shoes this morning than Wake's. It's also better to sit at 6-2 and in the top twenty than 5-3 and unranked.

Starting with the "ugly", how about 555 yards giving up to the Demon Deacons? Holy hell. The Canes defense made Riley Skinner look all-world out there with his 349 yards and two touchdowns. Miami shut down the run, but Wake barely relied on their ground game as everything through the air seemed to work.

Wake dominated the time of possession - 38:52 to 21:08 - and had 33 first downs to Miami's 19. The Deacs dominated every aspect of the game, besides turnovers, which proved to be the difference-maker.

To eke out a one-point win, Miami needed the following: Skinner getting knocked out of the game late in the fourth quarter... receiver Marshall Williams knocked out early in the second half.. a muffed punt return which gave the Canes the ball at the two-yard line... a 4th and 16th completion on the final drive... and a shoestring game-winning touchdown grab by Travis Benjamin.

Toss in a missed 60-yard field goal attempt at the buzzer (with a second-string quarterback lacking the skills for a game-winning drive) and you have a 28-27 Canes win.

I blogged in-game and attempted to make sense of what was unfolding before my eyes. Bad call. When I re-read my knee-jerk comments post-game, I realized it was emotion besting logic. I scrapped the in-game blog, celebrated the win, rewatched the game Sunday morning and tried to make sense of Miami Hurricanes football 2009.

The obvious? This isn't a championship-caliber team. Not even close. A few top ten rankings this year were nice, but that was by default. As an undefeated or one-loss team, Miami was deserving - based on where other teams were at that point of the season.

6-2 entering November. Not exactly as bad as many are making it out to be. Anyone thoroughly disappointed really doesn't have a good grasp on where Miami truly is, year three into a heavy rebuilding project. Glimmers of greatness will continue to be met with rookie mistakes. Such is the case when you field a team reliant on many of the fifty-plus underclassmen on the squad.

Depth issues aside, it doesn't excuse mental mistakes. Miami had no business being down 20-7 to Wake late in the second quarter or 27-14 in the fourth quarter. The Canes are the better team, but for the majority of the day they didn't play like it. Outworked. Outhustled. Outschemed. Outcoached.

All that said, in the end, Miami never quit. Whether it was Wake Forest or a top flight team, the Canes were down late and never folded. That never would've been the case between 2006 and 2008. Backs to the wall many times over the last few years, Miami always seemed to buckle. Thus far this season, comebacks against Florida State, Oklahoma and most recently, Wake Forest.

It won't get the 2009 Canes to Pasadena, but it's growth - which is a big part of getting back on top; winning games of this nature. This is a confidence booster for Miami. This team will learn from a win like this as it's the exact opposite of the feelings felt due to the overtime Clemson loss. Backs to the wall, the Canes came out swinging.

Randy Shannon and staff again must go back to the drawing board as a capable Virginia squad is on deck. Offensive line woes against Wake. Defensive breakdowns. Piss-poor tackling. An ineffective ground game. Questionable offensive playcalling (a lot of deep balls instead of picking up first downs). These are all things that must be fixed entering the final month of the season.

The Canes made their breaks down the stretch against the Deacs, but as this season rolls on you can't rely on future opponents losing quarterbacks, wide receivers, muffing punts or defensive breakdowns that allow 4th and 16 completions. The football gods shone down on Miami against Wake, but that won't always be the case. Better playcalling, a deeper focus and more consistency are needed if the Canes are going to win out.

November looks to be 'the great unknown' for Miami football; a month that hasn't been kind to the Canes in recent memory. 2-2 in 2008, 0-4 in 2007 and 1-3 in 2006, which eventually led to Larry Coker's firing.

Miami took down Virginia and Virginia Tech last November, before getting throttled at Georgia Tech and no-showing against N.C. State in the regular season finale. Without tremendous focus, 2-2 could easily be the Canes' fate this year. Virginia is next up, followed by a road game at North Carolina, a home stand against Duke and a season-ending trek to Tampa to take on a feisty South Florida team.

This season started with a daunting four-game gauntlet where some called for 0-4. Miami instead went 3-1, though 2-2 would've been absolutely acceptable based on the opponents.

In looking at the remaining foes, 2-2 has to be the worst-case scenario. Ranking the opponents, North Carolina now looks the toughest, coming off an upset road win at Virginia Tech. South Florida next, followed by Virginia and Duke.

A one-at-a-time mentality must remain, but the trend of recent November collapses still hovers. Looking at the remaining games, every last one is winnable IF Miami shows up. The Canes are 1-1 in their last two sloppy outings. It'll take a full-on second wind for Miami to roll. Kick it into another gear down the stretch. Four more games, each more critical than the next.

Recruits are watching, as is the entire nation. Many felt Miami was "back" weeks back, while others wrote UM off after the Virginia Tech loss. 10-2 or 9-3 are truly the only acceptable options regarding this season, sitting at 6-2 entering this final month.

Win out, pray for a Georgia Tech conference loss, hope for a crack at a conference title and if not, a Gator or Peach Bowl. On the heels of an Emerald Bowl, no bowl and a Blue Turf Bowl, again, this would be a giant step forward year three of The Shannon Era.