That Signature Moment: Kyle Wright Joins UM QB Lore

University of Miami fans are demanding of the occupant of the Quarterback position. Always have been, always will be. Since the graduation of Gino Torretta after the 1992 season, the Hurricane fans have attacked every starter the "U" has had as unworthy with the very notable exception of Ken Dorsey. But each of the QB's had a significant signature game which gives more forgiving fans such as myself an enduring positive memory of them.

• Frank Costa much maligned and remembered as a big flop by many UM fans had one of the best games a Miami QB has had against Florida State with his performance in Miami's 34-20 1994 victory at the Orange Bowl.
• Ryan Clement is often forgotten by UM fans because the years he led the team were some of the worst most UM fans can recall. Probation took its toll on the Canes and Clement though gutsy had little business being the starting quarterback for a Division 1A team. However, in the final game of the 1996 season at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse Clement out dueled Donovan McNabb throwing 4 TD passes and led the Canes to split the Big East title with Syracuse and Va Tch.
• Scott Covington was in my humble opinion one of Miami's most talented QBs. He however like Clement played in an era where the Canes were unable to give him a decent supporting cast. In 1998 Covington had two huge games against ranked teams that from my perspective turned the program squarely in the right direction. The first was in Morgantown where the Canes came back late to win 34-31 behind some well placed passes from Covington. The second was the unforgettable game against UCLA where Covington threw for over 300 yards in the 49-45 win.
• Kenny Kelly came to Miami with so much promise and at times he showed his athletic prowess. In the season opener in 1999, his first start he wowed us with athleticism making two deep passes on a rope in the first half to put away Ohio State. Alas, Kelly's best game as a Cane was his first start.
  
• Brock Berlin. Hated by some UM fans, but he has several games I'll count as signature ones. I'll list them because each was too epic to detail here: The 2003 Comeback versus Florida, the 2004 Comeback versus Lousiville, the shootout 2004 road wins at NC State and Virginia.

Now Kyle Wright joins the list. His performance last night was nothing short of spectacular. From my vantage point under the overhang at the Orange Bowl, Wright was the real deal yesterday: he was decisive in his throws, felt the pass rush and showed a command of the offense that has been lacking the past few years. The rest of the offense played well but wasn't spectacular. Graig Cooper's two fumbles were a real blight on an otherwise solid effort for him. The WR's ran decent routes but sometimes gave up on plays, and of course their were 3 drops. The offensive line got manhandled at times, but Texas A&M does honestly have one of the best front 4s that the Canes will face all year.

But last night was about the precision passing Kyle Wright showed and the confidence he has developed after three years of uneven play. Patrick Nix, who was a maligned QB in his own day at Auburn (but QB that ultimately had remarkable success) seems to have instilled an offense that takes advantage of Wright's athleticism and his strong arm without running the type of plays that killed his confidence the past two years. Let's hope Thursday Night was the start of something special.