I've been getting flack the past few weeks for keeping the Hurricanes low in my ACC Power Poll: 11th out of 12 teams. A reason exists: Miami has won one game in the last twelve months against ACC opposition. Today, Dolphin Stadium was rocking early giving the Canes the kind of home field advantage we need: I was sitting in the East End Zone and the place was loud. But as has been the case since 2006, Miami cannot finish games in which they are in complete control at home.
Let's Review:
- Miami enters the 4th quarter against Florida State up 10-3 in the 2006 and loses 13-10
- Miami enters the 4th quarter against Virginia Teach tied 10-10 in 2006, and dominating both lines of scrimmage and loses 17-10
- Miami enters the 4th quarter against Georgia Teach tied 14-14 in 2007 and has a large home crowd of 50,000 behind it: Miami loses 17-14.
- Miami enters the 4th quarter against NC State up 13-7 in 2007 and loses in overtime 19-16.
Randy Shannon and the coaching staff have emphasized finishing games to these players but they just don't get it. Shannon outcoached Butch Davis today (not that is an accomplishment as Davis is a horrible game day coach) but the immaturity of Demarcus Van Dyke and Bruce Johnson looking to make interceptions instead of knocking the ball down led Miami down a road to yet another 4th quarter collapse. Robert Marve is already everything we had hoped for and more, but Miami is a bad team right now: 1-7 in the last 8 ACC games and 7-14 in the last 21 games against BCS league opponents. That's not a mediocre team trying to rebuild, that's a bottom feeder team looking for answers.
Miami's remaining three ACC home games are all against teams with far superior athletes or coaches than North Carolina. If Miami cannot finish off the mediocre Heels with a 3rd string QB, who can they beat in the league? Virginia, maybe but probably nobody else unless the player on this team start listening to the coaches and begin to put some faith in why the coaches are where they are.
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23 comments:
11th?
Man you're a fool to put us ahead of anyone! You really think we could beat Virginia who you have below us. They beat us 48-0 last year!
You are also wrong to compliment the coaches. Shannon has neutred this team: they play scared and he coaches scared. Nix is a turd also.
At least UiF lost!
I come to this site because it gives more than "homer" opinions. However today you disappoint me.................Shannon not to blame but the players?
You list other games where Shannon either coached the D that gave up a late TD or the team outright yet today is the players fault.
The only common theme between the five games you list is Shannon.
If things don't change Houcutt needs to step up fire him and bring in someone respected to lead this program.
He can recruit but honestly how tough is it to recruit to Miami?
the three consecutive conservative runs by nix's offense when we were up 24-21 lost us the game.
that's coaching.
For all the accolades afforded Bill Young, it seems that he made some poor decisions on UNC's game-winning drive. I think you have to bring pressure (much like he did), but it was clear that Sexton and UNC's offensive staff was expecting it. But you can't continue to bring the blitzes straight up the middle (as demonstrated by the rolling pocket/touchdown pass).
point is shannon talks about finishing games well when you are up 14-0 with 50 minutes left you dont put a backup QB in you keep marve in and keep rolling the points
harris is a backup qb for a reason. he is nowhere near marve's skill level. the whole offensive flow of the game was ruined by that possession.
nix might not be the best OC, but he was probably the best available for the money. to get a top-shelf OC, you have to pay the big bucks, and they're not even paying shannon top dollars.
it does appear, at times, that shannon is in over his head and overwhelmed by this job. we could be looking at 2-3 after next week.
what makes today's loss disheartening is that NC is a mediocre team at best. they would get blown out by a quality team.
we were pushed around on both sides of the ball, and there are other teams on the schedule better than the Heels.
Nicks and Tate combined for 200 rec yards. The Db's are horrible. They got beat a ton last week against a&m too. For the past 5 years the Offense had to catch up to the D. Now it seems reversed. Marve would have won the game if he wasn't taken out. I'm all for Jacory getting reps, but that needs to be after the game is already in hand.
Shannon is starting to look like Zook. I mean I dont know how he gets no heat when Miami is 7-9 under him. You mention Miami is 1-7 in its last 8 ACC games and 7-14 in its last 21 overall, yet you say the players are to blame for not listening to the coaches?
Man that is lame. Your opinions about UM football have been on the mark ever since I started coming here, but this comment about Shannon not being to blame but the players are somehow mentally weak is pathetic. Why are they mentally weak? COACHING KARTIK!
Listen to the coaches? The same coaches who called blitzes on every play down the stretch? The same coaches who called three straight running plays and punted the ball right back to UNC? The same coaches that pull a starting QB in groove after the other team scores a TD to get the other guy reps?
Our coaches suck and are clueless just like you for writing this piece.
You rank Miami behind Duke and NC State in your ACC Power ratings every week, so you should realize that the coaching here STINKS!
Remeber Khalil Jones needs to play cause he practices hard every week. Who cares if he catches a screen and loses 3 yards?
Does anyone realize we only gave up 35 yards rushing?? Normally, you win games when like that. We haven't given up 100 yards once this season. We got lit up by another average QB again today. Yet our secondary is largely made up of upperclassmen. Coker recruits. In that sense I see the point of this blog post.
I think if shannon loses to FSU he loses this team for good like last year after the NC State game.
Look at Saban's impact with Bama. Shannon took over a 7-6 team from 2006 while Saban took over a 6-7 team from 2006. Now look at the two programs.
Something has to change.
Nix is to blame also.
Cooper was gashing them before he decided on doing the Marve draw which resulted in the holding call. How about a pass on 3rd and 12 to win the game?
Players not coaches win games, true. But coaches need to help the players win.
A disgusting turn of events today.
All the hope and promise of the kids and yet the same mental mistakes and late game breakdowns.
Do you realize if you take Duke, the conference dormat out of the equation as well as FSU and BC who we have traditionally played we haven't beaten what you would call a traditional ACC school in TWO YEARS!
When we joined the league I laughed at the prospect of playing North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech regularly, but those schools are the ones laughing now.
We were in the same exact position as both FSU, Colorado, Nebraska and Alabama when Shannon took over. Right now all four programs I mentioned are better than us although three of them are only marginally better.
However, I still give Shannon a mulligan this year as he has too many guys who were recruited by Coker.
Florida State will kill us next week. With so many breakdowns in the secondary, FSU's WRs who are game breakers like Parker, Easterling and Surrency will like Nicks and Tate have a field day.
FSU's defense is much much better than North Carolina's. UNC learned after one week from their late game breakdowns a week ago but we still have not learned after three years.
frustrating to say the least.
Shannon's time is up.
Plain and simple.
Im waiting for once just once for Shannon to say that he got out coached. After every lost he throws these kids under the bus. Sometimes even singling out the player. His answer " blown coverage" to the big plays, well damn it! put these kids in the right position and it wont happen. We cant use there's no talent excuse anymore. As for psychology which you talk about that comes from the coaches darn it! I'm personally going to wait until after the season to ask for a coach to be fired. I want to see if we regress like last yr or gradually improve from game to game. He's never accountable and you've defended that mentality in this puff piece.
Man you're a fool to put us ahead of anyone! You really think we could beat Virginia who you have below us. They beat us 48-0 last year!
Virginia is clearly worse than us this season: the only ACC team that claim can be made about. Peter Lalich dismissal from the team was the last straw for them.
He can recruit but honestly how tough is it to recruit to Miami?
I see your point, but honestly both Coker and Eriksson let our south florida base erode and we needed Butch and now RS to restore it. But in a normal world, Miami should not have trouble recruiting.
harris is a backup qb for a reason. he is nowhere near marve's skill level. the whole offensive flow of the game was ruined by that possession.
This is the one real problem I have with the coaching.
Our coaches suck and are clueless just like you for writing this piece.
The coaches put our defense in a position where one 3rd down stop wins the game. Yet twice UNC converted and twice they scored TDs.
Florida State will kill us next week. With so many breakdowns in the secondary, FSU's WRs who are game breakers like Parker, Easterling and Surrency will like Nicks and Tate have a field day.
They may not kill us but FSU clearly has much more talent than Miami. I can see very few Miami players that can actually start for FSU- Marve and maybe a few on the O-line. No one on Miami's defense other than Moncur would start for FSU. None of our WRs would even sniff the field for FSU. Advantage Noles in the talent department.
But believe it or not Eric, coaching could be the equalizer. FSU's staff has been consistently outcoached in the ACC the last few years. Shannon has a good staff except for Panziano who needs to be replaced. FSU's staff is from what I am told wrought with infighting and intrigue. Advantage Miami in the coaching department.
Agreed, this nonsense with the musical QBs did contribute to the loss yesterday. The game was on the verge of being a blowout, with UM establishing a nice rhythm on offense and doing as it pleased. You could feel the momentum grind to a halt once they subbed Harris in for Marve, and the offense never looked the same or operated as efficiently for the rest of the game.
Va Tech looked solid last night against a good Nebraska team on the road. Yet again they will pound us.
maybe i'm crazy, but I think we're going to show up big against FSU. this is just going to be an up and down season. however, our secondary(mostly b.johnson & dvd) scares the hell outta me. they were supposed to be our best guys, but b.harris is going to suplant one of them. Maybe give R. Buchanan a shot?
I never like to throw anyone under the bus but DVD better get his act together or Brandon Harris will have him watching from the sidelines. He let big mouth junk talking louis Murphy beat him on a TD and now again against Carolina. Tighten up kid.
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