Hall Of Canes

DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING

2008-11-30T05:47:57Z

A five-game winning streak that put the Canes in position to win the ACC gave fans hope. But two straight losses ended Miami's regular season on Saturday night with a thoroughly mediocre 7-5 record.

There is a bowl game, so there is still a chance the Canes can improve by three wins over last season's horrible 5-7 mark.

But in Coral Gables, 7-6 or even 8-5 is nowhere good enough.

Yes, the Canes are young, and the freshman class appears to be great. But I am not convinced that head coach Randy Shannon has any clue how to run a winning system on offense.

And the great defenses that he once played on and coordinated is now a long way from championship caliber and was downright embarrassed several times this season.

Before the season, Canes fans asked themselves a simple question:

What is the team good at?

We didn't know the answer at the start of the season - and we don't know the answer now.

Running game? UM never established dominance.

Passing game? It showed flashes but was super inconsistent.

Stopping the run? Ask Georgia Tech.

Stopping the pass? There wasn't a single all-star candidate in the secondary this season.

Special teams? Kicker Matt Bosher had a good year but Travis Benjamin was unable to live up to his promise returning kicks - he's only a freshman, so there is time with him - and the unit is a long ways from the glory days, when the Canes used to block kicks with regularity.

Coaching? Please. Offensive coordinator Pat Nix is on the hot seat and may be dismissed. Veteran defensive coordinator Bill Young was brought in after he had a great year at Kansas but did not live up to the hype after a good showing against Florida.

The Canes have run a basic 4-3 defense forever. They use to beat people on sheer talent. Isn't it time they switch to a 4-3 and try to disguise their defensive looks like they do in the pros?

And isn't it time they pick a quarterback? Freshmen Robert Marve and Jacory Harris showed potential, but the fear is that neither can be all he can be if he has to share time.

There is some talent at Miami. Either Marve or Harris can be a star if there is the proper coaching - a big if.

Receivers Aldarius Johnson is the prototypical big target and Benjamin is the quick guy - they can compare to past Canes Andre Johnson and Santana Moss. Tight end Dedric Epps is another impressive specimen ... if, all together now, developed right.

Potential defensive playmakers are already on campus in cornerbacks Brandon Harris and DeMarcus Van Dyke, linebackers Sean Spence, Colin McCarthy and Darryl Sharpton, defensive tackle Marcus Forston and ends Allen Bailley, Adewale Ojomo and Marcus Robinson.

But are there coaches on campus who can put in place the systems - offense, defense and specials - to win?

Ah, that is the huge question. The answer right now appears to be no. They don't have an offensive genius such as Leach at Texas Tech (who would have made a great hire after the Canes fired Coker) or Johnson at Georgia Tech.

The defense needs to disguise coverages. And the special teams needs to intimidate and win games like the Canes in the glory days.

N.C. STATE WON'T BE EASY

2008-11-28T20:32:10Z

Miami's final regular-season game of the year is Saturday at noon at North Carolina State.

The Wolfpack is only 5-6, but they have won three in a row, including the past two against teams that were nationally ranked at the time - Wake Forest at No. 24 and North Carolina at No. 22.

The Pack was especially impressive in its most recent game, knocking off the Tar Heels, 41-10.

The Pack has found a small but very effective redshirt freshman at quarterback. His name is Russell Wilson. He is only 5-11 but he has passed for 1,549 yards, 14 TDs and just 1 interception.

His top receiver is 6-3, 180-pound sophomore Owen Spencer, who is averaging a whopping 21 yards per catch for a total of 27-567 and 3 TDs.

The running game won't rival Georgia Tech, but 6-0, 230-pound senior Andre Brown has 635 yards and a 4.2 average to lead the team.

Watch for 5-10, 195-pound junior Jamelle Eugene, who is equally dangerous running or catching. He has 366 yards and a 5.0 average running and 24 catches for 193 yards.

Stop those four players, and the Canes should win to go 8-4.

HUMILIATING DEFEAT

2008-11-21T04:01:14Z

The Canes' brutal loss to georgia tech tonight spotlights the fact that Miami does not have an effective offensive system - and its defense has a long way to go, too.

Tech's triple option looked deadly vs. Miami's young defense. The Canes allowed 471 rushing yards - the second most in school history. The record was set by Auburn in 1944. Georgia Tech could have had more yards had their star fullback not been injured fairly early in the game. Tech pretty much took it easy on the Canes in the fourth quarter.

The Canes often looked confused as to who had the ball - the fullback, quarterback or one of the two guys in the slot.

Miami's offense, in contrast, does not run the ball as efficiently as Georgia Tech or throw it like a Texas Tech. Miami strives to be balanced. In the glory days, that plan worked as Miami was tough to stop on the ground or in the air. Now they look impotent both ways.

So even though Miami's defense was blitzed tonight, the thought here is that is a bit of an aberration due to the fact that Georgia Tech runs such a unique offense that is tough to see when you face it only once a year.

The offense, though, needs examination. After last season, head coach Randy Shannon fired defensive coordinator Tim Walton.

I won't be surprised if the same fait awaits offensive coordinator Pat Nix.

Another interesting thing to watch is whether quarterback Robert Marve is benched. True freshman Jacory Harris looks more comfortable than Marve, who too often looked to run instead of finding a receiver down field.

BIG SIGNING FOR CANES

2008-11-20T01:57:10Z

Canes Coach Frank Haith continues to build an impressive basketball program, signing 6-4 shooting guard Durand Scott out of New York city.

Scott turned down U-Conn and Pitt, two of the top five programs in the country at the moment. Impressive.

Scott is ranked among the top 45 players in the country, according to scout.com, rivals.com and espn. Scout has him the highest at No. 27.

Scott is known as more of a slasher than a pure shooter. He can defend and is a good enough ballhandler to help with those duties. Mostly, though, he is a winner from a city loaded with hoops talent.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

2008-11-19T06:09:59Z

The Good news is that Canes defensive end Marcus Robinson and kicker Matt Bosher were named ACC Player of the Week at their positions. Robinson had 3 sacks and Bosher had 3 field goals vs. Virginia Tech last week.

The bad news was that the baseball team lost their No. 2 starting pitcher, Eric Erickson, to a season-ending injury. That's a big blow.

But football is the big deal right now. The Canes play at Georgia Tech on Thursday night on Big East with the ACC Coastal Division title at stake.

The Canes will face two things they are not used to:

1 - Cold weather. (It will be in the 30s, according to the forecasts.)

2 - Tech's triple option. (Tech spends all year perfecting their unusual offense and Miami sees this type of attack just once a year.

CANES SET FOR TECH TEST

2008-11-18T06:55:40Z

It's time to focus on the Canes' game Thursday night at Georgia Tech (7-3 overall, 4-3 ACC). Tech is led by coach Paul Johnson, who is in his first year at the school.

Johnson ran the triple option at Georgia Southern and then at Navy before arriving at Tech. Johnson's last three teams at Navy led the nation in rushing, so the Canes know what to expect.

Sure enough, sophomore fullback Jonathan Dwyer (6-0, 230 pounds) leads Tech with 1,056 yards, an impressive 6.6 average and 8 TDs.

If the Canes' defensive tackles don't have a big game, this will likely be a loss. So Marcus Forston, Antonio Dixon, Joe Joseph and Dwayne Hendricks are the guys who must step up.

Tech's sophomore QB Josh Nebitt (6-1, 215) is not much of a thrower - he has completed only 48.3 percent of his passes for 615 yards. But he has run for 498 yards and is another key player to stop.

Freshman Roddy Jones (5-9, 195 pounds) is the most dangerous slotback on the team. He averages 6.7 yards per carry (347 yards).

As previously stated, the Tech passing game is not very potent. But because teams focus so much on stopping the Tech run, they will hit you with long pass plays every now and again.

Sophomore Demarius Thomas (6-3, 230) is the team's leading receiver with 33 catches for 559 yards and 3 TDs. That's more than twice as many yards as any Canes receiver.

Then again, Miami's two QBs have passed for more than 1,700 yards, which puts Tech's passing numbers to shame. The difference is really that Tech is more predictable - they are going to run most downs.

And when they pass, it's usually going to Thomas.

With Miami, you really have no clue which QB they will use or which receiver they will throw to. Graig Cooper is the leading rusher, but now that Javarris James is healthy, he will help keep defenses guessing in the backfield, too.

Another thing about Tech. Did you notice how young their team is? Kind of like the Canes. Both these teams should be getting better and better the next couple of years.

Tech is also big with players such as Dwyer and Thomas and an excellent defensive line.

Where are they vulnerable? They lack experience in their secondary, and their kicker has yet to make a kick this season of more than 39 yards.

Miami has an edge in special teams with kicker Matt Bosher. And the way the Canes' defense is playing lately, I feel fairly confident they can handle Tech's running game and force them into uncomfortable third-and-longs.

Tech lost to a pair of teams Miami beat - Virginia and Virginia Tech. But Tech beat Florida State, a team that defeated the Canes.

Tech has been idle since Nov. 8, when it suffered its only decisive loss of the season, 28-7 to North Carolina.

Tech's only score came in the fourth quarter, when it already trailed 21-0. The TD came on an 85-yard run by Dwyer. But other than that run, he was held in check - just 3.4 yards per carry.

The Canes will certainly use the Tar Heels' blueprint for success.

But here is another interesting fact: Tech is 5-1 at home this season. They have played - by far - their best ball at home, crushing Mississippi State, 38-7, blanking Duke, 27-0, and edging FSU, 31-28,

But get this: The Canes are 3-1 on the road with their only loss coming against the third-ranked Florida Gators, who many consider the best team in the nation. And the Canes shut down Florida for three quarters in that game.

In their road wins, they blasted Texas A&M 41-23, hammered Duke 49-31 and defeated a red-hot Virginia team 24-17.

Tech won at Miami last season, 17-14. But it's payback time now, especially with the Canes getting their best player back in the lineup - Jason Fox. The left tackle missed last week's game with an ankle injury.

CANES EARN NO. 23 RANKING

2008-11-17T05:37:35Z

For the first time in more than two years, the Canes' football team is ranked among the nation's top 25.

The 7-3 Canes, who have won five straight, are ranked No. 23 by the Associated Press.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but the Canes went 21 straight weeks at No. 1 from 2001-02, winning the '01 national title -- its fifth overall -- and losing the championship game after the '02 season to Ohio State in a still-disputed overtime.

But the Canes hit hard times since, which resulted in the firing of coach Larry Coker and the hiring of Randy Shannon for 2007.

The Canes are now in position to potentially win their first ACC title. They will get to the title game if they win at Georgia Tech on Thursday and at NC State to close their regular season.

Maryland, which has won six in a row vs. ranked teams, is the front-runner to emerge from the other ACC division.

"The only thing that matters to us is that we've got an opponent on the road that's playing very well in Georgia Tech," Shannon said at his Sunday press conference. "They play very good at home, they can run the football, and they've got great defensive players. That's the only thing that can matter to us right now."

BIG DAY FOR CANES

2008-11-16T07:24:01Z

First came the news that Maryland had knocked off North Carolina, rallying for a 17-15 win over the team that had been the front-runners in the ACC's Coastal Division.

Had North Carolina beaten Maryland and followed with expected wins over Duke and North Carolina State, the Tar Heels would have gone to the ACC Championship game.

Now the Canes are the front-runners and will make the title game if they can win their final regular-season games, both on the road: at Georgia Tech and at NC State.

So, yes, it's looking good for the red-hot Canes in football.

The same can be said for the Canes' basketball team, which is ranked No. 16 nationally and routed Florida Southern, 96-60, in their opener Saturday night.

Florida Southern is a Division II team, so this was not much more than an exhibition. Still, it was good to see forward Dwayne Collins erupt for 18 points and 18 rebounds.

Star shooting guard Jack McClinton had 18 points - no shock there.

Backup point guard Edwin Rios had 17 points, making 3 of 3 on three-pointers. He started in place of senior Lance Hurdle, who is day to day with an ankle injury.

Perhaps the best news was the play of two promising newcomers - power forward Cyrus McGowan and freshman wing DeQuan Jones.

McGowan, a transfer from the University of Arkansas, started and had 7 points and 10 rebounds, impressing with how hard he plays.

Jones played 17 minutes and scored 7 points, all in his final four minutes. He brought Canes fans to their feet on an alley-oop dunk, flashing his electric leaping ability.

DEFENSE DOES IT AGAIN IN WIN OVER VA.TECH

2008-11-14T07:46:29Z

Allen Bailey!!!

The Canes' defensive end saved the day with his huge sack that doomed Virginia Tech in their last chance at a rally.

Hey, this is becoming a habit. The Canes just won their fifth straight game Thursday night, beating Va.Tech 16-14 with a savage defense.

Tech RB Darren Evans, who rushed for 253 yards in his previous game, vs. Maryland, was held down by the Canes, who limited him to just 43 yards and a sickly 2.5 average.

The Canes also came up with 6 sacks, including 3 by freshman LB/DE Marcus Robinson, who looks like a mini Lawrence Taylor in training rushing from the outside.

DT Marcus Forston, another freshman, also had a sack. And Bailey, of course, is a redshirt freshman.

Does any team in the country have better freshmen - defensively and offensively - than the Canes? I doubt it.

The Canes gave up just one score in the first half, but even that was really not valid. The Hokies clearly fumbled, but the refs missed what should have been Canes ball after a recovery by CB Chavez Grant. The Hokies were lucky to keep the ball and took advantage by putting together a TD drive to tie the score 7-7.

The Canes' defense was even more dominant in the second half as the Hokies' first three drives all ended in 3-and-outs. There were also 4 Canes sacks in those three domiant stands.

The Hokies finally answered with a TD drive to narrow the gap to 16-14, but the Canes' defense closed them out on the next drive ... with Bailey's big sack serving as the final nail.

The Canes are now 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. They are still alive for a berth in the ACC title game but have no more games at home. The last two regular-season games, in order, are at Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.

The GT game figures to be the biggest test, but the way the Canes are playing, I like their chances.

DEFENSE RISES UP

2008-11-03T01:58:26Z

Reflecting on the Canes win over Virginia on Saturday, it marks the second straight week in which Miami's defense shut its opponent out in the second half.

Virginia RB Cedric Peerman, who had not fumbled in 339 carries, was stripped by backup safety Lovon Ponder in overtime. And when LB Romeo Davis recovered, the game was over.

Now a big concern is the Canes' battered offensive line, which suffered injuries to tackles Jason Fox and Chris Rutledge on Saturday. Canes coach Randy Shannon said Sunday he does not expect either injury to be serious.

The Canes are going to need those healthy linemen if they are to run the table in their final 3 regular-season games - all in the ACC.

Those linemen need to consistently open holes for sophomore RB Graig Cooper, who had had 4 games of 90-plus yards this season and 40 games of less than 32.

Cooper rushed for 682 yards as a freshman and already has 634. But his yards per rush is slightly down - from 5.5 to 5.0.

IF the Canes can get Cooper into the secondary, this team could go far.

FOUR WINS IN A ROW!

2008-11-01T22:12:33Z

True freshman QB Jacory Harris came off the bench to throw the tying and go-ahead TD passes in a dramatic win at Virginia.

The Canes are now 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC. No team in their division has less than two losses, which means the Canes can get to the ACC championship game if they win out.

The Canes' remaining games are Virginia Tech, at Georgia Tech and at North Carolina State. The two Tech games are on Thursday nights and nationally televised by ESPN.

Virginia, which entered Saturday's game on a four-game win streak, was unlucky to lose this one.

But the young Canes also showed guts to win it.

Harris engineered an amazing 15-play, 95-yard drive to tie it, scoring on a wild third-and-15 play in which he scrambled to his left under pressure and fired a 26-yarder to fellow freshman Laron Byrd with less than one minute remaining in the game.

In overtime, Harris struck on third down once again. This time, with 5 yards to go, he fired a perfect pass in the left corner of the end zone to Aldarius Johnson.

As if you had to ask, yes, Johnson is another freshman. Johnson is also five inches taller than the CB trying to cover him.

Virginia missed all kinds of opportunities to add to their lead early or win it late, including missed field goals of 38 and 47. A sack by Canes DE Allen Bailey ruined what would have been another FG try by the Cavs.

And Canes CB Bruce Johnson recovered two crucial fumbles. The first stopped what might have been a winning drive by the Cavs in the final minute. The second ended the game in overtime after safety Lovon Ponder stripped the ball.

Big ups as well to Canes RB Graig Cooper, who ran for 131 yards and a 5.5 average.

Backup RB "Baby J" James also ran well - 55 yards and a 6.1 average.

Freshman WR Thearon Collier was the Canes' leading receiver with 3 catches for 64 yards.

A partial list of the Canes freshmen who had big plays Saturday would thus include Harris, Byrd, Johnson, Collier and Bailey.

Best freshman class in the nation - without a doubt.

HIGH HOPES for HOOPS

2008-10-28T07:16:21Z

The Canes, coming off their conference media day for men's basketball, were picked by the ACC's coaches to finish fourth in the league.

Pretty impressive in that rugged conference.

Here is a potential starting lineup that would offer the most size and experience:

PG - Lance Hurdle 6-2 Sr.

SG - Jack McClinton 6-1 Sr.

SF - Brian Asbury 6-7, 225 Sr.

PF - Dwayne Collins 6-8, 240 Jr.

C - Jimmy Graham 6-8, 250 Sr.

COMMENT: Asbury was beat out for the starting small forward spot by undersized James Dews last season but gets one final shot to finish his college career strong. McClinton was first-team All-ACC last season and is among the best shooters in the nation. The three-point line moving back one foot won't affect his incredible range. Hurdle's speed sparked the Canes offense last season. Collins is a leaper with long arms and even longer potential. And Graham is the energy guy who rebounds, blocks shots and draws charges.

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KEY BENCH GUYS:

G/F - James Dews 6-3, 205 Jr.

SF - DeQuan Jones 6-6, 190 Fr.

F - Adrian Thomas 6-7, 225 Jr.

F - Cyrus McGowan 6-9, 235 Jr.

COMMENT: Whether Dews starts as expected or comes off the bench, he will provide good perimeter shooting and tough defense. Jones is the most talented freshman the Canes have signed in years and is very athletic. Thomas, who has been hurt the past two years, could surprise. He has greatly improved his shooting and is tough around the basket, too. McGowan is expected to make a huge impact. The Arkansas transfer may be the best rebounder on the team - Coach Frank Haith compares him to Dennis Rodman.

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ALSO AVAILABLE:

PG - Eddie Rios 6-0 So.

C - Julian Gamble 6-9, 240 Fr.

C - Reggie Johnson 6-9, 305 Fr.

COMMENT: Rios, a star in high school, struggled as a freshman and does not have the body or speed to be a big-time Division I player. But because the Canes do not have a true backup at point guard - they could slide McClinton over in a pinch - Rios will get some opportunities. His best skill is his shooting, but he has to improve his handle.

Gamble could surprise this season. Haith calls him his best offensive post player, and if that is true, he will play a lot. Johnson, who has lost 20 pounds to get down to 305, is a candidate to redshirt. But if he gets in top condition, he could be a force in the paint because of his massive size.

MARVE-LOUS

2008-10-26T06:12:19Z

As I correctly stated last week, don't give up on Robert Marve.

After true freshman quarterback Jacory Harris came off to bench to lead the Canes over Duke last week, many fans I spoke to had soured on Marve, a redshirt freshman.

I cautioned against that knee-jerk reaction. Marve and Harris are the two most recent winners of the Mr. Florida award. In other words, both are big-time talents.

But just as clearly, both are young, inexperienced on the college level and understandably inconsistent. I agree with Coach Randy Shannon's plan to play them both and get them ready, even if I disagreed with taking a hot Marve out of Saturday's win over Wake Forest with 5 minutes left and the Canes leading by only 6 points.

When Harris could not move the ball, the Canes' defense - battered on the ground in the first half - came up with a huge stop. Marve then iced the game with a 25-yard pass to freshman Thearon Collier on 3rd and 15.

Mave also had a huge 43-yard run earlier in the game, showing his raw speed. And Marve also had a big completion downfield to Travis Benjamin.

As I said last week, if I had to choose one QB it would be Marve, who is bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced. Both are gifted leaders, and I think Harris will get stronger by next year and be a big-time college QB.

It's a nice problem to have.

The real problem with the 5-3 Canes - who still have a shot at winning the ACC - is their maddening inconsistency.

Eight games into the season, the Canes still can't say they are good at anything in particular. Can you really say the Canes are good at passing? Or running? Or pass defense? Or run defense? Or special teams?

No, no, no, no and no.

Field-goal kicker Matt Bosher, who has missed just once all season and has hit from as far out as 52 yards on Saturday, may be their most consistent player. At least as a kicker. He shanked a punt in a crucial situation late in Saturday's game that could have given Wake the victory if Miami's defense not stepped up.

Miami's run defense was brutally bad vs. Wake, which ran on its first 24 offensive plays. Wake, which entered the game averaging just 2.6 yards per carry, opened the game with a 66-yard TD drive.

How embarrassing that the Canes couldn't stop Wake, at least force them to pass.

The Canes - notably CB Chavez Grant, LB Darryl Sharpton and others - missed tackle after tackle.

DE Ojomo did make a couple of huge plays for the defense. He got a sack on the first and then added another sack while also forcing a fumble that the Canes recovered.

Backup LB Romeo Davis also made some plays.

Still, the Canes' defense has shown up just twice in 7 real games this season (vs. major-conference opponents). The most notable big game for the defense was early in the season vs. Florida.

I hailed new Canes defensive coordinator Bill Young as a hero after that game. But that type of defense has been mostly missing since then.

The offense has also been inconsistent. RB Graig Cooper was impressive early but was shut down Saturday (12 carries, 27 yards). He has rushed for at least 90 yards in 3 of the real games but was held under 32 in 3 others.

Junior RB Javaris James, who had a big freshman year, is having his second straight wasted season. He missed four games this season due to injury. In his three real games, he has failed to rush for so much as 15 yards.

Probably the most exciting aspect of the team is the super talented freshmen receivers. Travis Benjamin has shown great hands to go with Devin Hester-like speed and moves. In the past four weeks, he has caught 12 passes for 222 yards.

Another freshman WR, the bigger, sturdier Aldarius Johnson, has 15 catches for 155 yards in the past 3 games.

Hopefully, these two rookies will lead the way to a more consistent Canes team these next few weeks.

FAB FRESHMEN

2008-10-22T03:28:51Z

A Miami Herald story by Susan Miller Degnan uncovered several interesting facts about the Canes' stellar class of freshmen.

Here is an excerpt of that story:

• Seven of UM's true freshmen have scored at least one touchdown this season, by far the country's most prolific group of youngsters.

• Five true freshmen scored in UM's 49-31 comeback victory Saturday at Duke, believed to be the first time that has happened in UM history, and possibly, in upper-division college football.

The true freshmen who have reached the end zone are Travis Benjamin (four times), Jacory Harris (2), Aldarius Johnson (2), Davon Johnson (1), Thearon Collier (1), Sean Spence (1) and LaRon Byrd (1). All are receivers or return specialists, except for quarterback Harris and linebacker Spence.

According to a survey done this week by UM, the schools with the most true freshmen who have scored at least one touchdown are Southern California, UCLA, Colorado, Arizona, Florida State, Northern Illinois and Georgia Tech -- each with three.

Benjamin, a 5-10, 162-pounder, leads the team with 739 all-purpose yards, the most through seven games for UM since Willis McGahee had 847 heading into the eighth game of the 2002 season.

CONGRATS, JACORY

2008-10-21T04:37:38Z

Canes freshman Jacory Harris after was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday.

The QB tossed four TD passes on Saturday to beat Duke.

GREAT FRESHMEN ... VETERANS NOT SO MUCH

2008-10-19T05:48:27Z

QB issues aside, big win over the Duke Blue Devils and their Miami native QB Thad Lewis. The Canes are now 3-0 vs. Lewis.

It is also the first ACC win of the season for Miami (4-3, 1-2). This is obviously a team lacking in overall talent. But so what? The Canes have won six national titles in the past 25 years (that's right Ohio State, six, not five).

The point is that the Canes have given me enough thrills over the years. I will hang with them through these lean years.

Coach Randy Shannon said after the game that Robert Marve is still his starting QB for next week's Wake Forest game, but backup Jacory Harris was very impressive, leading the Canes to 35 unanswered points.

The Canes entered the game with the nation's No. 110 offense, a very disappointing ranking. But the real problem is that are getting practically nothing from upperclassmen at the offensive skill positions.

The stars were:

Harris, a freshman

RB Graig Cooper, a sophomore who averaged 9.1 yards per carrry and finished with 64 in total.

WR Aldarius Johnson, a freshman who finished with 8 catches for 84 yards and 1 TD in his best performance to date.

WR Travis Benjamin, a freshman who had 170 yards in total offense and scored 1 TD. Benjamin averaged 15 yards on punt returns. He is the small, quick, electric playmaker who serves as the perfect complement to the powerful Johnson.

WR Davon Johnson, a freshman caught his first career TD pass. Johnson has not developed as quickly as Benjamin but having watched him in high school I feel he has that same type of electric ability and potential.

Junior RB Javarris James, one of the few contributing veterans, returned from missing several games with injury. He did not do much in this game but perhaps he can get back in the groove and help Cooper.

Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix deserves credit for going no-huddle and opening up the attack unit.

But this has been the nature of the Canes this season. Offense up one week, down the next. Defense down one week, up the next. .

QB CONTROVERSY?

2008-10-19T04:37:44Z

Uh oh.

I should be happy that the Canes beat Duke 49-31 on Saturday, and I am. But after watching Jacory Harris come off the bench and rally the Canes to victory, I can't help but feel that the Canes are staring a potentially divisive QB controversy in the face.

Down 10 points, Harris came in and fired 4 TD passes and also ran for one. He completed 18 out of 28 passes for 185 yards.

He did suffer two interceptions and would have had a third if a Duke player had not dropped a pass.

But give Harris huge credit. The true freshman came in and made big play after big play.

I am a big Jacory Harris fan - great leader, great QB, a winner.

But I feel the same way about Marve, perhaps even more so. I don't want to discard Marve after one game in which he completed 4 of 7 for 64 yards with 1 interception and 1 TD. The pick was a dumb decision but it was not especially costly since it served almost the same purpose as a punt. Harris' picks were certainly worse.

I guess having two high-profile QBs was bound to be a collision course at some time. This could be the time, although Miami will try to manage the situation as best as possible.

CANES SURVIVE IN-STATE CHALLENGE

2008-10-12T05:46:32Z

The Canes' 20-14 win on Saturday was called ugly, unattractive ... a dog.

But it was also something else - essential. Without it, the Canes would have finished the season 0-3 against its in-state rivals after losing previously to the hated Florida Gators as well as the FSU Seminoles.

The Canes battled hard in narrow loses to the Gators and Noles, and the same could be said for UCF on Saturday. The Knights had a chance to win it on its final drive of the game, driving to Miami territory with the knowledge that a touchdown would give them a huge victory for bragging rights.

But the Canes' defense, strong all game, held off UCF.

Still, the win left some Canes fans I talked to unhappy as to how the team is playing.

I am not quite as harsh. Look, every loss is painful, and the Canes' 3 defeats this season have all had an extra sting because they have come against in-state rivals and a former Miami coach in Butch Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Having said that, we must accept that this is a very young Canes team. The freshman class is surely one of the best in the nation, but until they mature and the Canes surround them with more speed, size and talent, Miami will continue to be inconsistent.

One week the offense looks great and the defense struggles, and the next Saturday the reverse is true.

Saturday was the defense's time to shine. One week after the Noles' QB and RB ran all over the Canes, Miami held UCF to just 4 yards on 27 carries.

The pass defense had perhaps its best game of the season, holding UCF to just 74 yards on 11-of-37 accuracy.

Best of all, the Canes' defense pitched a shutout. The only points UCF scored came on a 62-yard interception return and a 91-yard kickoff run-back.

The Canes' offense had success running the ball - Graig Cooper had 90 yards and 1 TD, Lee Chambers broke off a 25-yard run, and Deron Thomas averaged 4.7 on 3 carries.

But freshman QB Robert Marve, so impressive earlier this season, was intercepted 3 times by UCF and seemed confused by the Knights' zones.

Marve completed only 8 of 19 for just 74 yards. Take away his 25-yard scoring strike to Travis Benjamin and his numbers really look anemic (7 of 18 for 49 yards, 3 picks, 0 TDs).

Backup QB Jacory Harris got some opportunities but did not do much with them (4 of 6 for 14 yards).

The inept passing game forced the Canes to punt 11 times, a shockingly high number for this once-dominant program.

Most of the Canes' scoring on Saturday was by virtue of their special teams, which forced a safety and recovered a fumble that led to a one-play, 5-yard TD "drive" by Miami's offense.

The Canes' only ture drive went 68 yards and was capped by the TD pass to Benjamin in the first quarter. After that, nothing.

The Canes are now 3-3, which is appropriate for this inconsistent team.

INJURY ADDED TO DEFEAT

2008-10-05T16:56:22Z

Not only was the Canes' defense savaged in Saturday's 41-39 loss to the Noles, now comes word that starting defensive end Eric Moncur and starting outside linebacker Colin McCarthy are out for the season with leg and shoulder injuries, respectively.

That hurts, but in reality, at 2-3, this season is no longer about wins and losses for me. It is about playing the young guys and letting them shine and then signing another top recruiting class in February with the hopes of winning the ACC and more in 2009.

The freshmen are already shining for Miami. Against the Noles on Saturday, freshman WR Travis Benjamin - who has been touted in this space previously - ran for an 18-yard TD, caught a pass for a 51-yard TD and returned 6 kickoffs for 185 yards, more than 30 yards per try.

In addition, freshman linebacker Sean Spence - who has been a star since he stepped on campus for spring drills - intercepted a pass and scored a TD.

Freshman WR Aldarius Johnson caught 5 passes for 55 yards and is the perfect power receiver to complement the speed of Benjamin.

Of course, the Canes' defense, which looked so good shutting down Florida a few weeks ago, made an average FSU quarterback in Chris Ponder look like a stud. Ponder ran for 144 yards on Miami - unforgivable.

FSU built a 24-0 lead before Miami recovered and actually had a shot to win. But the Canes were held to a field goal after getting a turnover deep in FSU territory in the final minutes, and FSU answered with a TD drive to realistically end Miami's hopes.

Miami has now lost to its two biggest rivals this season - Florida and Florida State -and also to its former head coach, Butch Davis of North Carolina.

&%$###

NOLES COMING TO TOWN

2008-10-01T00:57:59Z

Fresh off their home loss to Butch Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Canes will host their biggest rival, Florida State, this Saturday.

The Marlins' season is finally over, which means that the Canes won't have to deal with the dirt infield at Dolphins Stadium that no doubt affects kickers such as Matt Bosher, who missed one from that spot last week.

The big key this week will be the offensive line, which is expected to again be without injured right tackle Reggie Youngblood. The line started last week with a crushing block by left tackle Jason Fox. But late holding penalties against Fox and center Xavier Shannon hurt the Canes' cause.

Hopefully, the Canes will get injured freshman DT Marcus Forston back this week and add him to a front wall that is playing pretty well. They held North Carolina to 35 yards last Saturday - one yard per try.

At linebacker, the Canes still need to play freshman Sean Spence more. He is a stud.

UM's defensive backs were victimized last Saturday. And while they surely need to play better, the Canes' blitzers are also at fault. The Canes brought blitzers and failed to get at the Tar Heels' QB, which left the DBs vulnerable.

Offensively, RB Graig Cooper went over 100 yards and has an impressive average-per rush. But he needs help. With Javarris James hurt, the Canes are going almost exclusively to Cooper and have not given young backs Shawnbrey McNeal and Lee Chambers much of a chance.

I continue to like QB Robert Marve's moxy. He admittedly threw a bad pass on his first interception, but he is a very accurate, poised and impressive young QB.

The receiver position is another position where the freshmen have to play if this team is going to ultimately progress.

On the final play of the game, junior WR Kayne Farquharson almost came up with the winning TD pass on a Marve pass that was a bit high. And while Kayne tried his best, the play showed his shortcomings. Rather than stretch for that pass, Kayne needed to quickly plant and leap and go get that ball at its highest point.

That is what I expect in the future will happen with players such as freshman Aldarius Johnson, who caught his first college TD pass against the Heels, and also 6-5 Tommy Streeter, who is out this year with an injury but still has major potential.

Tight end Dedric Epps is another big dude who has shown he can make the big catch in a clutch situation - his game-winner vs. Florida State is a case in point.