SB Nation - Graig Cooper

There's Still Football to Be Played: Miami

T.H. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:40:58 -0000

So while we've been obsessing over the play of the freshmen basketball players and the plans for next year's freshmen basketball players, there's still a football season going on. I know, it's a little strange for me, too. It doesn't help that the Senior Day game is so early in November and against a team UNC has never played this late in the conference season; it's all a little discombobulating. But Miami is coming into Chapel Hill tomorrow, with an outside chance to win the division. Also, I've heard rumors they have a history with the Carolina coach.

Miami has probably the most balanced offense UNC has faced this season. The Heels are familiar with half of it, the running tandem of Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The duo has totaled 214 yards in their last two meetings with the Heels. Actually, it was mostly Cooper, as James was injured last season (and is coming off another injury this season). They've added a few other backs as well, resulting in three 150+ rushers in last week's game UVa game. The running game is strong and even against the Heels' defense is usually good for at least one touchdown series.

The passing game is a surprise however. After losing three quarterbacks to transfer before the season, I was expecting weakness there, but Jacory Harris has come in and become the 4th best passer in the conference as well as leading two fourth quarter game-winning drives over FSU and Wake. (The opponents were more impressive at the time.) He is tied with T.J. Yates in interceptions thrown, however, and the team is second only to Virginia in allowing sacks.

The Hurricanes' defense has been plagued by injuries, but is the middle of the road in most defensive categories. They will be able to put more pressure on the offensive line than Duke or Virginia Tech did, but aren't prone to picking the ball off, which may be a bit of a consolation. To be honest, I don't know what to expect when UNC has the ball. The rushing game is now Draughn-less, most of the offensive line has returned to health, and their playing a team that's given up 30+ points three times this season. UNC has been good for roughly twenty points a game since the Virginia debacle, and that'll probably be enough to win here - but will the offense that faced GT or UVa come back for Senior Day as well?

OU vs. Miami BCS Elimination Game Thread

ccmachine — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:00:40 -0000

More photos » by Marty Lederhandler - AP

2 months ago: FILE - In this Dec. 9, 1987 file photo, Miami coach Jimmy Johnson, left, meets with Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer to ask the question, "Who will be No. 1?", during a news conference at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel. The answer will be determined on the field New Year's Day in Miami when the top ranked Sooners meet the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl Classic. The two teams continue their storied rivalry when they meet on Saturday night, Oct. 3, 2009 in Miami. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)

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Game Information

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. Central

Location: Miami, Fla. |Live Radar

Stadium: Land Shark Stadium (76,500)

TV: ABC | Coverage Map

Radio: Sooner Sports Radio Network

Satellite: Sirius Satellite Channel 127 | XM 231

Team Comparison	OU	Miami
Points Per Game	40.7	26
Total Offense Per Game	452.7	379.7
Passing Yards Per Game	256.3	268.7
Rushing Yards Per Game	196.3	111
Points Allowed Per Game	4.7	27.3
Total Yards Allowed Per Game	223.3	334
Rushing	40.7	159
Passing	182.7	175
AP Rankings	8	17

Miami Players To Watch

Quarterback Jacory Harris - 59.5 Completion %, 806 yards, 5 Touchdowns, 3 Interceptions

Running Back Graig Cooper - 182.7 All-Purpose yards per game, 2 Touchdowns

Receiver LaRon Byrd - 141 Receiving yards, 1 Touchdown

Linebacker Colin McCarthy - 25 Total tackles

Oklahoma Players To Watch

Quarterback Landry Jones - 60.5 Completion %, 673 yards, 9 Touchdowns, 3 Interceptions

Running Back DeMarco Murray - 6.8 Yards per carry, 14.7 yards per reception, 3 total touchdowns

Receiver Ryan Broyles - 309 Receiving yards, 7 Touchdowns

Linebacker Travis Lewis - 29 Total Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Forced Fumble

The State of Oklahoma: OU Travels to Miami

TheElusiveShadow — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Jacory Harris would like to forget last Saturday.

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I've been thinking lately that people should start competitions on accurately predicting the Top 25 before the season, similar to how we do NCAA brackets for the March basketball tournament. As last weekend showed, nobody really knows anything. Texas, Florida, and Alabama cruised, but everyone under them went for a wild ride on a wooden raft. Some survived that ride, and others, well, went under. We'll see if they resurface anytime soon.

One of the teams that went down was the Miami Hurricanes, riding high after two impressive wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech. They were #9 Saturday morning, with some arguing they had the best resume through the first three weeks. By Sunday, they had plummeted to #21 in the Coaches Poll and #17 in the AP. Unlike other ranked teams, they did not lose to an unranked foe, with Virginia Tech coming into the game at #11. However, nobody expected the whipping the Hokies gave them, scoring the first 21 points and ultimately finishing with a 24-point victory. While it is possible for Miami to win the rest of their games, the margin by which they lost probably cost them any chance at a national title. Ouch.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, moved right on up the polls... by resting. They probably watched the carnage on TV and stuck their middle fingers out at all the analysts who made fun of them for falling against BYU. Make no mistake, the Sooners are now very much alive, and winning this weekend at Coral Gables may vault them back into the Top 5 if teams ahead of them falter again. The stakes this game are still high, and may even be higher (arguably) than if both teams came in undefeated. If Oklahoma loses one more, they are done as national title contenders. If Miami drops this one at home, they more or less fall off the radar. With the Horns off this week, this would be a good game on which to focus your attention.

Last Week's Fun

While Oklahoma was chilling, Miami was busy crapping the bed against Virginia Tech. I won't spend much time talking about the game; needless to say, despite their assurances to the contrary, the 'Canes were NOT ready for the weather and let turnovers kill them. In fact, the folks over at Gobbler Country seem to think the rain was the player of the game, so to speak. Of course, it didn't help that the Hokies dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and hammered Miami with Ryan Williams. Oh, and they blocked a punt for a TD, too.

To get an idea what Pouring Rain + Good Pressure does to an offense not prepared for it, let's take a brief look at Miami's high and mighty offense. Before this game, the Hurricanes averaged 465 yards of total offense at 7.27 yards per play. Jacory Harris averaged 328 yards per game at 11.12 yards per attempt, completed 69.5% of his passes including a 20-25 performance against Georgia Tech, and threw for 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions to earn a passer rating of 184.07. In the pouring rain against V-tech, with his trusty receivers having a bad case of the butterfingers, Harris was an abysmal 9/20 for 150 yards and one interception and a passer rating of 78.4. While Graig Cooper had a decent day running the ball, the 'Canes as a team averaged a terrible 1.74 ypc on the ground after averaging 4.7 against Georgia Tech. Other than their one scoring drive right after halftime, which was the result of a shorter field due to a good kickoff return, Miami was frighteningly bad on offense, gaining an average of 3.5 yards per play as a whole.

Defensively, Miami wasn't that much better. Tyrod Taylor did nothing in the passing game save a 48-yard touchdown, but there was no need for him to; the Hokies ran the ball on Miami, and then ran it again. They piled up 272 yards on 55 carries, and Miami couldn't get a whiff of Ryan Williams at the line of scrimmage and then made things worse by tackling poorly at the second level. It was a sharp difference from their performance against Georgia Tech.

It is difficult to say how much we can take from this. Obviously, everyone has their bad games, and the conditions of the game were not normal. However, I'm not sure how much you can blame getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage on the pouring rain. Maybe it made their jerseys heavier? In any case, Jacory Harris was not good but he didn't get any sort of help from his O-line or his receivers. A very painful day for the 'Canes.

Oklahoma and Miami Key Matchups

And with that, we move on to this week's game, which probably isn't looking nearly as good for Miami as it did a week ago. I'll briefly discuss a few key matchups:

Oklahoma's D-line vs. Miami's O-line

I'll be blunt: If Miami's offensive line plays anything like they did against Virginia Tech, Oklahoma is going to beat them and probably beat them badly. Even given better conditions that will help the passing game, Jacory Harris is going to have a steady diet of Gerald McCoy, Auston English, and Jeremy Beal if that happens again. V-Tech has a good defense, but I would put OU's defensive line over theirs. If OU quickly dominates in this area, Graig Cooper is going to have a rough day and Harris will have an even rougher day.

This unit was identified in the preseason as the weak link to the offense, lacking both experience and depth. Before Saturday, optimism reigned. After Saturday, pessimism "rained" (okay, bad joke). While Virginia Tech only got two sacks, they were on Harris all game. Jake Fox, the senior at left tackle, will have to play well against Oklahoma, and their new guards will have to hold their own against the monster that is Gerald McCoy. Cooper is one of their best players and they have to give him a chance to succeed this week.

Miami's D-line against Oklahoma's O-line

On the flip side, Oklahoma still has questions on their offensive line. They have eliminated some of the mistakes we saw against BYU and changed personnel a bit to try to find a good mix of players. Brody Eldridge, the best center in OU history, moved back to TE while Ben Habern took his spot. Cory Brandon lost his starting job at right tackle with Jarvis Jones sliding over from right guard. To replace Jones at RG, freshman Tyler Evans got the nod. This unit looks improved, but it's hard to judge much from victories over Idaho State and Tulsa. If Miami wants any hope at success, they need to test this line as BYU did.

Miami didn't get any sacks against Virginia Tech, but I don't look too much into that because Taylor only threw nine times. The Hurricanes have some speedy pass rushers that will need to be ready, because Oklahoma will most definitely throw more than that with Bradford or Landry. Still, Oklahoma is not deficient at running the football, and no doubt they saw Virginia Tech's success on the ground against this defense. Miami's defensive line was supposed to be a great strength of this team, and it has not quite lived up to that hype, although to be fair, a couple guys were out against V-Tech. Guys like Allen Bailey and Eric Moncur will need to have big games, among others. Miami has the requisite speed to pass rush; the issue will be in the middle, with an undersized guy in Bailey and a relative disappointment in Marcus Forston, a 2008 Freshman All-American. Forston was not active against V-Tech due to injury, but he did not produce as much as expected the first two games. I am not sure if he will be available against Oklahoma. If not, it doesn't help the situation.

Oklahoma will not run with the same style as Ryan Williams and the Hokies, but with Chris Brown and Demarco Murray, they are capable of doing damage in their own way. Not only that, Oklahoma possesses a much more dangerous passing game, so this line needs to make Landry Jones look like a freshman again or otherwise make Sam Bradford wish he stayed on the bench if he indeed comes back.

Miami's receivers vs. Oklahoma's secondary

Miami's receivers just seem to ooze talent and potential. This unit has speed, size, and big-play capability. Let's take a look at the main guys:

Travis Benjamin: Texas fans, meet Miami's version of D.J. Monroe, except his touches come primarily through the passing game. He stands at 5'10 and weighs a smallish 170 pounds, but boy, he can move it, even rumored to run a sub-4.3 forty. Whether or not you believe that is true, the point is taken: He's got speed and lots of it. The problem, however, is consistency; he was nowhere to be found against Virginia Tech, having zero catches including a drop. He also has not had too much success in the return game. The conditions will be better for him this Saturday, so Miami needs to do a better job finding ways to get the ball in his hands in space.

Aldarius Johnson: Johnson was supposed to be their stud receiver this season and he looks the part, listed as 6'3, 215 pounds and drawing comparisons to some guy named Andre Johnson. Unfortunately, [he pulled his groin against FSU and has been inactive], so right now, he's been a big disappointment, whether or not it's actually his fault. However, if it's time for a breakout game, now is the time to do it.

LaRon Byrd: Another big target who can run downfield, Byrd stands at 6'4 and weighs 215 pounds. He was held without a reception against the Seminoles but he had a big day against Georgia Tech, catching five balls for 83 yards and a score. He had 4 of Harris' 9 completions on Saturday.

Leonard Hankerson: Wait, are these receivers just all the same guy? It looks like it, as Hankerson is also listed at 215 pounds and stands at 6'3. Hankerson brings a lot of experience with him relative to the other receivers, and he is currently leading the team in receiving yards. His ceiling is not as high as the younger guys, but he's dangerous in his own right and provides a bit more consistency.

Dedrick Epps (Tight End): Tired of 6'3-6'4, 215 pounders? Well, here's a 6'4, 250-pound tight end. Epps is a quality player who can both block and catch the ball. He suffered an ACL injury before last year's bowl game and made it back for this season, albeit slightly slowed, but he's had decent production. Considering Oklahoma's troubles against BYU's tight ends, Epps will be a good target to look for.

Verdict: Oklahoma has not seen anything near this receiving corps. Oklahoma's secondary has played well after the BYU game, but even an offensively competent Tulsa has nothing like this. If Oklahoma's defensive line can be held in check, look for big plays from this group against Oklahoma's new safeties and average corners.

Other things to watch for

-Linebacker Sean Spence will need to have a strong game and do a good job of covering and tackling in space for Miami. V-Tech was way too successful on the ground after they cleared the line.

-Oklahoma is hoping that Brandon Caleb continues to step up, but keep an eye on the limited weaponry the Sooners have in the passing game. Miami doesn't have a great secondary, but Oklahoma's receivers aren't all that scary at the moment.

-Special teams. Miami can do some damage in the return game, though they might want to avoid getting another punt blocked.

-Miami has a fast defense, but perhaps an overly aggressive defense. Virginia Tech had success using misdirection plays, so look for OU to do the same.

-And of course, keep an eye on Sam Bradford. If he plays, that will be a big boost for the Sooners, even though Jones has played admirably in his place. Nonetheless, it will be a bit much to expect Bradford to return to form his very first game.

Useless Prediction

Before Miami got walloped by Virginia Tech, I was thinking that the Sooners might be in trouble. Now that Miami's O-line was exposed as the weak link it was thought to be in the beginning of the season, I'm not so sure. The game is at Coral Gables, which helps Miami a lot, but while I can excuse a poor passing day on the rain, I really can't excuse poor O-line play the same way. I like Miami's big receivers against Oklahoma's secondary, but that won't matter much if Jacory Harris can't get a clean look downfield. Harris, at the least, is a somewhat mobile quarterback, but he's not (pre-injury) Robert Griffin or anything.

In addition, the way Virginia Tech dominated the line of scrimmage on offense is concerning. Oklahoma does not have an elite offensive line, but if they have any sort of success on the ground, their more balanced offense can potentially do much more damage than the Hokies did. If Sam Bradford is back, he will still make use of Oklahoma's relatively average group of receivers and move on down the field.

Prediction time: I expect Miami's offensive and defensive lines to play much better, but their O-line will still not be good enough to keep Oklahoma's D-line out of the backfield on crucial plays. Due to this, Oklahoma will generate some turnovers, and they will have enough success running the football to keep the heat off of Bradford (assuming he plays) and put points on the board. Miami will have a few big plays to keep pace, but ultimately, Oklahoma will wear them down. Oklahoma wins a big road game, 31-21.

I obviously would not mind one bit if Miami proves me wrong :).

Poll

Who do you think will win between Oklahoma and Miami?

Oklahoma Sooners

461 votes

Miami Hurricanes

354 votes

815 votes | Poll has closed

Bourbon Shots: Swagger Edition

furrer4heisman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

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Virginia Tech hosts Miami this weekend in a matchup that has everyone talking. Let's go around the blogosphere (and mainstream media) to find out what people are saying about this critical Coastal clash. We'll also here opinions on other ACC games and get a few random thoughts in.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami, 3:30, ABC/ESPN Reverse Mirror

Mainstream Media

Hokies' defense ready to tackle next challenge (Annette)
"The difference this year is that they’ve been giving up too many big plays -- distances like 31, 39, 61, 60 and 48 yards. Nebraska’s Roy Helu Jr. became the third running back this season to rush for over 100 yards on the Hokies. Virginia Tech hasn’t allowed that to happen since 2002. There’s a good possibility it can happen again this weekend, as Miami running back Graig Cooper is averaging 62 yards per game, and he’s got plenty of help from Javarris James. They’re just a fraction, though, of the Canes’ options."

Miami's offensive options seemingly endless (Annette)
"Twelve different players have caught at least one pass for the No. 9-ranked Hurricanes heading into Saturday’s showdown at No. 11 Virginia Tech. And six of them have at least five catches. Seven different players have scored touchdowns in wins over two ranked ACC opponents. Three different receivers have run a reverse. Miami returns nine of its top 10 leaders in all-purpose yards from 2008. Running backs Graig Cooper and Javarris James have helped the Canes to a 7-2 record when they combine for at least 25 carries. And, of course, they’ve finally got a quarterback to lead them all in Jacory Harris."

Miami brings bombs over Blacksburg (Dr Saturday/Smart Football)
"The most obvious -- and potent -- example of this has been the Canes' first down passing attack: A staggering 60 percent of Harris' passing yards have come on first down (for some comparison, 38 percent of Texas Tech's yards have come on first down). And on almost all of these -- almost all of which are downfield shots -- Whipple has put Harris in either a short roll-out (a "waggle") or used play-action. Their go-to play so far hasn't been anything complicated, as it involves one guy going deep with another on a fifteen yard square-in. In fact, the play is so common it is often referred to as "the NCAA route," because "everyone in the NCAA runs it.""

Miami's Man Defense edition (Kyle Tucker)
"Hello, hand-wringers. This is the part where we remind you of one very important detail about QB Tyrod Taylor. The kid likes man coverage. Why’s that important? Because Miami plays a lot of man coverage. So did Florida State when Taylor was a true freshman ... a game in which he completed 10 of 15 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns (and rushed for 92 more yards and a score). Miami played a lot of man-to-man last year, too, when Taylor was sharing reps with Sean Glennon. Playing mostly in the second half, he was 6 of 12 for 75 yards and ran for 43 yards and two touchdowns."

Hokies' D-line must turn up heat on Harris (Aaron McFarling)
Statistically, Tech's pass rush has been a disappointment so far this year. The Hokies tallied 35 sacks in 14 games last season, an average of 2.5 per game. They have just three so far this year, and only half of that total has come from the front four. That's worrisome, particularly when this matchup dictates that the grunts apply the majority of the pressure. Leave this Tech secondary one-on-one too often, and those tall, fleet Miami receivers will shred it like they did against Florida State. You can throw in occasional blitzes from linebackers and corners, but they must be well-timed."

Miami Presents Another Forceful Defensive Front (Mark Viera)
"Although it is only September, Virginia Tech has already faced some of the nation’s top defensive linemen. And on Saturday, the No. 11 Hokies will meet another difficult defensive front in No. 9 Miami. The Hurricanes (2-0, 2-0 ACC) have a deep rotation of speedy, athletic defensive linemen. Although its offensive under coordinator Mark Whipple has been a hot topic of this young college football season, Miami's aggressive defensive front has gained the attention of the Hokies (2-1, 0-0)."

Coastal contenders set to collide in Tech-Miami matchup (Randy King)
"Seconds after the Tech-Nebraska game ended, a swarm of Tech students burst from the Lane Stadium stands and raced onto the field in celebration. Holly Rowe, a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC, was attempting to solicit reaction from Beamer, but the interview was cut short after only one question when Beamer started hollering "no, no, no" to someone off-camera. When asked what set him off, Beamer said Tuesday: "What happened was Holly came out, and kids were gathering around and they were kinda pushing and shoving. We just needed to settle down; I wanted to celebrate, too. But I didn't want anybody to get hurt. So that's all I was trying to do, to get the kids to calm down a little bit."

Tech cornerback Stephan Virgil looks like he's getting healthy (Norm Wood)
"Virgil, a starter who missed No. 11 Tech's last two games with a sprained left knee, was apparently full speed in Tuesday's practice and showed no lingering effects from the knee injury he sustained late in the Alabama game, according to Tech cornerback Rashad Carmichael. Now, since Carmichael doesn't have "M.D." after his name and has no formal athletic training experience to my knowledge, it'd be a bit premature to go ahead and sign off on Virgil's health based on Carmichael's report...but it looks like Virgil's knee at least passes the eye test."

Six keys to Virginia Tech vs. Miami (Darryl Slater)
"OFFENSIVE CONSISTENCY: Tech’s offense came through just in time against Nebraska, as the Hokies saved themselves with a 5-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the game. Other than that, the offense did precious little. The Hokies had 11 drives before that final possession. Nine ended in Tech territory. And before the last drive, Tech had gained 195 yards in the game."

Virginia Tech football announces fund raiser (HokieSports)
"Head coach Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech football team announced Thursday a fund raiser to support research for Ewing's Sarcoma, in honor of Mark Herzlich, a linebacker for Boston College. Team United wrist bands will be sold for $1 each this Saturday as the Hokies take on the Miami Hurricanes at 3:30 p.m., and will be sold through Oct. 9. Members of the Virginia Tech football scout team will be circulating throughout the parking lots in an effort to sell wrist bands."

Bloggers

OTB’s Thursday ACC Pick’em (On The B.Rink)
"I love what Miami has for backs in Cooper and James–these guys are big, but lean–physical, but fast and can be effective in the passing game too. The emphasis will be on pressuring Harris from the Hokies D and the running game will be stressed in the Miami camp this week."

Miami at Virginia Tech Prediction (The ACC & SEC Blog)
"Nobody is hotter than Harris and the Miami offense right now. If VT cannot solve their woes stopping the run then it could be a long day for Frank Beamer's team. For the Hokies to win this game, they have to win the turnover battle, keep Miami's offense off the field, and get some big plays on special teams."

Weekend Preview, Sept. 25 (ACCSports.com)
"Key for the Hokies: Keep track of the Miami’s deep threats. Harassing QB Jacory Harris isn’t necessarily a precursor to success; it must be supplemented with superior coverage."

It's About To Get Heavy (Fight for Old DC)
"I'm not going to give you any more Cane love, because we got enough of it from Tom on Tuesday. Yes, Miami has the athletes. Yes, they have confidence, and a legitimate offensive coordinator. No, their egos are not in check. This Hokie team, to put it into hockey terms, has a lot of sandpaper to them. They've got guts and grit, and that goes a long way toward winning. They might not come out on top on Saturday, but I certainly think they'll make a dogfight of it. That being said, I still like the boys in Maroon to prove everyone wrong as home underdogs. Remember Clemson in 2006? This will be a similar game (with a better showing from Miami), and I think it might be JO's coming out party. Let's do this thing."

College Football TV Viewing Guide (Beer Control Offense)
"First lets get this out there, VT can not win without 1, likely 2 td's scored or setup (inside the 15) by the defense or special teams. CAN NOT. The O is not there and won't be there against a defense with kind of athletes (even if the Hokies have that caliber as well.) Bud's D is shaky, DT Graves is likely out or ineffective with a bum ankle, so this does not look good. 0 sacks, o hurries is the stat line for Jacory Harris' OL. Incredible. VT has 1 sack or something small. Ruh-roh. Couple that with poor tackling and being out of place on D is really hampering this unit as well. The Hokies will tackle better and will get a mileage out of being a home dog, but in the end the poor O won't be able to get it done. If there were a nite game ... man, it would be a tougher pick. By the way if Miami wins they will be the Coastal champ with only UNC left on their sched of the contenders. A must win for VT. Confidence factor, high."

Game 4: Miami Preview (The North End Zone)
"This is the game when the defense needs to make some noise. We are currently ranked way lower than 1st in total defense (77th to be exact, a spot usually reserved for our offense). Our team is still built around defense, and a lot of the struggles have been because of the terrible offense."

Virginia Tech vs Miami Game Back in Spotlight (VT Fan)
"I personally think its a bit premature to declare Miami as officially "back". After all, they've only won 2 games, one due to a dropped last second FSU touchdown pass and the other a home win over Georgia Tech who is currently being re-evaluating by everyone who had them as one of the ACC's elite teams in 2009."

Five Reasons Why Miami Beats Virginia Tech (Canespace)
"Reason #2: Virginia Tech Is Over-rated - I am not saying this will be a huge blow out has some have suggested, although I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened, but Virginia Tech is once again over-rated. They lost to Alabama, beat up on powerhouse Marshall and then beat a "decent at best" Cornhusker team on the final play. I for one think VT is overrated every year. I know they are the defending ACC champs and they win 9 – 10 games a year and all, but they don’t win in the big games. Even when they start off the year 8-0 they find a way to self destruct. This year is no different. Tyrod Taylor is to VT what Chris Rix was to FSU, a QB that will never get any better, no matter how you hype him up. VT is predictable and lacks any real playmakers and have been exposed by Bama and Nebraska already. Now Miami gets to push them even further down the rankings."

A look around the ACC (StateFans Nation)
"Obviously a huge game as the national media has jumped back on the Miami bandwagon. VT and points in Blacksburg against an ACC opponent that we beat the last two years? On principle, I will take VT and the points."

ACC Football (All Time EDT)

North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Noon, Raycom

UNC Preview (From The Rumble Seat)
"Key to victory really falls on our defense. We've got to force turnovers. In 2008, the Heels had -2.2 turnover margin in losses. The Heels are at an even 0 turnover margin on the season and the Jackets HAVE to put it into the negatives if we're to have any success against a vaunted UNC defense. Field position will be key and big turnovers and special teams will be huge."

High Stakes In Atlanta On Saturday (Tar Heel Fan)
"For UNC, this game is all about opportunity. UNC’s 3-0 start this season is the best opening win streak since 1997 when the Heels started 8-0. With a hapless Virginia team the following week and FCS team Georgia Southern after that, UNC has a good shot at starting the season 6-0 should they beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Yes, the back half of the schedule is brutal but nothing builds confidence better than getting off to a hot start. In terms of the ACC race, UNC can kill multiple birds with one stone. For starters it is an ACC win and puts UNC in the mix with the winner of the Miami-Virgina Tech game being played later in the day. Secondly, a win against Georgia Tech all but knocks the Yellow Jackets out of contention and at minimum places them behind UNC in the pecking order going forward."

South Florida at Florida State, Noon, ESPNU

Can the Noles avoid the Bulls' horns? (Tomahawk Nation)
"I'm scared of this game. Not because I think USF is good, but because I think the Seminoles are in a bad spot. Riding high off their 54-28 win over #7 ranked BYU, FSU is banged up. Really banged up. They are without DT Moses McCray and DT Justin Mincey. Their only healthy defensive tackles are undersized senior Kendrick Stewart, promising freshman Jacobbi McDaniel- who has a bum MCL, and the high on energy but low on effectiveness Budd Thacker. Additionally, both rovers, senior Corey Mangum and freshman Nick Moody are banged up. Additionally, FSU's lame duck defensive ends coach, Jody Allen, continues to hold a grudge and insists on starting the worst starter in my lifetime (both '85)- walk on defensive end Craig Yarborough."

FSU vs. USF Gut Prediction (Scalp Em)
"USF has everything to gain in this match up. The Noles have nothing to gain. A win is expected, a loss throws the season back into a bit of turmoil and doubt. It’s a trap game for FSU, but I have to believe that the Noles are focused on the task at hand and will get the job done on Saturday. I’m confident in a Seminoles victory tomorrow, and I’ll stick with the preseason score prediction (with some help from the ABOUT TO FAIL BULL)."

Wake Forest at Boston College, 2:00, ESPN360

Boston College-Wake Forest Game and the Big Finish (BC Interruption)
"Brian: There was clearly nothing to be happy about when evaluating Shinskie on Saturday either. You could tell he was very unsure of himself under center. I'm not very happy with this decision, but hopefully two things happen on Saturday: one of these two guys will elevate his game and Spaz will feel comfortable in selecting one of the two as the starter. I fear if this goes on much longer, it will be a long, long season."

BC-Wake Forest preview (Eagle in Atlanta)
"As frustrated as we all were last week I don’t think hope is lost. Our defense validated our beliefs that they would be strong. If we can just manufacture some points I think we can win this. I think this will be another close BC-Wake classic with BC holding on for the win."

Pittsburgh at NC State, 3:30, ESPNU

Wannstache Week: Mixed Signals (Backing The Pack)
"None of Pittsburgh's opponents have been able to establish anything on the ground, and that includes those tricky Midshipmen, who were limited to 129 yards on 46 carries. They put Navy in a bunch of 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations, their talented defensive line was able to tee off, and the results for Navy were predictably disastrous."

TCU at Clemson, 3:30, ESPN360

TCU Preview (Block-C)
"The local media outlets and message boards have beat the hell out of the fact that we did very poorly in the red zone last week against Boston College. However, a very important fact is being overlooked: Boston College has the fourth ranked defense in the entire nation right now. Of course that’s just on paper only four weeks into the season. The Tigers played a great defense that stalled an offense with a potential Heisman candidate carrying the ball and still managed to score on seven separate occasions. A lot of noise has been made about TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes. He will get a sack or two but expect Clemson to employ a double team that will receive helpful down blocking from tight end Michael Palmer and backfield smash-mouthing from Rendrick Taylor."

Rutgers at Maryland, 3:30, ESPN360

A Look Ahead to Maryland-Rutgers (Testudo Times)
"Actually, this game is a must-win for both teams. Maryland needs something positive to cling to, a turning point that can right the season after an awful start. Rutgers needs the win to re-assert themselves against a major opponent after the ugly Cincy loss. Emotions should be running high for both teams on Saturday, and both should have a sense of urgency."

Virginia vs. Its Own Personal Demons

Which coaches? (From Old Virginia)
"All of which would be forgotten in two seconds if he were hired. He's done nothing but kick ass at every stop. Two Division II national championships. (Grand Valley State is a Division II powerhouse, thanks to Kelly who built that program from the ground up.) He took Central Michigan from a program that won three games every year to MAC champs in three years. They're still enjoying the fruits of that labor. He took Cincinnati to the Orange Bowl. In short, everywhere he's been, he's taken that team to heights they've never before achieved. The Brian Kelly years at three different schools, short though they may have been, have been the pinnacle, which they may have matched since but never topped. The man can coach."

Stuff Only I Care About

Good Colt, Bad Colt (Burnt Orange Nation)
"The Snap Shots series continues, this time with a look at Colt McCoy's execution on two iterations of a similar play, one ending with a 20 yard gain... the other with an interception. The video quality I used is pretty poor, but you should be able to get the ideas."

Tennessee vs. Ohio: game preview (Rocky Top Talk)
"If the Vols had any notion of using this game to boost Jonathan Crompton's confidence by giving him practice reps throwing the ball, they might want to reconsider against a defense that is surprisingly ball-hawkish for the MAC. On the other hand, Tennessee should be able to run the ball fairly well, especially if they're able to get past LBs Keller and Renfro."

Alabama vs Arkansas Overview (Roll 'Bama Roll)
"There are two majors reasons for that: One, Arkansas looks to be a much better team this year than they were a year ago, and two, last year's game was much closer than the scoreboard indicated. Lopsided score notwithstanding, last year's game was actually played pretty evenly by the two teams, and the massive disparity on the scoreboard resulted from four major players all going Alabama's way. Those four plays were Glen Coffee's long touchdown run, Casey Dick's two interceptions (while driving) that were returned for touchdowns, and Terrence Cody's goal line stand to end the first half, and all of them directly resulted in Alabama touchdowns. Don't expect all of the big plays to go the Tide's way this year, and thus a much closer game this time around."

Preview: Indiana (MGoBlog)
"So maybe it's more relevant that Indiana was 91st in rushing defense last year. They were 35th after three weeks against—hey!—Western Kentucky, Murray State, and about-to-be-rampant-through-the-MAC Ball State. How did that work out? In their never-ending quest to wear Javon Ringer's legs down to tiny nubs, Michigan State went for 236 yards on 52 carries. So… yeah. For the 15th-ranked rushing defense they are not exactly intimidating."

Buchholz is coldly efficient (Globe)
Amalie Benjamin, who I love and in a heartbeat would give up my hard-drinking, road-tripping bachelor ways for, says Clay Buchholz has the Red Sox riding high heading into their series with the Yankees. "That good roll got the Sox a win. As they head to New York playing far better than they were the last time they graced the Yankee Stadium turf, the Red Sox saved a split at Kauffman Stadium, taking last night’s game by a 10-3 score in front of 20,807. With a loss earlier in the day by the fading Rangers, the Sox cut two off their magic number, shrinking it to just three heading into the weekend’s series against the Yankees."

Predicting Sabres Opening Night Roster (Die By The Blade)
"In the last couple of days we have heard a lot of talk about the Sabres possible line combination's. We have also heard talk about the play of the rookies and who might be able to crack the Sabres lineup. Will Nathan Gerbe make the team? How about Tim Kennedy? Does Tyler Myers have a chance? Mike Weber, any chance he makes it?"

Kristin Chenoweth won an award; needs a job (The Lost Ogle)
"Yeah, this would probably be the appropriate time to mention that Clark Matthews and I have been writing our first ever TV pilot. The name of the show is "Kristen Chenoweth Nude!" The plot line is pretty simple. Basically, me and nude Kristin Chenoweth play lurid Oklahoma City police detectives who solve crimes and stuff. Every now and then, Clark Matthews will show up as an angel or something and help guide us with trivial clues. Our goal is that this show will appear on cable. You know, so it will win awards and stuff."

Deer Creek District Preview (Bob Przybylo)
"Feels like Deer Creek will be fighting an uphill battle in this district. El Reno and Lawton Mac haven’t given anyone any reason to believe they won’t be the top two teams. The Antlers have had trouble scoring this season, totaling 41 points in their three games. Injuries have plagued Grant Gower’s group, and there just isn’t enough depth this year to overcome that. Defense has been solid, except for second half against Shawnee. Michael Coleman has been a surprise, leading the team with 29 tackles. If junior Colten Sander can stay healthy, anchored by a strong offensive line, Deer Creek should still be in the mix of the playoff hunt. Teams that could surprise would be Duncan and Chickasha."

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. Miami

furrer4heisman — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

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The Team

The Hurricanes have confidence. They're coming off two wins against two very well thought of opponents and they won in impressive fashion. They came from behind to win on the road against a rival and they dominated a team that dominated them last year. They're riding about as high as they will be all season.
Hokie fans have to hope that the Hurricanes are peaking early and that the Hokies are just now beginning to find their stride. The Hokies are coming off an improbable win and will be playing in front of their home fans. If that doesn't give them confidence to match the Hurricanes, nothing will.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. Miami Defense

There are two things the Hokies have to do to stop Miami's offense. The first thing has nothing to do with their defense. Instead, the onus is on the Hokie offense to sustain drives, get rushing yards and keep the Miami offense on the sidelines. The problem is, the Hokies haven't had many sustained drives this season.
Against Alabama and Nebraska, the Hokies have averaged 2.2 yards per carry and 6.0 yards per pass attempt according to CFBStats.com. The Hokies will need better production from running backs not named Ryan Williams and from Tyrod Taylor.
Williams has averaged over five yards per carry against Alabama and Nebraska. He's the Hokies' home run hitter. But for Virginia Tech to sustain drives, someone other than Williams has to be able to churn yards against the Canes.
The Hokies' offensive line also has to keep Tyrod Taylor upright. They improved at that against Nebraska, but still struggle at pass blocking. If Tyrod is able to find the running room he couldn't in the Hokies' first three games, then Tech will have a chance. Tyrod's running ability has to come through in this game against a young Hurricanes defense that hasn't always been able to stop scrambling QBs this year.
For the third time in four games, the Hokies are facing a very strong defensive line. Even without one of its key cogs, Adewale Ojomo, the Canes have an impressive defensive front. Exit Ojomo, enter freshman Olivier Vernon. Miami has the depth the Hokies have been trying to build for years and don't lose a lot from its first to second team.
The Canes' ends disrupted Georgia Tech's because their ends were able to destroy the Jackets' tackles and force a quick pitch from Nesbitt. They were then able to use their speed at linebacker and in the secondary to track down Georgia Tech's backs. What the Hokies have to do is use the Canes' speed against them.
I didn't see misdirection plays and zone-read options the Hokies used against Marshall against Nebraska. I think these are plays that can take advantage of Miami's overpursuit and lead to big yards.
Miami also has a vulnerable secondary. When Tyrod has time, he's capable of exploiting vulnerable secondaries. It's happened against lesser opponents. It can happen against Miami if the Hokies are able to let him make his reads and make decisions.
Of course, Tyrod's throw has to be accurate to take advantage.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. Miami Offense

Miami is good at exploiting the middle of the field through the air. The Hokies' linebackers and safeties have been giving up big plays through the air this year. This could be a lethal combination if Virginia Tech doesn't remedy it before Saturday.
Miami also has two good running backs in Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The Hokies have allowed three 100-yard rushers in three games. Once again, this could be a lethal combination if it isn't remedied by the defensive coaches before Saturday.
The Miami player I'll be watching is sophomore wide receiver LaRon Byrd. He's a smart player who's tall and could have a big game against Tech this Saturday. But the Hurricanes have four receivers who are all capable of having big games.
Aldarius Johnson missed the Georgia Tech game, but had three catches for 48 yards against Florida State. Travis Benjamin is the fastest players on Miami's offense and will present matchup problems for the Hokies against Dorian Porch and Kam Chancellor. Leonard Hankerson is just tall and experienced and playing with a confidence level he didn't have in his first two seasons.
As I mentioned above, there are two ways to stop Whipple's offense. The other way the Hokies can potentially stop Miami's offense is by getting pressure on Jacory Harris. Harris hasn't faced pressure in his first two games. That pressure is going to have to come from a banged up defensive line. Both Jason Worilds and John Graves have been limited in practice this week due to injuries.
Worilds is the most likely Hokie to get to Harris. Not only is he Tech's best defensive lineman, he'll be matched up against Miami's least experienced offensive tackle in Matt Pipho. Nekos Brown will have a much harder time getting around Jason Fox, who is one of the best offensive linemen in the ACC.
Virginia Tech's ability to avoid big plays from the Miami offense will be its biggest challenge. While is obviously susceptible to big plays in the passing game, if I'm Mark Whipple I'd run the ball until Virginia Tech can prove it can stop me.
This will be the most interesting matchup to watch because it's Whipple's desire for a balanced attack against Bud Foster's desire to make teams one-dimensional.

Outcome

I actually think this one could get ugly. The Hurricanes match up well against the Hokies. What they are good at is what Virginia Tech struggles with and what the Hurricanes struggle against is what the Hokies don't do well. It will take pressure on the quarterback, turnovers and exceptional special teams play for Virginia Tech to win this game.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers
Virginia Tech sacks and QB hurries
Miami yards per carry
Tyrod Taylor's completion percentage

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

5 - Tyrod Taylor, Jr., QB
25 - Josh Oglesby, So., RB
6 - Jason Worilds, Jr., DE
22 - Stephan Virgil, Sr., CB

Miami Players to Watch:

47 - LaRon Byrd, So., WR
65 - Matt Pipho, Sr., RT
94 - Eric Moncur, Sr., DE
6 - Randy Phillips, Sr., SS

Final Score

Miami 31, Virginia Tech 10

2009 Virginia Tech Football: Miami Game Guide

furrer4heisman — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Hans Deryk - AP

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Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1) vs. Miami Hurricanes (2-0)

Time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Place: Lane Stadium at Worsham Field, Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ABC/ESPN Reverse Mirror

Miami: The Hurricanes will have 10 days to prepare for the Hokies after dismantling Georgia Tech last week ... a lot has been made about the Hurricanes early slate, which starts with conference games against Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech and then has a non-conference game against Oklahoma ... so far, the Canes have been up to the test with wins at FSU and against Georgia Tech ... Miami has two new coordinators for 2009 ... OC Mark Whipple replaced the fired Patrick Nix ... DC John Lovett replaced Bill Young, who moved to Oklahoma State ... even though QB Jacory Harris has been the story early on, the Canes have 69 rushing attempts and 59 pass attempts through two games ... Harris has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes ... Graig Cooper and Javarris James share the carries for Miami ... Cooper has averaged over five yards per carry ... opponents are averaging under three yards per carry and 7.6 yards per pass attempt against Miami.

Trends: Miami had a five game winning streak before losing its last three games of 2008 ... it has started 2009 with two wins ... Miami's win over Virginia Tech last year was its first against the Hokies since 2005 ... four of the last seven games between Miami and Virginia Tech have been decided by more than seven points ... Virginia Tech has won 10 consecutive home games ... its last home loss was 14-10 against BC in 2007.

History Lesson: Virginia Tech is 9-17 all-time against the Hurricanes ... the Hokies lost their first 12 games against Miami ... Virginia Tech is 5-5 against Miami in Lane Stadium and 9-9 against it under Frank Beamer ... needless to say, it's been a very even series of late ... the last 11 games between these two teams have been on ESPN, ABC or CBS.

What to Expect

The Hokies could have trouble getting pressure on Jacory Harris. He's been sacked just once in his first two games.
Expect Harris to be confident in the pocket. He's only run the ball four times this year, including the sack.
Expect the Canes to be confident. Whipple has them playing at a high level in their first two games.
Expect big plays from both sides. The Canes can be beaten deep, but it will take keeping Tyrod Taylor upright for the Hokies to take advantage of them. Miami has nine pass plays of 25 yards or more this season.
Expect an improved Miami defense. It shut down Virginia Tech last year, but still struggled defensively. This year it's playing much better.

Hokies win if: They give Tyrod Taylor time to throw, force Jacory Harris into mistakes and make this an ugly game.

Hurricanes win if: They get their athletes into space, take advantage of Virginia Tech's struggles against the deep ball and don't turn the ball over.

Dot-dot-dots: This is the first time the Hokies and Hurricanes haven't met in November or December since they played on Sept. 19, 1998 at the Orange Bowl ... the Hokies won that game, 27-20 ... Saturday was the first time the Hokies took a lead in the final minute since 1999 when they won on a kick as time expired at West Virginia ... an opposing running back has gone for over 100 yards in each of the Hokies' first three games ... Saturday was the first time the Hokies won with less than 100 yards rushing since they beat Boston College in the 2007 ACCCG.

Miami Links

The 7th Floor
AllCanes
Anton Azucar
Canespace

Bourbon Shots: Defensive Line Edition

furrer4heisman — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:00:17 -0000

Hokies

Wiles Looking for Depth (Darryl Slater)
Defensive line coach Charley Wiles is concerned with building depth and defensive end and defensive tackle. The move by Chris Drager to defensive end allowed John Graves to move back to defensive tackle before preseason practice. But after the first three guys at both positions, things get murky.

Drager and Brown Fight for Starting Spot (Kyle Tucker)
David Wilson will be in a blue jersey for the next couple days. Also, the battle for the second starting defensive end spot is heating up between converted tight end Chris Drager and Nekos Brown. Brown has the upper hand because of experience.

Nekos Brown’s Younger Brother Joins Hokies (Randy King)
Wiley Brown will transfer from Duquesne to Virginia Tech. Orion Martin, the brother of Cam Martin, did something similar. He transferred from FCS school Norfolk State and had a solid career as a DE for the Hokies. It looks like the younger Brown will be a rover when he's eligible to play in 2010.

Oddities (The A-Line)
If it's an odd-numbered year, it means there's BCSCG hype for the Hokies. Tech still hasn't made it back to the big game since 1999, so why should this year be any different? Meanwhile, it looks like this might be the last year Tech gets to demolish Al Groh.

Of Course Duke Football Has Swine Flu (College Game Balls)
Hokie fans may need to break out the surgical masks when they head down to Lane Stadium South this year. I think CGB would have come up with a much better headline if it had been an Arkansas player that contracted Swine Flu.

Around the ACC (The Football Girl)
Notes on running backs, the "overrated" Hokies, the thorns in the sides of VT fans and beer cans.

ACC and Opponents

Graig Cooper: Not Out for FSU, Possible Night Sex Hero (The 7th Floor)
The Miami running back injured his ankle. How he injured his ankle is unknown. What we do know is it was "freaky" and happened when he went to bed. Awwww, yeah, son.

FSU's O Soars in the First Fall Scrimmage (Tomahawk Nation)
FSU already had the best offense in the ACC last year. It looks like it's getting even better after its first scrimmage. Christian Ponder completed 15 of 20 passes for 287 yards with four touchdown and no interceptions.

Rough Stretches in ACC Schedules (Carolina March)
Georgia Tech faces a tough opening slate, Wake Forest could be out of the ACC title race by October and the Tar Heels face teams who will be rested and ready this year.

Pre-season Drills for Fans (Big Red Network)
Would Nebraska fan rather beat Virginia Tech or Kansas in 2009? Find out here.

Green Looks Good in Crimson (Bama Sports Report)
Robby Green looks to be a solid safety for the Tide in 2009. This and other notes in the latest Alabama practice report.

Bread and Butter (Canespace)
Miami will only go as far as its running backs take them.

Possible Bowl Shakeup Rearranges ACC Opponents (BC Interruption)
Brian and Jeff take time off from painting the fence to take about the different bowl scenarios the ACC could face after the Big Ten moves to the Gator Bowl.

What to Make of Marscovetra (Eagle in Atlanta)
"If Michael Marscovetra becomes the BC starter as a true freshman, it will be the latest and most visible example that the recruiting system has holes in it and that there are many factors that go into player evaluation."

LOL Right Whatever LOL (Block-C)
EKR is taking the news that Kyle Parker has been named starting QB for Clemson very well. Or so it seems.

ACC Vs. SEC: Money Matters (ACCSports.com)
"When it comes to money matters, too, the ACC-SEC picture is not entirely clear. Looking back, the ACC consistently has generated higher per-school payouts than every other major conference. Looking ahead, the SEC has positioned itself extremely well, mainly because of the most lucrative television deals (worth more than $3 billion) in the history of college athletics."

Stuff Only I Care About

Has Darcy Redeemed Himself (Die By The Blade)
The Sabres have made plenty of moves this offseason to change their perception. But were any of them actually good?

A Post Now Obsolete, Clearly Two Days Overdue (The Goose's Roost)
"I’m going to blog about Twitter using something I saw on Facebook. It’s this strange sort of self-aware, meta train of thought that can only occur at this point in the history of the world. I mean, has anyone ever been able to write about something amazingly tangible yet imaginary using only social media? Zeros and ones? Crazy."

Luis Mendoza Throws a No-No
I hate the word "tossed" to describe pitching unless it's the term "soft-tossing left-hander." Nevertheless, I got to see my second no-hitter on Friday and this time it was for the home team. Goosebumps.

Five suggestions to improve NHL Network (Puck Daddy)
Here's an idea. How about they have a nightly news recap show in the offseason so I don't have to watch a never-ending stream of playoff games from this season?

Traber/Collison Deathmatch (The Lost Ogle)
I don't listen to OKC sports talk radio and I loathe Jim Traber with every fiber of my being. Thankfully, the Ogles do listen in and give me the only moments worth listening to in a handy soundbite. Thanks, guys!

Is it panic time in Boston? (Globe)
Amalie Benjamin (who I love and in a heartbeat would give up my hard-drinking, road-tripping bachelor ways for) asks if Sox fans have given up on their team's playoff chances. The answer is a resounding "maybe."

The Connect: Morning After Media Day Really Wordy Edition

The Great Barstoolio — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:48:56 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

Yep, that does appear to be a Stage 2 Afro Growth.

Browse more photos »

Mike Jaaaaaames! Our favorite RB needs a date; sounds like he oughta slap a wig on no. 99.

According to Brandon Harris the Canes made it a point to catch all the blockbuster flicks together this year. The team's favorite? Probably The Hangover. "We do everything together now. Everytime we go out, we have 50, 60 people going to the movies," Harris said. "We send a couple people to buy tickets. Last night we saw GI Joe. A couple weeks back we all went to see The Orphan. You'll be surprised how these guys act with a scary movie. Marcus Forston was screaming like a girl. We go to the movies so much. I think the favorite was The Hangover. That was a big one. Everybody was crazy about The Hangover. Mike James saw it about 10 times. He went everyday by himself."

Practice schedule? Why, it's right over there to your left, in a brand new widget! Manny Navarro reminds us that whatever we're paying Clint Hurtt, we should be supplementing it with ~~kitty~~ ~~drugs~~ cheeseburgers.

On Friday, Hurtt had his first official meeting in the film room with his players and greeted them with a set of numbers on the chalkboard according to defensive end Adewale Ojomo. "It compared how many yards teams averaged on us each game and how many they averaged on us at the beginning of the season," Ojomo said. "After that, we didn't need to be motivated.

"All we needed was the practice schedule."

The F word appears: honestly, I can't recall a single instance of players or coaches using the word "fun" to describe football at Miami in the last, oh, five years. And I swear I've read it at least 6 time since yesterday. I would imagine Randy Phillips is right -- this house is cleah -- and it must help that the worst offensive coordinator in recent human history is gone:

"[Whipple]'s real patient. He lets us have fun. That's one thing I love about him," Graig Cooper said. "It does feel like more an NFL program. He lets us practice. He doesn't dwell on mistakes. We correct them now. But he doesn't dwell on them or treat us like a little high school kid. He'll be patient and let us correct it ourselves."

PBP's Dave George ~~does no research~~ claims the pressure is on Shannon else he be fired, and that the program is "unhinged from the championship promise of the football team's historic past:"

All the problems compound, though, even for the strongest Shannon supporter. When a coach isn't signed for the long run, other schools use that in negative recruiting.

Boo f-ing hoo. Clue in, donut: if it's not a contract, it's the facilities. If it's not the facilities, it's the crime rate. If it's not the crime rate, it's something else. Welcome to negative recruiting; it's been here for years.

Shannon's seat might very well be hot, but I can't see an argument where problems are "compounding" rather than fading away, and the "championship promise" isn't closer now than it was with the team Shannon inherited (perhaps the only trade I'd make? Kenny for Randy). The catch: the record might not reflect that, but it remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Greg Cote claims the lack of extension is Shannon's idea, not Donna and Kirby's:

The truth is Shannon's contract would have been extended already, reflecting a modest raise, if the university had its way...The delay is the coach's idea...

He believes privately that Miami can go 9-3 or even 10-2, get into a major bowl and set up his young team for a realistic run at a national championship in 2010

...He banks on this season being much improved overall and offering the tantalizing hint of championship potential to turn that modest raise UM has in mind into a major payday. Shannon, 43, just saw Florida coach Urban Meyer enriched to $4 million a year. Boss Cane won't make that leap without a national title, but believes he can get a lot closer if his team justifies his faith over the coming months than he would right now, coming off last year's 7-6 record.

It is a gamble because the Canes are young, and because potential means you haven't done it yet.

Is the old windbag right? Who knows. But between the doomsday and sunrise scenarios, it's hard to choose the darker one; however disappointing last year's Moncur-less late season meltdown was, it's no lifeless Orange Bowl swan song.

Tidbits: Backup Taylor Cook wants us to know "I'll be ready" if Jacory Harris should go down with injury [OHDEARGODNO]. He also says he's working on a quicker release at Whipple's request.

Vaughn Telemaque says this season will be his "coming out party," and credits Ed Reed for becoming "a big brother figure for me." 100 Diana Rosses to both of you, boys.

From Jorge Milan's twitter: Jacory was asked Patrick Nix with Whipple: "I can's speak about that," Harris said. Also, Randy Shannon has placed Whipple and Lovett off-limits to the media. What did they used to call him? YGC.

Barry Jackson says Jamal Reid will have a quicker impact than Ray Ray Armstrong.

CBS4 has another of those creepy voyeuristic videos from Practice 1. Missing from the soundtrack: rustling of bushes, self-pleasuring cameraman. Not missing: "he's the one with the paper in the front of his shorts." Lovett stuffs!

Shandel Richardson twittered this morning that Reid is back at practice after tweaking his ...ankle? hammy? yesterday.

Not back from injury yet? Our favorite sideline sobber, Gavin Hardin. THIS IS HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THAT:

Pon di jump: more pictures.

DO NOT UNDERSTAND MUSTACHE

The Connect: Summer CanesFest Edition

The Great Barstoolio — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:36:58 -0000

ETA: hopefully last update: UM has pics

Let's just get this out of the way: Bryce Brown was there, in Tennessee shorts. Clearly, between having a UM hat at his signing for no reason and showing up to CanesFest, he has a giant boner for both Miami and attention. Speaking of hats, Randy Shannon said on QAM from the stadium that most of the time - not always, but most of the time - kids who pull hat tricks are basically assholes and not worth the trouble. Snap!

The Sun-Sentinel has pics, though no one has yet looked at Travis Benjamin directly and lived, so beware. The Palm Beach Post keeps an eye on the Freak. And Eye On the U is impressed with the fan-friendly affair:

Not once in the 14 years I've been working for The Miami Herald have I ever seen fans not only have two hours worth of access to players and coaches, but to be able to interact (take pictures, dunk players, even get some smooches) with them like family and friends. Hats off to athletic director Kirby Hocutt and coach Randy Shannon for taking a giant leap forward from the way these events used to be run.

Several players were game to spend time in the dunk tank at fans' mercy, including Graig Cooper, Laron Byrd, Sean Spence, and Javarris James. But none made the impression that Allen Bailey did: "He's like Shamu up there," said a UM assistant before Bailey was dunked and the splash was so large more water had to be added to the tank.

Dedrick Epps was roaming around reassuring everyone that he's functional after knee surgery, and will be ready to go when workouts start. "I'm fine," he said, though he noted he's not 100% yet and still feels sore after workouts. "I've been running on it for a long time. I don't know exactly how long, but it's been a little while. I'm feeling good. I plan to be ready."

Ray Ray is not, unfortunately, perfect in every way on arrival. "He's definitely big and strong," Chavez Grant said. "But everyday in practice we're working with him, trying to get his feet right and work with his hips. He's not bad. But at this level you have to be a lot quicker, a lot faster at what you do... at this level you get beat by a step and it's over."

Jimmy Graham is no male cheerleader: "I definitely didn't want to come back to look pretty on the sideline," he said. "I came back so I can help these guys win something. It means a lot for me to play for the U, especially football, my first love." We'll check back in with him in August when he realizes the contact happens without a/c, but in the meantime, he's getting help from Bernie Kosar and Ed Reed. (Hopefully not financial help.)

Allen Bailey power cleaned 400 pounds last Tuesday, which he says set a new UM team record. Holy hell. That is all.

The young guys are breaking down film with the ProCanes. Jacory's shoulder is okay. Randy Phillips is god. And Arthur Brown is coming out of his shell. Manny has it all.

Eric Moncur -- and his awesome muppet eyebrows -- are back. "I'm good to go," he said. "Words can't describe it - coming out, being around the guys, they're all like my little brothers. They're all younger than me. I'm so excited to get this season started... It's going to be nasty, man. We're going to be nasty up front. It's going to be crazy."

Said Bailey about getting Moncur back: "He's been here about eight years now. He knows a lot. He's been around, has seen a lot of things." LIKE THE EMPTINESS IN LARRY COKER'S EYES.

Colin McCarthy says Heather Dinich's no. 1 ranking for his unit sounds good. "That makes sense, that's accurate," McCarthy said. "We have a lot of depth, are two or three deep across the board. With Sean, he's one of the top linebackers. With all of us together and the way we work, way we chase the ball, No. 1 in the ACC, that sounds about right."

Of Lovett's defense, McCarthy reported, "It's more of the defense we ran my freshman year under Coach Shannon. It's not as many checks, just go out there, we'll get a call and play football. That's how it was back in the day when the athletes we had could just use their athleticism and make plays. The defense is more simplified."

CBS4 has video of Jacory being Jacory.

El Herald has audio from Vaughn Telemaque, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Sean Spence, Randy Shannon, Ray Ray Armstrong, Olivier Vernon, Colin McCarthy, Lamar Miller, Jimmy Graham, Jamal Reid ("Oh, I'm livin' right now!"), Jacory Harris, Dedrick Epps, Eric Moncur, Dyron Dye [spontaneous orgasm], Brandon Harris, Brandon McGee, and Chavez Grant, who reported that Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, and Jonathan Vilma are spending a lot of time at Greentree.

Rest assured we at The 7th Floor will never, ever work that hard.

ETA: MIKE JAMES (MIKE JAYYYMES!) SIGHTING!

Know Thy Enemy: Scouting the Miami Hurricanes

HydroTech — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:00:07 -0000

Well, with the bowl game only a few days away, I guess it's time to get familiar with Miami's team.

I don't have videos of Miami so I turned to the next best thing: YouTube. Looking at Miami highlight videos on YouTube is hardly a way to go to get a comprehensive scouting report on Miami, but it's better than nothing. Most of the highlights are purely offensive highlights and thus we're only really going to get a look at their offense. Furthermore, because I only looked at two different games, we may not be getting an entire picture of what their offense is like. But like I said, it's better than nothing.

If anything, after reading this post, I guess you should have somewhat of an idea of how Miami's offense runs and what they like to do.

So with that intro, let's get to the videos and my commentary after the jump....

So here are a few video highlights from Youtube. Below each video are my thoughts. If you click on the youtube video and go to the YouTube website, you can watch the videos in high def which makes things easier to see. I highly suggest watching in high def so you can see stuff. I guess if you have a widescreen monitor, you can have the blog open in one window so you can read my thoughts, and the video in the other window.

0:02 - Note big ass wide receiver, #4, Aldarius Johnson. 6'2" 205 lbs. Possible size mis-match against Syd'Quan Thompson.

0:22 - Miami RB Graig Cooper is a pretty fast runningback. He's tall at 6'0" and plays tall. Go for the legs to trip up since he plays tall.

0:34 - Miami is in shotgun. Note the balance of the formation with the 2 receivers on each side. Cal runs out of the same formation. This play is a shotgun trap with a backside tackle pull. Cal used to run this play a lot in 2006 but has since retired it.

1:07 - Miami is in a 3 WR formation under center. Cal runs plays out of the same formation. On this play Miami attacks North Carolina's zone defense (looks to be a cover 2) with the typical slot seam route. Cal often plays cover 2 and will have to be aware of this.

1:32 - Note to Alamar: PR Travis Benjamin is fast. Please have the punt coverage team ready. Look out for directional returns to the open side of the field.

2:14 - 3rd and 9. Miami is in shotgun and runs a middle screen to the runningback. Very similar to what Cal does. Miami QB and OL do an excellent job selling the screen. Becoming somewhat apparent that Mami RB Cooper is a very vertical runner with only occasional cuts.

2:39 - Miami in shotgun for a 3rd and 5. Again, another very similar formation to one which Cal uses. Specifically, note the TE off the LOS, which is something that Cal just started doing this year with the addition of Cignetti.

2:50 - Miami goes back under center for a 1st and 10. This is a playaction bootleg. Note the backside tackle pull to sell the run. Miami's RB gave away that this was a pass play by lining up 6 yards deep instead of the typical 7 yards deep. Cal can carefully watch the Miami RB depth to clue in on runs or passes. Deeper alignments mean runs, shorter alignments mean pass.

3:04 - Good discipline by Miami defense to stick with their men and not get fooled by the playaction. Cal should be aware that Miami may not bite on playaction bootlegs and thus use it sparingly or avoid it completely.

3:37 - Miami QB Marve shows good mobility. Marve will not play against Cal for the bowl game due to a suspension for missing class.

4:07 - Miami under center for a 2nd and long. Note that RB Cooper was at his typical 7 yards deep position and the result was a run play. Again Cooper shows his style is vertical running with little to no cuts. Excellent speed up the holes though.

4:18 - Miami in shotgun on a 3rd and Goal from the 4 yardline. Miami obviously isn't afraid to go to shotgun when so close to the goalline due to the mobility of their QBs. Cal defense will need to be especially aware of the scrambling QB when defending the endzone in the redzone. Fantastic throw by Marve across his body.

5:11 - Miami RB Cooper is 7 yards deep, and it's a run (tendency to look for). Again, Cooper likes to go vertical fast, even after he bounces outside for a few yards, he still tries to go vertical fast. Cal will have to play excellent gap assignment otherwise Cooper will blow through the gaps and be gone for 6.

5:21 - North Carolina faces a 3rd and 9. Miami zone blitzes. Watch Miami's DT drop back into the hook zones. This is something the Cal offense should be aware of.

5:35 - Miami attacks the seams again to defeat the cover 2. Miami QB Marve gets the ball out fast, and can do so because Miami has fast WRs. Cal's pass rush will need to get pressure even quicker. Cal needs to maintain good LB depth to take away those moderate passes over the middle. Might consider using Cover 3 to tighten up the vertical seams between the safeties.

5:56 - Again, Miami attacks the zone defense's vertical seams with seam routes. Miami QB will place the ball high for the WRs to jump up and get as well as hung out to dry - big hit opportunities.

0:32 - Note: as seen in the highlights against North Carolina and in the video above, when Miami runs out of the I-Formation, the backside tackle doesn't block the defensive end but instead takes on the backside linebacker. The fullback kicks out the backside DE with a cut block. It's something to take note of although Miami might try to attack the Cal 3-4 defense differently.

1:20 - Miami QB Jacory Harris shows good escapability and speed. Very tall - will be able to throw over the DL.

1:35 - Miami runs an end around to speedy WR Travis Benjamin. Cal should be aware of this play. Backside Cal defenders cannot be lazy or give up their assignments.

2:05 - Speed WR Travis Benjamin will be returning kickoffs. Must maintain the kickoff coverage net and not give Benjamin lanes to burst through.

2:40 - Once again, Benjamin shows he has the speed to get to the corner and turn the corner. Cal defenders all across the field must not give up on the play or be lazy.

3:25 - Beware of possible double pass. Deep safeties cannot play too aggressively. Miami will take advantage of overly aggressive safeties.

5:00 - Miami punter shows good speed. Possible fake-punt threat.

5:10 - We saw these types of throws in the North Carolina footage. Beware of the 15-18 yard digs from the slot WRs. Linebacker interception opportunities if they read the route and the eyes of the QB.

6:40 - Beware of overloaded formations with all receivers to one side. Remember, the end lineman remains eligible unless covered.

Conclusion:

This is a very narrow look at Miami - I know and apologize. But it's better than nothing.

From what I can see, Miami runs a fairly similar offense to ours actually. They will use shotgun with 3 WRs. They will use the I-Formation (although I don't remember seeing them using the weak-I and strong-I such as us). They will go under center with 3 WRs which is something we do although less often in 2008 than in 2006 and 2007. They will trap run from the gun, and zone read from the gun. They screen like us. They end-around like us. They'll trick play double pass like us. They really look fairly similar to us on offense aside from the fact that they don't use 12 personnel as much as we do (2 WRs, 2 TEs, 1 RB) and don't appear to use the variety of I-formations as us. Their blocking schemes are different too.

Things we should really look out for:

(1) The scrambling QB. Jacory Harris is a guy who can scramble. He can get yards with his feet and create passing opportunities with his feet. Gregory will probably use the typical zone defenses to lock down the WRs and at the same time the zone defenders will act as spies on Harris. This seems to be Gregory's typical gameplan when it comes to facing mobile QBs in shotgun spread formations.

(2) The speed of the WRs. Miami's WRs are all pretty fast. Especially that little freshman dude, Travis Benjamin. Miami's WRs will get down the field quickly and thus the ball can come out quickly minimizing sacks.

(3) Travis Benjamin (speed WR). Miami looks to use him as we did with THA1 (Desean Jackson). They'll end-around to him. Use him as screen bait for double passes. He's their "impact player" (for you NCAA Football gamers out there). He's the "home-run threat" for you other cliche loving football fans out there. He'll be lined up at flanker almost exclusively and spread wide (not in the slot) to stretch the defense.

(4) Graig Cooper (runningback). He's a pretty fast guy. He's got a few moves, but for the most part he's a north-south runner. Cal can't get him lanes to blow through. Defense needs to plug the gaps and make him run east-west and use the sidelines as barriers. Probably want to defend the field from inside-out rather than outside-in because defending outside-in can give him cutback lanes to speed through which are more his style.

(5) Trick plays. In only two games of tape, we saw a few. We saw a fake-punt, double pass, and an eligible tackle play. I'm sure they'll run reverses since those are a natural progression from the end-arounds which they use. Cal will really have to stay sharp the entire game. No mental errors.

(6) Punt Returns. This, of all things, scares me the most. It scares me because Travis Benjamin is fast and elusive. He's Desean Jackson-esque. He'll score TDs on punt returns if our coverage isn't good. If cannon-leg Anger out-punts our coverage, we might be screwing ourselves. We might be better off directional punting the ball out of bounds if possible. I'd rather have Benjamin not touch the balls for punt returns. Should he return punts, look for him to take it to the open side of the field where he'll have space and can better utilize his speed.

And a few parting statistics to munch on:

Miami QB Jacory Harris: 60.8% completion rate, 10 TDs, 6 INTs. 3.92% INT percentage. 40 rush attempts with a 2.7 yard average per carry. A fair completion rate. While he is mobile, he doesn't seem to be utilized heavily as a dedicated and designed scrambler.

Miami RB Graig Cooper: 4.9 yards per rush. Only 159 carries on the season. Doesn't seem to be used heavily. Only about 13 rushes per game. Does have 24 receptions on the year and thus will get 2 catches per game on average (probably via screens).

No Miami WR has over 30 receptions this season. Thus, it appears as if there is no "go-to guy." All the WRs participate and get catches.

A few more final Notes:

Miami's QB is a freshman. Most of their starting WRs are freshman. This is a young team on offense. They seem to be having a bit of trouble on offense with all the youth despite all their speed. To wit: 5.1 yards per play on offense (77th in the nation). Compare: 5.8 yards per play on offense for Cal (30th in the nation).

They average a very nice 11.5 yards per punt return - which is very good. In comparison to the rest of the country, this puts them at 26th in the nation.

Battle of the defenses? Perhaps. Cal has the #8 defense in the nation for yards allowed per play (4.4 yards per play given up). Miami has the #24 defense in the nation for yards allowed per play (4.8 yards per play given up).

In short, Cal has the better offense. Both teams have good defenses although Cal's is better. Edge: Cal.

My homer prediction: Cal wins by 14-21 points.

My TwistNHook style prediction: Cal wins 2-1.

My real prediction: Cal wins by 10-14 points.