Post-Game Team Awards
This one was extra hard to muster up because the Hurricanes performance on Saturday was anything but award-winning. It was a wet, soggy and uninspired showing at Hard Rock. Self-inflicted wounds on behalf of players and coaches are becoming a trend. The field was awfully slippery, and the slope is becoming even slipperier for CMR as losing to teams with inferior talent has become a normality. Anyway, here goes nothing. I did my best to point out the silver linings in what was otherwise a dark and miserable day for the Canes.
Top Play- Deejay Dallas 83 yard TD run
On the first play of the drive early in the 2nd quarter, Deejay Dallas takes the hand off to the right. Even though it was the middle of torrential down pour, Deejay found more daylight than he has all year on the right side of the Duke defense. He bolted down the sideline, and I must admit that I had visions of Homer’s run against UVA. I was saying to myself, “please don’t get caught.” He almost did, but the last defender slid off, and Dallas did his best slip n’ slide celebration into the endzone. Just as the Canes thought they erased Duke’s 7 point lead, the ensuing snap on the extra point squirts through Spicer’s hands. Canes 6 Blue Devils 7. This is just a snapshot of the way the night went for the Hurricanes. Even the high points were capped by blunders.
Best Overall Performance- Shaq Quarterman
Shaq has had a quietly solid junior campaign. There may have been times where he’s been underwhelming. That’s because there is a lot expected of a player of that caliber who is a 3 year starter. However, he is one of the few things the Canes can hang their hat on each and every Saturday. He hasn’t missed a start in 3 years, and last Saturday, Shaq helped anchor down this defense after they were put into inopportune situations by offense and special teams time and time again. Shaq led the team with 11 total tackles. He was not blitzing as much on Saturday as he had been the majority of the year. This week he was asked to do a little more in coverage, and I felt that he did very well. Jaquan Johnson can thank Shaq for his first INT of the year. Shaq had the clamps on the Duke TE and deflected in the ball into the air for Johnson to snatch. There was another play where Quarterman had great coverage and broke on the ball but dropped the pick. I will let it slide this time because he’s a linebacker and some might say the ball was a little wet on Saturday. I would like to see him start to turn those good plays into great, game altering kind of plays but nevertheless, Shaq Quarterman looked like the veteran that he is on Saturday. Aside from the first play of the game, Quarterman, Jaquan Johnson, Gerald Willis and company gave their best effort to try and overcome another atrocious showing from the offense, but it just wasn’t enough.
Gerald Willis (Trench Bully) Award- Gerald Willis
Gerald Willis doesn’t receive awards. He is the award. He hasn’t, can’t and won’t be blocked. He added on another sack, 2 TFL, 6 total tackles and endless havoc against Duke. There’s not much else to say to about Mr. Willis. His play does all the talking for him. The guy is next level, and he’s making himself some money. As a fan, it is a shame that we only got to see him one good year in a Hurricanes uniform, but I can’t wait to see what he’ll do on Sundays.
Put Me in Coach- Jarren Williams
CMR’s handling of the QB situation has turned into a mockery. Malik is Malik. He’s a 5th year senior who is digressing. No one needs to see Rosier throw another pass. On top of that, Richt is extremely reluctant to give Perry his trust. He doesn’t play Perry against a Toledo, but he starts him in a road game against Virgina only to pull him after a couple early mistakes. He doesn’t play Perry against Boston College, but he’s willing to throw him in on the 5 yard line in a torrential down pour against Duke. I know Richt would not blatantly set a kid up for failure, but that is what it looks like. In Richt’s defense, it also appears that Perry hasn’t done himself any favors off the field to prove that he could be the face of this program. Perry has had his struggles, but the offense is much more dynamic with him on the field. But if Richt doesn’t believe that to be true, then try something else. Put the young bull in. Jarren Williams is by far the most naturally talented passer on the roster. I saw him throw a couple passes in the spring game and against Savannah State. That’s all it takes, a couple throws, to realize Williams has something different. He’s poised. He’s athletic. He throws with anticipation. Does he have full command of the offense yet? Maybe not. All of that is beside the point though. The two guys ahead of him haven’t got the job done. What do you do when someone isn’t doing their job? Fire them and hire someone else. At 5-4, there’s nothing to lose. Play the kid. Let him develop.
That Ain’t It Award- Clock Management
I could have gone a lot of different directions here. Special teams, play calling, fumbles, you name it, but the clock management on the final drive was beyond a head scratcher. Miami started the final drive with 4 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock and 2 timeouts in their back pocket. They somehow found a way to run out of time. They treated the drive like they had the lead. I don’t mind sneaking in a run during the 2 minute drill, but there were at least 4 runs called, and it cost them much needed seconds on the clock. There was no sense of urgency. Guys were looking around and not knowing where to lineup. When a play was made, guys are celebrating instead of getting in position. It looked like Miami had never practiced hurry up offense before. That directly points to coaching. These guys were not prepared for that moment, and it showed. That Ain’t It CMR.
This one was extra hard to muster up because the Hurricanes performance on Saturday was anything but award-winning. It was a wet, soggy and uninspired showing at Hard Rock. Self-inflicted wounds on behalf of players and coaches are becoming a trend. The field was awfully slippery, and the slope is becoming even slipperier for CMR as losing to teams with inferior talent has become a normality. Anyway, here goes nothing. I did my best to point out the silver linings in what was otherwise a dark and miserable day for the Canes.
Top Play- Deejay Dallas 83 yard TD run
On the first play of the drive early in the 2nd quarter, Deejay Dallas takes the hand off to the right. Even though it was the middle of torrential down pour, Deejay found more daylight than he has all year on the right side of the Duke defense. He bolted down the sideline, and I must admit that I had visions of Homer’s run against UVA. I was saying to myself, “please don’t get caught.” He almost did, but the last defender slid off, and Dallas did his best slip n’ slide celebration into the endzone. Just as the Canes thought they erased Duke’s 7 point lead, the ensuing snap on the extra point squirts through Spicer’s hands. Canes 6 Blue Devils 7. This is just a snapshot of the way the night went for the Hurricanes. Even the high points were capped by blunders.
Best Overall Performance- Shaq Quarterman
Shaq has had a quietly solid junior campaign. There may have been times where he’s been underwhelming. That’s because there is a lot expected of a player of that caliber who is a 3 year starter. However, he is one of the few things the Canes can hang their hat on each and every Saturday. He hasn’t missed a start in 3 years, and last Saturday, Shaq helped anchor down this defense after they were put into inopportune situations by offense and special teams time and time again. Shaq led the team with 11 total tackles. He was not blitzing as much on Saturday as he had been the majority of the year. This week he was asked to do a little more in coverage, and I felt that he did very well. Jaquan Johnson can thank Shaq for his first INT of the year. Shaq had the clamps on the Duke TE and deflected in the ball into the air for Johnson to snatch. There was another play where Quarterman had great coverage and broke on the ball but dropped the pick. I will let it slide this time because he’s a linebacker and some might say the ball was a little wet on Saturday. I would like to see him start to turn those good plays into great, game altering kind of plays but nevertheless, Shaq Quarterman looked like the veteran that he is on Saturday. Aside from the first play of the game, Quarterman, Jaquan Johnson, Gerald Willis and company gave their best effort to try and overcome another atrocious showing from the offense, but it just wasn’t enough.
Gerald Willis (Trench Bully) Award- Gerald Willis
Gerald Willis doesn’t receive awards. He is the award. He hasn’t, can’t and won’t be blocked. He added on another sack, 2 TFL, 6 total tackles and endless havoc against Duke. There’s not much else to say to about Mr. Willis. His play does all the talking for him. The guy is next level, and he’s making himself some money. As a fan, it is a shame that we only got to see him one good year in a Hurricanes uniform, but I can’t wait to see what he’ll do on Sundays.
Put Me in Coach- Jarren Williams
CMR’s handling of the QB situation has turned into a mockery. Malik is Malik. He’s a 5th year senior who is digressing. No one needs to see Rosier throw another pass. On top of that, Richt is extremely reluctant to give Perry his trust. He doesn’t play Perry against a Toledo, but he starts him in a road game against Virgina only to pull him after a couple early mistakes. He doesn’t play Perry against Boston College, but he’s willing to throw him in on the 5 yard line in a torrential down pour against Duke. I know Richt would not blatantly set a kid up for failure, but that is what it looks like. In Richt’s defense, it also appears that Perry hasn’t done himself any favors off the field to prove that he could be the face of this program. Perry has had his struggles, but the offense is much more dynamic with him on the field. But if Richt doesn’t believe that to be true, then try something else. Put the young bull in. Jarren Williams is by far the most naturally talented passer on the roster. I saw him throw a couple passes in the spring game and against Savannah State. That’s all it takes, a couple throws, to realize Williams has something different. He’s poised. He’s athletic. He throws with anticipation. Does he have full command of the offense yet? Maybe not. All of that is beside the point though. The two guys ahead of him haven’t got the job done. What do you do when someone isn’t doing their job? Fire them and hire someone else. At 5-4, there’s nothing to lose. Play the kid. Let him develop.
That Ain’t It Award- Clock Management
I could have gone a lot of different directions here. Special teams, play calling, fumbles, you name it, but the clock management on the final drive was beyond a head scratcher. Miami started the final drive with 4 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock and 2 timeouts in their back pocket. They somehow found a way to run out of time. They treated the drive like they had the lead. I don’t mind sneaking in a run during the 2 minute drill, but there were at least 4 runs called, and it cost them much needed seconds on the clock. There was no sense of urgency. Guys were looking around and not knowing where to lineup. When a play was made, guys are celebrating instead of getting in position. It looked like Miami had never practiced hurry up offense before. That directly points to coaching. These guys were not prepared for that moment, and it showed. That Ain’t It CMR.
