k9cane
Senior
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2011
- Messages
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So Im back here at my AirBNB in Oakland just contemplating what I just witnessed on Saturday night at Cal's Memorial Stadium. The Cardiac Canes did it again, coming back from 35-10 in the middle of the third quarter, to rally to a heart-stopping 39-38 victory over the Golden Bears.
For me, it's right up there with the 87 Florida St, 88 Michigan and 03 Florida comebacks. They were down 20 with about a quarter to go in the game. It felt over. The Cal fans were hyped, they were celebrating. And it felt like the first month of the season was just a mirage.
In most years of the 21st century Miami and Mario Cristobal dont win this game. This may not be an elite team (in a year when most teams seem very beatable) but its one with some real grit and toughness. But the bye comes at a perfect time for them
Not only do they need some key guys back, and quite frankly, they need to really clean things up. The defense is having some real issues on the back end. Bottom line, they aren't fast enough, and it may be time to start working in young guys like Z. Patterson and take Damari Brown to Benny Hinn. He is sorely missed.
But the reality is that some of these issues will only be fixed by recruiting better, twitchier athletes.
Also, this defense has to have an understanding that on 3rd and longs, screens are something they have to be cognizant off. Just like at USF, they gave a huge play that sprung for big yardage on 3rd and very long. Also, just like last week, the defense got out-leveraged a few times to the perimeter and they had some real issues covering the flats.
Now, as for Cam Ward. For all his heroics, he put Miami in the position to need a comeback to begin with (again not all his doing, but he played a part). From my endzone seats there seem to be times when he tried to just look for the big play, instead of settling for the routine ones. JMO but in this bye week going into L'Ville Shannon Dawson has to really convey that playing within structure and throwing on time consistently is still the best way to play this game
Yes, Ward can do the spectacular, but the last two weeks it's been a bit alarming to see him not just check the ball down quickly and get 6-to-8 yards and let the offense flow. I can't lie, when he threw the pick six to Nohl Williams it felt like the Wazzu version of Ward that was prone to turnovers. The truest measure of greatness isn't about doing the flashy things, but the routine ones at an extremely high level.
That being said, with him Miami is never out of a game. The same things that I just complained about, are some of the same things that got the Hurricanes back into this game. Cam giveth ,Cam taketh.
I still can't believe what I witnessed.
A few other thoughts:
- Xavier Restrepo is one of the greatest players Miami has ever had (yeah, I just said that). In the past, Ive called him the best slot WR in program history, but it goes beyond that. And no, this isn't about when he'll be drafted or his NFL prospects -- this is about how he has performed at UM and what he has meant to the program. He is not the prototype athletically for some, I dont care, gimme his production.
The guy is clutch, and is tougher than a two dollar steak. He has become one of my favorite Canes of all-time.
He is the template that Mario should be aiming for in the future in terms of what type of players are brought into this program.
- Ruben Bain made a real difference late. Even while the defense gave up waaay too many big plays in this game, in the late stages, the Dline took over and started to really pressure Fernando Mendoza. Great players aren't just great, they have the ability to elevate others and raise their effectiveness by their presence.
- As for the other games, well, given I was in the Bay Area, and at the Miami game I didn't get to quite catch the other ones to the degree I usually am. But in a weekend where nearly half of the top dozen teams lost, Miami should be grateful to get to 6-0 (first time since 2017)
- Just last week everyone was crowing Bama and Kalen deBoer. Then they promptly lost to Vanderbilt. Proof that college football is a week-to-week sport
- I'll say this again, Ashton Jeanty is as good as any college football player in the country. I dont care about his level of competition, he passes the eye test much the way L. Tomlinson did at TCU.
- Pitt is undefeated. Hail Narduzzi. Guy was starting to face some scrutiny but with Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid leading the offense, the Panthers are now a player in the ACC.
- Anyways, I gotta hit the hay. I got a morning flight to catch. After attending the last two Miami games, I need a bye week as bad as they do
For me, it's right up there with the 87 Florida St, 88 Michigan and 03 Florida comebacks. They were down 20 with about a quarter to go in the game. It felt over. The Cal fans were hyped, they were celebrating. And it felt like the first month of the season was just a mirage.
In most years of the 21st century Miami and Mario Cristobal dont win this game. This may not be an elite team (in a year when most teams seem very beatable) but its one with some real grit and toughness. But the bye comes at a perfect time for them
Not only do they need some key guys back, and quite frankly, they need to really clean things up. The defense is having some real issues on the back end. Bottom line, they aren't fast enough, and it may be time to start working in young guys like Z. Patterson and take Damari Brown to Benny Hinn. He is sorely missed.
But the reality is that some of these issues will only be fixed by recruiting better, twitchier athletes.
Also, this defense has to have an understanding that on 3rd and longs, screens are something they have to be cognizant off. Just like at USF, they gave a huge play that sprung for big yardage on 3rd and very long. Also, just like last week, the defense got out-leveraged a few times to the perimeter and they had some real issues covering the flats.
Now, as for Cam Ward. For all his heroics, he put Miami in the position to need a comeback to begin with (again not all his doing, but he played a part). From my endzone seats there seem to be times when he tried to just look for the big play, instead of settling for the routine ones. JMO but in this bye week going into L'Ville Shannon Dawson has to really convey that playing within structure and throwing on time consistently is still the best way to play this game
Yes, Ward can do the spectacular, but the last two weeks it's been a bit alarming to see him not just check the ball down quickly and get 6-to-8 yards and let the offense flow. I can't lie, when he threw the pick six to Nohl Williams it felt like the Wazzu version of Ward that was prone to turnovers. The truest measure of greatness isn't about doing the flashy things, but the routine ones at an extremely high level.
That being said, with him Miami is never out of a game. The same things that I just complained about, are some of the same things that got the Hurricanes back into this game. Cam giveth ,Cam taketh.
I still can't believe what I witnessed.
A few other thoughts:
- Xavier Restrepo is one of the greatest players Miami has ever had (yeah, I just said that). In the past, Ive called him the best slot WR in program history, but it goes beyond that. And no, this isn't about when he'll be drafted or his NFL prospects -- this is about how he has performed at UM and what he has meant to the program. He is not the prototype athletically for some, I dont care, gimme his production.
The guy is clutch, and is tougher than a two dollar steak. He has become one of my favorite Canes of all-time.
He is the template that Mario should be aiming for in the future in terms of what type of players are brought into this program.
- Ruben Bain made a real difference late. Even while the defense gave up waaay too many big plays in this game, in the late stages, the Dline took over and started to really pressure Fernando Mendoza. Great players aren't just great, they have the ability to elevate others and raise their effectiveness by their presence.
- As for the other games, well, given I was in the Bay Area, and at the Miami game I didn't get to quite catch the other ones to the degree I usually am. But in a weekend where nearly half of the top dozen teams lost, Miami should be grateful to get to 6-0 (first time since 2017)
- Just last week everyone was crowing Bama and Kalen deBoer. Then they promptly lost to Vanderbilt. Proof that college football is a week-to-week sport
- I'll say this again, Ashton Jeanty is as good as any college football player in the country. I dont care about his level of competition, he passes the eye test much the way L. Tomlinson did at TCU.
- Pitt is undefeated. Hail Narduzzi. Guy was starting to face some scrutiny but with Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid leading the offense, the Panthers are now a player in the ACC.
- Anyways, I gotta hit the hay. I got a morning flight to catch. After attending the last two Miami games, I need a bye week as bad as they do
