Eye on the U

B-Rad First-Team All-ACC; Football roster making space; McDermott on Rimington Watch List.

Bryan Radziewski was not his usual self during his last regular-season start, but he was amazing all season -- coming off shoulder surgery nonetheless.

The left-handed junior was among five starting pitchers named to the 2013 All-ACC First Team on Monday.

B-Rad, as he is called by his fans and teammates, ended the season ranked among the conference leaders in nearly every statistical category. He ranked third in ERA (1.64), tied for second in wins (eight), tied for second in complete games (two), third in strikeouts (96) and first in batting average against (.175).

Radziewski is one of three pitchers in the ACC averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings (11.27). The former Baseball America Freshman All-American has recorded 204 Ks over 33 starts and has a 19-4 career record and career ERA of 2.64. 

Miami begins its quest for an ACC title at 3 p.m. Thursday, when it meets No. 1 seed North Carolina in a Pool A matchup in Durham, N.C.

UM lost in the title game to Georgia Tech last year.

RICARDO WILLIAMS OFFICIALLY OFF FOOTBALL TEAM

   Chris Yandle, director of communications for UM athletics, just confirmed to me that 6-5, 251-pound defensive end Ricardo Williams is no longer on the team. A redshirt sophomore, Williams is out of Homestead Senior High. Williams played in one game last year -- against North Carolina. 

   Williams' name has already been removed from the football roster.

   Wide receiver Robert Lockhart Jr., who also has been granted his release, according to Canesport.com, is still on the roster.

    "As far as Robert Lockhart, I have not been informed about anything,'' Yandle said.

   Lockhart is a 6-1, 183-pound redshirt sophomore out of Fork Union Military Academy, via West Boca Raton High.  Lockhart was a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and ESPN. As a high school senior he had 34 catches for 686 yards and six touchdowns. He chose UM over Virginia Tech. Lockhart played in two games last season -- UNC and FSU -- but sustained a season-ending knee injury.

 SHANE McDERMOTT ON RIMINGTON WATCH LIST   

     UM center Shane McDermott is one of 44 players named to the 2013 Rimington Trophy spring watch list. The award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate center.

    McDermott, a junior, missed spring practice after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

     An All-ACC honorable mention selection in 2012 by league coaches, McDermott started all 12 games at center for UM. UM had the ACC's third-best passing offense (295.4-yards-per-game average) and fifth-best total offense (440.2). As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he played in 10 games, allowing no sacks and not being flagged for any penalties.

    McDermott is from Lake Worth. He was awarded the Walter Kichefski Endowed Football Scholarship at the most recent UM Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet. He will earn his bachelor's degree this summer.

    McDermott's younger brother (I won't say "little'' brother as he's 6-6 and approaching 300 pounds), Kc McDermott, has already pledged his commitment to UM for the Class of 2014, a huge get for the Canes.
 Kc is a four-star lineman, according to Rivals.com, and is listed as the 40th best player overall, regardless of position. He is listed as the fifth best tackle in the Class of 2014.

   Notre Dame also wanted Kc, and actually still wants him, but Kc said he's not budging from his commitment to the Hurricanes.  

     SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Courtside blog: UM 79, Stetson 65 (F)

BANKUNITED CENTER -- Want to get rid of your football blues? Hang out with me as the 22nd-ranked Canes host Stetson today and look to improve to 4-1 on the season. I'll be here to provide you with the highlights. Frank Haith's team is the best that UM now has. Might as well jump on the bandwagon.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> Lance Hurdle has officially replaced Eddie Rios in the starting lineups. Today he gets his first start of the season. Rios started the first four games.
> When Miami comes back out of the timeout, Haith will switch five starters for five reserves. It's not because he's upset with their play. It's the depth of his team. Dwayne Collins has four early points to lead the Canes, who got a three-pointer from James Dews to take an 11-8 lead with 15:53 left in the half.
> The Canes hit a hold patch, going without a basketball for about four minutes. But Cyrus McGowan went on a personal 6-0 run to get the offense going, showing his range with a three-pointer and his strength with a dunk in the post. James Dews capped the 9-0 Canes run with a three-pointer with 11:17 left.
> Stetson trimmed UM's lead to 20-16 with a pair of Garfield Blair free throws. But Miami has responded with a 10-0 run behind two Eddie Rios three-pointers and a beautiful Rios to Collins assist for reverse slam dunk.
> HALFTIME NUMBERS -- UM is outrebounding the Hatters 19-14. Garfield Blair leads all scorers with 15 points. Cyrus McGowan has 9 points and James Dews had 8 for Miami, which led by as many 16 with 4:52 left in the half.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> The Canes just haven't been able to really pull away from the Hatters this time around. Last year, Miami beat Stetson 89-53. Frank Haith talked about how this Stetson team was much improved and older and more experienced and you can see it. Senior Garfield Blair has 19 points to lead Stetson. Cyrus McGowan has 14 points to lead the Canes.
> Jack McCinton by the way was held scoreless in the first half. He took just two shots. He finally scored on a three-pointer with 17:35 left in the second half.

Gameday blog: N.C. State 38, UM 28 (F)

MIAMI -- The Canes are in Raleigh today to face the red-hot Wolfpack and are minus leading receiver Aldarius Johnson, who was suspended for violating a team rule and did not make the trip. The Canes are obviously playing for a better bowl game today. But it's N.C. State who has a lot more to play for -- they need a win to look up a bowl trip.

I'm here at home preparing to go watch Frank Haith's team take on Stetson at 3:30 p.m. at the BankUnited Center. But I'll be along for the ride in Raleigh, providing my thoughts on the game as it progresses. Our Susan Miller Degnan is up there checking in with me and says the skies are dark and the stadium lights are on at Carter-Finley Stadium. Let's hope that doesn't set the tone for Randy Shannon's team, which obviously doesn't want to end what has been a good season with back-to-back losses before bowl season.

The key to the game today is simple...
> Stop Russell Wilson. Bobby Bowden called him the mother of all running backs. Miami has to redeem itself after its debacle in Atlanta last week.
> Remember, DeMarcus Van Dyke will get his first start today opposite freshman Brandon Harris, getting his first start in over a month, at cornerback.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS
> Derron Thomas starts the game in the backfield -- call it a senior deal. Miami's offense fizzles and goes three-and-out on its first drive. Should we be surprised? The good news: Matt Bosher gets off a 61-yard punt to pin N.C. State deep in its own territory.
> Russell Wilson has turned out to be everything we've heard he was. He absolutely shredded UM on the Wolfpack's opening drive and then tossed a touchdown pass to Andre Brown with 7:42 left. It capped a 96-yard scoring drive. I smell a lot of trouble for UM today. This could get real ugly. N.C. State 7, UM 0.
> Patrick Nix isn't helping his cause. Another 3-and-out for the Canes on their second possession. Robert Marve tried to go deep to Sam Shields and he couldn't come down with the catch. The ball actually was thrown well. Shields has to snatch that ball out of the air.
> The Canes finally get off the field on third down after DeMarcus Van Dyke bats a pass away on N.C. State's second series. You got to give UM's secondary a little credit. They are getting very little support from the pass rush. It's tough to cover guys for 10 seconds.
> Someone blew some major coverage for N.C. State and the Canes are happy to take advantage. Dedrick Epps finds himself wide open and makes a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch for a 69-yard catch-and-run from Robert Marve. And just like that, the game is tied with 3:50 left in the first quarter. UM 7, N.C. State 7.
> Brandon Harris has finally made his first real big play as a Cane. N.C. State tries to run a trick play having Andre Brown throw the football and Harris steps in front of a Wolfpack receiver and returns it 24 yards to the N.C. State 45. Big play for Brandon.
> Javarris James makes his first appearance of the game on 4th down and 1 and picks up the first down. Maybe someone finally heard your complaints! Until then, we'd been seeing Graig Cooper on short running situations. Here's the best stat Baby J has -- only one carry for negative yardage this season.
> Baby J takes three consecutive carries and his last -- a dive into the end zone -- puts UM up with 13:09 left. Javarris has 4 carries for 42 yards. UM 14, N.C. State 7.
> Shades of Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson just ran circles quite literally around Miami's defense, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown run with 10:44 left. He looked like Michael Vick in John Madden football 2003. Amazing. Miami's defensive line missed at least four opportunities to get to him. UM 14, N.C. State 14.
> Jacory Harris comes in on the fourth series (as usual) and moves UM downfield. But then, he makes a bad decision, trying to force the ball into triple coverage to Richard Gordon and DeAndre Morgan caught the tipped pass in the end zone for an interception.
> Miami's defense finally makes a play when Marcus Forston sacks Wilson on third down and five. And then, Sam Shields -- who had been playing great -- crashes into N.C. State's punter, giving N.C. State a first down. Tough play. Shields was trying to make a play and instead of getting flagged for running into the kicker, he gets roughing.
> Another great play by Marcus Forston keeps N.C. State out of the end zone. Forston just gets enough of Wilson on third down to sack him and forces the Wolfpack to settle for a field goal with 1:47 left. N.C. State 17, UM 14.
> By the way, it looks like defensive end Marcus Robinson suffered a groin strain on the previous series.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS
> Miami's defense just can't get a handle on Russell Wilson. Now, all of his first half running has opened up the passing lanes. The Canes were lucky Marcus Forston and company were able to hold the Wolfpack to a field goal on their opening possession. N.C. State 20, UM 14.
> Javarris James scored his second touchdown of the game giving Miami its second lead of the game. The Hurricanes ran the ball six times on the seven-play scoring drive, sprinkling a little Baby J with a little Super Coop. UM 21, N.C. State 20.
> So much for that lead. N.C. State takes less than a minute to answer Miami's scoring drive as Wilson carves Brandon Harris and the secondary. N.C. State 28, UM 21.
> We keep forgetting how valuable Travis Benjamin is to the return game. Graig Cooper, Brandon Harris and company have done a good job filling in. But Benjamin is the game-breaker who can make the difference in a game like this.
> With 8:57 left to play N.C. State might have sealed this one up with a 42-yard field goal. Miami's last two possessions have gone nowhere and if the Canes don't score on this next possession, we're probably going to be headed to San Francisco next month for the Emerald Bowl.
> No Canes comeback today. Jacory Harris gets picked for the second time with 5:23 left and it basically seals the deal for N.C. State, which basically has to run out the clock to hold on for the victory.

What's so bad about 7-5?

It's pretty amazing how quickly the mood of an entire fan's nation can change in a matter of one week. Last week at this time, U were probably thinking...

> The Canes are going to win the ACC title and we're going to be in the Orange Bowl. Sweet!
> Randy Shannon probably deserves some Coach of the Year consideration.
> Bill Young has done a great job straightening out that defense. That FSU game was just a bad game.
> This whole Robert Marve-Jacory Harris quarterback sharing thing -- I can live with it this year as long as we keep winning.
> This team has really impressed me. They're doing great much better than I thought they would.

Not so much anymore. In a few hours, it's going to be a week since the Georgia Tech debacle, since all of those good feelings and positive opinions on this Canes season vanished with three hours of misery in Atlanta. But as you sit down to your turkey dinner tonight ask yourself this -- should U really be that disappointed? What were your realistic expectations for this team before Jacory Harris made you feel giddy with that comeback at Duke and Virginia and the defense and Marcus Robinson thrilled you against Virginia Tech? How happy would U have been if someone told you this team would likely finish 7-5 after starting 2-3?

Here's the reality: U probably aren't happy anymore with 7-4. And, things are probably going to get even uglier if that record slips to 7-5 with a loss at N.C. State on Saturday. But should U really be that upset? I think U should be thankful for this... this football team is better than it was last season; it's only going to get better with time; and Notre Dame is worse.

> Unfortunately, due to my flight delay in St. Thomas, I never got in on time to catch the end of practice Tuesday. But I did make it out on Wednesday to shoot a new video with Mollie Rose and gather some post-practice talk about the Wolfpack, who obviously have momentum (a three-game winning streak) and a bowl-berth to play for. So, what was the mood of the team? "We just want to get a win," linebacker Glenn Cook said. "This win will help us get into a better bowl. We don't get into redemption. We didn't do what we had to do to put us in a good position. So, this is what we've got to play for now."

Honestly, I'd say Cook and his teammates sounded a lot more disappointed they no longer have the ACC title to play for than thrilled about playing the Wolfpack. Not a good sign heading into Saturday.

> Randy Shannon has decided to make a few changes to the starting lineup on defense, benching veterans Bruce Johnson and Chavez Grant at cornerback for sophomore DeMarcus Van Dyke and freshman Brandon Harris. While I understand Johnson and Grant haven't done anything to warrant staying in the starting rotation, I'm taking it as a sign Shannon has decided with two games left to move forward at least at cornerback, throwing two guys into the fire even if they get burned.

Van Dyke, who started eight games last season, said Wednesday he'd only been playing about 10 snaps a game in certain situations. Harris, who has struggled this season, hasn't started since the Duke game. Harris said he believes coaches made the change because "I think its just giving us a feel to see how we can do starting off. They really want us to see us make some plays on the ball and tackle guys and get them on the ground. I think we play faster when you know what an offense is doing before you lineup. I think early in the season we were just trying to play off athletic ability."

Both Harris and Van Dyke said they've spent a lot of time in the film room, learning how to play in Young's zone-based coverage defense. Van Dyke said adjusting from man to zone is what caused him to struggle this season. "I think this right here is my stepping stone for next year," Van Dyke said. "I really want to get back to doing what I was supposed to do."

> Shannon said linebacker Romeo Davis has been replaced by junior Daryl Sharpton at the starting strongside linebacker spot.

> There are a few reports out two seniors could be seeking another year of eligibility after this season -- safeties Randy Phillips and Anthony Reddick. I'm of the opinion at least it's time to go in the direction of youth. Show me some Vaughn Telemaque.

Courtside blog: UM 80, San Diego 45 (F)

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- It's the final night of the Paradise Jam (and my little vacation). Frank Haith's Canes, who dropped to No. 22 in the AP poll after their Sunday night loss to No. 2 UConn, are trying to close out the tournament with a 3-1 overall record.

So far, I've been impressed the most early in the season by Dwayne Collins, who really has come into his own as the legit No. 2 scoring option on this team. Sunday, he couldn't control Hasheem Thabeet (who really can, much less when you are giving up 7 inches and 20 pounds). But Collins impressed me yet again with his development in the post. He wasn't scared. He wanted the ball and called for it several times before muscling his way inside for dunks, short hooks and more. He also did a real nice job drawing a few charges in the lane -- even though a few weren't called. At the least in the early going, you can say Collins looks like the player Frank Haith has longed to see. And he's not just doing once every few games. Jim Calhoun said last night Collins was a guy he feared coming in and said Miami has "a gem" in Collins.

Now, Miami needs to see who option No. 3 develops to be. Even if its a different guy on each night, somebody -- either James Dews, Cyrus McGowan, Lance Hurdle, DeQuan Jones or Brian Asbury -- has to step up and be that guy. Miami lost last night against a very, very good team because it didn't have that third option. You need one to win games against the UConns, Dukes, North Carolinas and the rest of the elite in college basketball. But it's good to feel like at least, Miami doesn't just have that one guy wearing No. 33 anymore to rely on by himself.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
> Almost on cue, Dwayne Collins gets rolling to start the game. First, he converted a three-point play (with a basket and a foul) to put UM up 5-0. The next time down the floor, he put a nice post move on Gyno Pomare to give UM a 7-2 lead. On the opposite end, he then deflected a ball which led to a Rios steal and layup. Now, he'll be at the free throw line with UM leading 11-8 with 14:30 left. I forgot to mention, Collins leads the ACC in rebounds after two weeks with 13 a game.

> This is what UM can play like when the opposing team doesn't have a 7-foot, 3-inch center. The Canes are owning the post right now against San Diego, who stacks up pretty evenly size-wise with Miami. Jimmy Graham, Julian Gamble and Collins are patrolling the middle and forcing the Toreros to score everything from the perimeter. Miami has gone on a 7-0 run since the last time out. Graham started with a rebound on a missed free throw and stick back. Lance Hurdle then drilled a three before Brian Asbury scored on an easy layup on a beautiful pass from Gamble.

> Miami had built its biggest lead of the game at 32-22 on a Cyrus McGowan three-pointer with 4:57 left in the half, but the Toreros have answered with back-to-back three-pointers by Brandon Johnson and Chris Lewis to pull within 32-28 with 3:20 left. McGowan has done a nice job on the offensive end. But there are times when he gets lost on screens and its allowed the Torerors to capitalize.

> Brian Asbury has scored six straight points -- four from the free throw line -- to give Miami its 10-point lead back with 1:12 left in the first half.

> FYI, look for Sunday's home game against Stetson -- schedule for 1 p.m. -- to be switched to a later start time with the football Canes scheduled to take on N.C. State at Noon.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> The Toreros came out of the break on a quick 5-1 run, but Miami has responded with a pair of Jimmy Graham layups to make it 44-35 with 15:32 left. Julian Gamble came in after Dwayne Collins picked up his third foul with 17:22 left and made a nice play to jump in front of a pass and setup a fastbreak which led to a foul. Gamble, who was redshirted last year, has made two nice plays since he's been in the game (albeit briefly). He had that nice assist to Brian Asbury earlier.

> Maybe this stat will show you just how much better I think this UM team is. With 13:21 left, Jack McClinton has yet to hit a field goal (0-for-4) and has four points (all from the line) and the Canes lead 47-35. Last year, Miami would be down 12 if that was the case. This San Diego team by the way is the same team that knocked off UConn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Their losses have to come to UNLV and No. 25 Wisconsin.

> It's now been a 14-0 UM run since Gyno Pomare scored San Diego's last basket with 17:53 left.

Courtside blog: UConn 76, UM 63 (F)

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Just got to the University of the Virgin Islands Arena and I'm watching the Canes warm-up for their showdown with No. 2 Connecticut in less than an hour. The game will be carried on Fox College Sports back home. Not sure how many of U have it. But if you do, you'll get to watch this one. If not, tune into 880 AM (WQAM has Dolphins programming) for the radio broadcast. Joe Zagacki and Josh Darrow will have the call as usual.

On the ride in, I sat next to Jack McClinton Sr., who said he thinks his son is in for a big game tonight. Apple Jacks hasn't been been playing like the Jack we saw in the final eight games of last season, when opponents were getting lit up like a Christmas tree. Jack Sr. told me he thinks is son is pressing a little bit, especially since he knows so many NBA Scouts are now keeping a close eye on him.

There's talk from within Jack could be a late first round pick with a solid senior season -- especially after the way he lit up guys over the summer at several camps hosted by guys like Steve Nash and Lebron James. Jack Sr. said Haith has been trying to get Jack to tone down his game a little since then because he's still playing like he's facing guys in those camps, trying to throw in extra moves to create separation when he already has it. Jack Sr. said his son is really trying to hone his mid-range game and his ability to draw even more fouls by getting eager defenders up in the air. Nevertheless, Mr. McClinton thinks his son and the team are going to deliver tonight.

So, too, do a few of the Huskies beat writers, who say Miami has impressed them with their depth and focus. While Miami was in its hotel room most of the day yesterday -- I'm on the same hotel floor with the team, UConn was enjoying the beach yesterday on its day off. Not, that there is anything with enjoying the beach on your day off (especially with a Pina Colada like I did). But it just shows you how intense Miami is taking this game. "I think they can win by eight," one UConn beat writer told me moments ago. "They look like a very good basketball team. Collins is terrific. McClinton is a great player. They are just flat out deeper than UConn. If Hasheem [Thabeet] plays like he did against LaSalle, Miami can win by 15."

> By the way, those Jai Lucas to UM rumors are way unfounded. Lucas is likely headed to the Big 12. Miami has its heart set on having Malcolm Grant run this team in the future. The only way he doesn't is if John Wall ends up here.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS...
> UConn has come out with some serious intensity early. Looks like they are taking this game seriously, too. Hasheem Thabeet came out and scored right away on a jump hook and then got a put back down low. Cyrus McGowan hit a three-pointer to trim UConn's lead to 8-7 with 18:06 left, but the Huskies have been on a 6-0 run since. Miami is 3-of-9 from the field and UConn is 7-of-10. They are scoring a ton of points in the paint, driving past Miami defenders for close-range shots.

> It's 80-plus degrees outside. But the Miami Hurricanes are ice cold right now. It's been nearly seven minutes since Cyrus McGowan scored UM's last points. The Canes have gone 0-for-5 from three-point range since McGowan's miss. Jack McClinton still hasn't scored. Miami is 3-for-19 and UConn is 9-for-13 from the field and on a 12-0 run.

> I feel like I'm watching a replay of Thursday night's football game. It's now 24-7 UConn with 10:24 left.

> The first highlight of DeQuan Jones college career appears to have finally jump started Miami's offense. Jones got a screen from Dwayne Collins, drove baseline and made a beautiful up and under reverse layup Hasheem Thabeet had no chance of swatting. The Canes followed it up with a wide open Jack McClinton three-pointer to trim the Huskies lead to 24-13 before AJ Price with a three-pointer with 8:03 left in the first half.

> The Canes are clawing and scratching their way back into this one. UConn stretched its lead to 33-14 on an AJ Price three-pointer, its third consecutive trey. McClinton has since gone on a 6-0 run over a 2-plus minute stretch to keep it reasonable.

> This one is officially far from over. Jack McClinton is hot and firing on all cylinders now. His three-pointer with 1:18 left has capped a 17-2 Miami run which has trimmed UConn's lead to 35-31.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> UConn has come out with some fire on defense here early in the second half and its help them extend their lead back out to double digits with 15:07 left to play.

> The game is now in control of the Huskies at 58-45 with 11:53 left. Miami is going to need someone other than McClinton to get hot here if it wants to have a chance at coming back.

> The stage is pretty much set here with 5:31 left for another one of those memorable Jack McClinton moments. He just hit a three with 5:31 left to trim UConn's lead to 69-59. Is this the start of something special?

Where will The U go Bowling? Plus, Mr. Scott

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- The dreams of reaching the ACC title game officially ended for Randy Shannon's Hurricanes Saturday. North Carolina lost and Virginia Tech won like it had to. But Virginia couldn't beat Clemson, ultimately ending Miami's hopes of winning a three-team tiebreaker (UM can't win a two-team tiebreaker with Georgia Tech or a three-team tiebreaker with GT and VT) and reaching the Dec. 6 title game.

Now, it's time to explore the possibilities of where Miami could be headed this bowl season. Should the Canes win at N.C. State (that doesn't look so easy anymore) they are pretty much guaranteed of going to one of the other top four ACC bowl tie-in games not named the Orange Bowl (which takes the ACC champion and the Big East champ) or Chick-Fil-A Bowl (which takes the ACC's No. 2 team and the SEC's 5th best team). At this point, UM can finish no worse than at least tied for 7th in the bowl pecking order should it lose to N.C. State (which means no trip to the blue turf in Boise). So, here is a look at the possible destinations and opponents. Let me know what you think and where you'd like to see the Canes play when you finish...

> The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on Jan. 1 versus a Big East team (maybe West Virginia who would likely be the runner-up; Notre Dame is playing its way out of it) or a Big 12 team (there are rumors Nebraska could go there). It's going to be hard for Miami to climb up to Gator Bowl status considering Georgia Tech beat them soundly and would get the edge should Virginia Tech win the Coastal Division and head to the ACC title game versus Florida State, Boston College or Maryland. It would have definitely been nice to see a UM-Notre Dame game. UM-Nebraska wouldn't be bad because it has history and the teams are schedule to meet in five years. But like I said, UM would have to beat N.C. State and probably have Virginia Tech and FSU lose next week to even be considered in the running for this game as the third or fourth best team in the conference.

> The Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 27 versus the Big Ten's No. 4/5 team (it's going to be either Northwestern or Iowa). This is probably where UM ends up if it wins at N.C. State -- especially when you consider Boston College (who could finish second or third in the Atlantic Division) played there last year. Orlando would love to have UM, which is only a three-hour drive away. The problem is a Miami-Northwestern or Miami-Iowa matchup isn't exactly sexy. But it looks like a game UM could win at least.

> The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte on Dec. 27 versus the Big East's No. 3/4 team (Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Connecticut). If the Champs Sports Bowl passes on an 8-4 UM team, look for the Meineke Car Care Bowl to scoop the Canes up because of their old Big East connections. A Miami-Pittsburgh or a Miami-Rutgers matchup would be sexy because you get Randy Shannon versus Greg Schiano or Randy Shannon versus Dave Wannstedt. If it's UM-UConn (which never really were Big East football rivals), look for the Canes to get passed up.

> The Music City Bowl in Memphis on Dec. 31 versus the SEC's 6th or 7th best team (Vanderbilt, Kentucky, South Carolina or Auburn). How about a game with the old ball coach Steve Spurrier on a cold night in Memphis? Not a bad draw for Miami. But UM-Vanderbilt or UM-Kentucky would bore me to tears. This is likely the game Miami heads to if it loses to N.C. State. Vanderbilt or Kentucky would definitely have home field advantage in SEC country.

> Finally, the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 27 versus the Pac 10's fifth best team or another substitute (possibly Fresno State). This is the place Miami is headed if everything goes against them if they lose to N.C. State and everybody passes them up in the pecking order. California or Arizona could be possible opponents in this game. But right now, the Pac 10 is so bad, people wouldn't be surprised if a WAC team got in instead.

> Now, to basketball. I actually did this interview on Wednesday shortly after Durand Scott announced his decision to skip out on UConn and Pittsburgh to head to UM. But considering the football Canes were about to take on Georgia Tech, I figured it was best to save it for a couple days.

Q: What made you decide on UM? You could have stayed closer to home?
A: The first time I went down to Miami on an unofficial trip it was OK. But I wasn't feeling it. When I made my official visit with my mom, it hit me that I had to decide where I really wanted to spend the next four years of your life. It came down to whose hands are you willing to leave your life in -- and I felt comfortable with UM. Plus, Pitt and UConn are two schools who have already been there, done that. At Miami, I wanted to be part of the start of something and put them on the map.

Q: Was Frank Haith a big part of why you chose Miami? I heard assistant Jorge Fernandez played a part, too.
A: They both really made me feel comfortable. They were like friends for me, not just someone who talked to me about basketball. It was about life too. Coach Haith is a great coach. He's been through a lot. He knows what's best for a kid.

Q: When did UM actually get into the recruiting picture for you?
A: Probably around the end of my sophomore year in the summer. The first school that actually offered me was Arizona. And the first school that looked at me was Duke. Miami is just a team on the rise, a family unit. I like what it's all about.

Q: Miami has four seniors on this team including Jack McClinton who will be gone after this season. Was playing time a factor at all?
A: When they leave I know there's more opportunity for me to play. But it wasn't he biggest factor. I'm just a hard worker in general. If I just go there and work hard, I have confidence I'll be able to play and help the team. The opportunity is there for me to play. But it wasn't the top reason.

Q: What were the guys like when you made your visit? Did you feel at home with your future teammates?
A: When I first stepped on campus, I just loved the feel of being around everybody. When I first started looking for a school, the first thing I thought about was being comfortable around my teammates. We had to have the same mentality, the same goals, to win. I love people who work hard and want it more than anybody else. Once you have that me and you are going to click. Really, all I care about is winning. I'll do whatever it takes to win.

Q: The top player for UM its 2008 class was DeQuan Jones. Did you ever play against him on the AAU circuit? And what do you think of being his future teammate?
A: I never got to play against DeQuan. But he's a very explosive player. I'd love to play with him. He's so athletic, so fast, so good. I saw his dunk on YouTube. Watching him do something spectacular can lift you off your feet. He's the type of player I'd love to have on my team.

Q: What are you doing when you aren't playing hoops?
A: I'm by my books. If I'm not about the books, I'm not a going out guy. This year I've been kind of lonely up at school. I lost three of my best friends to college. So, I'm getting used to playing with some new teammates.

Q: I heard you got hurt? What happened and how bad is it?
A: I pulled a ligament in my ankle. I went to the doctor and I'll be out three weeks. But I'll be in the lineup soon. I'm dying to get back out there. We lost in the state championship last year. I want to win this year.

Q: How do you know Malcolm Grant? I heard he played a role in getting you to UM, too.
A: He's from New York like me. I played against him when I was a freshman and he was a senior. We kept in contact even after he got into Villanova. The first time I saw him, I said this kid is going to be good. Some times things don't go as you wanted. I think its kind of a blessing for him and for me that we'll get to play together. I thank god for it. He's a special point guard.

Haith, Graham talk No. 2 UConn

ST. THOMAS, V.I. -- While I imagine most of you are spending your Saturday afternoon watching to see if the Canes football team will get some help in its quest to still make it to Tampa for the ACC title game, Frank Haith's basketball team is preparing to face No. 2 Connecticut Sunday night. Tipoff will be at 6 p.m. and the game will be available to watch online at www.watchbtihoops.com.

This morning, I got a chance to talk about the Huskies with Coach Haith and Jimmy Graham, who will likely draw the task of defending 7-foot, 3-inch NBA-bound center Hasheem Thabeet most of the night. Here's what they had to say. We'll start with Jimmy.

Q: How is the mood of the team knowing you guys can obviously grab even more attention with a win over the second-ranked team in the country?
A: The mood of the team is real good. It is a big game because it is the No. 2 ranked team in the nation. They are pretty big. I was reading a magazine about [Hasheem] Thabeet about two weeks ago. It's good to face a player like that.

Q: You guys have had some pretty special moments the last couple years, beating No. 5 Duke and the trip to the tournament, but what would beating the No. 2-ranked team in the country do for you?
A: I think this is a big game for us. I think every game for us is a huge game because we want to beat everyone. They are a very good team. But I think playing them early on is going to be very good for us. It's going to test us and show us the kind of team we are.

Q: Who is the biggest guy you've had to defend?
A: I don't know. There was this kid last year, 7-1. But the toughest was Jarvis Barnardo from Misssippi State. He was super long, really tall, another shot blocker just like Thabeet. The biggest thing is you just can't avoid him. You just can't be shy with him. You have to take it to him. He is pretty big. And Jeff Adrien, that kid is a beast. He had 22 and 11 last night. I watched most of the game last night and I'm really going to have to bring a lot of energy and try to lock those two down. I heard they were the best frontcourt in the nation. Now, we get to see how we stack up against it.

Q: Are you guys having fun out here? I heard about the Sky ride and how a few guys were scared?
A: The guy sky ride was scary. That thing was a little wobbly. We've had a little fun. But this trip is kind of like last year. We've really focused on this on being a business trip. Nobody has been out to the beach. Nobody has been out shopping. Everybody has been in bed 10, 11 at night. And we've just been focused on winning and what this tournament and this opportunity is for us. This is a big year for us. And each game is equally as important for us down here.

Q: Things are different than last year. You guys made it the tournament, proved yourselves. Is there not a moment where you sit back and exhale?
A: Never. Now, I'm a senior. We have a bunch of seniors on this team and we don't have a moment to exhale until that final game, hopefully in the NCAA tournament. For me everyday is just focus. Everyday is a workday. I think the whole team has that mentality, still playing with that chip and still trying to prove ourselves. I don't think we've proven anything. Yes, now we have a number. But it's not as high as I want to be. I think each game we're going to come out proving something.

FRANK HAITH
Q: Everyone back home is going to be excited about this game because both of you are ranked, the old Big East rivalry. Can you talk about why this is exciting for you guys?
A: Just the opportunity to play against a top five ranked team in the country. Any time you have a chance to do that, that's a plus. It helps the RPI. It helps everything you're trying to accomplish in terms of the big picture. UConn is a great team, great coach, great players. If you compete in this game, you want to play against the best. And that's what we enjoy in terms of playing in the ACC and this is another opportunity to play against the best one of the best teams in the country.

Q: How about in terms of preparation for the NCAA tournament? Does this game serve as a nice warmup or measuring stick -- even though its more than five months away?
A: I think we face it every night in our league. I think no league is undefeated up until this point. Virginia Tech lost last night on a last second buzzer. It's the first loss in our league and people don't talk about that. But I guarantee you the Pac 10 has lost games, the Big 12 has lost games, Big East lost games. Everybody has lost games. But we've only got one loss in our league and that's on a hail mary shot by Xavier. We face it every night in our conference. I think that's what the great misunderstanding of our league is all about.

Q: You guys have won some big games before obviously, but if you guys win tomorrow night some folks are going to say maybe beating No. 2 UConn is your biggest win. What do you say?
A: I think we've won some really big games since I've been here. I think in terms of a number, I don't know if we've beaten a No. 2 team in the country. Duke was maybe five I think. But there have been some great wins since I've been here. Winning at Florida was a huge win. Winning at Carolina -- I mean Clemson and some other teams have been in the league 50 years and haven't won there. I mean, there's been some big wins in our time. The NCAA Tournament win over Saint Mary's, winning at Creighton (I don't think they've lost one other non-conference loss in that building since then). I think this would be one of our biggest wins. This would be a good win, a great win if we're able to do it. But it's going to be a tall task. We know what we're up against us. Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, I mean Kemba Walker is unbelievable as a freshman. [Jerome] Dyson, all those guys are good players and all players I think can play at the next level and that's a great opportunity for our guys to compete against.

Q: Have you guys ever faced a 7-foot, 3-inch center?
A: I don't think so because he's probably the only one in the country. I don't think there's one everynight. I know Hasheem very well, I recruited him. Classy kid. I'm happy for him. He's done well. We were very hot in the recruiting trails for him and I got to know him well and you can just see he's become a more efficient player. His timing is much better than it was. He's shooting the ball much better. He's going to have a bright future at the next level.

Q: It's has to be a huge advantage for UConn when they've got a guy like Thabeet and you've got 6-8 Dwayne Collins and 6-8 Jimmy Graham in the post?
A: It's a huge advantage for them against everybody. I think with a player like that the one mistake you can make is to avoid him because he's going to get you. You got to go right at him and attack him and hopefully our guys can do that. Now, with that said, he's probably going to block some shots. He's averaging four blocks a game. He's going to get some shot blocks and we can't let that deter us.

Q: Their team is loaded with experience. You guys have a ton of experience too. This might be one of the best matchups in the country in terms of guys having played together is it not?
A: No question. They're very seasonal. They've been through it. I watched them last night. They have a sense of confidence about them and a lot of it has to do with personnel, Jeff Adrien, AJ Thomas, Dyson and those guys have been around a long time and Hasheem coming back for another year. They've been around for a lot of games and they know how to win. There's no substitute for that.

Q: Normally, you don't get these type of matchups three games into the season. Is there a benefit to playing them this early in the season?
A: Play 'em early, play 'em late, you just want the opportunity. You can look out in Maui or in the Coaches versus Cancer tournament, everyone was hoping for a Duke-UCLA final. But it didn't work out that way. It's great to have an opportunity to play a team ranked as high is good anytime. The fact we play them early? I don't know. I think they're playing very good basketball. They may not -- according to coach Calhoun -- not hit their peak yet. But I don't know if we've hit our peak yet. It's early in the year. It's on the schedule and when we're supposed to play.

Q: Can you talk about signing Durand Scott and what it means? I guess from the outside, people see it as a huge victory not just because he's a great player, but because you beat UConn and Pittsburgh, two very good teams, in their own backyard. Is that how you see it?
A: Durand is a very good player. We've been recruiting him a very long time. He fits a huge need for us because we're going to be losing a lot of perimeter players. I'd even go to Garrius Adams -- State and Wake wanted him. Donnovan Kirk, Michigan State wanted to recruit him. I think we've done well. Our staff has done a good job creating a buzz about our program and we've worked hard at it. All three of those kids are going to have a great effect on our program.

Q: Two games in, anything you haven't seen yet that you wanted to see?
A: I think we're getting better each game. I thought obviously Lance Hurdle coming back yesterday was huge and you can see the difference he makes in the game. I felt the strides he made last season were going to be unbelievable. He plays 22 minutes and has 13 points, no turnovers and three assists. Just his poise, he makes a difference. Defensively, we've been sound. We got to continue to get our offense flowing better. I think Jack didn't have one of his games yesterday. I think he's pressing a little bit and we'll see a better Jack McClinton on Sunday.

Courtside blog: UM 70, So. Miss 60 (F)

ST. THOMAS, V.I. -- Just walked into the gym here at the University of the Virgin Islands where Frank Haith's 17th-ranked basketball team is set to take on Southern Miss in the first round of the Paradise Jam. Today's game will be broadcast back home on WQAM and the internet. It will also be available on internet TV for purchase at www.watchbtihoops.com.

I was in Puerto Rico last year when Miami won the inaugual Tip-Off Classic. This field is definitely more loaded than that one. Southern Miss (2-0) was a pretty good team last year at 19-14 and has a really good two-guard in sophomore Jeremy Wise, who can light up from the outside just like Jack McClinton. The good news for UM is Lance Hurdle is likely going to return today. He was warming up with his teammates moments ago and should get some minutes at the point, which will give Eddie Rios a rest and allow McClinton to play off the ball. I'll be here to provide you updates and highlights as it rolls along. I know most of you could use a win considering what happened last night in Atlanta.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS....
> Eddie Rios and Cyrus McGowan got the start, but got early hooks. With 16:49 left, Lance Hurdle and Jimmy Graham replaced them. Southern Miss has had some early success in the paint, getting free for short range jumpers. Jack McClinton is 1-of-2 from three point range early.
> Miami has a 13-9 lead with 11:26 to go in the first half. So far, the story has been Southern Misses ability to grab offensive boards and second chances. They've scored most of their points early on 2nd and 3rd chances. But Miami is playing some pretty good defense.
> Since Cory Smith's stickback with 10:50 left, UM has gone on a 7-0 run to take a 20-11 lead with 7:48 left in the half. Adrian Thomas capped the run with a long-distance three-pointer.
> UM got up 22-11 on a Jack McClinton jumper with 7:16 left, but the next four offensive possessions weren't pretty. McClinton went 0-for-3 and drew an offensive foul for an elbow. So. Miss, meanwhile, ran off eight straight points and hit back-to-back three-pointers to get right back into the game.
> UM is 2-of-10 from three-point range and is just making some bad decisions right now on shot selection. They are punching the ball inside against a team that doesn't have much size. Dwayne Collins layup with 3:49 to go put UM up 24-20 and was the first basket in the paint since Asbury's layup with 10:21 left.
> It was a sluggish at-best first half until UM closed out the final two minutes with a 10-run. Lance Hurdle got a nice bounce on the final shot of the half as time was expiring, sinking a three-pointer from about 26 feet out.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS...
> Jeremy Wise had a tough first half, shooting 2 of 10 from the field, but he got Southern Miss going at the start of the first half as the Golden Eagles turned a 12-point deficit to six early with some hoops. Miami gave up 8 offensive boards in the first half and has to do a better job shutting down those second chances in the second half it wants to move on in this tournament.
> Canes are starting to put their stamp on this game with defense. Just about every point Southern Miss has gotten today has required second and third efforts.
> Dwayne Collins has continued to play well after his strong 18-point, 16-rebound opener. He's making plays on both ends of the floor. He's leading UM with 13 points and six boards today. That's encouraging considering the challenge he'll face Sunday if the Canes draw UConn.
> The Canes look they are pulling away in this one. Jimmy Graham's fast break dunk with 5:20 left made it 61-47. The big news: Jack McClinton's streak of 44 consecutive made free throws was snapped when he finally missed one with 5:35 left to play.

Georgia Tech loss a humbling experience

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- University of Miami coach Randy Shannon said earlier this week it would likely take his defense about a quarter to get adjusted to the speed of Georgia Tech's Triple Option offense. He miscalculated. The Hurricanes never did.

And the result was one of the worst defensive nights in Canes' history. The Yellow Jackets ran through, around and past Miami Thursday night, shredding the Canes for 472 yards rushing in a 42-23 blowout victory that hurt badly. The most heartbreaking part for fans of the U is that the Canes had just returned to the national polls this week (for the first time since 2006) and were in position to punch their ticket to the ACC Title game. Now, the ranking is sure to be history and those hopes of reaching the conference title game will require a few lucky bounces to go UM's way.

While I'm interested in hearing what Shannon has to say tomorrow, I wanted to pass along my thoughts and observations and get your thoughts once U have been able to cool down.

> THE BIGGEST FAILURE: We all knew coming in Georgia Tech's triple option offense was not only one of the best in the country, but that it was going to be a major challenge for the Hurricanes to stop. While the lead story is that the Yellow Jackets piled up the second-most yards allowed on the ground all-time by a UM team (Auburn had 536 rushing yards in 1944), they basically did it with a rag-tag group of guys. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt wasn't even close to 100 percent, yet still torched the Canes. Jonathan Dwyer, who didn't even play in the second half, had 128 yards on 10 carries. ESPN's announcers said before the game the Yellow Jackets were already thin along their line and in the second quarter put in a former running back who weighed all of 254 pounds.

Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt told me earlier this week Shannon first began throwing the triple option at the defense during Miami's bye-week two weeks ago. But it's obvious the Canes were completely fooled by it. Romeo Davis was completely out of position on the big runs up the middle. And Miami's cornerbacks never really got into help. What I'm trying to decide in my head is what this really says about UM's defense. Before the blowout loss Thursday, Miami had been doing a pretty good job stopping the run since they got lit up by Florida State. In three of their five wins, UM had held their opponents to 78 yards or less on the ground. I think what Thursday's loss showed us was just how much this team needs the right kind of matchup to win games on defense. When Miami faces option running quarterbacks, it struggles, especially sticking to assignments. Thursday was quite literally the worst kind of matchup for Miami because it had to guard against four guys running the football on each play. That's too much for an overachieving linebacking corps (who has one real star in Sean Spence) that sorely misses Colin McCarthy.

> THE BIGGEST CRITICISM: Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix has long been under the gun here for his playcalling -- much like any offesive coordinator in the country who isn't winning or scoring 50 points. I've been 50-50 on Nix during his time here because I thought he's done some really good things and some really bad things with this offense. But nothing has been worse in my eyes than a few decisions he made Thursday. There were at handful of plays when Miami had 3rd down and 2 yards or less. And each time, he lined up his quarterback in the shotgun. While I understand Georgia Tech's front four could be one of the best in the country and obviously did a great job shutting down Miami's running game Thursday, I find it disturbing Nix left all the pressure on his quarterbacks to make tough plays on those downs. He's preached -- along with Shannon -- that wouldn't be the case.

But ultimately, what bothers me most about what Nix has done this season is this: in 11 games he still hasn't been able to figure out what offense he wants UM to be. Each week, it's a different look. One week, its Marve and Harris running sprint option against Wake Forest. The next, it's five wide, spread it out against Virginia Tech. We were told at the start, this was going to be a team in which Javarris James and Graig Cooper were going to carry the load. We were told the strength of the team was the offensive line. What is Miami's offensive identity? Honestly, I couldn't tell you.

> THE HOT TOPIC - QUARTERBACKS: Speaking of the quarterbacks, the final stats will tell you Jacory Harris (13-18, 162, 2 TDs, 1 INT) had a better night than Robert Marve (10-20, 121 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). And while it's a fact Harris picked up most of those stats in garbage time when the game had already been decided, he once again looked like the more cool, calm passer in the pocket. While Marve made some amazing plays, avoiding sacks and then finding receivers downfield, it always seems to me when Marve is in the game Miami's offense as a whole feels flushed, frenetic and frustrated. Maybe it's just me, but everytime Harris is in there, he just looks a lot cooler, calmer and commanding than Marve. I highly doubt Shannon will go back on his word this coming week and start Harris in front of Marve in Miami's regular season final at N.C. State. But I've at least seen enough through 11 games to know who I like better as Miami's quarterback.

> THE Z-FACTOR -- MISSING BENJAMIN: Miami didn't lose Thursday because it lost Travis Benjamin (again) to an ankle injury (again) in the first quarter. But there's no doubt this team has missed Benjamin's presence on the field. Those long, uplifting, get the team excited returns Benjamin used to provide aren't happening anymore and the explosive receiver opponents were forced to cover because of his speed is also gone. That's hurting Miami much worse than U think. Benjamin is a special player. And when he's around, he makes his teammates better.

> THE BOTTOMLINE: The ultimate feeling I got when the 41-23 beatdown came to an end was this -- this UM football team is good, but not as good as that five-game winning streak and all that ACC title talk made us believe. Don't get me wrong, what Randy Shannon has accomplished this season with a group of young freshman and sophomores deserves credit. Most experts figured Miami would be 4-7 now and not 7-4. It's found some amazing leaders for the future, guys who can make this team very good in years to come. But this football team -- the one playing in 2008 -- has simply been a product of overachievement.

Here's what UM's success this season has been built on: an amazing season out of Matt Bosher (UM doesn't beat Virginia Tech or Wake Forest without him); much faster returns from its receivers and quarterbacks than was expected (UM doesn't come back to beat Virginia and Duke without Jacory Harris, Aldarius Johnson and company); and a pretty good coaching job by defensive coordinator Bill Young (who worked wonders for five weeks turning what had been a bad defense into one that did enough to win some tough games against decent ACC competition).

But there are still some rather large holes on this team that have just been covered up by overachievement. Miami's offensive line sorely needs at least another two to three more Jason Foxes (they've been getting away with project guys like Chris Rutledge for too long). The secondary needs major work -- especially at corner and free safety (Bruce Johnson is a great guy, not a great corner). The defensive tackles -- the young guys who are good and not the older overachievers -- still need to grow up (Joe Joseph, Dwayne Hendricks are average at best). Ditto for the linebackers (the Arthur Browns, Ramon Buchanon and Jordan Futche's on this team). Thursday night was a tough, humbling experience for Miami's young football team. But really, it should have also been for U too.

Gameday blog: Ga. Tech 41, UM 23 (F)

ST. THOMAS -- Wish I could say I was in the freezing cold with the rest of the UM sports writers for tonight's game, but I've been sent to this terrible place called the U.S. Virgin Islands to cover Frank Haith's basketball team. It's horrible. My hotel, Marriott's Frenchman Reef & Morning Star, has a terrible view of the ocean. And these pina coladas aren't even close to being the best I've had in my life.

But enough about my horrible assignment. I'll be watching tonight's game from my hotel room and sharing my thoughts as it rolls along. I don't know about you, but I'm excited about this game. It's been a while since Miami played a meaningful game like this -- if you don't count last week. But you know what I mean.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> Georgia Tech picks up right where it left it off and moves right down the field. Consider it a small victory Miami held the Yellow Jackets to a field goal. GT 27, UM 3.
> Talk about a strange drive. But at least UM is showing life. Dedrick Epps hauls an 18-yard touchdown pass from Robert Marve with 7:45 left to play in the third quarter to get into the end zone. Epps made a huge 30-yard catch on the drive. Thearon Collier caught a 21-yard pass on 4th and 13. But the play of the drive? Kayne Farquharson running onto the field on the touchdown pass when UM was short one player and delivers a key block to allow Marve to throw the TD. GT 27, UM 10.
> Safe to say this one is over now. Josh Nesbitt scores on a 1-yard plunge to make it 34-10 with 4:08 to play. Miami has given up 361 yards rushing to this triple option attack. GT 34, 10.
> I think the bigger thing to take from this game is that Miami certainly isn't the first team to struggle against this offense. Whatever UM did to prepare in practice this week, didn't get them ready. Sometimes, that happens.
> It's become flat-out embarrassing. Lucas Cox makes it 41-10 with a run right up the middle. Now, the question becomes does Georgia Tech set a record for rushing yards tonight? 395 yards rushing on Miami. I'm going to google this.
> At this point, I'm wondering why more backups aren't in the game. No need for starters to get hurt. Miami still has something to play for next week at N.C. State.
> Jacory Harris moves UM downfield and into the end zone with a touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson with 10 minutes left in the game. Maybe something to build on a night when so much went wrong. GT 41, UM 16.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS/THOUGHTS...
> So far, the story of the game has been Miami's inability to stop the triple option on the edges. While the defensive tackles did a good job plugging up the middle, Jonathan Dwyer and company were able to to run to the outside. Georgia Tech capped its first drive with a 31-yard field goal with 5:53 left. GT 3, UM 0.
> Couple nice early plays for the Canes young defensive players -- Sean Spence and Marcus Robinson each have a sack.
> Special teams was horrible in the first quarter. Travis Benjamin couldn't get past the 20 on the first kicks he handled. Matt Bosher nearly had a punt blocked and had another go 32 yards.
> As bad as the 1st quarter was for UM (GT outgained UM 145-45), the second quarter has gotten off to an even worse start. Michael Johnson's 26-yard interception return for a touchdown has put the Yellow Jackets up two scores with 13:28 left. UM showed a lot of heart in rallying to victory this season in tough places. They'll have to do it again tonight. Georgia Tech 10, UM 0.
> It wasn't a touchdown, but it was something. After getting picked on his first series inside the Georgia Tech 20, Jacory Harris leads UM on a scoring drive his next series. He made a couple nice throws, hooking up with Aldarius Johnson along the sideline and then Sam Shields, who made a nice move for a 23-yard gain. It ended with a 24-yard Matt Bosher field goal with 6:19 left in the half. GT 10, UM 3.
> And right when you think Miami has built a little momentum, the defense gets torched by the triple option. Jonathan Dwyer races right up the middle of the field for a 58-yard scoring run. Anthony Reddick and Romeo Davis over-pursued on the plays. This is where you miss a Colin McCarthy. GT 17, UM 3.

PREGAME
> Slow down the triple option offense: Shannon talked this week about tackling high and causing turnovers. GT is next to last in the nation when it comes to turning the ball over via the fumble. Miami needs to make sure though it wraps up, especially the Yellow Jackets big man when he runs up the middle.
> Make sure your quarterbacks aren't forced to win today: Georgia Tech has a very good defense, but what is most special about the Yellow Jackets is their secondary. The last time UM played a secondary like this, UCF nearly pulled off the upset. Robert Marve and Jacory Harris need to be caretakers today.
> Continue to capitalize in the red zone: Miami has been the best team in the ACC when it comes to scoring in the red zone and that's a big reason why they are on this five game winning streak. Last week, UM couldn't punch the ball into the end zone against Virginia Tech, but still came away with points every time down. They need to do the same this week if it hopes to end the three game losing streak against Georgia Tech.
> It might be time for me to head back to the beach. Georgia Tech is running right through Miami's defense. 229 yards now. Jonathan Dwyer has 10 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. His last one might have put a nail in Miami's coffin with 1:59 left in the first half. GT 24, UM 3.

STOCK MARKET
> I'm expecting hot games today from Glenn Cook, Marcus Forston and the middle of Miami's defense. As good as UM looked last week sacking Virginia Tech's quarterbacks, I think the Canes win tonight because Cook, Spence and those no-name defensive tackles (Joe Joseph, Dwayne Hendricks) represent.
> I'd stay cool on the tight ends. Last week, I expected Dedrick Epps, Chris Zellner and company to play well and they were shutout. I don't see them breaking out this game.

Recruiting analyst: 'Miami basketball is relevant'

When it comes to basketball recruiting, there isn't a guy more knowledgeable in the country than Scout.com's Dave Telep. He's been in the business more than a decade and is on the board that chooses McDonald's All-American's, the Naismith High School Award winner and the Gatorade Player of The Year. So, when I called him moments after Durand Scott picked Miami on Wednesday and he gushed about the job Frank Haith has done building Miami's basketball program I made sure to listen closely.

Here's what Telep, Scout.com's National Recruiting Director, had to say.

Q: What does landing Scott mean to Miami basketball?
A: "It's an enormous addition. It comes to this: they won a long recruiting battle with two of the best programs in the country. It's a big deal. They played their cards right. Miami doesn't have the tradition of being a traditional powerhouse program. They've got to scratch and claw for everything they get. But they're in a position now to sustain from success. Frank Haith will be the first person to tell you none of this comes easy. It's a constant grind when you are battling the line you are in the ACC and you are competing with Connectictut and Pittsburgh for a kid like Scott. That's a grind. I can't say enough what a victory this is for Frank Haith."

Q: Is this the big-name, landmark signee they were looking for to put them over the top, for this program to pound its chest and say we're getting the big-time guys now? Or, has that day already come and gone in your eyes?
A: "I think every year is just another chapter in the book. If you look at Miami's basketball program right now, you see a program on the rise that's not going to be a one-hit wonder. It's built for the long term. Bringing in Durand Scott, Garrius Adams, Donnovan Kirk and a Lisandro-Ruiz Moreno [who still has not signed], it's another foundation for another strong basketball team. Miami basketball is past those days of being on the outside looking in. Miami basketball is relevant now."

Q: What kind of player is Scott? What does he give Miami on the court?

A: "He's a very good defensive player. He has a lot of pride in playing defense and in high school that's a rare treat. He's a streaky shooter, so he's got to improve on that. But he can be a secondary ball-handler. He can shift in, rebound, pass, be a Jack of All Trades wing player. At the end of the day, though, what makes him special is he is wired to win. Winning matters to Durand Scott. Sometimes, you got to teach a guy to want to win. You don't have to with him. He wants to win in AAU season. Garius Adams is the same way. You can't put a price on what that means to your team. You already have a winning culture in Coral Gables and now you are bringing in guys who feed the monster. He should not be labeled as a savior, just another very good player."

Q: After this season, Miami is set to lose All-ACC guard Jack McClinton, Lance Hurdle, Jimmy Graham and Brian Asbury. How do you see this team next year with all the new additions with a guy like DeQuan Jones and a guy like Malcolm Grant in the mix?
A: "I envision a tempo and a pace that is basically an aggressive team that can guard you 94 feet, up and down the length of the floor and run, run, run on offense. They are going to be very athletic and very good."

Q: This class could still have one more huge chip added to the mix -- the No. 1 player in the country in North Carolina point guard John Wall. What do you think are the realistic hopes Miami fans should have in also getting Wall?

A: "Miami is in its infancy stages with John Wall right now. All you can do is sell your program and see what direction it goes in. John Wall is the equivalent of getting Manny Ramirez in free agency. You make your best pitch to him and hope he bites. That would be the highest profile recruit to ever commit to Miami. But we're a long way -- probably five months -- away from that one."

Durand Scott chooses Canes

The University of Miami men's basketball program reportedly landed one of the top players in the country moments ago when Durand Scott, a 6-4 shooting guard from Manhattan Rice, N.Y. announced on SNY.TV he was picking Miami over Connecticut and Pittsburgh.

It's a huge get for the Hurricanes, who announced the signing of two other players at the start of the early signing period last week. Scott is rated the 43rd-best overall player in the country by ESPN.com and a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. Scott has a close friend at Miami in Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant, also from New York. He also reportedly built a strong relationship with UM assistant Jorge Fernandez.

"I made my decision because of comfortability, just the type of person I am and where I believe I best fit," Scott said SNY.TV "When I took my visit to Miami, I knew it was the place I wanted to be. But I didn't want to tell everybody. I wanted to weigh my options.

"Everything there is great, basketball wise and academic wise. I love them. They've sparked my interest. They also made me feel welcome. They have [Malcolm Grant] who is there also. It's not like I'm going to be meeting a bunch of people that I don't already know. I'm familiar with some people there."

Lance Hurdle could play in Paradise Jam

The University of Miami men's basketball team started the season Saturday without point guard Lance Hurdle. Tuesday, coach Frank Haith sounded optimistic Hurdle -- who practiced for the first time in weeks Monday -- will play some when the Hurricanes travel to the Virgin Islands Friday to play in the Paradise Jam.

"Lance practiced yesterday and based on what I saw in practice -- knock on wood -- he'll have an opportunity to play some," Haith said. "I don't know how effective he'll be coming off the box. But I think he'll have a chance to give us something."

Consider it good news for the Canes, who obviously are at their best when Jack McClinton doesn't need to tote the rock and is free to run off screens and knock down threes. In the meantime, expect sophomore Eddie Rios to continue to start in Hurdle's place. Haith said Saturday night after UM's season-opening win over Division II Florida Southern it could be awhile before you see the old Lance.

One thing is for sure, the Canes are hoping 2007-08 is the last they'll see of the first-year Eddie. Rios lost eight pounds (he's down to about 186) and looked a lot Saturday like the star point guard Miami thought it was getting when they received an oral commitment from him in the 11th grade. He was 3-for-3 from three point range, scored a career-high 17 points and got to the rim with the speed and quickness we all once heard about.

Southern Miss won't be a cakewalk for the Canes when the teams hook up at 2 p.m. Friday. Larry Eustachy's team (yes that Eustachy) went 19-14 last year and brings back All-Conference USA Second Team guard Jeremy Wise, a player Haith said will be as good a guard as his team faces all year. Look for James Dews to draw the assignment. I'll be there to provide a live Courtside Blog.

> Don't forget Wednesday is supposed to be Durand Scott's decision day. I'm not going to be in New York for it, but I'll be by the phone hoping to hear something in the morning.

> Here's the link the video from CBS 4 of Tuesday's basketball press conference.

> OK, I'll now leave you to your regularly scheduled football programming (THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE GEORGIA TECH TRIPLE OPTION) and our Mollie Rose with UM kicker Matt Bosher.

> OK, one more link... to my feature on freshman defensive end Marcus Robinson.

Sound bites: Hurricanes talk Georgia Tech

Want to know what University of Miami players are saying about their next opponent? For the past three years, I've uploaded audio clips from every time I've been out at a Canes practice or game -- from inside the locker room (when we had access) -- and outside of it.

Check out everything players were talking about this week at our UM audio page. I know our new website design hasn't made it easier to find it. But I try and post the link every time I upload something new. Feel free to bookmark it. I think its one of the coolest things we have on MiamiHerald.com. It's not often you get to hear everything asked and said by players because most of it gets edited down for time (in TV and radio) or space (in written stories). Here you get everything from when I turned my audio recorder on to when I shut it off.

Among the best conversations from Monday...
> Defensive tackle Marcus Forston shares with us how defensive coordinator Bill Young brought entire room of players to laughter when he shared his new favorite song, Young Jeezy's Put It On For My City. Forston goes on talk about how UM plans to shut down Georgia Tech's triple option attack and how he and Marcus Robinson became close friends at the U.S. Army All-American game last year.

> Defensive tackle Josh Holmes, who has starred since coming back from injury, shares his own stories about Young and more.

> Quarterbacks Robert Marve and Jacory Harris, meanwhile, talks about Georgia Tech's defensive schemes and how they plan to prepare for it.

> Left tackle Jason Fox fills us on the condition of his injured right ankle including what he can do, how he's feeling with the pain and how much he thinks he can play this week.

MORE NOTES...
> ESPN.com updated their Bowl Projections Monday and the Canes have climbed the charts since Bruce Feldman and Mark Schlabach's last entry. Feldman has Miami headed to the Orange Bowl to play Cincinnati. Schlabach has UM facing Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. If you had your choice, including a shot at Notre Dame, would you prefer for the Canes to be in Jacksonville instead of Miami on Jan. 1? That video link might sway you to pick the Irish.

> Today, I'll be out at the BankUnited Center to speak with Frank Haith about his team's impending trip to the Virgin Islands to compete in the Paradise Jam. The Hurricanes won their season open 96-60 on Saturday night. I'll be following them this week while Susan Miller Degnan and Brian Costa follow the football team to Atlanta. Tuesday's chat, by the way, has been moved up to 1 p.m. so that I can make that press conference at 2:30 p.m.

> Haith's team could get some great news Wednesday. Published reports by Scout.com say highly-touted New York city guard Durand Scott is expected to announce his college choice and Scout.com writes the Canes are in the lead. Stay tuned for an update. I've contacted Scott's AAU coaches and am expecting to hear back from them soon.

> Miami's baseball program appears to have suffered some really bad luck. Canesport.com reported late Monday night left-hander Eric Erickson has gone down with a season-ending injury, leaving Chris Hernandez as the team's only returning starting pitcher.

Hurricanes prep for Georgia Tech's Triple Option

"60 minutes of assignment football." That's what coach Randy Shannon said the challenge will be for his defense this week as it prepares to face one of the nation's top rushing teams in chilly Atlanta Thursday night. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have won three straight games against the 23rd-ranked Canes -- all by close margins. But the team Miami will face this time around won't be anything like the Georgia Tech teams UM has faced lately.

First-year coach Paul Johnson, who built Georgia Southern into a national champion and Navy into a winner before making the move to Atlanta with his Triple Option Attack, has created another rushing machine at Georgia Tech. And opponents just can't seem can't to get a handle on it. U remember the days when Miami used to eat option-based rushing teams for dinner. Nebraska and Oklahoma tried it for years in big matchups with the Canes with little success. But Canes fans shouldn't get confused. This attack isn't exactly the same as the Wishbone according to Shannon, who described it during his Monday press conference as more of the rushing offense Arkansas used to run with former Steelers running back Barry Foster in the early 1990s.

Miami has tried to mimic the offense this week with the scout team. Walk-on Devon Hill, a former star quarterback in New Jersey, and sophomore Damien Berry are playing the role of Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt (6-1, 214) and fullback Jonathan Dwyer (6-0, 228). But even Shannon admitted it's not going to be easy to replicate what Georgia Tech does on Thursday in practice this week and could take the Canes some time to adjust in-game.

"There's no science to it," Shannon said. "If guys are doing their job and playing assignment football you'll be successful. Every now and then someone's going to get cut, be on the ground. So you have to have other guys chasing to over-compensate. You have to have everybody chasing the football. If you don't, you're going to have a tough time."

One advantage the Canes have though is that this isn't all brand new to them. UM has been preparing for it the past few weeks. Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt told me his defense first began seeing it during UM's recent bye week. Although most guys were seeing it for the first time in their careers that week, Sean Spence and Marcus Forston said they've at least played against it, when they played Lake Brantley in the Class 6A state championship game for Miami Northwestern two years ago.

The problem is Georgia Tech is probably the best football team in the country at running the triple option. Dwyer, who bullies the ball up the middle, leads the ACC in rushing with 1,056 yards and has eight touchdowns this season. He's averaging 6.6 yards a carry. Josh Nesbitt is the team's second leading rusher with six touchdowns and 62.2 yards rushing a game. That's just six yards fewer a game than Graig Cooper. Shannon said there is no way his team is going to hold Georgia Tech to fewer than 100 yards rushing this week.

There's a key, though, to stopping it. Shannon said to be successful, Miami will have to get off the field on third down (something its done well in its last five games) and create turnovers. Fumbles have been a problem for Georgia Tech. In the games they've lost (28-7 to North Carolina, 24-17 to Virginia and 20-17 to Virginia) the Yellow Jackets coughed the ball up at least twice in those games. Shannon said he's made sure the focus for Miami in practice this week has been on tackling high. "The quarterback is going to carry the ball high in the option," Shannon said. "So every time we tackle them this week it's up high, grabbing the arms. That's where most of the turnovers are coming. When you have an opportunity to get on the football, you have to."

> While it's still unknown if freshman Travis Benjamin will be available to play this week, there's no doubt teams have figured out a way to neutralize The Blur and Miami's return game. Since the North Carolina game, Miami has a combined 76 yards on 14 punt returns. In the UNC and Texas A&M games alone, Benjamin had 108 yards on five returns. Shannon said teams are now getting more hangtime on the ball on punts and kicking it shorter to avoid returns. Miami finally adjusted last week against Virginia Tech, going with two guys back on most returns.

"Whichever way you go at least we have an opportunity to return the football," Shannon said. "When we put two guys back they kicked out of bounds. We have to come up with something to get the ball in those guys' hands."

> Defensive coordinator Bill Young is 62-years old, but he isn't out of touch with the latest hip hop. Last week as Miami was preparing to play Virginia Tech, Young was asked by linebackers coach Micheal Barrow during a team meeting what his favorite song was. "Coach Young busted out, I Put On For My City," freshman defensive tackle Forston said with a chuckle Monday. "The whole room went crazy. It got us pumped up. When everybody is in the meeting room, quiet, he always says something to take our mind off it. He always has something funny to say. You never know which Coach Young will be out on the football field."

> Freshman defensive end Marcus Robinson earned Defensive Line Player of the Week honors in the ACC this week for his three sack, seven tackle performance. Kicker Matt Bosher was selected Special Teams Player of the Week. It's a bit of a surprise for Bosher that's he's only been selected once for the award.

> POST PRACTICE UPDATE... Just wanted to share with you it looks like a go for left tackle Jason Fox, who saw his 22-game starting streak snapped against Virginia Tech. Fox said he expects to play against Georgia Tech with a brace on his heavily taped right ankle. "The last couple of days I've been running around and it feels pretty good," Fox said. Receiver Travis Benjamin supposedly practiced "a lot more" than he did Sunday according to Shannon. UM's official injury report will be released Tuesday morning.

Sunday notebook

The Miami Hurricanes are ranked for the first time in two years and control their own path to the ACC title game. But if you ask them, they don't really care.

Sunday, after the team began preparing for another Thursday night primetime game, coach Randy Shannon and his players didn't exhibit a lot of excitement over their newest rewards created by their current five-game winning streak. It seems they've got their eyes on the bigger prize.

"It really doesn't matter," Shannon said when asked what it means for his team to be ranked 23rd in the country by AP, the first time Miami has been ranked since it lost at Louisville Sept. 15, 2006. "The only thing that matters to us is we have an opponent on the road that's playing very well, which is Georgia Tech. That's the only thing that matters to us right now."

What about the fact you can win your way into the big game in Tampa now and that you don't need to worry about what happens anymore with North Carolina? "We don't think about it," Shannon said. "Not at all. We're just worrying about Georgia Tech."

For what's it worth, Javarris James and Xavier Shannon said said they had no idea the team was ranked when asked about it after practice. "Everyone outside of the University of Miami is all hyped about it, but we're not going to change anything," Xavier Shannon said. "Why would we?"

Truth is, no matter what they say, the Canes are definitely excited to be in front of the steering wheel and no longer sitting in the back seat of a conference many thought they would come in and dominate right away. And the truth is, UM could have everything locked up for a trip to Tampa by Saturday (at least we think). Today, Associated Press writer Tim Reynolds and I began trying to figure out if the Canes could clinch the Coastal Division title by this weekend. And it appears they can.

What HAS to happen? UM needs to beat Coastal Division rival Georgia Tech first, and then have either two scenarios play out. One, North Carolina loses at home to N.C. State. Or, if Carolina wins, Virginia Tech and Virginia both win their home games against Duke and Clemson. How does that get UM in? It's complicated. But, basically Miami would own all the tiebreakers needed regardless of what happens a week later. UM owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Virginia Tech and Virginia, and in a three-way tie (best record among teams tied in the Coastal Division would be used as the tiebreaker) Miami would own that with a 4-1 in-division record. We tried explaining the scenario to Randy Shannon after practice and he didn't care. He took off his hat and said "You can get these [pointing to two gray hairs on his head] if you worry about that," he said.

But you know his players are excited. James said he received text messages from teammates who were watching the North Carolina-Maryland game while he was driving home to Immokalee this weekend. James admitted practice had more of a spark Sunday. "From here on out, we can control our own destiny," James said. "I think its definitely put more of a spark into us. Guys were talking about how they're ready to practice, ready to work. We know what we got to do now."

And it starts with beat Georgia Tech. Believe me, you don't want to know the other scenario if Miami loses to the Yellow Jackets.

> The best news from Sunday appears to be that left tackle Jason Fox is expected to return to the lineup Thursday night. Fox had his 22-game starting streak snapped when a right ankle injury forced him out against the Hokies. But he returned to practice Sunday with his right ankle heavily taped. Shannon said Fox will play.

> Receiver, speedster and return man Travis Benjamin is a different story. "We don't know about him yet, but he moved around pretty well," Shannon said.

> Quarterback Robert Marve had some extra drills to do after practice for some apparent fumble issues in practice. He was doing rolly-pollys and came off the field with some grass in his hair.

Canes crack AP poll

It's been a long time, but the Miami Hurricanes are finally going to have a number next to their name when they play at Georgia Tech this week. The Hurricanes moved into the 23rd spot in the Associated Press poll Sunday, the first time Miami has been ranked since Sept 16, 2006. The Hurricanes were just outside of the rankings in the ESPN USA Today poll, but led all other teams in receiving votes.

It's been a long journey for the Canes since the last time they were ranked. UM was 15th in the nation when they were knocked out for good after losing at Louisville 31-7. Miami's streak of 107 straight appearances in the rankings ended with the loss. After that, Miami went 13-14 before starting a five-game winning streak. Georgia Tech has won three straight games against the Canes by a combined 14 points. They ended UM's last long winning streak in 2005 with a 14-10 win at the Orange Bowl.

Miami controls its own path to the ACC Title game in Tampa Dec. 6. UM leads the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 4-2 record. Maryland, ranked 22nd in the AP poll, leads the Atlantic Division at 7-3, 4-2.

> By the way, while critics may bash the ACC because it doesn't have a top-tier team, the computers at least say the ACC is the second best conference in the country. The Big 12 is tops. But the ACC is actually ahead of the SEC. Check out Jeff Sagarin's rankings.

> Here's a link to Randy Shannon's press conference Friday after the Virginia Tech game.

Courtside blog: UM 96, Florida So. 60 (F)

BANKUNITED CENTER -- Here at the BUC for the start of the season for Frank Haith's 17th-ranked basketball team. I'll provide you with highlights and thoughts as this one rolls along...

> The first surprise of the night: Cyrus McGowan gets the start in the post in front of Jimmy Graham, who was penciled in as the starter. Haith has always liked using Graham as his sixth man because of the energy and scoring he brings to the floor. Graham did exactly what Haith wanted him to do after UM got off to a sluggish start, he put the Canes in front 6-5 with 16:32 to play with short jump hook.

> So far, the crowd looks pretty good for a game against a Division II opponent -- well, at least better than last year's.

> Freshman De'Quan Jones made his collegiate debut with 14:49 and got his hands on the ball quickly. He then promptly overthrew Dwayne Collins, who had position in the post. Looked like nerves for DJ, who is obviously pumped up for the game. Jones followed up his first turnover with another when he dribbled the ball off his leg. He followed it up with an air ball.

> Well, it definitely looks like a season opener. Miami is playing without starting point guard Lance Hurdle (his high ankle sprain still hasn't healed) and has been sloppy with the ball. So far in the first eight minutes, UM has five turnovers. This is what Haith was most unhappy with in the preseason.

> Well, so much for those early struggles. The Canes have gone on a 17-2 run since McGowan's offensive rebounding got UM rolling. McGowan hit a three during the run and provided a ton of energy on both sides of the court. He's impressed me most of all the newcomers so far.

> Here are some halftime numbers: Dwayne Collins leads the Canes with 10 points and 8 boards. Eddie Ros has played well. He's got 8 points, 2 assists and 1 turnover. Miami has 11 turnovers in all.

Canes control destiny now

BANKUNITED CENTER -- Randy Shannon's football team now has a clear path to Tampa and the ACC Championship game. The Canes got an assist Saturday night when Maryland came back to beat North Carolina 17-15, giving Miami sole possession of first place in the Coastal Division. All UM has to do now is win its final two games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina State and the Canes will get to play in the ACC title game on December 6th.

I'm sure many of U were glued to your TVs just like Canes players and coaches were tonight trying to follow the important game. The fact Miami is even in this position is a huge accomplishment. I keep thinking back to where this team was just a little over a month ago, 2-3, 0-2 in the conference. Now, these Baby Canes have grown up and learned how to win. The defense has been the key. I know I've thrown this stat out a ton, but third down defense is the most glaring number you can thank for the turnaround. In Miami's 2-3 start, the Canes were allowing opponents to convert 55 percent of the time on third down. In their five straight wins, that number has been squeezed down to 23 percent. Bill Young obviously deserves a lot of credit.

Now that Miami is in first, expect the Canes to crack the Top 25 poll this week.

By the way, Florida State and Maryland are tied for first in the Atlantic Division with 4-2 records. They play each other next week and that will likely decide the other representative in the ACC title game. FSU still has to play Boston College tonight.

CoachSpeak: Shannon, Haith talk Friday

BANKUNITED CENTER -- Just got through a double-header of press conferences for football coach Randy Shannon and men's basketball coach Frank Haith here at The U and wanted to pass along what was talked about. We'll start with the guy who is coming off a big win Thursday night in front of a national TV audience...

> Shannon was obviously happy with his team's fifth consecutive win, especially with how the defense and special teams played. But Shannon said the goal this week in preparing for Georgia Tech is to learn how to "seal the deal." Shannon said he was frustrated Miami couldn't punch the ball into the end zone while in the red zone and settled for field goals. He also wasn't happen with Graig Cooper's fumble and Kayne Farquharson's drop. He said there are lessons to be learned. "We got to capitalize when we get those chances," Shannon said. "We got to seal the deal and not wait until the fourth quarter to make those plays. We're not getting hat extra push in the red zone. And we need to."

> What Shannon liked most in reviewing film was how Miami cut down on the number of penalties it drew two weeks ago against Virginia. The Hurricanes were flagged one time for 10 yards Thursday night -- a 10-yard illegal block penalty, which cost the Canes good field position.

But overall, Shannon liked the fact Miami was able to win the field position battle and praised kicker Matt Bosher for getting great hangtime on his punts and kickoffs, allowing the special teams unit -- led by Sam Shields -- to get down field and not allow for big returns. "It was probably his best performance in terms of all three phases," Shannon said of his kicker. "Our plan was for him to kick it up, let it hang and let our two fliers -- Sam and Ryan [Hill] to get there." Shannon pointed out freshman Ramon Buchanon had an opportunity to block a punt and didn't.

> Shannon said Shields big hit on the kickoff after Miami scored to make it 10-7 got the team excited and the crowd excited and gave Miami momentum.

> Shannon said one of the biggest keys to the game was winning the time of possession battle -- especially in the second half. Miami had the ball for 18 minutes in the second half -- including 10 in the third quarter. "Everybody talks points, points, points," Shannon said. "But sometimes, holding on the football is just as important. Bud Foster is one of the best coordinators in the nation. We knew if we could hold onto the football and keep their offense off the field, it was just as effective."

> Shannon was happy with the play of his defensive line, which produced six sacks and was led by freshman Marcus Robinson's three-sack performance. But as good as the line played, Shannon said he saw a few other blown opportunities for sacks and big plays.

"Allen Bailey missed a sack and Marcus had a few mistakes where he was out of position," Shannon said. "But I like what we're doing. It was a great game to see [Robinson] come around. But he wouldn't have had that type of a night if not for the guys inside. Coach [Clint] Hurtt pointed out how guys were not reacting to run pass like they should. We just did a better job recognizing that. Another guy who deserves some praise is Josh Holmes. He's been very active on the inside."

> Shannon said the only way Bailey will move to defensive tackle permanently is if he were to put on more weight. Right now, Bailey is only playing at the tackle spot in bandit formations.

> Shannon also had high praise for left tackle Reggie Youngblood, who stepped in and started for Jason Fox at left tackle. Shannon said Youngblood did a good job picking up the blitz. Miami rotated four guys at tackle -- Chris Rutledge, Matt Pipho and Tyrone Byrd rotated in at right tackle and a few snaps on the left side. Shannon said he doesn't know if Fox will be back for Georgia Tech this week.

> The other injured guy to follow this week is receiver Travis Benjamin, whom Shannon said was "nicked." It appears Rutledge, who was injured Thursday but returned to action, is "fine."

> Shannon talked a little about Georgia Tech and the challenge Miami faces next week. The key he said to stopping the Yellow Jackets option running game is stopping their fullback. "It's going to be difficult," Shannon admitted. "We got to play assignment football."

FRANK HAITH'S PRESS CONFERENCE...

> As expected, Haith told us Friday starting point guard Lance Hurdle will not play in Saturday's home opener against Florida Southern. He still hasn't practiced at full-speed since suffering an ankle injury the first week of practice. Haith said there is no guarantee Hurdle will play in next week's Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. "He's a couple days away," Haith said. "But for a guy like him, whose wheels are so important to how he plays, you got to take time to make sure its right. I don't think we'll see Lance at 100 percent for awhile."

> Sophomore Eddie Rios will get the start in place of Hurdle alongside Jack McClinton, James Dews, Dwayne Collins and Jimmy Graham. Haith said Rios has had a really great week of practice and is hoping he takes advantage of his opportunity.

> Saturday night's opponent Florida Southern is in Division II. But Haith warns the Moccasins won't be a pushover, not with 7-foot center Rashaad Singleton, a transfer from Georgia in the lineup. Miami beat Florida Southern last year 104-61 last year.

> Haith said he's excited about his two new post players including Cyrus McGowan, who led UM in scoring in their two exhibitions. Haith said he was pleased with the play of redshirt freshman center Julian Gamble as well as Miami's defensive effort in the preseason. The Canes are trying to create more turnovers this season and trap teams. What Shannon didn't like in the preseason were the turnovers Miami had.

> Haith said he's hoping to use freshman DeQuan Jones in a Jimmy Graham type fashion -- energy off the bench. He said Jones (6-6, 217) has the physical tools to block shots, rebound, score and create steals, but needs to work on his positioning. "He's a freshman and it takes time. I hope our fans understand that because he's going to be special."

Virginia Tech thoughts

DOLPHINS STADIUM -- Just finished filing my story on Miami's defense and wanted to share some post game thoughts with you.

> For all the attention Miami's freshmen on offense have gotten this season (and they deserve it), Marcus Robinson showed us Thursday night why the Canes got more than just playmakers at receiver in this 2008 Signing Class. He had three sacks, four tackles for loss and a team-high seven tackles in his second career start. Without question, he earned tonight's game-ball with his play.

But he also sent a message: the Canes have some pretty good young playmakers on defense, too. Defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who also had a sack, Sean Spence, who is on his way to a freshman All-American season, and Brandon Harris are the stars of the class. But if Robinson can turn up the intensity at end, Miami's defense can be a whole lot better the rest of the way this year. God knows they've needed a pass rush. Robinson, by the way, said he got news of the start Wednesday night on the bus ride to the team hotel. He started in front of Adewale Ojomo.

> If I had to give out a game ball on offense, Reggie Youngbloodwould get it. He stepped up big for Jason Fox at left tackle and provided some solid pass blocking despite obviously being less than 100 percent. He said afterward he got a few breaks to rest on the bench, but played more than he had all season. Chris Rutledge, who started opposite him at right tackle, went down in the first quarter and battled back and stayed in the rotation with Matt Pipho. Virginia Tech finished with four sacks. But on a night when UM played without its best lineman, the line held its own. The Canes finished with 123 yards rushing.

> With the win, Miami improved to 13-1 all-time on Thursday night ESPN games. I'm willing to bet they scored a bunch of points with recruits, too. It's been awhile since UM played in a prime time game and won.

> UM coach Randy Shannon said part of the offensive game plan was to get Virginia Tech's defense tired. Shannon said he knew the Hokies only rotated about 13 players and felt like if Miami could hold onto the football in the second half it could prevail. Miami owned time of possession in the second half 18:23 to Virginia Tech's 11:37.

> By the way, here's a link to The Herald's audio slideshow from the game, which I helped narrate.

> And here's the link to the audio interviews from last night's postgame scene.

Gameday blog: UM 16, Va. Tech 14 (F)

DOLPHINS STADIUM -- Checking in before kickoff and guess what the Canes are wearing black jerseys! Not. UM is wearing green shirts on white pants. Sorry. I know many of you were hoping for them. But what you should probably be hoping for more is a win. Miami needs this one if it wants to keep its hopes alive of reaching the ACC title game. I'll be here as usual tonight to provide you thoughts and analysis as this one goes by.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS...
> Miami starts the opening drive of the second half from its own 30 and moves right down the field and scores. Robert Marve completes a 29-yard wide receiver screen to Aldarius Johnson then finds AJ on a flea-flicker for a 16-yard gain. Marve then moves UM inside the Virginia Tech 7-yard line when he scrambles for 18 yards. But Miami is denied a touchdown and settles a 22-yard Bosher field goal. Rutledge by the way was back in for UM on that series.UM 10, Virginia Tech 7.
> Sam Shields comes through with another huge special teams play, smacking down Virginia Tech's kick returner at the VT 9-yard line. The Hokies' drive goes nowhere. Marcus Robinson sacks Tyrod Taylor -- his second sack of the game. Miami takes over at the VT 35 after a bad punt.
> Miami can't punch the ball into the end zone, but gets on the scoreboard again. Matt Bosher boots a 31-yard field goal with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Javarris James came through with a huge 19-yard catch. Miami's offense just stalled again inside the red zone. UM 13, Virginia Tech 7.
> Miami's defense is feeling it. Virginia Tech goes with Sean Glennon -- and now he can't move the offense. Marcus Robinson picks up his third sack of the game and Miami has good field position once again.
> Miami kicks another field goal after getting lucky again. Kayne Farquharson recovers the Canes' second lucky bounce and UM turns it into three points with 11:58 left to play. UM 16, Virginia Tech 7.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS...
> The Hokies came out trying to confuse UM by switching quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon at quarterback and had some early success. Glennon and Taylor each found receiverDanny Coale for 21 yard and 23 yard gains. But on fourth and 1 at the UM 18-yard line, Sean Spence and Anthony Reddick delivered by stopping Darren Evans shy of the marker.
> UM's first offensive series was forgettable. Two Graig Cooper runs netted 3 yards before Robert Marve's pass to a wide open Chris Zellner for a first down was dropped. Matt Bosher came through though with a 45-yard punt.
> The Hokies started their second drive at the 35 and looked like they had picked up a crucial first down on a third down Tyrod Taylor to Jarrett Boykins pass. But after being reviewed, officials ruled safety Anthony Reddick had knocked it out. Virginia Tech punted and UM took over at it own 24-yard line.
> It was a wild 5-minute, 22-second second drive. But it ended with a touchdown. With offensive coordinator Patrick Nix calling for five wide sets and some unique looking formations, Robert Marve engineered a 12-play drive that required a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty and for LaRon Byrd to recover a Marve fumble on a run at the Virginia Tech 6-yard line. Three plays later, Javarris James plunged into the end zone with 2:36 left in the first quarter. UM 7, Virginia Tech 0.
> The first quarter goes to the Canes, who managed to force Virginia Tech to punt again. The story so far has to be the creative sets Miami is running out of. It's kept the Hokies defense off balance.
> Miami's offense got a huge chunk of yardage on a beautiful 37-yard wide receiver screen to Kayne Farquharson on its next possession. But the drive ended when Graig Cooper was stripped of the football at the VT 43. The bigger loss? Right tackle Chris Rutledge, who limped off the field under his own power on the play. Miami is now down to two backup offensive tackles -- an injured Reggie Youngblood and an inexperienced Matt Pipho.
> Freshman defensive tackle Marcus Forston comes through with a big sack for Miami and Virginia Tech is eventually forced to punt on the ensuing possession.
> Jacory Harris enters at quarterback for Miami and is pinned at his own 8. Miami goes 3-and-out.
> Virginia Tech evens the score with an 8-play, 53-yard drive in 3 minutes, 21 seconds. Tyrod Taylor scores on a 14-yard run. But the key plays on the drive belonged to running back Darren Evans, who eluded a few tacklers on a 13-yard run and then hauled in a 13-yard pass. UM 7, Virginia Tech 7.
> Miami's offense sputters once again. Call it a series of blown opportunities -- starting with the kickoff. Brandon Harris took advantage of Tyrod Taylor's celebration penalty and returned the kickoff to the Virginia Tech 40. But an illegal block penalty on UM wiped it out. Miami started at its own 33. Kayne Farquharson had a chance to make about a 30-yard pass down field on second down, but the ball skidded off his fingertips. Virginia Tech took over at its own 22 after a 37-yard Bosher punt.
> The Hokies move right down the field, getting a 37-yard gain when Jarrett Boykin beats Bruce Johnson down the field and makes a one-handed grab at the UM 26. Freshman defensive end Marcus Robinson comes through with a huge play, sacking Sean Glennon back at the 35. Justin Myer tries a 51-yard field goal and misses it.

PREGAME
THE KEYS TO THE GAME
> Win the battle at the line of scrimmage: OK, so this one goes for every week and every game. But in this game, it means everything. Miami is at an obvious disadvantage tonight. Jason Fox will not be playing and his starting streak of 22 games at left tackle is over. But the end of Fox's streak isn't what you should be concerned with. It's the Canes winning streak. Virginia Tech is one of the most physical teams in the country, year in and year out.

The Hokies want to stop the run on defense (they did last year holding UM to -2 yards). And they want to pound the football down the throats of the Canes on offense. And before last week's win against Maryland, I would have favored the Canes in this battle. But the Hokies won me over with the clinic redshirt freshman Darren Evans put on by rushing for a school-record 253 yards. We all know Miami's defense has played well of late. They are doing better on third down defense (opp. have 24 percent conversion rate in UM's last four wins) and of shutting opponents out in the second half. But the tackling is still a bit suspect, especially in the secondary. UM cornerback Chavez Grant talked this week about the increased focus of Miami's corners to be involved in the run defense against the corners. They'll have to prove they can do it this week.

> Be aware of the Wild Turkey: OK, so Virginia Tech has its own version of the Dolphins' Wildcat offense. It isn't as fancy. Basically, 6-3, 280-pound redshirt junior tight end Greg Boone lines up in the backfield and runs the football. But the Canes ought to keep their eyes open this week for a new wrinkle. Virginia Tech's receivers have yet to catch a touchdown pass this season. What better way to get a guy wide open than on a trick play.

> Beat the Hokies on special teams: Normally, this would sound like an impossible task. But Beamer Ball isn't what it used to be. The Hokies have had two kicks blocked and had three kicks returned against them and are giving up nearly 18 yards a return on punts. This is the night for Travis Benjamin and company to cash in and give the offense some good field position. Benjamin, who fumbled two weeks ago at Virginia, said he's over his mistake. Let's see him prove it. Also, while the Hokies have struggled defending returns, they've still done a good job blocking them. They've got five blocked kicks. So protection will be key.

MARKET WATCH
Buy 'em
> Dedrick Epps, tight end: He didn't catch a pass against Virginia and has a combined three catches in his last three games combined. But he's going to break out tonight. The Hokies are going to bring the heat tonight with Jason Fox out. Look for Epps to catch a lot of short passes and to make some moves to pick up yardage for this Canes offense.
> Glenn Cook, linebacker: He's the leading tackler on the team and going to be the primary workhouse tonight again. Virginia Tech is going to try and run right at Miami. Cook can either have a huge day or a horrible one. I think he has a good one.

On the bubble
> Reggie Youngblood, left tackle: He'll be the guy getting circled the most during tonight's telecast. With Fox out, he's the guy who has to step up and deliver. Reggie came to UM as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country. Miami needs for him to play like it tonight.
> Chris Rutledge, right tackle: Chris has played in a rotation his entire career. Tonight, he'll get the majority of snaps at right tackle and will have to step up his game if Miami's going to win this one. Matt Pipho has all of about 25 snaps in his career. He'll play some too. But the burden will fall on Rutledge to deliver.

Men's hoops signs two recruits

DOLPHINS STADIUM -- I know I'm a few hours late with this, but I had to cover Heat practice this afternoon. Frank Haith's basketball program officially inked two recruits this morning -- a day after the start of the early signing period. It's the two we expected -- 6-5 North Carolina guard Garrius Adams and 6-8 forward Donnavan Kirk of Detroit.

Adams is ranked among the top 20 shooting guards by both ESPN and Scout.com and averaged 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a junior at Middle Creek High School. “Garrius is a great shooter and scorer and will be a strong wing presence for us,” Haith said in a statement released by the school. “After this season we will be losing some of our perimeter players, and I expect Garrius to come in and make an immediate impact.”

Kirk, ranked among the top 30 power forwards by ESPN and Scout.com, is known his hook shot. As a junior he averaged 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game for Detroit Country Day, who is ranked No. 1 among Greater Detroit area schools by ESPN RISE heading into the 2008-09 season. A four-star recruit, Kirk is ranked No. 55 among all players in the 2009 class by Scout.com. The 6-8, 213-pound forward was also recruited by Michigan State, Southern California and USF.

“Donnavan will give us athleticism in the front line,” Haith said. “He’s a hard worker with a good skill set. It was a tremendous accomplishment for us to be able to go into Michigan and recruit him to play basketball for the University of Miami."

Miami has point guard Lisandro Ruiz-Moreno of South Kent Prep committed and is waiting to see if it will add highly-touted New York city guard Durand Scott, who is down to UM and UConn. Of course, the hot rumor now is Miami has a shot at landing the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the 2009 class, North Carolina's John Wall. But it looks like that won't be decided anytime soon.

> Last night I was at UM to film our weekly segment of Getting To Know The U with Mollie Rose. Haith doesn't like for the media to watch much of practice, but I was able to film some of the shoot-around -- including something I would have never believed: sophomore Eddie Rios dunking. Yes, I got it on film and will upload it in the next day or two. Our interview by the way is with guard James Dews, who we discovered is a big fan of chick flicks. His favorite? The Notebook.

> OK. Enough basketball. I'll provide you with my keys to the game in the next few hours. I just got to get this Heat notebook in before the start of the game at 7:30. Any predictions for tonight and why you think the Canes will win? Shoot 'em at me.

Canes eyeing JUCOs for linemen

With the recruiting search for offensive linemen intensifying, UM officially entered the JUCO (junior college) ranks this week. Canesport.com reported Monday Miami offered Nassau Community College's Andrew Tiller, a 6-5, 350-pounder who also has offers from N.C. State and Rutgers. Rivals.com rates Tiller, nicknamed Baby Huey, as the nation's 57th-best overall junior college recruit.

Miami certainly could use a few quick fixes considering offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland likes to have a solid seven to nine man rotation and because the current rotation will take a big hit with losses to graduation after this season. Miami needs to fill a starting center spot (likely AJ Trump or Tyler Horn) and at least two tackle spots next season. While the interior of the line looks to be in decent shape with sophomores Orlando Franklin, Joel Figueroa, Trump and current scout team redshirt freshman Harland Gunn available, it's the outside of UM's line which looks thin. Jason Fox will likely be back at left tackle, but who moves in at right tackle remains a mystery. Franklin has the size and talent to move outside. After that, there is seldom used junior Matt Pipho, who will be given a chance, 6-5, 345-pound junior Chris Barney (who was excelling before he suffered an injury in fall camp), big 6-9 sophomore Ian Symonnette (who has not played a down) and true freshman Ben Jones.

Of UM's 16 current commitments, four are counted as tight ends or linemen. Recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt has said Miami wants to go after as many six to eight tight ends/lineman in this class (the thought is UM could convert a few tight ends into linemen, ala Jason Fox and Eric Winston). Only two of those commitments, though, appear to be legit linemen. Fleming Island's 6-4, 240-pound Cory White, who plays left tackle in high school and January prep school arrival and former Northwestern Bulls star Brandon Washington (the most likely newcomer out of the 2009 signees other than a JUCO player to be an instant impact player). Billy Sanders (6-4, 235) is playing tight end and defensive end at his Idaho high school. Fort Myers High's Stephen Plein, suspended by the FHSAA a few weeks ago for an altercation with a referee, has only been playing defensive end.

Miami has gone after plenty of high school targets including some of the nation's best available non-
commitments: North Carolina's Xavier Nixon (6-6, 263), Utah's Xavier Su'a Filo (6-4, 285), Arizona's Taylor Lewan (6-7, 272) and Washington D.C.'s Peter White (6-4, 340) to name a few. But the guys UM has the best shot of landing are likely Delaware native Malcolm Bunche (6-6, 315), who recently decommitted from Rutgers and local product, Plantation American Heritage's Jared Wheeler (6-5, 310). UM is supposed to get an official visit from Alabama's Brandon Moore (6-3, 315) in January, but its looking more and more like he'll stay at home to play for the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide. Miami also recently entered the chase for Henry Conway, an under the radar 6-6, 300-pound lineman from Ohio.

> For those of you who like recruiting rankings, Randy Shannon's 2009 recruiting class currently ranks 10th overall according to ESPN.com, which updates its rankings on a monthly basis. Last year, Miami landed ESPN's No. 1 class. With 8 different freshman having scored touchdowns this year, it's quite obvious ESPN picked the right team. By the way, Rivals.com has UM 10th. Scout.com has UM ranked 17th.

> While UM could hear something soon on highly-touted New York City guard Durand Scott (who is said to be choosing between the Canes and UConn), the nation's No. 1 player, North Carolina point guard John Wall told Scout.com's Dave Telep Tuesday night he's interested in officially visiting the Canes before making a decision. Wall also wants to visit Baylor (where he has an AAU connection). Wall is supposed to be visiting Memphis this weekend and stopping by Duke next week.

Telep said in a recent article he thinks local standout Kenny Boynton, who recently committed to the Gators, will be the best college basketball player of the 2009 class. He pegged Wall as the best pro player. Scout.com's Evan Daniels picked Scott as the most improved player in the '09 class. As far as 2010 is concerned, UM is already involved with Pine Crest guard Brandon Knight, who could emerge as the nation's top overall recruit. UM is also in the running for Atlanta 6-6 swingman Jelan Kendrick and 6-7, 210-pound Long Island power forward Tobias Harris and three other highly-touted instate players.

> Could former Canes coach Butch Davis be leaving North Carolina for Tennessee after this season? Davis has been a hot target for Tennessee fans, who are looking for a star to fill the shoes of the soon-to-be departed Phillip Fullmer. But in Wednesday's ACC teleconference, Davis said he doesn't plan on leaving North Carolina. He said his agent hasn't been contacted -- as far as he knows -- either.

"I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the University of Tennessee job. It's a great job, but I have no interest in it. Like I've said for the last couple of weeks I love being here, my family loves being at Carolina, we're building it with the administration. We're doing everything we can every single day to build a championship football program here."

Of course, Davis sure sounded a lot like that before he left UM for the Cleveland Browns too.

> Here's an official reminder to check out our audio page for interviews with players from this week as Miami prepares to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies Thursday night.

Report: Scott down to Canes-UConn

With the early signing period set to begin Wednesday for sports other than football, the future will begin panning out for the Canes basketball and baseball teams. No name will be bigger to follow for Frank Haith's team than New York City two-guard Durand Scott.

The 6-4, 180-pound wing is rated the 41st-ranked player in the nation by Rivals.com and 27th best overall by Scout.com. And according to a published report Monday, Scott is now apparently down to choosing between the Hurricanes and the second-ranked Connecticut Huskies. UConn freshman Kemba Walker, Scott’s high school teammate, told the Journal-Inquirer.com he has been working on Scott to come to UConn. "I think it’s down to us and Miami," Walker said Sunday, "but he hasn’t told me which way he’s leaning. I really hope he wants to come here, but it’s his decision."

Scott, who apparently has trimmed Pittsburgh out of his final list, would be a huge get for the Canes. UM  already has three oral commitments for its 2009 class and still has hopes (albeit slim) of landing the nation's No. 1 recruit, North Carolina point guard John Wall. But if Wall doesn't pick UM, Scott would be the headliner to a stellar class. With Jack McClinton and Lance Hurdle out the door after this season and second-leading scorer James Dews entering his junior season, the Canes are obviously in search of talented guards for the future. So far, it looks like that future is pretty bright.

The 2009 Point guard spot looks like it will become a battle between either Lisandro Ruiz-Moreno of South Kent Prep ('09 commitment), current sophomore Edwin Rios or Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant. The shooting guard position would then go to Dews, Scott or North Carolina's top public school player, 6-5, 180-pound 2009 commitment Garrius Adams (No. 20 SG by Scout.com). The wing would be manned by current freshman and 6-6, 200-pound slasher DeQuan Jones. That's a pretty sick team.

Look for some updates tomorrow on the recruiting front in basketball and baseball.

This and That

Our weekly live chat is over. I spent an extra hour answering questions -- including the most popular: Are the Canes wearing all-black uniforms Thursday night. Feel free to check out the chat transcript. I might have answered your question.

Aside from that, just some quick news to pass along...
> As expected, starting left tackle Jason Fox has been listed as doubtful for Thursday night's game against Virginia Tech. His streak will end at 21 consecutive starts and he'll be replaced by Reggie Youngblood. Chris Rutledge has started the last five games at right tackle. Seldom-used junior Matt Pipho will be in the rotation along with Tyrone Byrd. Look for the Hokies to bring the heat from the corners this week on Robert Marve and Jacory Harris.

> As for the other injuries: receiver Leonard Hankerson (leg) and running back Shawnbrey McNeal (illness) are the only other guys exepcted out.

> I asked Marve and Harris Monday night for their takes on Virginia Tech's defense. Unlike many of their opponents who have thrown different looks at them, Marve and Harris feel confident they know what to expect from the Hokies. Marve compared it to Florida State's; Harris to Florida's.

"They have very good schemes," Marve said. "They have a lot of old guys out there playing, so they understand what they're doing. They're like a Florida State, how physical they are, how fast they are with everything, how they fly around to the ball."

"They don't do anything really complicated. They run one coverage," Harris said. "Their blitzes, you see blitzes everywhere. They're always the same thing - send one more than you can block. They like to drop people, and when they blitz they blitz everybody. We have to have a good running game to open up the pass."

> Both quarterbacks by the way appear to be trying to grow beards -- just for the heck of it. Jacory said he's going for a Rick Ross look. Marve said he just hasn't had time to shave. But I think there's more to the story. Running back Graig Cooper is growing a beard too. Maybe they're tired of being called the Baby Canes.

> Frank Haith's 17th-ranked basketball team (we use Associated Press rankings) will play its season opener Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. against Florida Southern. Don't expect point guard Lance Hurdle to be in the starting lineup. Hurdle's ankle still isn't good enough for him to play from what I've heard. By the way, Vegas doesn't believe in the Canes. BetOnline.com has tabbed UM as 100 to 1 long-shots of winning the national title this year -- the longest odds of any team in the Top 25.

> For those of you baseball fanatics who can't get enough -- Jim Morris' baseball team will have several intrasquad scrimmages later this week in its Second Annual Orange-Green Fall World Series at Mark Light Field. The best-of-three intrasquad scrimmage series begins Wednesday, Nov. 12, followed by game two on Friday and a possible third game on Monday.

Games will be played during the team’s normal practice time, with first pitches expected around 3 p.m. each afternoon. Admission is free to the public. The Orange team will be led by junior Ryan Jackson, sophomore Yasmani Grandal and senior Dave DiNatale while juniors Jason Hagerty, Jonathan Weislow and Kyle Bellamy headline the Green team.

Fox's streak likely over

Jason Fox's streak of 21 consecutive starts at left tackle is looking dangerously close to coming to an end Thursday night against Virginia Tech. And that's not good news for a Hurricanes team hoping to rebound from their minus-2-yard rushing performance against the Hokies last year.

Fox, who has started 33 of the 34 games he's played at Miami, had his right ankle heavily taped during Monday afternoon's practice at Greentree Practice Field and could not backpedal during their stretching and jogging exercises. While other linemen backpedaled, Fox came back jogging forward. Coach Randy Shannon said during Monday's press conference he didn't know if Fox would play this week. Miami does not release its injury report until two days before kickoff when it plays on Saturdays. But it's unclear whether or not it will be released two days prior to kickoff this week.

Two weeks ago against Virginia when Fox went down late in the first quarter, he was replaced by senior Reggie Youngblood -- who moved over from right tackle -- and junior Matt Pipho, who shared snaps in his absence. Senior Chris Rutledge has started the last six games at right tackle and also got hurt against Virginia, but is expected to play this week. If Fox doesn't play, Miami will likely start Youngblood in his place. Youngblood has started 18 games in his career -- including two this season. But he's playing injured. The Canes should count their blessings he's around. Shannon talked Monday about how Youngblood had an opportunity to take a redshirt this season after going down in the North Carolina game. But he elected to go against it.

"He's not where we need him to be at yet," Shannon sad. "But the more reps he gets the better he's going to be. He did a great job coming in the Virginia game and doing a tremendous job for us when Fox got hurt. Last week was a lot of ones vs. ones and now he's starting to get back in the trend of it. Anytime you are a senior, it's tough when you get nicked, come back off nicks. He's responded well, had a great attitude. It's a pleasure to see him move around, do the things he's doing."

Youngblood came to Miami with a lot of hype. He was a member of the USA Today All-USA High School Team and rated the No. 2 tackle in the nation by Rivals.com, choosing the Canes over Oklahoma. But his career certainly hasn't panned out the way he wanted. He's admitted to taking plays off. But Shannon and Youngblood's teammates are proud he's decided to stick through this season.

"He's progressed a lot," Shannon said. "[Offensive line coach Jeff] Stoutland has done a great job making him understand what it takes to be a great football player. Sometimes, guys who have a lot of athletic ability, come in with a lot of praise and say, `I can go and take this off.' You're not giving it your all. This year he's giving it his all. He had an opportunity to redshirt, said `Well I'll forget about this year and I'll come back.' But he wanted to come back for this team. He stepped up, showed I want to be with you guys and finish this off the right way. That says a lot about his character. It's unbelievable for a guy who was nicked, is still nicked, but says `I can sit out but I want to play with this football team.' It shows players on this football team no matter what happens we all have to make sacrifices, do what has to get done."

Said junior A.J. Trump who has started the last five games at right guard: "I got a lot of respect for that guy, fighting through that injury. It's huge for us. It would have been easy to say this is it, I'll wait until next year and improve my draft stock. But he's said my teammates need me. You can't give that guy enough respect."

> Before rushing for 197 yards against Virginia, Miami's running game had disappeared for the most part in wins against Wake Forest and Duke. Then, Miami ran the ball well against the Cavaliers, but drew seven false start penalties -- one more than than their season total (6) in their first eight games.

Trump drew three false starts himself and said coaches are certainly getting on their case about it this week. "It's something we definitely want to get right," Trump said. "Not to make excuses, but we're jumping early and I'd rather be doing that than starting late, getting beat and giving up a five yard loss and a down."

> One thing the Hurricanes definitely want to do is continue to get off the field on third downs. After their season opening win against Charleston Southern, UM's third down defense was giving up first downs 55 percent of the time (34 or 62). Since the loss to Florida State, though, Miami has only allowed opponents to convert at a 24 percent clip (15 of 62). The Hokies are converting at a 36 percent clip.

Linebacker Glenn Cook said the improvement there -- as well as Miami's improved play in the second half -- has little to with halftime adjustments defensive coordinator Bill Young is making. He says it has to do with guys doing a better job tackling. "I think it's just a matter that we calm down and start doing what we're supposed to," Cook said. "For some reason we haven't started well. But we've learned how to finish."

> Thursday night, UM will induct five new players into its ring of honor -- quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Gino Torretta, offensive lineman Jim Otto, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and running back Edgerrin James. Javarris James said he hopes to honor his cousin with a big game Thursday -- especially since his mother and a lot of folks from back home in Immokalee will be coming for the game.

"Since I got here that's always been my motivation to come out and out-do my cousin," Baby J said. "He did a lot of great things here. He's going to be the youngest guy to go up in the Ring of Honor. Following in his footsteps is just a privilege. I think I just want to showcase as much talent as I can when he gets honored."

> Shannon talked a little bit about the selection process and why UM waited 11 years to honor more of its great players. "There's a lot of things involved in picking those guys. You can make a pick for anybody. Those guys are from different eras we felt should be honored. There'll be more Ring of Honors later on in the future. The last time we did it was Vinny Testaverde in 1997... When [athletic director] Kirby [Hocutt] came in he brought it up to me. We talked about it. He said this would be a great time going into a new facility, new stadium. This was an appropriate time."

Shannon said several criteria were used including character off the field. He said the fact Kennedy returned to school and finished his degree three years ago played a factor. "You have to go from each era. Everyone says Jim Otto. Well, he did a great career at the University of Miami. He's the only center that played in the NFL, AFL that was an All-Pro in both and played in the Super Bowl games. Why not Dennis Harrah? That era. Why not Mike Irvin, Eddie Brown? You can go back and forth all the time. There were 75 All-Americans that were on the list at one point in time. Somebody's going to get upset, get mad at you. We just have to take our time and pick who is best at that time. It wasn't a deal, `Here's the five guys.' It was 100, 75, then 50, 25, 10. It kept going down and down and you have to pick eventually. Someone's going to be upset."

Shannon: "We can't abandon run" against Hokies

The University of Miami football team began its first real preparation for Thursday night's ESPN showdown with Virginia Tech by practicing well past sundown Sunday evening at Greentree Practice Field.

Coach Randy Shannon said the team spent the extra time working on special teams -- something Frank Beamer's team has always been known for. Monday morning, Shannon will hold his weekly press conference and we'll get to speak with more players about the game. But you can tell a big point of emphasis this week is getting the running game going.

Last year, UM was held to minus-2 yards in the 44-14 loss at Virginia Tech. Before last week's win at Virginia when Graig Cooper finally broke through and Miami finished with 197 yards rushing, the Canes running game had been struggling. Virginia Tech has the 16th-best run defense in the country and shutdown Maryland's running game in their win last Thursday.

"We just got to patient on offense. You just can't abandon the run game early. You may get a one-yard gain, a zero-yard gain. As long as you aren't taking 4-5 yard losses, then, you'll be ok. Eventually, you'll break one," Shannon said. "When you play Virginia Tech, the way [defensive coordinator Bud] Foster coaches, you have to be patient. He's going to want you to grind the football."

> Despite reports last week starting left tackle Jason Fox would be healthy enough to play this week, Shannon backed off a bit Sunday when asked about Fox's condition. "He moved around a little bit today, not much," Shannon said. "We'll see how sore he is tomorrow."

Starting linebacker Daryl Sharpton and running back Javarris James, however, should be fine. For real.

McClinton on Wooden preseason list

Just got back home from an early afternoon trip out to UM where our photographer Charlie Trainor shot pictures for our preseason men's and women's basketball preview. The photos are going to look sweet. We posed Jack McClinton, Lance Hurdle, Jimmy Graham and Brian Asbury -- the Canes' four seniors -- together for the men's picture in the Hecht Center weight room. The women's photo features sophomore point guard Epiphany Woodson and freshman McDonald's All-American recruit Shenise Johnson wearing hard hats right outside the school's new practice facility which is still under construction.

Aside from that, I just wanted to pass along a few notes...
> Jack McClinton has been named to the John Wooden Preseason Top 50 list. The Wooden award is given annually to college basketball's best player. McClinton was one of eight players from the ACC on the list, which includes last year's winner North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough. Duke's Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson, Boston College's Tyrese Rice, North Carolina's Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington and Wake Forest's James Johnson were the other ACC players on the list.

"It means a lot to even be nominated or even thought of as one of the Top 50 players in the country this year," McClinton said. "It would mean a lot to me to go out there and get that award. But what really means a lot to me is to go out and win as a team."

> It looks like Lance Hurdle still hasn't fully recovered from his ankle injury. He didn't play in last week's 71-43 win over Florida Memorial. He told me before we snapped the photos he isn't going to play in this Saturday's final exhibition against Barry at 5:30 p.m. We're still not sure if Hurdle will be ready for the season-opener against Florida Southern on Nov. 15. It might be better to let him hold off until the Canes go to the Paradise Jam on Nov. 20.

> The women's basketball team, hoping to turn things around after 9-21 season, got quite a scare last night when two players were involved in a car accident near Dadeland mall according to coach Katie Meier. According to teammates accounts, senior Lamese James and freshman Riquna "Bay Bay" Williams were driving down US-1 when a bus ran a light and hit them. Meier said both players suffered minor scrapes and bruises and were released from South Miami hospital at around 2 a.m.

> Be sure to check out this week's installment of Getting To Know The U with Mollie Rose. Thursday night, Mollie sat down with safety Ryan Hill for some insight into what thrills him about being a Cane, how hard it was to leave Tallahassee and the Florida State Seminoles for UM and his pimped out Dodge Magnum.

Thursday's practice report

When you have a bye week like the University of Miami has this late in the season (a break of nearly two weeks off between games) it can be easy for a young football team to lose focus. But these baby Canes don't appear like they are losing any.

UM resumed practice Thursday afternoon at Greentree Practice Field (their first real one since Saturday's thrilling come-from-behind win at Virginia) and coach Randy Shannon said his team looked sharp working on fundamentals in full pads for two hours. There could be a good explanation -- Shannon has been keeping things light. Instead of spending a few extra days preparing for Virginia Tech, Miami players haven't been doing extra studying with coaches. If they have, it has been on their own. Several players including Javarris James said players have come in to study on their own and work out on their own.

Something else Shannon has been doing: avoiding talk of Bryan Pata. On the eve of the 2-year anniversary of Pata's shooting death, Shannon declined to talk about Pata. And those who were closest to Pata like defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, Antonio Dixon, roommate Dwayne Hendricks and Eric Moncur didn't talk with reporters either. Friday, UM will have a 5 a.m. practice -- that's a good way to make sure the guys are in bed early -- and then will take another day off before starting to preparing for the Hokies and next Thursday night's showdown on Sunday afternoon.

"If you try to get ahead for Virginia Tech players start to get bored because you see it more than you normally do," Shannon said. "You have to keep that edge on them of not really doing anything until next week... We worked on a lot of fundamentals [today], special teams, technique stuff and individual drills. That's all we'll do. Then we'll come back on Sunday, get ready for Virginia Tech."

> While a good portion of the players on UM's roster are either freshmen or sophomores who never got a chance to play with Pata, a couple guys spent some time talking about him Thursday. But unlike last year when Pata talk was natural, this year, nobody on the team seems to be doing much of it at all. It might just be because guys no longer want to bring up the bad memories.

"I haven't heard anybody bring it up," safety Ryan Hill said. "Why would you want to talk about an anniversary like that, for something that is so bad. I feel like they maybe could have done more. But it's a situation where it's like a cold case now. I feel like this was over a long time ago... I'm sure there are a lot of murders that go unsolved each year. Maybe someday somebody will turn themselves in so he can rest in piece. But right now, this is all we have to go by."

Still, that doesn't stop Hill or Javarris James from wondering time to time what happened that night. James said players will still share their favorite Pata stories from time to time. "We try not to forget about him," James said. "But I think we all prefer the stories about him smiling and having fun than his last day."

> Several Canes players were making plans to watch the Hokies' Thursday night victory over Maryland after practice including James, who said his ankle injury was nothing serious and he expects to play against the Hokies. Although many players weren't expected to stay up for most of it because of UM's 5 a.m. practice Friday. Quarterback Jacory Harris said he had to go home and write a paper, but would make sure he finished in time to catch the game. Harris said he has no problem waking up in the morning for practice -- but even a 5 a.m. practice is pushing it. "If I wake up at 4:45, I'll be sure to jog out there," Harris joked.

> There's no doubt who received the majority of the votes from UM players in Tuesday's Presidential Election -- Barack Obama. Offensive tackle Jason Fox was seen on TV celebrating on Tuesday night when Obama won. Quarterback Robert Marve admitted Thursday he was an Obama fan and thought it was pretty cool Obama recently voiced his opinion about having a playoff system in college football.

> Jacory Harris talked Thursday about picking up some pounds -- and gaining strength in his arm. "Coach Nix had us out here throwing across the field, just basically doing drills to strengthen our arm. I feel a lot better. I feel I can go out there and throw it about 70 yards right now."

For all your audio needs including interviews from today, be sure to check out our UM audio page.

TRR: Highsmith coming to play QB

Since the day he committed to Miami back in February -- just days after the Canes brought in Jacory Harris to share the quarterback duties with Robert Marve -- A.J. Highsmith has maintained he'll come in and play whatever position coach Randy Shannon wants him to. But it's looking more and more to Highsmith like that position will be quarterback, even though the Hurricanes currently have two freshmen who are sharing the job and two more on the scout team.

"Everybody thinks I'm going to play safety at UM, but Miami says they're going to keep me at quarterback. The more I talk to the coaches, the more I really believe quarterback is where they want me," Highsmith, the son of former Canes running back Alonzo Highsmith said Wednesday. "You never know what can happen. I just want to go in, learn everything I need to and be ready if they call on me."

Highsmith (6-0, 186) has played nothing but quarterback for Fort Bend Hightower High in Houston this season. He's led his Hurricanes to a 7-0 start and 4-0 record in district play. Highsmith had a huge game two weeks ago in a 35-14 win over Kempner, going 8-of-15 for 189 yards and three touchdowns. His season statistics are 58 of 117 passing for 1,035 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also run for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from Harris and Marve, UM has Cannon Smith and Taylor Cook -- who are being redshirted this season -- on its roster of available quarterbacks. In 2005 and 2006, UM failed to sign a quarterback. But since inking Marve in 2007, the Canes have managed to bring in four more including Highsmith.

Houston, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are still chasing after him, but he says he's still 100 percent committed to UM. He says because Miami has been televised only on regional TV, he's tried to keep up by watching highlights on the weekends. "I haven't talked to Jacory or Robert in a while, but I'm sure I will once my season is over," Highsmith. "They're good guys."

> Highsmith said he won't be enrolling at UM until the summer. But the Canes could potentially have nine players who are looking to enroll early. Of the team's 16 commitments, defensive tackle Luther Robinson, cornerback Brandon McGee, linebacker Antonio Harper, running back Mike James, running back Bryce Brown, tight end Billy Sanders, tight end Stephen Plein, linebacker offensive tackle Brandon Washington and defensive end Olivier Vernon have all said they are planning on enrolling by January.

> Brandon Washington, who is finishing up his prep school season at Milford Prep in N.Y., will definitely be at UM by January. And the 6-5, 330-pound former Northwestern standout is all set to come down and make an immediate impact according coach Bill Chaplick.

"He had a great year. I started him at left tackle and he started every game. He was the pillar of our offensive line and he's played pretty good," Chaplick said by phone Wednesday night. "He's definitely going to Miami -- there is doubt about that. For him to get down there and with the workouts for the winter time is going to be huge. The benefit of going to prep school is you get there a semester before anybody else. He's already played 11 JV college games here. He's been away from home. He's more mature. He's ready."

Chaplick said Washington is in good physical shape saying "he's not sloppy, he's just as big as a house." Washington has one more game this season -- against Navy -- and will return home to Miami in December.

Miami could definitely use Washington right away. With Jason Fox expected back at left tackle, Washington could move over to right tackle and help with the losses of Chris Rutledge and Reggie Youngblood to graduation next year. Potentially, Orlando Franklin could also move outside to tackle (he has the size for it and hinted at it when I spoke to him last week). Miami will be think on experience at tackle next year. Freshman Ben Jones could potentially play there as well along with scout team regulars Tyler Horn and Ian Symonnette.

> With the regular season coming to an end for a lot of high school recruits, I decided to catch up in this installment of The Recruit Report with as many guys as I could to find out how their seasons were going and who was making the playoffs. I made a ton of phone calls, but only got to talk to a handful of guys. Here's the update on the Canes' 16 oral commitments and how they are doing right now based on local newspaper reports and more.

> Bryce Brown, RB, 6-0, 215, Wichita East, Kan.: Bryce Brown isn't going to the playoffs. His season came to a disappointing finish when the East Aces dropped their final two team games of the year to finish 6-3. Brown scored all three touchdowns in his team's 38-18 loss to undefeated Derby on Oct. 24. Then, he scored once and ran for 192 yards as the Aces' season came to an end with a 44-26 loss to rival Southeast on Halloween night. Bryce finished his nine-game season with 1,872 yards rushing -- breaking his own league record. Brown capped his career with 6,809 yards rushing according to The Wichita Eagle.

> Antonio Harper, LB, 6-4, 230, Hargrave Military Academy: Nothing new to report on Harper, who is still expected to come to UM. There isn't a whole lot of information available on the internet for Prep School football results.

> Mike James, RB, 5-11, 211, Davenport Ridge: For the first time this year, James couldn't break the century mark last week against an opponent. Lakeland, the state's No. 2-ranked 5A school, got the better of him and Ridge, dropping the Bolts to their first loss of the season. Ridge finished with 71 yards on 21 carries. A week earlier, though, he helped Ridge capture its first district title in school history with a stirring 45-31 upset of Lake Wales. James ran for 131 yards on 28 carries and scored the final two touchdowns of the game. James now has 980 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.

> Prince Kent, ATH, 6-3, 195, Norcross (GA): Kent hauled in a 61-yard touchdown pass and caught five passes for 94 yards last Saturday, but it wasn't enough to lift his team past Peachtree Ridge last weekend. Norcross will be going to the playoffs, but will not be seeded very high. Kent has 29 catches for 611 yards and four touchdowns this season for Norccross, which is 6-3, 5-2 in Region 7-5A.

> Brandon McGee, DB, 5-11, 186, Plantation High: Brandon has a big district showdown this week with rival South Plantation to decide who makes the playoffs as the runner-up behind Boyd Anderson. McGee, who has stopped playing quarterback and played solely in the secondary since late September, was honores this week by being selected as U.S. Army Bowl All-American. He'll join Bryce Brown as UM's two commitments playing in the All-Star game Jan. 3 in San Antonio.

> Lamar Miller, RB, 5-11, 205, Miami Killian: He told he would do it and now he's on the verge of accomplishing it. With two regular season games left, Miller is on his way to the coveted Miami-Dade rushing title with 1,175 yards and 16 touchdowns on 140 carries. That's an 8.4 yard average. He only leads Central junior Brandon Gainer by two yards. but Gainer only has one game left to play. In Killian's 34-0 win over South Dade, Miller ran for 161 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. This week, Miller gets rival Palmetto High. But he likely will not be going head-to-head with Dade's other top senior running back Jamaal Berry, who is Ohio State-bound. Berry hasn't played since going down with an ankle injury on Oct. 10. He suffered a wrist injury in the preseason and had been playing with a broken bone.

> Stephen Plein, TE, 6-6, 240, Fort Myers High: Plein was suspended on Oct. 24 by the Florida High School Athletic Association for gross unsportsmanlike conduct. Plein reportedly hit an official in the arm with his helmet and directed an expletive at him as the official was trying to leave the field according to the Fort Myers News-Press. Plein told InsideTheU.com this week, though, his suspension might be lifted in time for him to return for the team's final games of the season. He also said UM coaches are being supportive of him. Plein, who committed to UM in June, had 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery for Fort Myers, which is now 5-4 and still eligible for the playoffs.

> Curtis Porter, DT, 6-2, 334, Charlotte Victory Christian: Porter's season came to an end last week and although his team didn't finish with the record he wanted to, he's excited. Because now, he can focus on being a Cane. Porter said he will take an official visit to UM on Dec. 12 and plans on enrolling in January. He says he feels like he's i n the best shape of his life after having dropped from 335 before the season to 320. He said UM defensive line coach Clint Hurtt has already given up an idea what to work on as he prepares to arrive and start taking classes. "I definitely want to come in and compete right away," Porter said. "It looks like those guys are having a lot fun. I want to be a part of it."

> Jamal Reid, ATH, 6-1, 175, Mayo Lafayette: Reid continues to make a strong case for Class 1A State Player of the Year honors. He caught four passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns as Lafayette cruised to a 41-0 district championship-clinching win over Hilliard last week. Reid has 38 catches for 973 yards and 15 touchdowns. His team is 8-0 and hoping to make a deep playoff run in the next couple of weeks.

> Luther Robinson, DT, 6-3, 280, Fort Pierce Westwood: Robinson helped his team lock up the District 13-4A title last week and improve to 8-1 with a 14-7 win over Sebastian River. A week earlier in a 27-14 win over Okeechobee, Robinson had 11 tackles and a sack. Robinson, who starts both ways on the offensive and defensive line, has 53 tackles, eight sacks, eight tackles for loss and one interception this season. Canesport.com reported Tuesday Robinson is planning on taking his full slate of visits -- including trips to Georgia and Florida.

> Billy Sanders, TE, 6-4, 235, Couer d'Alene Lake City, Idaho: Two weeks ago, Sanders helped his team to a playoff-clinching 20-17 win over Coeur d'Alene High by collecting two huge turnovers in the waning moments. Sanders caught three passes for 30 yards in that game. A week later, he hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass in a 28-21 loss to Lewiston. Sanders and Lake City will head to the playoffs with a 4-5 record.

> Olivier Vernon, DE, 6-3, 239, Hialeah American: Vernon, who suffered an ankle injury early in the season, still hasn't returned to action this season. He's scheduled to take an official visit to Florida State this coming weekend. He'll visit Alabama on Dec. 5 and then UM on Dec. 12.

> Kayvon Webster, DB, 5-11, 181, Monsignor Pace: Webster helped Pace lock up its third district title in a row and its 18th consecutive trip to the state playoffs (tied for the state record with St. Thomas Aquinas) with a 31-19 win over Edison last week. Webster caught three passes for 29 yards a week earlier in a 10-7 win against Belen.

> Cory White, TE, 6-4, 225, Fleming Island: After a 7-0 start to the season, White and his teammates were blown out 41-3 last week against district rival Orange Park and now must win this week at Gainesville Buchholz to make the playoffs. White was having a great season as the team's starting left tackle before the Eagles were dominated.

> The Hurricanes resumed practice Wednesday and will be available to the media starting following Thursday's practice. Here's a link to what Randy Shannon talked about during his ACC Teleconference Wednesday.

Virginia progress report

Four in a row and now a real shot at reaching the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. That's what the Canes came away with in Charlottesville after their stirring 24-17 victory on Saturday afternoon. Yeah, I know this week's progress report is coming out a day later than promised. But it's going to be a long week here at Eye On The U -- considering the Canes don't practice again until Thursday. So, for now, sit back and enjoy this week's progress report and feel free to provide with me your grades for this week as U continue to savor what is now this biggest win of the season for this young team.

Since the Canes are now bowl eligible, I've decided to change our grading scale based on where this team could end up. Welcome back to the BCS and the Orange Bowl (excellent), New Year's Day/New Year's Eve (good), You've earned a December night in Orlando, Charlotte or San Francisco (average), The Dreaded Blue Field (poor) and 6-6 and a long, shocking winter in Coral Gables (the bottom of the barrel).

Quarterbacks: What else can you say about Jacory Harris? An 18-year old kid led UM down the field -- literally 95 yards -- threw the game-tying touchdown pass, the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime and every big throw the Canes needed. This marked the third time in four games Harris came off the bench and closed the game for the Canes. Starter Robert Marve -- the hero last week -- wasn't bad. He was 6 of 12 for 91 yards and ran for a touchdown. But he threw his 10th pick of the season in the third quarter and gave way to Harris with 4:41 left in the third quarter. This week's progress report says: Welcome back to the BCS and the Orange Bowl. Harris has now won more player of the week honors (3) than he has starts (1). Hmmm.... just saying.

Running backs: Graig Cooper has received his share of knocks for not playing a complete game this season. Saturday, he finally did. Despite a fumble, he carried the ball 24 times for 131 yards against a good physical defense. With Javarris James out for most of the second half, Cooper was huge on the final drive. He picked up 14 yards on 2nd and 12 with a draw play and picked up a ton of blitzers with blocks that allowed Harris the time to engineer the final drive. Javarris James, meanwhile, looked like the Baby J of old until he reinjured his ankle late in the first half. He was moving the pile. He finished 55 yards on nine carries. If he's healthy, this offense is even better. This week's progress report says: Welcome back to the BCS and the Orange Bowl. Coop is now the fifth leading rusher in the ACC with 70.4 yards a game behind FSU's Antone Smith, Virginia's Cedric Peerman, Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer and Maryland's Da'Rel Scott. Last year, Coop finished eighth.

Receivers/tight ends: They didn't real have a great game overall, getting flagged for false starts and dropping a few balls. But they showed up when it counted most. Aldarius "Glue Hands" Johnson had the game-winner and LaRon Byrd the game-tying grab. But it was Sam Shields and Thearon Collier who impressed me most. Shields went airborne to haul in that important 3rd and 13 first down catch to start the 95-yard game-winning drive. Collier had the 43-yarder he hauled in from Marve to get UM's offense going in the first half and led the team with 3 catches for 64 yards. This week's progress report says: New Year's Day Bowl worthy. Travis Benajmin, Aldarius and Byrd get all the praise. But Miami really has four amazing freshmen with Collier. And its definitely nice to see Shields getting back in the mix.

Offensive line: On a day when they looked about as bad as could be drawing six of the seven false start penalties, the unit more than made up for its mistakes by providing Harris with all the time he needed to make plays late in the game. Despite playing without Jason Fox and Chris Rutledge for the majority of the game, they rallied together and helped produce 448 yards of total offense. They gave up their usual two sacks -- that's average now. But it was against the team that leads the ACC in sacks. This week's progress report says: New Year's Eve worthy.The penalties were bad. But there's no doubt this unit overachieved late being tired and shorthanded.

The Front Seven: It was another bad week trying to generate a pass rush as Allen Bailey produced the unit's only sack. But when the rough got going again, these guys buckled down again. For the third consecutive week, they shut down the opposing offense after halftime, holding Cedric Perrman 12 yards rushing in the second half. Sean Spence and Romeo Davis get gameballs. They tied for the team lead in tackles with eight and made the big plays forcing and recovering fumbles respectively. This week's progress report says: New Year's Day worthy One thing to watch this week is the health of Darryl Sharpton. He was listed as questionable and hardly played. While Romeo Davis has stepped up big to fill his shoes, UM is obviously thin at linebacker. Leading tackler Glenn Cook also got a little nicked up.

The Secondary: No, they aren't getting a lot of help in terms of pressure. But these guys still aren't doing a good job wrapping up in the open field. On one play, Peerman made Brandon Harris and Ryan Hill look foolish trying to tackle him. Virginia QB Marc Verica also had plenty of open spaces to find receivers, especially along the sideline. If he makes a few better throws, UM doesn't have a chance to come back and win this game. Carlos Armour and Anthony Reddick were the most steady of the group with five tackles each. This week's progress report says: You've earned a December night in Orlando, Charlotte or San Francisco.

Special Teams: For the first time this season, these guys honestly were a disappointment. Matt Bosher was 1 of 2 on field goal attempts and missed a possible game winner late -- albeit from 51 yards. But the bigger disappointment was Travis Benjamin, who was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time when the ball bounced off his knee and led to a fumble. But after that, The Blur was Mr. Invisible. This week's progress report says: You've earned a December night in Orlando, Charlotte or San Francisco. The mediocre performance shows you just how much UM needs these guys to be good on a week-to-week basis.

Coaching: For the third week in a row, defensive coordinator Bill Young got through to his players at halftime and got the job done. And for the first time this season, U can't get on offensive coordinator Patrick Nix for not making the right calls. Miami's offense produced 448 yards of offense and ran all the right plays on that final drive. He and Shannon also agreed to put Harris in there late. That obviously was the right decision. This week's progress report says: New Year's Day worthy.

A great QB can make all the difference

Say what you want about what's gone wrong at the University of Miami over the last five years. Point to all the excuses you like to explain why this program plummeted from national championship contender and BCS regular to the MicronPC Bowl and 5-7 record last year. You can say its recruiting that Larry Coker and his staff dropped the ball. You can say it was the development of talent, that nobody on this staff did a good enough job figuring out guys like Devin Hester, Jon Beason and Kenny Phillips were really that good. Me? I point to one position: Quarterback.

Saturday was proof positive of that in my eyes. How else can you explain how Miami is 6-3 right now? How else do you explain a team that made countless bonehead penalties and struggled to move the ball for three quarters, suddenly rallied from a 17-10 deficit to win 24-17 in overtime against a team it lost to 48-0 a year ago?

Jacory Harris is that special quarterback. He's the game-changer this program has sorely needed since Ken Dorsey walked out the door with the final piece of quarterback lineage at Quarterback U. Jacory, though, has brought it back. Think back for a second how many games this program has lost over the past few years because they didn't have that leader behind center, or in some cases couldn't even compete because the Kyle Wrights and Kirby Freemans of the world couldn't even do the little things like get the ball in the hands of the playmakers.

Yes, it's true Miami failed in recruiting. Yes, it's true Miami didn't do a good enough job developing the stars that were here the last few years. But the truth is they missed having a general to lead the offense more than anything. When this program won national championships, it had some of the best collective talent in the country. But it also had one common denominator -- that special quarterback behind center. Canes fans ought to feel lucky they have two. Because although Robert Marve was on the sidelines for two of Harris' magical comebacks (Duke and this one), it was Marve who engineered the magic a week ago against Wake Forest. This program still has a long way to go to start thinking about a sixth ring. Offensive line and the secondary are the two biggest holes I see. But the good news is the biggest piece is in place. And right now, there are two to choose from.

> Saturday's game was without question the most exciting and meaningful win for this program since it beat Virginia Tech on the road a few years back. Miami can now win-out and hope North Carolina drops a game and reach the ACC Championship game in Tampa. Before the season, I predicted UM would finish 7-5 -- or 9-3 if everything panned out. As long as the injury to Jason Fox isn't as serious as it looked on TV Saturday, then the latter is quite possible now.

> I know folks are going to jump all over Graig Cooper for his fumble. But he was the second most important weapon in UM's game-tying drive Satruday. Cooper finished with over 100 yards rushing and picked up valuable first downs with long runs. With Javarris James out, Coop truly stepped up his game in the second half and delivered.

> Hats off to defensive coordinator Bill Young for once again proving he knows what to do at halftime. This was Miami's third consecutive come-from-behind win. It wouldn't have been possible if Young didn't at least figure out a way to slow down Cedric Peerman, who had 10 carries and 66 yards at the half. Yes, Miami gave up some yards through the air and caught a few breaks with a pair of missed field goals. But the Canes defense came up with big plays when it needed to. They didn't break.

> I'll have my report card for you sometime Sunday night. Enjoy the NFL weekend for now. And when you get a chance look at the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Ask them what its like to not have Tony Romo or Tom Brady behind center.

Gameday blog: UM 24, Virginia 17 (F-OT)

Today, the Canes were in Charlottesville in search of revenge and another step forward in growth. We all remember what happened last year in the Orange Bowl against Virginia. The surreal scene of confetti shooting into the air, the final game in OB history, and the scoreboard saying Cavaliers 48, Canes 0.

The Canes and Jacory Harris erased it and made a new memory. Trailing 17-10 late in the game, Harris engineered a 97-yard scoring drive to tie the game in regulation and then found Aldarius Johnson for the winning touchdown pass in overtime. It's a huge win for Miami, which is now 6-3, bowl eligible and in the hunt for an ACC title. Here's a recap of how it all went down.

OVERTIME
> The Canes will start the extra period on offense. This is UM's first overtime game since they pulled out a win at Clemson three years ago.
> Graig Cooper, who has 125 yards rushing today, picks up a big first down with a 12-yard run. But UM gets flagged again for false start (AJ Trump's second) on the next play Facing a third down and 6, Harris puts UM in front by finding Aldarius Johnson for a touchdown. UM 24, Virginia 17.
> Now, can the defense hold? Yes, they do! Cedric Peerman gets the opening carry of the drive and gets stripped by Lovon Ponder and Romeo Davis falls on it. The Canes are bowl-eligible. And ACC-Championship eligible.

SECOND HALF THOUGHTS/HIGHLIGHTS
> Miami gets the second half opening kickoff and Robert Marve moves back in at quarterback. It doesn't go well. On third down and seven, Marve gets intercepted by Chase Minnefield at the UM 44. But the Cavaliers aren't able to cash in as UM's defense holds them and forces them to punt with 12:51 left in the third quarter. Miami takes over at its own 7.
> WQAM reports left tackle Jason Fox will not return today. Fox was injured late in the first quarter when Javarris James landed on his right knee. The injury is not believed to be serious.
> Unfortunately, that's not going to change the fact UM just turned the ball over for the third time. Graig Cooper gets stripped after picking up a first down on third and long, but loses the football and UVA takes over with 11:35 left at the UM 34.
> The Cavaliers get great field position and move to the UM 21. But Yanick Reyering misses a 38-yard field goal wide right and the Canes catch a break with 9:33 left in the quarter.
> One of my keys to the game was for UM to avoid third and long, but it seems the Canes have faced it on at least 80 percent of their drives. It's tough to win a game when you got to convert third and long. The Canes are 1 of 9 on third down today.
> Matt Bosher at least gets off a 57 yard punt that changes the field position. UVA will take over at its own 31 after a 14-yard return by Vic Hall.
> For the second straight week, it looks like Bill Young has made the right adjustments at halftime. Despite being in some big holes, the defense has stiffened and hasn't allowed Virginia to capitalize on the offenses mistakes.
> Jacory Harris re-enters the game at quarterback for UM on the Canes' third offensive possession of the second half. UM still can't move the ball and go three-and-out again.
> Glenn Cook, Miami's leading tackler, has now joined the injured list. UM is already without Darryl Sharpton. Javarris James is not expected back according to WQAM and Thearon Collier appears to have a hamstring injury. UM's depth is going to get a test today.
> Cook returns, but he's not able to help Miami stop Virginia on fourth down. The Cavaliers convert on 4th and 5 at the UM 33 as quarterback Marc Verica doesn't even break a sweat and has all time to throw. The Cavaliers will start the fourth quarter with the ball on the UM 31 and facing a third and long.
> Virginia's Yannick Reyering misses another field goal -- this time from 47 yards -- and the Canes catch a break again.
> Miami has another third and short and gets flagged for a false start -- this time its Joel Figueroa. UM ends up having to punt the ball from midfield and Virginia takes over with 11:32 left to play.
> Virginia moves the ball right down field, picking apart UM's secondary when the Canes bring the pressure and Allen Bailey sacks Marc Verica back at the 40-yard line. Huge play for the UM defense. Josh Holmes deserves credit for the pressure. Miami will take over at its 4-yard line with 8:01 to play.
> Miami appears in big trouble with a 3rd and 13 from its own 2-yard line, but Jacory Harris finds Sam Shields at the first down marker to keep the drive alive. Shields stretched high to make the catch.
> Absolutely amazing. Harris engineers an amazing 97-yard drive and caps it with a 26-yard touchdown pass to freshman Laron Byrd, who wrestles the ball away in the end zone with 55 seconds left. UM 17, Virginia 17.
> Virginia looks like its going to set itself up for the winning field goal. Then, another baby Bull steps up. Sean Spence strips the ball from Marc Verica and UM takes over at its own 31-yard line when Bruce Johnson recovers it with 31 seconds left.
> Harris moves UM into field goal range when he completes a 36-yard pass to Travis Benjamin. Miami takes one final crack at the end of regulation, but Matt Bosher's 51-yard field goal attempt falls short. We are going to overtime.

FIRST HALF THOUGHTS/HIGHLIGHTS
> Miami catches a break when Virginia goes three-and-out to start the game, but the Canes return the favor when the punt bounces off Travis Benjamin's leg and UVA recovers the ball at the UM 32. The Canes catch a break as Virginia cannot convert it into a touchdown. Instead, Yannick Reyering converts a 23-yard field goal with 11:44 left in the first quarter. Virginia 3, UM 0.
> The Canes have run three special teams and already made two mistakes. Benjamin fumbles and now Ryan Hill gets called for calling a fair catch on the opening kickoff and Benjamin isn't even allowed to return it. Not smart.
> Robert Marve has stayed hot. After being the key ingredient in UM's win against Wake Forest last week, he leads UM right back down the field for a touchdown. He connects on a 44-yard pass to Thearon Collier to start the drive, then a key fourth down completion to Collier and then scrambles and dives into the end zone on third down at the 6 to put UM ahead with 6:45 left to play in the first quarter. That was officially the longest scoring drive of the season -- 10 plays, 87 yards, 4 minutes, 59 seconds.UM 7, Virginia 3.
> Virginia has answered right back with a trio of big plays of its own. Kevin Ogletree scores on an end around with a 16-yard run. The big play was a breakdown on third down when Marc Verica finds Maurice Covington wide open in the middle of the field for a 33-yard gain down to the UM 32. Virginia 10, UM 7.
> Bad news. Maybe the worst news the Canes can get in a game like this. Left tackle Jason Fox goes down when Javarris James lands on his right leg and he collapses to the floor with 45 seconds left in the first quarter. He gets helped off the field, but walks off under his own power. Reggie Youngblood replaces Fox at left tackle. Stay posted.
> WQAM sideline reporter Brian "The Beast" London says Fox is being stretched out and could return today. The injury might not be as bad as initially thought.
> Since Miami's scoring drive, the Canes have sputtered to generate any points despite moving the football. The killer? Penalties. Orlando Franklin and Fox have been called for false starts on both of those drives, bringing up first and 15.
> Miami's defense has appeared to settle down after giving up the go-ahead touchdown. Virginia has gone on back-to-back three and outs. Sean Spence has done a nice job wrapping up. UM will take over at the UVA 43 with 11:59 left in the half. The Canes need a score here. Jacory Harris enters the game at quarterback.
> Harris comes in and immediately finds Davon Johnson, who makes a beautiful diving catch along the sideline at the Virginia 25-yard line. But the drive stalls when Harris' third down pass to Kayne Farquharson picks up seven yards instead of nine. Matt Bosher comes in and drills a 33-yard field goal with 9:23 left. UM 10, Virginia 10.
> The game isn't tied for very long. Virginia answers UM's scoring drive when Marc Verica finds Jared Green (the son of former Redskins defensive back Darrell Green) for a 2-yard TD pass. That caps a 9-play, 80-yard drive in 4:19. Bruce Johnson got flagged on a key third down play for pass interference to keep the drive alive. The Canes also gave up several long runs to Cedric Peerman, who broke back-to-back tackles from Brandon Harris and Ryan Hill on a 16-yard run. Virginia 17, UM 10.
> The Canes can't answer. Another penalty (holding on Thearon Collier) moves the offense backward. Graig Cooper tries his best on 3rd and 17 at the UM 15 to pick up the first down, but his draw finishes a yard shy of the first down marker.
> Despite trailing at the half, Miami has done a real good job moving the football today. They've outgained Virginia 203 to 177. The Canes have 18 carries for 87 yards rushing -- that's a 5.6 average -- and the U has completed 7 of 13 attempts for 103 yards. It's the penalties -- 7 for 56 yards (more than UM's season average) -- that has killed the Canes today. Cedric Peerman is having a real nice day rushing the football with 66 yards on 10 carries.

PREGAME
The majority of the guys who will lead the charge for UM today -- those talented freshmen -- had nothing to do with that game. Receiver Travis Benjamin, in fact, was on his way to the game last year when he turned his radio on heard the score and decided to turn back around. It's quite possible a similar butt-whooping could happen today at Virginia. The Cavaliers have won four straight games including back-to-back wins over Top 25 ranked opponents. Their defense leads the ACC in sacks with 23 and running back Cedric Peerman is one of the ACC's best, having run for over 100 yards in three of his last four games including a combined 7 touchdowns.

KEYS TO THE GAME
> Do not let Peerman beat you: Virginia's offense doesn't score a ton of points. The Cavaliers are only averaging a shade over 17 points a game (10th best in the ACC). But one thing Virginia does well is get the ball in the hands of its star running back (something UM hasn't been doing well lately). Peerman has 30 receptions this season and leads the team in rushing with 541 yards rushing this season -- most of that over the last four games. If Miami can put the clamps on Peerman, they can slow down the Virginia offense.

> Protect Robert Marve and Jacory Harris: Last week, Marve made his biggest impact with his legs -- when he rolled out and threw on the run and when he decided to tuck it and run. This week, Marve's likely going to spend the majority of the game trying to figure out the Cavalier's 3-4 defense and running away from outside linebacker Clint Sintim, who leads the ACC in sacks with 10. Virginia is a big physical team and the Canes have to make sure Sintim (6-3, 254) isn't devouring their young quarterbacks.

> Avoid 3rd and long on offense:Miami's offense leads the ACC in scoring with over 32 points a game. But the Canes do not score a lot of points because they take their time dissecting defenses. UM usually scores quickly. Eighteen of UM's 24 touchdowns this season have come on drives of four minutes or less. What usually stalls those drives are when Miami can't establish the run on first and second down. UM's third down conversion rate is 35.6 percent, sixth best in the ACC. Coach Randy Shannon said the Canes have to establish the running game this week. Consider that the key to third down success.

MARKET WATCH
Buy 'em
> Travis Benjamin, receiver: Without question, Benjamin has been the biggest key to the Canes scoring success. It seems like every week he makes a big play that leads to a score, whether its on a punt or kick return or a big catch. Miami needs TB (The Blur) to remain a threat and to deliver at least a handful of times.
> Matt Bosher, kicker: Miami's team MVP was named a Groza semifinalist (the nation's top award for kickers) this week. It's rare for kickers to have such a tremendous impact on games, but Bosher has become a key to the Canes' success this season. Not only does he have seven tackles (which is key on kick and punt return coverage), he's been red-hot on field goals converting 12 of 13. His punting average 40.26 is 3rd best in the ACC. Once a week, though, it seems he shanks one. Miami needs another great game from Bosher and less of those shanks.

On The Bubble
> Xavier Shannon, center: The X-man has had some major struggles with his snaps lately. He keeps snapping the ball high. But it hasn't caused a turnover yet. This week, Shannon is going to face a pure nose tackle for the first time with Virginia running the 3-4 defense. Miami needs Shannon to do a good job pointing out where the pressure is coming from and to hold his own.
> Miami's linebackers: Darryl Sharpton is listed as questionable and might not be as effective as he's been this season. Romeo Davis did a nice job last week filling in for Sharpton when he was out. The Canes are going to need Davis, Glenn Cook and Sean Spence to continue to play well this week against Peerman.