Gameday blog: USF at Miami

SUN LIFE STADIUM -- The banners calling for Randy Shannon's firing are flying overhead and there is still plenty of seats available for today's noon kickoff between your Miami Hurricanes and the South Florida Bulls. For your viewing pleasure, the game will be televised on ESPNU and can be heard on WQAM.com. Feel free to follow along and participate in our discussion below throughout the game.

REWIND: The Canes lead the all-time series 2-0. Last season, UM knocked off the Bulls 31-10 in Tampa.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA: The Bulls (6-4, 3-3 Big East) are coming off a 17-10 loss to Pittsburgh. Here is what Shannon had to say about USF earlier this week. "South Florida is a physical team, a two-back team, try to knock you off the football. And the defense is very physical. They're getting physical up front. Defensively they're doing a lot of things up front, eight man front football, try to give you fits. They try to line up and stop the run game, say you have to throw the ball to beat us. We have to come out and play football very fast, quick, be powerful on both sides of the football. We have to capitalize on opportunities they give us offensively and defensively. It's a big opportunity for us to play this game. It's senior day, and there's nothing more exciting than senior day when you can end on a great note."

THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON FOR THE U...

> Who starts at quarterback... Shannon said Jacory Harris would be his starter if he came back and did the right things in practice. We suspect freshman Stephen Morris will still get the nod, having taken all the first team snaps in practice this week. If Morris plays, expect UM to continue to pound the football with their running game.

> How the Hurricanes respond to being out of the running for the ACC... Until last week, UM still had something to play for. They don't anymore -- outside of Shannon's job. Whether they win or lose today, they're still likely headed to the Sun Bowl.

MY PICK: I'm tempted to pick South Florida here with the Canes having little to play for. But the Canes' running game is on fire of late. I can't see Damien Berry and Lamar Miller taking the day off. They'll do enough. UM 26, USF 14.

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Comments

[Canes Pride!]

The Canes will be much better next year with college football's best offensive line, college football's best stable of running backs (Miller will have a break-out season) 2 talented, experienced quarterbacks who will be throwing to a wide receiver corp that is very talented, big, tall, fast, experienced and agile, a defensive secondary that will be a shut-down group, a defensive line that will dominate opponents.

The Canes will be in the National Championship hunt next year.

[Cane Fan in Bahamas]

where can I watch the game online?

[Canes Pride!]

Teddy Bridgewater:

In a losing effort against Central in which Northwestern's defense could not stop Central's offense Teddy completed 32 of 46 pases for 436 yards (Wow! in a high school game that lasts 48 minutes--not 60 minutes). He ran for 2 touchdowns and passed for 2 more.

CONGRATULATIONS TEDDY!!!

[atlantacane1]

ALDARIUS JOHNSON, YOU ARE NOT WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE!!!!!

[Jessie in Va]

To many dropped passes..Interceptions and dropped passes killing us all year!

[Jack swagger]

Canes sleepwalking through this one so far. And Cane spride you are an idiot. Next year if RS is still here more of the same. Hank is our only weapon on O and he will be gone. Every other receiver we have is garbage. I see why Streeter hasn't gotten any pt, he dropped two passes, although they weren't very good thows.

[305NOSWAGGER!!!]

south fla doesnt have the best talent IN THE STATE ANY MORE time has change!!!! more like soft fla!!!!

[Uh...Duh!]

How about the brainiac that hires the plane to fly the "Fire Shannon" banner over the stadium...just one problem...his audience is about 5,000 people and 4,700 of those people are USF fans....great investment!

[305NOSWAGGER!!!]

South fla doesnt have the best talent IN THE STATE ANY MORE time has change!!!! more like soft fla!!!!

South fla doesnt have the best talent IN THE STATE ANY MORE time has change!!!! more like soft fla!!!!

South fla doesnt have the best talent IN THE STATE ANY MORE time has change!!!! more like soft fla!!!!

[atlantacane1]

some of these players have quit today. travis benjamin, you have no blockers on that punt return because they were going for the block. when you catch the ball, YOU GO FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD!!

[Jessie in Va]

Love to see some seniors making plays..Going to miss Big 44, J. holmes, Ryan Hill and CCOOP make that play on the punt return baby

[canes2win]

Boring fricken game....Canes will let SF hang around and then the Canes will lose.

[Jessie in Va]

Dont forget big Pat Hill nice catch...Go CCCOOP!

[Jessie in Va]

Miami really struggles in the red zone and I just do not get it!

[canes2win]

Another well prepared Canes team. SF holds them out of the end zone with just inches to score...PATHETIC! Looks like their playing their bowl game. Oh, let's not forget..we're getting better!!!

[canefame]

so hard too watch!

[WOWZER!!!!]

THIS GAME IS BORING!

[miami305]

FIRE SHANNON NOW!!!!!!

[indiacane]

Great job, Randy. Your boys are really behind you today. Think up a good grammatically butchered speech during which you can blame them for your incompetence.

[canefame]

if they lose today, how does he not get fired?

[alex]

i am going to do some Christmas shopping and I hate crowds and shopping but this game is more painful. RS needs to be fired immediately following the game. This is literally making me sick.

[Jessie in Va]

All you Shannon haters I have one question--WHO are you going to hire if Shannon is fired? Miami does NOT pay coaches, so WHO are you going to find for at most 1.5 million?

[doug]

Do our coaches even try anymore> Cause I don't see a gameplan on either side of the ball except confusion. Is that a gameplan?

[Cane Fan]

The defense is playing great!

We will get them in the second half.

The fumbles are what's killing us, just like last game against V-Tech.

[Jessie in Va]

Ryan Hill got to make the INT

[Thomas]

Yeah real great defense we just had to burn two to's back to back cause nobody knows what's going on. Luckily for Miami USF and Skip Holtz are almost as bad as Randy and Co lol. What a joke UM has become, i'm out to do something better with this Saturday bytches.

[atlantacane1]

ALL THE SENIORS ARE MAKING THE MISTAKES!

[canefame]

awful 1st half

[Been a long time]

great coaching, huh?

[cuse cane]

time to start playing guys that want to be out there. Aldropious Johnson needs to park it on the bench and so does travis i'm scared benjamin.

Berry try to hold onto the ball and coop i thought you injured your knee not your hands. take your skirt off and play

[miami305]

IM so Happy!!! Next year we are getting a New and REAL HC....
Nothing to get mad at, nothing new...
outcoached as always ..not prepared. lots of mistakes. Hey and please don't blame the players!!!
Maybe its a boycott from the players and they are doing it on purpose to get Shannon fired since he lost his team at midseason....

[dan kind]

very sad; pathetic showing. I am pleased that no one showed for this travesty, what is attendance figs- 10k? I hope all recruits take notice. Shannon is shameful if he doesnt resign-bring back Coker, he is still being paid probably anyway.

[HURRICANE KEV IN THE ATL.....]

What a game Coach Shannon. The only thing that is consistent about this team is U being coy with the media with the questions about the game......

[andre]

What happen to our fans its more of usf there than us

[cuse cane]

worst players I've seen since Joe Mantegna.

[Eudocimus]

All you people calling for Shannon to be fired, I'm curious as to which coordinator, Whipple or Lovett you would promote to the head job?

If they fire Shannon before the end of next year, those will be the options.

[delandcane]

even the announcers are making fun of this. we are not just irrelevant, we are a joke, thanks randy. i read that the guys were behind shannon,they sure aren't showing it. SAVE THE PROGRAM FIRE SHANNON

[NoMas]

wake me

[Jessie in Va]

Miami305--Who is your choice for a coach?

[delandcane]

ANDRE, Thr fans are out there. but who really wants to go be humiliated in person. eudocimus neither there are other options fire shannon

[delandcane]

DEAR SANTA, i want to ask for the same wish as last year, i have waited very impatiently iknow, but this year, could my miami hurricanes GET A REAL COACH. thanks, its been 4 yrs and i still believe that with a new coach, hope will return, fans will come back, and the "U" will live again.

[813Cane]

So many questions around this program. I'll be glad to see some of these seniors gone, like McCarthy and Franklin. ZERO leadership! But The young players are really a huge question mark except for the linemen. We need to recruit the heel out of some skill players!

[Jessie in Va]

Delandcane--WHO do you want as coach? who can Miami get for 1.5 million or less?

[smurph]

The U once was a great football school.

This is evidence that not only are they never to be a dominant national power, but they are now the 4th or 5th best program in Florida behind FSU, Florida, Central Florida, and USF, and are inevitably to fall behind FIU to not even be the best program in Miami-Dade.

Sad

[miamimike]

LMAO J12 is in and almost threw a pick the first throw! God we suck, Morris has gottne worse the more reps he has gotten. Has any player under RS ever improved?

[Jessie in Va]

Getting no push from the o-Line!

[NoMas]

Excellence in ineptness.

[miamimike]

Jesse in va shut up queer. Do you know for a fact we only have 1.5 to spend?

[tom lattimore]

Why would any kid get excited about playing for a school that has such a tiny fanbase and can't be bothered to show up in support except for a very few marquee games?

I'd want to play in front of people who actually care.

[Jessie in Va]

Miamimike prick..Look it up you idiot..its in Miami's financial budget for the school and the reason why Miami has not gone after a high profile coach..Miami will not pay big money for a big time coach..Sorry miamidick but thats a fact!