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08 November 2010
OK, So I was wrong. Jacory Harris was breathing, but he didn't play, and its a good thing too because Stephen Morris looked great on Saturday afternoon against Maryland. For a true freshman starting his first collegiate game I thought he did very well. He was efficient for the most part, and made plays when he had to. Not to mention the fact that the running game helped him out tremendously, but lets not get sidetracked. This week its Georgia Tech and, if he's ready to go, Jacory Harris will be starting. There is,however, a new wrinkle in the quarterback position with the emergence of Morris. Jacory now has some competition, which means he needs to step up his game. No more wounded duck throws, or excuses about missed reads on coverages. If Jacory struggles in the first half against GT look for Shannon to go to the freshman Morris. Jacory Harris benefited more this week than any other hurricane player. Why? Because he was put on notice: no more screwing around! As for the rest of the team..
Running Backs...... This has probably turned out to be the strength of Miami's team. The different styles of running that each player brings to the table keeps defenses off balance and keeps Miami churning out the rushing yards. Berry, Cooper, Miller, and James are all quality backs which Miami uses in different combinations to set up their passing game. All have been productive, and the future looks bright with Storm Johnson and Eduardo Clements waiting in the wings.
Offensive Line..... Frustrating to say the least because there is so much potential in this group, yet game after game they shoot themselves in the foot with holding calls and false starts at critical times. I'm not saying that this group is not talented, they just need more time to develop the cohesion that all great offensive lines gain over time. With Joel Figueroa out, Orlando Franklin is the only starting senior, so their young. Seantrel Henderson is a beast and will go down as one of the cane greats. Last week Miami went over 500 yards of offense, so they are doing something right. If they could just clean up the penalties, this group could be special
Wide Recievers.... Very Frustrating because you see flashes of talent all over the field, but nothing consistent. Im even grouping Leonard Hankerson with that description, because even he has had key drops this year at times. Consistency is the word here: THEY DONT HAVE IT...YET... One play you see Benjamin go for a 60 yard run then the next drive he drops a pass on 3rd down. The same can be said for Hankerson and Byrd. Aldarius Johnson is barely visible half the time. Hankerson has had a good year, but the other guys need to step up and play like they did to win all those High School Championships, because next year Hank is gone...
Tight Ends... Non-existant for the most part this year. With all the success Miami had last week I am disappointed that Asante Cleveland did not get his name called. He looks like a good young prospect that needs some game experience to get him better. Richard Gordon is, in my opinion, a drag on the whole position. I'll be happy to see him go next year. I'm not gonna call Chase Ford a bust, I just think he needs more time to develop. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but he needs to improve greatly next year.
Defensive Line..... THE BIGGEST BUNCH OF BABIES ON THIS TEAM... PERIOD! I don't care how many tackles for loss they've had. This is the most overrated bunch maybe in the history of Miami. Allen Bailey plays when he wants to. The only thing he's worried about is getting to the league. Marcus Forston and Micanor Regis are average DT's at best. There were many times in that Maryland game where these guys were out of position and the linebackers or secondary bailed them out. Ojomo and Robinson are again average. Rick Petri was a good hire, but he needs to get some fire in these guys, because the Canes are at there best when the Defensive Line is wreaking havoc.
Linebackers.... Again, Good not Great. Sean Spence is the real deal and Ramon Buchannon is a nice fit, but this is hardly the group of enforcers we are used to seeing patrol the Miami defenses of the past. Colin McCarthy is just too slow to play in the middle. Time after time you see him get beat by faster running backs. He also consistently shoots the wrong gaps at critical times. I would love to see Kelvin Cain get some more time there because I thought he did a great job against Duke. Spence is really good, but he even disappears at times. I can't wait to see what this next batch of linebackers bring to the table in the years to come. Im talking about, Travis Williams, Kevin Nelson, Kelvin Cain, and Tyrone Cornelius.
Secondary... Again, Good not Great... This, however, is the unit with the most upside. If Telemaque and Armstrong ever get it figured out, then they could make for a formiddable safety tandem against opposing offenses. Brandon Harris is a legit All-American. He is a shut-down corner(imagine if we could have recruited Patrick Peterson.. WOW). Ryan Hill and DVD... Bon Voyage next year... And make room for the likes of AJ Highsmith, Kacy Rodgers and Keion Payne. If they can get it together next year, they have the potential to be great.
Kicker... Matt Bosher... I get nervous every time this guy takes the field. He can be great sometimes and make you say, What the Heck? at other times. Lou Groza Award Candidate.... He is not... especially after this year.
Synopsis.... Randy Shannon has had an up and down year, but these next three games will tell his story. If he can get to the ACC Championship game and win it, then this year has been a success. If he goes 9-3 and gets to a bowl game and wins it... then this year still shows improvement and would be deemed a success. The natives in South Florida are restless, however and Randy would go into next year with all kinds of pressure on his program to get back to national relevance. It will be interesting to see what happens over these next 3 games
