2011 Miami Hurricanes Additional Information

[BB73]

2011 Miami Hurricanes Additional Information

Coaching Staff

Head Coach:
​

Official School Bio - Al Golden

Assistant Coaches:
Official School Bios- Assistant Coaches
Mark D'Onofrio - Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator
Jedd Fisch - Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
Micheal Barrow - Linebackers / Special Teams Coordinator
Brennan Carroll - Tight Ends / National Recruiting Coordinator
Jethro Franklin - Senior Defensive Assistant / Defensive Line
Art Kehoe - Offensive Line
George McDonald - Wide Receivers
Terry Richardson - Running Backs / Florida Recruiting Coordinator
Paul Williams - Defensive Backs
Hurlie Brown - Senior Football Operations Coordinator
Tom Deahn - Director of Football Operations
Sean Desai - Assistant Director of Football Operations
Phillip Eisenstein - Graduate Assistant-Defense
Ryan McNamee - Director of Player Development
Tony Sorrentino - Graduate Assistant-Offense
Andreu Swasey - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Scott McGonagle - Head Athletic Trainer
​

Recruiting

Incoming Recruits:

2012 Verbal Commitments

Scout.com - #5 overall class - 1-5*, 5-4*, 14-3*, 4-2*, 1-N/R - 3.08* average
Rivals.com - #7 overall class - 0-5*, 7-4*, 18-3*, 0-2*, 0-N/R - 3.28* average

Keith Brown LB 6-2 230 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
James Burgess LB 6-0 200 Homestead, FL - 3*/3*
Jontavious Carter WR 6-4 190 Cordele, GA - 3*/3*
Gray Crow QB 6-4 220 Clearwater, FL - 3*/3*
Vernon Davis CB 5-10 170 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
Preston Dewey QB 6-3 196 Austin, TX - 3*/3*
Nate Dortch CB 6-1 165 Ft. Meyers, FL - 3*/3*
Ereck Flowers OT 6-6 300 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
Taylor Gadbois OT 6-8 300 Fork Union, VA - N-R/3* - PREP
Jelani Hamilton DE 6-5 245 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/4*
Dwayne Hoilett DE 6-3 215 Vero Beach, FL - 3*/3*
Brandon Hollifield TE 6-5 215 Tallahassee, FL - 2*/3*
Larry Hope CB 6-0 160 Hieleah, FL - 3*/3*
Angelo Jean-Louis WR 6-0 185 Wellington, FL - 4*/4*
Duke Johnson RB 5-9 180 Miami, FL - 5*/4*
D'Mauri Joens WR 6-4 185 Leesburg, FL - 2*/3*
Raphael Kirby LB 6-2 218 Stone Mountain, GA - 4*/4*
AJ Leggett CB 5-11 175 Homestead, Fl - 3*/4*
Earl Moore DT 6-2 280 Tampa, FL - 3*/3*
Reggie Northrup LB 6-2 215 Jacksonville, FL - 3*/3*
Jake O'Donnell DE 6-6 235 Doylestown, PA - 3*/3*
Trent Taylor DE 6-3 250 Lakeland, FL - 4*/4*
David Thompson QB 6-1 215 Miami, FL - 2*/3*
Herbert Waters WR 6-0 170 Homestead, FL - 3*/3*
Josh Witt LB 6-2.5 210 Weston, FL - 2*/3*

2011 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #40 overall class - 2-5*, 2-4*, 10-3*, 4-2*, 3-N/R - 2.95* average
Rivals.com - #36 overall class - 0-5*, 2-4*, 13-3*, 4-2*, 2-N/R - 2.81* average

Junior Alexis DT 6-3 255 Los Angeles, CA - 2*/2*
Thurston Armbrister S 6-2 190 Hollywood, FL - N-R/N-R
Dalton Botts P 6-3 200 Moorpark, CA - 2*/3* - JUCO
Anthony Chickillo DE 6-4 235 Tampa, FL - 5*/4*
Dallas Crawford CB 5-9 180 Ft. Myers, FL - 3*/3*
Phil Dorsett WR 5-10 170 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Thomas Finnie CB 5-10 165 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Taylor Gadbois OL 6-8 285 Dallas, GA - 3*/3*[/strike]
Matt Goudis K 6-0 165 West Hills, CA - 3*/2*
Jalen Grimble DT 6-3.5 255 Las Vegas, NV - 5*/4*
Kevin Grooms CB 5-10 170 Hollywood, FL - 4*/3*
Eddie Johnson LB 6-1 224 Atlanta, GA - 2*/3*
[strike]Antonio Kinard LB 6-3 205 Chatham, VA - 3*/3* - PREP[/strike]
[strike]Corey King DT 6-1 265 Boca Raton, FL - N-R/2*[/strike]
Gionni Paul LB 6-0 223 Lakeland, FL - 3*/3*
Denzel Perryman LB 5-10 220 Coral Gables, FL - 4*/3*
Olsen Pierre DE 6-4 255 Fork Union, VA - 3*/3* - PREP
Rashawn Scott WR 6-2 198 Melbourne, FL - 3*/3*
Darius Smith DT 6-3 345 Scranton, PA - N-R/N-R - JUCO
Hunter Wells OT 6-6 280 Canton, IL - 2*/2*
Ricardo Williams DE 6-5 210 Homestead, FL - 3*/3*

2010 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #14 overall class - 1-5*, 5-4*, 20-3*, 4-2* - 3.10* average
Rivals.com - #16 overall class - 2-5*, 6-4*, 18-3*, 4-2* - 3.20* average

[strike]Latwan Anderson S 5-10 185 Cleveland, OH - 4*/5* [/strike]
Jermaine Barton OT 6-6 275 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Jeffrey Brown DT 6-2 266 Evanston, IL - 3*/2*
Malcolm Bunche OG 6-6 318 New Berllin, NY - 3*/4* - PREP
Kelvin Cain OLB 6-4 215 Clovis, CA - 2*/2*
Eduardo Clements RB 5-11 185 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Asante Cleveland TE 6-5 235 Sacramento, CA - 3*/2*
Tyrone Cornileus OLB 6-2 189 Stone Mountain, GA - 3*/3*
Devont'a Davis CB 6-1 164 Gainesville, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Jeremy Davis CB 5-11 170 Cape Coral, FL - 3*/3*[/strike]
Jonathan Feliciano OF 6-4 294 Davie, FL - 3*/3*
Chase Ford TE 6-6 245 Kilgore, TX - 2*/3* - JUCO
Jimmy Gaines MLB 6-2 215 Buffalo, NY - 2*/2*
[strike]Tavadis Glenn OT 6-5 300 Jacksonville, FL - 3*/4*[/strike]
Maurice Hagens FB 6-1 225 Tampa, FL - 3*/3*
Darion Hall RB 5-11 200 Naples, FL - 3*/3*
Seantrel Henderson OT 6-8 338 St. Paul, MN - 5*/5*
Allen Hurns WR 6-1 170 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Storm Johnson RB 6-1 215 Loganville, GA - 3*/4*[/strike]
Brandon Linder OC 6-6 290 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/4*
Shane McDermott OC 6-3 255 Wellington, FL - 3*/3*
Stephen Morris QB 6-2 181 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Kevin Nelson MLB 6-1 215 Gainesville, FL - 3*/3*[/strike]
Keion Payne CB 6-0 168 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/3*
David Perry DE 6-5 225 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Kacy Rodgers CB 6-2 183 Southlake, TX - 4*/3*
[strike]Andrew Tallman OT 6-6 250 Boston, MA - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Delmar Taylor DT 6-4 255 Miami Beach, FL - 2*/3*[/strike]
Clive Walford TE 6-6 225 Belle Glade, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Travis Williams OLB 6-2 200 Norfolk, VA - 3*/4*[/strike]

2009 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #24 overall class - 0-5*, 8-4*, 10-3*, 1-2* - 3.37* average
Rivals.com - #15 overall class - 1-5*, 9-4*, 8-3*, 1-2* - 3.53* average

Ray Ray Armstrong S 6-3 210 Sanford, FL - 4*/5*
Malcolm Bunche OG 6-6 318 Newark, DE - 3*/3*
Dyron Dye DE 6-5 225 Sanford, FL - 4*/4*
Shayon Green DE 6-2 225 Tifton, GA - 2*/3*
Alonzo Highsmith QB 6-1 180 Sugar Land, TX - 3*/3*
Mike James RB 5-11 210 Davenport, FL - 4*/4*
Jermaine Johnson OT 6-6 300 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/4* - PREP
[strike]Prince Kent S 6-2 187 Norcross, GA - 3*/3*[/strike]
Brandon McGee CB 6-0 180 Plantation, FL - 4*/4*
Lamar Miller RB 5-11 203 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
[strike]Stephen Plein TE 6-6 235 Ft. Myers, FL - 3*/2*[/strike]
Curtis Porter DT 6-2 330 Charlotte, NC - 3*/3*
[strike]Jamal Reid CB 6-0 175 Mayo, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
Luther Robinson DT 6-2 270 Ft. Pierce, FL - 3*/4*
Billy Sanders TE 6-4 235 Couer D'Alene, ID - 3*/3*
Olivier Vernon DE 6-2 237 Hialeah, FL - 4*/4*
Brandon Washington OG 6-5 320 - New Berlin, NY - 3*/4* - PREP
Jared Wheeler OG 6-6 310 Plantation, FL - 3*/3*
Cory White OT 6-5 245 Orange Park, FL - 3*/3*

2008 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #3 overall class - 4-5*, 7-4*, 18-3*, 4-2* - 3.33* average
Rivals.com - #5 overall class - 2-5*, 15-4*, 8-3*, 8-2* - 3.33* average

Travis Benjamin WR 6-1 160 Belle Glade, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Arthur Brown OLB 6-1 225 Wichita, KS - 5*/5*[/strike]
Ramon Buchanan 6-1 195 Melbourne, FL - 4*/4*
LaRon Byrd WR 6-3 210 Boutte, LA - 3*/3*
John Calhoun FB 6-2 230 Sebastian, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Thearon Collier WR 5-9 163 Miami, FL - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Taylor Cook QB 6-7 206 Altair, TX - 3*/2*[/strike]
Marcus Forston DT 6-2.5 305 Miami, FL - 5*/5*
Jordan Futch OLB 6-3 215 Hollywood, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Gavin Hardin OLB 6-4 240 Jackson, TN - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Antonio Harper OLB 6-4 220 Memphis, TN - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Brandon Harris CB 5-10 175 Miami, FL - 5*/4*[/strike]
Jacory Harris QB 6-4 171 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Patrick Hill FB 5-11 245 Torrance, CA - 3*/2* - JUCO [/strike]
CJ Holton S 6-1 190 Crawfordsville, FL - 4*/4*
Aldarius Johnson WR 6-2.5 194 Miami, FL - 5*/4*
Davon Johnson WR 5-11 164 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
Benjamin Jones OT 6-6 280 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Zach Kane MLB 6-2 215 Toms River, NJ - 2*/2*[/strike]
Jeremy Lewis DT 6-3 275 West Palm Beach, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Brandon Marti OLB 6-1 205 Miami, FL - 3*/2*[/strike]
[strike]CJ Odom S 5-11 210 Ft. Myers, FL - 3*/2*[/strike]
Micanor Regis DT 6-3 310 Pahokee, FL - 3*/3*
Marcus Robinson OLB 6-1.5 210 Homestead, FL - 4*/4*
Andrew Smith DE 6-3 235 Coconut Creek, FL - 3*/2*
[strike]Cannon Smith QB 6-1 175 Chatham, VA - 3*/3* - PREP[/strike]
Sean Spence OLB 6-1 200 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Tommy Streeter WR 6-5 200 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Vaughn Telemaque S 6-2 187 Long Beach, CA - 4*/4*
Kendal Thompkins WR 5-11 160 Miami, FL - 2*/3*
Brandon Washington OG 6-4 314 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
Jake Wieclaw K 6-1.5 175 New Lenox, IL - 2*/2*
[strike]Joseph Wylie S 6-2 190 Lauderdale Lakes, FL - 3*/3*[/strike]

2007 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #13 overall class - 3-5*, 9-4*, 4-3*, 2-2*, 0-N/R - 3.72* average
Rivals.com - #19 overall class - 2-5*, 5-4*, 8-3*, 2-2*, 1-N/R - 3.28* average

[strike]Daniel Adderly WR 6-6 215 Greenville, SC - 2*/2*[/strike]
[strike]Allen Bailey DE 6-3 260 Darien, GA - 5*/5*[/strike]
[strike]Damien Berry S 5-11 194 Belle Glade, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Jared Campbell CB 6-0 190 Aurora, CO - 3*/3*[/strike]
Lee Chambers RB 5-10.5 189 Coffeeville, MS - 3*/3*
[strike]Graig Cooper RB 5-11 190 New Berlin, NY - 5*/5*[/strike]
[strike]Kayne Farquharson WR 6-2 190 Torrance, CA - 5*/N-R - JUCO[/strike]
Harland Gunn OG 6-3 300 Omaha, NE - 4*/3*
[strike]Leonard Hankerson WR 6-3 195 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/3*[/strike]
Tyler Horn OT 6-5 290 Memphis, TN - 2*/2*
[strike]Robert Marve QB 6-2 190 Tampa, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Jermaine McKenzie WR 6-2 165 Bradenton, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Shawnbrey McNeil RB 5-10.5 180 Dallas, TX - 3*/3*[/strike]
JoJo Nichols S 6-2 195 Homestead, FL - 3*/3*
Adewale Ojome DE 6-3.5 220 Hialeah, FL - 4*/3*
[strike]Chris Perry DE 6-3 315 Keller, TX - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Demarcus Van Dyke CB 6-1.5 157 Miami, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Doug Wiggins CB 5-10.5 185 North Miami Beach, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]

2006 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #14 overall class - 11-4*, 6-3*, 4-2* - 3.33* average
Rivals.com - #14 overall class - 10-4*, 8-3*, 3-2* - 3.33* average

[strike]Matt Bosher K 6-1 180 Jupiter, FL - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Graig Cooper RB 5-10 183 Memphis, TN - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Dedrick Epps TE 6-4 227 Richmond, VA - 4*/4*[/strike]
Joel Fiqueroa OL 6-5 330 North, Miami, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Jason Fox OL 6-6.5 255 Ft. Worth, TX - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Orlando Franklin OL 6-6 300 Delray Beach, FL - 2*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Richard Gordon DE 6-5 265 New Berlin, NY - 3*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Chavez Grant CB 5-10 175 Miami, FL - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Ryan Hill CB 5-11 186 Tallahassee, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Josh Holmes DT 6-3 262 San Diego, CA - 3*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Javarris James RB 6-1 205 Immokalee, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Tervaris Johnson S 6-3 215 Miami, FL - 3*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Chris Lewis DE 6-2 235 Clovis, CA - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Colin McCarthy LB 6-3 215 Clearwater, FL - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]George Robinson WR 6-0 180 Miami, FL - 2*/2*[/strike]
[strike]Kylan Robinson RB 6-1 215 Tampa, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Sam Shields WR 6-0 175 Sarasota, FL - 4*/4*[/strike]
[strike]Daniel Stegall QB 6-2 180 Greenwood, AR - 2*/2*[/strike]
[strike]Ian Symonette OL 6-9 330 Houston, TX - 4*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Chaz Washington DT 6-3 300 Destrehan, LA - 3*/3*[/strike]
[strike]Steven Wesley 6-3 235 Bartow, FL - 4*/3*[/strike]

Name Pos Ht Wt Hometown, State - Scout/Rivals
[strike]Indicates no longer with team[/strike]
Bold indicates starter

​

Behind the Numbers

Sample Size - Still an Issue

Before last year's match-up of the Buckeyes and Hurricanes, each team had only played one game. With a sample size of just one, we decided to focus on the programs rather than just this year's teams. This year is not much different, with the Buckeyes having played two games and the Hurricanes only one. It seems an update to last year's analysis is in order.

Paths - Still Divergent

Skipping over the much-discussed recent history between these programs, let's start with a look of the overall quality of both teams over the last 10 years (The Tressel Era). The most concise way of doing this is to distill the quality of each team down to one number. The number used at BtN is called Differential Scoring Composite (DSC) and it is computed thus:

The ratio of how many points a team scores to the average points surrendered by their opponents vs. everyone else is called Differential Scoring Offense (DSO). The corresponding number for defense has the acronym DSD, you can guess why. DSC is simply DSO divided by DSD. It thus provides a single number that measures a team's power.
​

The graph below shows DSC for both teams over the past 10 years. In this graph and all those that follow, the number above each bar represents the team's National Ranking in the given metric for that year.



First Observation: Yes, Miami circa 2001 was an incredible team. Bear in mind though, that this analysis compares teams to everyone on their opponents' schedules. The upshot of this is that a particularly weak conference can inflate the DSC of the conference's best team. This phenomenon was in full effect when Miami was in the Big East, as they were in 2001.

In 2002, those teams were very evenly matched. When one considers that Miami was still playing in the Big East, it is arguable that the numbers being that close indicates that the Buckeyes really were the better team, all things considered. In other words, the result of the game was not a fluke.

Following the gradual deterioration under Larry Coker, Randy Shannon had them on a path to being about as good as they were immediately afterafter they fell off of their lofty perch atop the Big East. Alas, they started to slide backward and the ever vigilante Miami administration stepped in and made a change to Al Golden.

As for the 'Canes (Al) Golden Era; it is too soon to draw any broad conclusions. Perhaps the ugliness of Maryland's uniforms distracted the Miami players. Then again, it is possible that this coaching change will be as rough for Miami as such changes often are. The above graph shows that the Hurricanes plummeted from 47th in the nation in DSC in the year that got Larry Coker fired to 84th in the nation for Randy Shannon's first outing. If they experience the same drop off this year, it will be a long year on South Beach no matter how many hookers and yacht parties are involved.

Offense vs. Defense

The previous graph showed that the downward trend of DSC under Coker continued into Shannon's first year. What's interesting is how the Hurricanes maintained their downward momentum. The next two graphs, showing DSO and DSD over the last 9 years, tell the story.

Again, let's get the obvious out of the way first: In 2002 Miami had the much better offense and Ohio State had the much better defense. What is it that wins championships again?

Now take a look at the trends: For Miami, the offense fell off the table in 2006, and that is what got Larry Coker fired. Interestingly, the defense was still playing at a relatively high level; higher in fact than the 2002 defense. But that changed in a hurry under Shannon. During his first year, the offense improved slightly but the defense went off a cliff. That is how they continued the downward spiral; by reversing the downward trend on offense while allowing the Differential Defense numbers to skyrocket. Shannon was able to improve the defense slightly in his last year at the helm, but the offense took a step backward and, just like his predecessor, he was let go for improving the defense while letting the offense slide.

The Buckeyes, on the other hand, remained remarkably consistent at an elite level on defense, and posted only their 2nd year of the Tressel Era in the Top-10 in DSO. With a good offense to complement the defense, the Buckeyes were much too much for the Hurricanes last year. Only some horrific play on special teams made the game appear to be close.

Identity - Still in Crisis

Last year in this section it was illustrated that the Hurricanes are nearly as synonymous with Pass Defense as are the Silver Bullets with Rushing Defense. It was posited that the team that did the most to establish their defensive identity would win the day. Before we re-examine the prediction; let's update the analysis.

The Hurricanes did return to form last year, posting their first top 5 finish in Differential Passing Efficiency since 2005. Never mind the fact that the Buckeyes ranked even higher than the 'Canes in DPE last year. The Silver Bullets of course, were their usual Hall-Monitor selves, ensuring that no one got away with running on their turf.

This was not about how each defense did over the course of the season however. No, this was all about what happened in the Horseshoe last year. On that day, the Buckeyes had their hands full and gave up 120 yards of rushing, but the Hurricanes had bigger problems. Last year, Ohio State had more yards passing against Miami than any other team on Miami's schedule. Just as you read on this page last year, the team that established their defensive identity dominated the game.

If the same holds true this year, the Hurricanes may be in serious trouble. Miami allowed Maryland a passing efficiency of 139.89 two weeks ago, and this was one of the primary reasons they lost that game. The Buckeye Rush Defense on the other hand, is the one thing that Ohio State has done right in both games so far this year.

Many in the media are pointing to the Buckeyes' struggles against Toledo as a sure sign that they will be unable to duplicate Maryland's success through the air. This misses two key points: 1) The Rockets played fundamentally sound defense without a lot of missed assignments while Miami did not and 2) The Buckeyes don't need to gain 499 yards like the Terrapins did, and if they do, much of it will be on the ground.

While Ohio State still has a long way to go to be the kind of team that their fans know they can be; this Miami team is likely to be every bit as bad as they looked last Monday. Fear not Buckeye Nation. Bad days may be ahead, but Saturday won't be one of them.
​

The Lighter Side

Coming out of Ohio State's destruction of Akron, things looked pretty good for 2011. Ohio State moved the ball at will and yielded virtually nothing on defense. They did yield no points, in fact. When the ball was kicked last Saturday against Toledo, things looked pretty good at first. The Buckeyes moved the ball right down the field, Bauserman throws a nice pass, though a little long, to Stoney who grabs it with one hand and scores. Get out the adding machine, right? And then something happened. Toledo scored. Moreover, they go for two and convert. And then they stopped the Buckeyes and blocked a punt. They scored again. Next thing you know, the Buckeyes are down 15 - 7. Bucks, as you know, ended up with the win but the feeling is "rut roh."

Here's the thing - one game does not a season make. Ohio State wasn't a wrecking machine after week one. Ohio State isn't horrible because they weren't all amped up to destroy Toledo either. The reality of it is this - what happened against Toledo, what happened against Akron ... these games have virtually nothing to do with what might happen against Miami. It seems that the mass media culture, the continual focus on every nook and cranny of the team, the general 21st century zeitgeist of drawing generalized conclusions from sparse data has made us stress over things that don't really matter. Can Joe Bauserman overthrow an open receiver without being a "bust?" Uh, yeah. He can. Can Stoney drop a ball he should catch without it being a comment on the team's impending doom? Of course. The reality is, the highs aren't that high. The lows aren't that low.

So, heading into the Ineligi-Bowl (Tit for Tatt) this weekend at Miami, what do we know? Well, not much. It's hard enough figuring out who will even be permitted to play in the game, much less make predictions about how things might go. Pretty much all we can know for sure is that of the 50,000 people who actually show up to watch the game in person, more than half of them will be Ohio State fans. I suppose the other thing we know is that Miami won't be thrown off their game because the Buckeyes are balling in ridiculous uniforms. Oh, there is one other thing - we can be reasonably certain that Jacory Harris will find Travis Howard or Dominic Clarke or Andrew Sweat or maybe even Nathan Williams with regularity. Williams, you say, isn't even going to play. That won't stop Harris from trying to get him the ball. It's much easier to be an effective QB when you not only are willing to hit your guys with the ball, but are perfectly comfortable passing it to the other team too. I mean, think about it - why throw to any one of just 5 guys when you can throw to any one of 16 guys? It's just good business.

Dressing like you're brain damaged probably helps.

In other news - Notre Dame is still no good. The meteor is usually the thing we root for when the Irish and Skunkbears match up, but watching the Domers fall to 0-2 is still pretty funny. I suppose it helps the Big Ten's public perception now that Michigan appears mildly competent. Even though they're not actually mildly competent. I'm not sure the public perception was at all helped by the Wolverines dressing in uniforms like this:

It's bad enough they wear an image of a rake on their helmets despite Wolverines having nothing to do with gardening implements. I suppose completing the ensemble with stripes and "old looking" "M"s can't do a whole lot more damage. Still - the lighter side is now able to harp on yet another trend in college football. Alternative uniforms. Look - shaking your keys to make noise is silly. Fans all wearing the same color as an organized display is equally moronic. The fact that this trend started at Penn State should be evidence enough. But, at the end of the day, the most insulting assault on us fans is having to watch our teams .. or any teams.. play in uniforms that cause us to have seizures (Thanks, Phil Knight). Stop with this crap, suit up in regular uniforms that represent your school colors, and go play football.

To parrot a certain writer at CFN - I'm sorry if this lighter side sucks but I'm not sure how many paragraphs I have to suspend this week to satisfy the NCAA for my various misdoings. When I plagiarized everydayshouldbesaturday I was hit with a 1 paragraph penalty. But, then, when I asked for input from Oh8ch on a column a year or so ago, I had to sit 6 paragraphs the following week. It's hard to make sense of all of this.​

Traditions & Opponent Perspective

Team Name and Logo

Why "Hurricanes?" There are two stories which describe the birth of the team nickname. The first claims that the 1927 football team selected the name in hopes that they would devastate opponents just as a September 1926 hurricane had done the local area. The second version instead claims that a news columnist in 1926 asked Porter Norris, an end for the team, what the team should be called. Upon being told that locals and University officials had been suggesting a name which was based on the local flora and fauna, Norris said there was no way to players would stand for it and suggested "Hurricanes" if for no other reason than the opening game of the 1926 season had been postponed because of the storm.

From time to time the name "Hurricanes" is re-considered in the Miami area owing to a fear of re-inforcing the idea that Miami, Florida, is perpetually weather beaten area teetering on destruction. Still, as one school official observed in the 1960s "Does anyone think Chicago is overrun by bears just because the town has a football team by that name?" and thus, the name remains.

The "U": Prior to commissioning a public relations expert to develop a distinct logo in 1973, the Canes had worn a variety of helmet and uniforms. Noting that there are many schools with the initials UM, the "U" was suggested as a logo by Bill Bodenhamer. Not only is the logo unique in college athletics, it lends itself to slogans like "U gotta believe" and "U is great" (Check the official site if you think we made up this one).

School Colors: Orange, Green & White

Selected in 1926, the school colors are intended to represent the Florida orange tree - Orange, obviously is the tree's fruit, green represents the leaves and white the blossoms.

Lil' Joe & Touchdown Tommy: A cannon fired by the Sigma Chi fraternity after a Miami score, "Touchdown Tommy" was preceded with "Lil Joe"

Four Fingers: A common sight in college football, Miami players and fans can be seen holding up 4 fingers at the beginning of the fourth quarter at every home football game. According to the official site, true Hurricane fans and players use the sign as a symbol that they own that last quarter.

The "Smoke": Beginning in the 1950s, the Hurricanes take the field through a smoke screen. The tradition began in an attempt to increase fan interest. The original idea was to use fire extinguishers to produce the smoke, but some 40 years ago the man who came up with the idea, Bill Nalette, welded some pipe together above the tunnel from which the Canes take the field. The same pipes are still used to this day. The original set up included flashing lights, a couple of hurricane flags and a sound track of a hurricane blasting over the Orange Bowl's PA system. The Canes no longer use the lights or the flags.

The Ring Of Honor: Established in 1997, the Ring of Honor was established to recognize the outstanding players that have passed through the Hurricane Football Program. Names and jersey numbers are added to the Ring of Honor on a regular basis by decade or position played and are on display in the stadium. According to former head coach Butch Davis, "There have been so many great players that have played at the University of Miami, that if we retired all their jerseys, we would not have enough numbers left to outfit a team, and would have to issue players triple digit jerseys."

Nonetheless, the first four inductees have had their jerseys retired. Their names were unveiled on November 1, 1997, during halftime of the Miami vs. Arkansas State game. Those players are: Jim Dooley, Ted Hendricks, George Mira and Vinny Testaverde.

Other inductees include, Ottis Anderson, Don Bosseler, Bernie Kosar, Burgess Owens, Edgerrin James, Jim Kelly, Cortez Kennedy, Jim Otto Bennie Blades and Gino Torretta.

The Tradition of the Ibis: A Bird of Courage. A Bird of Knowledge. A Bird of Strength And Speed. A leader of its species. Folklore maintains that when a hurricane approaches all birds look to the Ibis for leadership. The Ibis senses the storm and provides other wildlife with warning that it's time to take shelter. It is also the first bird to reappear after a storm. The University adopted the Ibis as its mascot in 1926 as it is said to represent leadership, courage, knowledge, strength and speed characteristics that student-athletes are expected to portray.

Sebastian: The "Ibis" motif had increasingly gain popularity since its inception and in 1957 San Sebastian Hall, a residence hall on campus, sponsored an Ibis entry in the homecoming celebration. The following season, a student named John Stormont dressed up in an Ibis costume and performed at games. Sebastian the Ibis has been on the sidelines ever since.

War Canoe Trophy: Carved and painted by Seminole Indians from felled Everglades cypress tree, the Canes and Florida Gators compete display an authentic Seminole war canoe. The canoe symbolizes strong spirit and fighting determination. The canoe is on display in UM's Sports Hall of Fame on campus.

Alma Mater: The Miami Alma Mater is as follows:

Southern suns and sky blue water,
Smile upon you Alma mater;
Mistress of this fruitful land,
With all knowledge at your hand,
Always just to honor true,
All our love we pledge to you.
Alma Mater, stand forever
On Biscayne's wondrous shore.

Cheerleading: Since its founding in 1925, Miami has had a long tradition of cheerleading. There are two cheerleading programs at Miami. The first is a coed team with 15 members, and then a female only team which is also 15 members. The teams cheer at football games and men's and women's basketball games as well as travel to some away football games and post-season play.

The University also sponsors a dance team, known as the Sunsations, which were founded in 1985. The team consists of 15 women who perform pom and stylized dances at home football games, and at men's and women's basketball games.

Both groups, Cheerleaders and Sunsations, are treated as athletes and have access to tutors, trainers and medical staff and some members even also receive a small book stipend.

​

Historical Data

University of Miami Hurricanes (Coral Gables, FL) Founded in 1925

Football 1st Season: 1926
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Stadium: Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla)
Constructed: 1987 (Formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium, among other names)
Seating Capacity: 75,540
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (since 2004)
Colors: Orange and Green
Mascot: Hurricanes (Sebastian the Ibis)
College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)
Conference Championships: No ACC Titles, 9 Big East Titles; 1991, 1992, 1994, *1995, *1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, *2003 (*=Co-Champions)
Consensus All-Americans: 35
College Hall-of-Famers: 8: 3 coaches: Jack Harding, Andy Gustafson, Don James; 5 players: Ted Hendricks, Don Bosseler, Bennie Blades, Gino Torretta, Arnold Tucker
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 4: Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin
Award Winners: 2 Heisman, 3 Maxwell, 2 Walter Camp POY, 2 Bednarik, 2 Nagurski, 1 Rimington, 2 Davey O'Brien, 1 Butkus, 1 Thorpe, 1 Mackey, 2 Unitas Goldem Arm, 2 Outland, 1 Rotary Lombardi
National Championships: 5; 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: 30 each
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Records

All Time: 560-321-19 (.632)
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Bowl Games: 18-16-0 (.529) Most recently a 33-17 loss to Notre Dame in the 2010 Sun Bowl
All Time vs the Big Ten: 31-22-0 (.585) versus teams currently in the B1G
All Time vs the Ohio State Buckeyes: 1-2 (.333) Most memorably a 31-24 loss to the Buckeyes in 2003 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona (National Championship Game); most recently a 24-36 loss in the 'Shoe in 2010
Coach's Record: Al Golden, first year, 0-1 (.000), all-time 27-35 (.435)

2011 Season (0-1)
Sep 05 - L at Maryland, 24-36
Sep 17 - vs Ohio State 7:30 ET
Sep 24 - Kansas State, TBA
Oct 01 - Bethune-Cookman, TBA
Oct 08 - at Virginia Tech, TBA
Oct 15 - at North Carolina, TBA
Oct 22 - Georgia Tech, TBA
Oct 27 - Virginia, 8 ET
Nov 05 - Duke, TBA
Nov 12 - at Florida State, TBA
Nov 19 - at South Florida, TBA
Nov 25 - Boston College, 3:30 ET

2010 Results: 7-6 (.538)
Sep 02 - W vs Florida A&M, 45-0
Sep 11 - L at Ohio State, 24-36
Sep 23 - W at Pittsburgh, 31-3
Oct 02 - W at Clemson, 30-21
Oct 09 - L vs Florida State, 17-45
Oct 16 - W at Duke, 28-13
Oct 23 - W vs North Carolina, 33-10
Oct 30 - L at Virginia, 19-24
Nov 06 - W vs Maryland, 26-20
Nov 13 - W at Georgia Tech, 35-10
Nov 20 - L vs Virginia Tech, 17-31
Nov 27 - L vs South Florida, 20-23
Dec 31 - L vs Notre Dame, 17-33 (Sun Bowl)
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Links

Official Sites:
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Official School Site - The University of Miami
Official Alumni Site - The University of Miami - Alumni
Student Newspaper - The Miami Hurricane
Official Athletic Site - Hurricane Sports
Official Conference Site - The Atlantic Coast Conference
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Message Boards & Team Pages:
Message Boards - CanesTime (Scout)
Message Boards - CaneSports(Rivals)
Message Boards - Inside The U (Independent)
Blog - AllCanes
Blog - The 7th Floor Blog
Blog - The Miami Hurricanes Blog
Blog - Eye on the U
Blog - FoxSport's Cane's Blog
Team Page - NCAA
Team Page - ESPN
Team Page - USA Today
Team Page - Fox Sports
Team Page - Sporting News
Team Page - CBS Sportsline
Team Page - CNN/SI
Team Page - Yahoo Sports/Rivals
Team Page - Covers

Local News Sources:
Miami Herald - Local News
Sun Sentinel - Local News
New Times - Local News
WFOR - Local News
WSVN - Local News
WTVJ - Local News

Team Previews and Breakdowns:
2011 Preview - Hurricane Sports
2011 Schedule/Results - Hurricane Sports
2011 Spring Roster - Hurricane Sports
2010 Game Notes - Hurricane Sports
2011 Media Guide - Hurricane Sports
2010 Overall Stats - Hurricane Sports
2011 Conference Stats - ACC
2011 ACC Media Guide - ACC
News Releases - Hurricane Sports
2011 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - NationalChamps.net
2011 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - The Inquisitr
2011 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - Fox Sports
2011 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - RayCom

ACC Conference Previews and Breakdowns:
2011 Composite Schedule - ACC
2011 ACC News - ACC
2011 ACC Bowl Partners - ACC
2011 ACC Predictions - BleacherReport
2011 ACC Preview - National Football Post
2011 ACC Preview - USAToday
2011 ACC Preview - Off The Bag
2011 ACC Predictions and Preview - Don Best
2011 ACC Preview - College Football Poll
2011 ACC Preview - Opposing Views
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Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data
Hickok Sports - Data

Link to 2011 Miami Hurricanes Game Preview​

 

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