2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 6 (at FSU 10/10)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview

Week 6

At FSU (October 10^th)

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Florida State Seminoles whom The U visits up at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on October 10th.

About FSU, They won the ACC title again, going 13-1, and getting thrashed by Oregon in Pasadena in the 1^st College Football Playoff.  Jimbo Fisher comes into season 5 in Florida’s capital city. You know what you’re getting from the Noles. There are some question marks this year. We all know the deal with the off the field issues that are well-documented.

Let’s talk about the Seminoles, on the field.

First, the offense. They were one of the schools that Braxton Miller was considering before ultimately deciding to stay in Columbus. They did add a “high profile transfer” in Everett Golson.  While in South Bend, with Notre Dame, he was a highly productive player for three seasons, however, Seminole fans should cringe at this fact: He turned the ball over 22 times last year. However, Golson has big game experience and when you consider that he is one of only two active FBS quarterbacks to have started a national championship game and that Sean Maguire and J.J. Consentino don’t have much experience and Maguire being very inconsistent, this is Golson’s job to lose here. Year 1 in the Post-Jameis era should be very interesting to watch.

The running game is led by Sophomore Dalvin Cook. However, he is one of their players that is facing potential discipline for “off-field issues”, but even if he does end up suspended or worse,  this is still a top-level unit to be reckoned with.  Should they lose Cook, it would be a HUGE loss for them. You don’t easily replace a guy who rushed for 1,000+ yards in 2014.  Should it be necessary to do so, Mario Pender is going to have to step up and carry the load left behind by a potential Cook suspension, and also possibly getting more work would be true freshman Jacques Patrick, a five-star recruit out of Orlando.  Pender rushed for roughly 200 yards and four touchdowns as their third running back in 2014.

As for the receiving corps, it won’t be easy to replace guys like Rashad Greene (drafted in 5^th round as the 3^rd pick to Jacksonville) and Nick O’Leary (drafted in 6^th round as the 18^th pick to Buffalo), however, when you look at FSU, they have the talent to reload.  Returning to Tallahassee in 2015, are Jesus Wilson and Travis Rudolph, both of whom had 500 yards receiving in 2014, and Ermon Lane, whom the coaches there are very high on, and as a Freshman, he showed flashes of why he was one of the top receivers in the country coming out of high school snaring 13 passes for 267 yards.  Another WR who could have more chances to get passes his way this year is Kermit Whitfield is Whitfield caught 11 passes for 145 yards in 2014.

As much talent as they have at the skill positions, there will be a new Offensive Line in 2015. If there’s a ? with the O, its here. Gone are two All-Americans.  The only one back with experience is LT Roderick Johnson, whose being asked to step up and be the leader of the offensive line. He only has five career starts.  The only other lineman that has started a game is Ryan Hoefield, who has four career starts at left guard, but he’s not listed as a starter right now. Look for him though to end up being the Center. Make no mistake, the talent is there, if they can step up and produce a solid season, then they’ll be ok.

Now, let’s move over to the other side of the ball on Defense.  

Their back seven is very very good, especially the Linebackers. They have back Reggie Northrup, Terrance Smith and DeMarcus Walker, as well as their top reserve in Matthew Thomas.  In 2014, Northrup led the team with 91.5 tackles.  Smith was their best LB in coverage, picking off two passes, breaking up a pass, and forcing a fumble.  As for DeMarcus Walker, he led their LB’ers in tackles for loss with six.

They will have to play a bigger role this year because the D-Line will have some new faces this year. Gone are  Mario Edwards, Jr. (drafted in the 2^nd round by the Oakland Raiders), Eddie Goldman (drafted in the 2^nd round by the Chicago Bears and the pick was endorsed by Dick Butkus) and Desmond Hollin (signed as UFA by the Denver Broncos). Combined, those three players had 23 tackles for loss and seven sacks.  Its going to be up to Chris Casher to step up and be their top pass rusher in 2015.  Derrick² (Nnadi and Mitchell, Jr.) need to be the guys on the interior that step up, and really make a difference vs the run and be effective pass rushers next to Nile Lawrence-Stample, their DT.

As for their Secondary, the best player there is Jalen Ramsey, who will likely, barring injury and doesn’t get in trouble off the field, will be a Top 5 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.  This guy is the real deal.  In 2014, he had 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, twelve pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.  Ramsey by himself, changes a gameplan for opposing Head Coaches and Offensive coordinators. However, Ramsey isn’t the only game in town. He will have with him coming back, Safeties Nate Andrews and Tyler Hunter.  Andrews, last year, was second on their team with 79.5 tackles and also picked off three passes.  As for Hunter, he had an interception, but where he did his damage was breaking up 7 passes. Also back for them is Sophomore Tyler Marshall.

As for their special teams, they don’t get any better than Junior Roberto Aguayo, who, unlike FSU kickers of the past, has been money when it matters most, and punter Carson Beatty. While their coverage units are excellent, the kickoff return team must be better, when you consider the fact they averaged just 20 yards per return in 2014.

What to expect from FSU

Looking at them on tape, you know what to expect from them. They are explosive Offensively, and ball-hawks on the defensive end, especially Ramsey.  They will hit big plays, and if Golson can limit the turnovers and come up big like he has in his career, this will be like if Jameis weren’t even there. If their D up front steps up early to replace the losses they suffered there, you know their back seven is very good, and if they stay healthy, they have another 10-11 win team there again in 2015.

The video you see below is highlights of Everett Golson from last year. 

This video is FSU from last season

This video is of last year's heartbreaker at Sun Life

Well, this is the ACC opener for The U. They’ve lost 5 straight times on (4 on Al’s watch). This will be a game that comes down to the end, whoever executes when it matters most will win. Being that this game is in Tallahassee, I want to believe this is finally the game where Al gets his signature win, but I just believe in the end, FSU will make enough plays late, to get the win over The U.

FSU by 3-7 points here over the CANES. 

Recruiting News 1/22/15

Another indictment on Al and the defensive staff from H.S. coaches in South Florida. This comes from Ryan Barlow on Joe Rose's show yesterday.

Bartow's Comments on Al and the state of CANES recruiting in South Florida to Joe Rose 1/21/15

That's not a good sign, especially with FSU doing very well down here and now UF, with Randy on their staff, they will do very well in the coming years.

If we don't get our act together soon, the 2016 class is in serious jeopardy.

Mario is getting who he wants to Bama, Strong is getting some recruits to Texas. Brewster is getting kids to FSU. Richt is getting kids to UGa. We didn't offer any of the kids that are going to UGa. That's a HUGE problem.

Bartow says that facilities are important and winning and being on TV. Urban winning a title in Columbus, they'll be coming here more and they already have Bosa coming in the '16 class.

Hearing Bartow's comments yesterday on Joe Rose's show, those in the Hecht Center think they can ride this out and it will go away. I have news for them, it won't. This is going to be something a New President at UM will have to tackle early on in his/her presidency, and that's addressing the football program and determining Blake's and Al's future. Right now, we are taking a huge beating and if we don't finish strong, the calls for Al's ouster will only get louder and louder if they aren't that already.

Its not looking good inside the Hecht football offices right now.

However, from StateoftheU.com back on Monday and my takes:

• Booker T. Washington CB Davante Davis visited campus, but in all likelihood will end up elsewhere. He's currently committed to Texas, but like Tim Irvin before him, Davis may be considering a flip to Auburn. I want to add that he will visit Gainesville tomorrow for his OV. However, I think he'll stay with his commitment to Texas here.
• A late riser on the recruiting trail, DT Kevin Scott (Los Angeles, CA) was visited by Al Golden on the first day of the contact period, was given a scholarship offer, and scheduled an official visit to Miami for next weekend. The 6'5" 280lb Scott is being hotly pursued by several teams. Like most kids from LA, USC is thought to be the leader. A strong visit to Coral Gables may change that. We'll have to see when he comes to campus tomorrow for the OV. Considering that we need DTs in this class, getting Scott is critical.
• WR commit Lawrence Cager visited Alabama this weekend and enjoyed it, but left still committed to Miami. Cager will be coming to Coral Gables for a visit tomorrow. With Gosier now decommitted, keeping Cager in this class is a MUST.
• There's talk that WR commit Terrell Chatman may be close to flipping from Miami. He's my personal favorite WR in this class, so I hope that those rumors are unsubstantiated. Chatman is scheduled to visit Coral Gables on January 30th.  This kid is committed to us, and will visit us for the last visit. He's in Tempe for his OV to Arizona State tomorrow. He visited TCU last week.
• After the decommitment of Dwayne Lawson, Miami has been looking for a QB in this class. And, after doing some searching, may have found one. Coming for a visit next weekend will be Evan Sherriffs (Jefferson, GA), a 6'6" 195lb player with great height and good developmental skills. As I said previously "don't be surprised if a lower ranked/unknown player from outside FL is the take for this class." Should Sherriffs, whose only current offers are Columbia and Virginia Military Institute, earn an offer and commit, that would most definitely be the case. But, before you go all doom and gloom, watch Sherriffs' highlights. You'll see some things you'll like. I suspect this kid will commit to us possibly as soon as his visit ends tomorrow.
• WR target Daylon Charlot (Patterson, LA) visited Alabama. Widely considered a heavy lean to the Tide, Charlot left uncommitted. He did, however, drop this cryptic tweet during his visit: "Seems like everything is coming together" Take it for what its worth, however, in the end, I believe Bama will end up getting him. That's really an LSU-Bama battle there.
• Former RB commit Dexter Williams visited Notre Dame and greatly enjoyed his visit ($). Williams says he is still high on both Louisville and Miami, in addition to Notre Dame. If he wants to play with friend Jalen Julius, the pick will be Louisville. If he wants to be close to home, the pick will be Miami. If he wants to go with the late charging school, the pick will be Notre Dame. In short, I have no idea which way Williams is going as of this moment. But, with a renewed sense that Jordan Scarlett will be in this class, Miami's pursuit of Williams isn't as important as it was a few days ago. With Scarlett now firmly in the fold, My gut tells me that in the end, it'll be Louisville that wins this battle holding off Notre Dame.
• DE Arden Key is on campus for his OV today. He is scheduled to make an announcement on February 2nd. But, in my mind, his recruitment will go until NSD. He visited us on Monday and is schedule to visit South Carolina tomorrow and Auburn next Friday for his final visit. That's really a UGa vs South Carolina battle there. In the end, my gut tells me that Key will end up with the Bulldogs.
• Targets LB John Houston and DT Rasheem Green, both 5-star players and teammates from Junipero Serra HS in Gardena, CA, visited Southern Cal this weekend. Each player brought multiple family members with them (Houston was said to have brought his grandparents along for the visit) and were on campus with 9 USC commits. I think that Houston is 100% USC, while Green is still in play for Miami. With Houston, SC is the favorite to get him and he has no other visits scheduled. I agree with StateoftheU on this, Houston likely ends up at SC. As for Green, that's a three-team race between us, SC, and Arizona State, whom he visits tomorrow for his last OV. In the end though, I think Green stays on the West Coast and ends up at SC.
• DL target Austrian Robinson enjoyed his visit and moved the Canes up his leader board. Even with that positive move, Maryland still leads. In the end, I see Robinson signing with the Terrapins come National Signing day. Robinson visited us last week, and is in Oxford for his OV to Ole Miss tomorrow and in Columbus next Friday for his final OV before NSD. I'm going to disagree and I believe Urban is going to make that late push in the end and land this kid.  
• DE target Russel Ude isn't likely to end up in this class. He's committed to Cal and will visit the Golden Bears next weekend. That visit should effectively end his recruitment. I'm going to disagree here. This might be a candidate for a flip here. He visits us tomorrow and visited Oregon last weekend. If we make a strong impression tomorrow on this end, we might be able to flip him to us.

I didn't add Richard MacIntosh from Cardinal Gibbons because he's committed to us firmly and he visits us tomorrow.

Recruiting news 1/21/15

There are 13 days left for recruiting before NSD on February 4th. I came across something this morning from SFBayCane on Canestime about a kid named Adrienne Talon LB from Flanagan. 

According to him, we decided to pass on this kid without hesitation. This guy now has an offer from TCU, whom he visited on January 16th, and will visit Temple next weekend for the final visit before NSD. 

Once again, it seems to me that Al and D have no clue about recruiting in South Florida. They both have the Penn State mentality under Paterno. 

The question he's asking and I'm sure many of us are as well is: "Why then does he prefer larger, slower linebackers??" 

We know the D has failed and failed miserably on Al's watch. 

Visits this week are: 

• Lawrence Cager WR Towson (MD) Calvert Hall College - Committed to us on 1/3 at the Army Game. The other serious contender for him is Bama. Prediction: CANE
• Shelton Johnson DE Delray Atlantic - Besides us, there are two other serious contenders in the mix here in FSU (which is the favorite to get him, and whom he visits next weekend for the final visit before NSD), Michigan (whom he visited last week), and Virginia Tech (out of the running). Prediction: FSU
• Michael Jackson CB Birmingham (AL) Spain Park - Committed to us back in October. Clemson is a long shot to possibly flip him, but I don't see that happening. Prediction: Sticks with CANE commitment
• Kevin Scott DT Los Angeles (CA) Bishop Mora Salesian - Besides us, the other four contenders for him are Purdue (visited them last week), San Diego State, USC (the odds on favorite to land him), and Ole Miss (who gets the last visit before NSD). Prediction: Scott stays out West to go to SC.  

For the visits, especially with Johnson and Scott, we need to make an impression on both, but especially Scott, if we don't land Rasheem Green from California on the DL. 

Take on the future of CANES Football

A very good take from themirabeau on Canestime on the future of CANES football and the search for new president.

Here's his take in entirety and then my thoughts:
I know that our NEW President will have his hands full with learning the lay of the land and other important University issues. But a decision on the direction of our football team must among them soon or it will become increasing more difficult for Miami football. Few other problems he (she) will face may have the long term impact of finally solving that problem.

Hopefully, the new President will be a confident outsider with strong academic and sports roots.  You CAN have both. Stanford and Duke are prime examples. If not, and we select a "dandy" who doesn't see the positive impact and value of sports, and how we can take advantage of our sports roots, then we can write this program off.

Its hard to assess the psychology of any group, especially a group as large as the BOT's. BUT it seems to me that ever since a strong personality like JJ was able to succeed here without /despite lack of BOT, Admin support, Foote felt upstaged and resented it.

That fear and resentment seems to have found its way down to Shalala. Shalala has the program exactly where she wants it. If not, she would have insisted on changes like she has done elsewhere within the University.

Whatever we do must be done quickly. Not only do we have FSU and the SEC cherry picking S. Florida athletes,  PAC 12 and the Big 10 now with the addition of Harbaugh will be making much stronger inroads. That will be hard to reverse. It will become impossible to reverse if we continue being mediocre in football.

Now the way I see it is that I agree with many of his points here.

I'm told by my contact in the BOT that the leading candidate to be the next UM president is James Starvidis, the current dean of the Fletcher Law School at Tufts university in Mass. He's a native of West Palm Beach, he's 59, and was a Navy Admiral who headed Southern Command in Miami before becoming Supreme Allied Commander for NATO in Europe.

This is the kind of guy that's no-nonsense and you could tell, this guy knows what it takes to turn something around and quick.

Here's something he said back in November to the Miami Hurricane student newspaper that I found real interesting.

On Donna:
"On President Shalala, her advice was absolutely pivotal to me entering academe after a long career in the Navy.  She encouraged me by pointing out how higher education is a way to continue a life of service, by extolling the joy of being around wonderful students and brilliant faculty, and clarifying a sense that what I had learned in the military – leadership, execution of complex strategies, advocacy and the challenge of leading big organizations – would translate to the academic world.  She also recommended me for my current position as Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts, and has helped me with advice about listening, building consensus, and strategic planning as I have taken up duties there.  I owe her a great deal, and will always be grateful."

"President Shalala has been a high visibility national-level leader for U of M, and her loss will be felt strongly in many dimensions – particularly her deep knowledge of the University after over a decade in office.  She brings broad experience in leading complex organizations, a deep love of higher education, and a brilliant mind to any challenge – very hard attributes to replace."

On his possible interest in being next UM President:
"In terms of the university’s next president, I know there will be a vibrant search that will surface a superb array of candidates.  Whoever comes next to the U will be a lucky university president indeed."

Now, the way I read into that is Richard Fain (head of Royal Caribbean) is leading that search right now. There are many great candidates as Stavridis said, but according to my BOT contact, he's the leader right now to succeed Donna as the next boss at UM.

If it is Stavridis that takes over, one of the first things he'll do from what I'm told, is do a top to bottom review of the entire university. However, when I asked about the Athletics department and football specifically, I was told nothing will be done on that until the 2nd half of the year (i.e., evaluation of Blake and Al).

That's a dangerous sign if that comes to pass in reference to waiting until 2nd half of the year, because you're looking at the 2015 season already being a lost season, you put the danger of losing the 2016 class in play. If I'm Stavridis, and I get this job, one of the first things I'm doing is fixing the football program very quickly and getting it back to national prominence fast and to do that, one of the first things I'm doing is cleaning house in the Football offices in the Hecht Center and also showing Blake the door. You have to factor in Adidas wanting us to be their version of Oregon. Adidas is not going to want to see a mediocre product on the field. Another reason why next year, Al MUST get to Charlotte and win 10 games minimum to survive.

If we get off to a slow start next year (i.e. 1-3 or 1-4), it would not surprise me for Al to get the boot and not finish the season, with a new president (Stavridis?) in charge and Adidas wanting results on the field. They will not stand for mediocrity and neither will the fans, which is already wanting Al's head as well as Blake's and you can hear it at the BUC with the Fire Al chants.

CANES football is at a crossroads right now. What direction will it go in? That will be the big question going forward.

CANES vs FSU preview

Part 10 of the 12 part 2014 Miami Hurricane Opponent Video Series - FSU 11/15

2014 Florida State Football Preview

In Part 10 of the 2014 12 part opponent video series, I’m going to talk a little about the defending National Champion Florida State Seminoles, our opponent on Nov 15^th at Sun Life Stadium   

Lets first look at their Talent:

Where do you begin? I’ll make no bones about it. The Seminoles are very good. They are reloading again. The talent is there to win it again. The only thing that they have to guard against is being satisified and complacent. They lost a lot to graduation/early entry into the NFL Draft. They could lose guys like Lamarcus Joyner, Devonta Freeman, Timmy Jernigan and Kelvin Benjamin and still reload with top level talent. This is Jameis Winston’s team and they’ll be dangerous again.

Next, I want to talk about the Coaching:

You know that Jimbo Fisher will make sure the Noles realize that they are now the hunted, and they will get their opponents best effort (See Auburn in the BCS title game). The guy is one hellva a recruiter and another top class this year proved that.

Now, to their 2014 Schedule:

These guys won it all last year, and let me predict their schedule for 2014:

In their opener, 8/30 vs. Oklahoma State (neutral – Jerry’s House in Arlington, TX): W 34-10

It’ll be a game for about a half, but in the 2^nd half, look for FSU to show why many people have them winning it all again. The D makes big plays, the O will make big plays in this one. Noles win going away here.

In Week 2, 9/6 vs. The Citadel: 77-0

No contest. You can name the score on this one. They’ll be looking ahead to the big one with Clemson by halftime. Jameis plays just a half in this one and the 2^nd and 3^rd units will play the rest of this one.

In week 3 they have a BYE
 
In week 4, 9/20 vs. Clemson: 30-17

Off the BYE week, Clemson comes to Tallahassee, and while Clemson will be out to avenge the beatdown last year in their own house, look for Jameis and Co., to get it going and neutralize Beasley and the rest of the Clemson D come midway through the 3^rd, and the Noles win going away, the Tigers will score late to make it more respectable, but the Noles will have this one in hand.

In week 5, 9/27 at North Carolina State: 59-10

Uh oh, Mr Brissett, you only get to fact an old rival. You can bet Jimbo will remind his team about the last visit to Raleigh, which ended in an upset loss. That will not happen here. Another big game from Winston and Co here. FSU wins easily here.  

In Week 6 , 10/4 vs. Wake Forest: 70-3

Guess what Wake Forest, you get to be the sacrificial lamb for the FSU machine. Look for the starters to be out by halftime and the 2^nd and 3^rd units playing the 2^nd half.

In Week 7, 10/11 at Syracuse: 42-17

It’ll be a fight here, for maybe a 1 ½ quarters, but by halftime, this one will be well in hand, and the Noles will be looking to the showdown with the Irish.

In Week 8, 10/18 vs. Notre Dame: 48-14

On paper, this is a marquee matchup. However, given the troubles in South Bend, and the game being in Tallahassee, the Noles will have their way with the Irish here.

In Week 9, they have a BYE

In Week 10, 10/30 at Louisville: 41-21

The Cardinals will be jacked up to play this one on a Thursday Night at home. This will be close for a half, but in the 2^nd half, look for a Noles to start getting it together and pull away from Louisville and win comfortably. 

In Week 11, 11/8 vs. Virginia: 45-3

My god, if it hasn’t gotten any worse for the Cavs, they get to face the monster that is FSU. Mike London’s seat is blistering at this point, and it only gets hotter after this one. Noles BIG in this one.

In Week 12, 11/15 at Miami (FL): 38-28

The CANES gave FSU a game last year for a half, in the end, just too much talent and depth for UM to overcome.  This rivalry is getting close to what it used to be, however Miami still has a little ways to go, but not too much though. Jameis makes enough plays for the Noles to escape Miami Gardens with the victory.

In Week 13, 11/22 vs. Boston College: 49-7
 
BC gave the Noles all it could handle up in Chestnut Hill last year. This year, this game being in Tallahassee, you can be sure, Jimbo will not allow a repeat of what BC did to that Defense last year. Noles BIG in this one.

In the season finale, 11/29 vs. Florida: 34-21

This is a rivalry game, so you never know. You can be sure of this, Florida will come ready to play this one, especially A) after the stinker of a season they had last year, and B) they’ll be healthy, much more so than last year. Jameis had better be ready to take on a very aggressive UF defense. This game will be close for 3 quarters, but come the 4^th quarter, Jameis and Co will make the plays needed to be made to win this one. What I do know is that the Gators better throw out every offensive play they had in 2013, because it was god awful. But you can expect the Florida defense to show up for this one. Winston struggled a bit last year in this matchup, he’ll be better prepared during his second go around.

My prediction on the Game vs. CANES:
We gave them a game for a half, and we had the ball to start the 3^rd quarter. In the end, FSU had too much depth and firepower for us to overcome in that one up there. We’ll be ready to play this game, and we’ll be close for a while, but in the 4^th quarter, as painful as it is for me to say, I think Jameis will make plays for them and they’ll leave our place with a victory. I think we’ll give them the toughest game they play all year.

In Part 11 of the 2014 series, I will talk about the Virginia Cavaliers, our opponent on November 22^nd at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA in the regular season road finale.

National Signing Day schedule Updates

Wednesday, Feb. 5 (National Signing Day)

Morning

J.C. Jackson has committed to Florida this morning.


Damian Prince has announced on ESPNU that he has committed to Maryland. 

Travonte Valentine has committed to LSU. 

Struck out on both JC and Valentine. Losing Valentine was HUGE because it was in a need position too: DT. In the end, we just couldn't overcome the rumors of Al threatening to leave for Penn State and him having the meetings the same Saturday as the Army caused Valentine to decommit that day. It wasn't enough in the end and Valentine is off to Baton Rouge as a result. 

Afternoon 

Myles Autry committed on ESPNU to Georgia Tech. 

Latest recruiting news 1/23/14

Here's the latest recruiting news from The U:

An article from Bleacher Report, per Peter Ariz of CanesInsight.com on our chances to land top recruits still on our radar.

1. Travonte Valentine - DT Hialeah Champagnat - We're sending the heavy hitters on Defense here (D, Franklin, Williams, and Hurlie). Tomorrow will be an important day because that's when Valentine will be in Baton Rouge on an OV. If he comes back to Miami without saying he's going to LSU, our chances go up on NSD to land him. This, for The U, is the #1 priority to land this kid. Not landing this kid means this class is mediocre at best. Landing this kid, makes this class great. Valentine is a MUST GET here. Chances of getting him: 55%. 
2. Gavin Bryant - LB Jackson (AL) - A Tennessee commit here. We're going to get him to listen as Al and Company will pursue him, but at the end of the day, look for him to remain at Tennessee. Chances of him: Just about 0%. 
3. J.C. Jackson - ATH Immokalee - Right now, we are in the lead for him. However, look for this to be settled on NSD. Jackson's dad, Chris, told Luke Stampini, that the Gators and Muschamp made a visit. Something very interesting, FSU hasn't made a move yet, according to Mr. Jackson. He already visited us back on Dec 13, and was in Gainesville last week on an OV. Chances of landing him: 40%
4. Treon Harris - ATH BTW - As I said last week, Auburn is a player here as well as UF. Harris' Brother (Brandon - Former CANE), said to Safid Deen last week in the Herald that he's "open to listening to [the 'Canes], but they’re trying to make up a lot of ground in a short time." . Though he's currently committed to FSU, Auburn, I believe is going to make a very strong play for him, as I was told on by a source very close to BTW and Ice. Don't be shocked if he ends up at Auburn in the end. Chances of getting him: 15%
5. Brayden Lenius - WR West Hills (CA) Chaminade - He's visited Washington State already, and will visit the Twin Cities tomorrow for an OV there at Minnesota. We get the last shot with a visit from him next weekend. This is a teammate of Brad Kaaya, who has committed to us for a while now. This looks like a package deal here. If we get Kaaya, as expected, then Lenius will come here as well. Chance of getting him: 90%

Here's the link to the article from Bleacher Report. 

Al Golden going to Happy Valley after all?

Well according to NBC Philadelphia (Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia) last night, they're reporting that Al Golden is back in play for the Penn State job. 

Here's my take on the AllCanes.com blog post about this today. 

Its true that each time another job from a power 6 conference comes up, Al has turned them down. However, that's not the case with Penn State, his alma mater, and a school where he was a star TE back from 1987-1991 and a team captain. 

As I said a few days ago, when this first came up, Golden's name was near the top of the list, and at that point, no one in the Hecht was talking, they went into bunker mode over there. Freet, Yandle, James weren't talking because they were in Al's inner circle. 

The statement on Sunday saying that he was staying. I've had a few days to read it, and I believe it was a forced statement by those in the Ashe Building (I suspect that order came from Donna herself), that Al was forced to give just to wield off the media and the fanbase for a little while, maybe to give PSU more time to do their due diligence, before coming back to Al to offer him the job and maybe accept. 

As for the interview with Rose on Monday, Al went on Shutdown mode. He was not going to talk about the Penn State job and then went to defend D'Onofrio and saying in his final presser later that day that there would be no changes. Simple fact, he wants to prove people wrong and do this his way. 

Now, In regards to this comment that Bello and/or The Beast posted on AllCanes, "Regarding this currently-rocky relationship between Miami and Golden—a couple somewhat on the outs—things can always take a turn for the better, barring there’s growth, change, unity and an ability to both forgive and forget."  I'll tell you this now, that paragraph tells me that if there's no trip to Charlotte next year, then, Blake is going to put his foot down on this and either force Al to make changes on the staff, or can him totally if he refuses to make any changes after next year. Golden wants to do it his way. OK, fine, but, I'm sure Blake and the higher-ups in the Ashe Building will give him this edict, if he stays, "get to Charlotte next year, or you're gone. We appreciate you staying through the dark days of the NCAA, but now that's that gone, the clock is ticking." With our biggest rival up North in Tallahassee having the Crystal Football, the pressure to get back to a Major Bowl/CFB Playoff went up 1000 fold. That clock is ticking even faster now. If we're not in Charlotte next year, it's not going to end well inside the Hecht. 

As I said a while ago, the CANES are at a crossroads and so is Al here, read Hyde's piece in Sun-Sentinel and you'll see how big this decision is for Golden going forward. What will Al do? What identity will we have on D especially? Hopefully, those questions get answered in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. 

Report Card @ Duke

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, yesterday's performance up in Durham proved me wrong. This is definitely the low point of the Golden era to date. I will dare say, yesterday's performance, to me, rivals that of the 48-0 OB finale in 2007 vs Virginia (by the way, our opponent this week in the Home finale at Noon on ESPNU). Like last week, we score first on Matty's FG, then we stop Duke on the next drive and force a punt, and after Stacy takes a punt back to the house to make it 10-0, we had a real chance to bust this game wide open on Stacy's PR, however, give Duke credit, they responded with the first of 4 Brandon Connette Rushing TD to make it 10-7.

Next drive, Stephen drives us down the field and we finish with 7 on that drive on the TD pass to Herbie. Its 17-7 at that point and I thought to myself, ok, now we're going to blow this sucker wide open. 

However, the mistakes started to come in the 2nd quarter. The pick by Stephen on the tipped ball that was intended for Herbie there, started to turn the game in their favor because 6 plays later, they make us pay for that mistake with the Powell TD, and instead of possibly 24-7 us, its 17-14 us (14 point swing, and mo was on their side at that point). We did stem the tide a bit with Matty's second FG of the day to make it 20-14. Next drive, Duke would get the lead, 21-20, on a 10 play drive, in which they converted on three 3rd downs, all of them short yardage situations, capping with Connette's 2nd of 4 TDs on the day rushing. You can tell that that TD that gave Duke the lead really took the wind out of our sails there because they got the ball first to start the 2nd half and the D really started to fall apart from there. 

Yesterday, like the three weeks, was a very poor excuse of a defense. What I saw again from Mark D'Onofrio's scheme was utterly embarrassing and completely inexcusable. 543 yards allowed (291 yards allowed in the 2nd half, same as last week vs VT. Boone goes 20-27 in the 2nd half for 183 yards, same amount of yards Thomas had against us last week) Of those 543 yards allowed, 358 of those were on the ground and 185 by both Boone and Connette combined passing. We didn't win the TO battle again yesterday (-1) and when you don't win the Turnover Battle, you're not going to win many games. However, yesterday was no excuse not to beat a team you should beat in your sleep 9 out of 10 times. This loss is squarely on the Defense. Duke started their drives from their own 31 on Average, and we started our drives from our own 18 on average. Not going to win many games that way when you have poor field position to start with. 

We had no Three and Outs, which is good, however, we had three 4 and outs, and the fourth was one where we went for it and lost the ball on downs. We did force Duke to have three 3 and outs. The Time of Possession wasn't that big a deal in this game, however, what really showed the ineptness of our defense under D'Onofrio was the fact that in spite of not allowing Duke to convert on 3rd down in the 2nd half (0-6), they were 5-13 overall, on 4th down, we couldn't stop them in those two big spots. On the other hand in those same situations, we were 5-15 in those spots and just 1-7 in the 2nd half. 

I'm going to give the report card and its going again be very simple. 

Offense: C+

Defense: F

Special Teams: C

I don't know where we are right now, but once again, we've gagged away a shot to go to Charlotte to face FSU. Make no mistake, and if you believe Joe Zagaski this morning when he said that Golden will make major changes in the off-season, I tend to believe it. Heads are going to roll from this fiasco in Durham yesterday, that's for damn sure. If we have some pride left, I'd better see it vs UVa on Saturday in the home finale. That team has beaten us three straight years and we need to get back on track very quickly up at home on Saturday at Noon on ESPNU.

Tip of the cap to David Cutcliffe. What an amazing job he's done to turn that program around in Durham. If they get to Charlotte, FSU will have all it could handle from them. Yes, FSU will still win that game, but if they think they're going to steamroll the Blue Devils in Charlotte, they have another thing coming. That's all for this week. 

Report Card @FSU

Going into last night's game, we were a 21 point underdog. Most of the experts predicted an FSU blowout and that's eventually what happened. I thought we had a pretty good chance to win up there, but tip your hat to FSU, they made the adjustments and we didn't, and in the 2nd half, they took over and we had no answers for it. We did get banged up, with the biggest one being Duke with a severe ankle injury and according to his mom, is done for the year, which is a very tough blow. Which means, guys like Dallas Crawford, Eduardo Clements, and Freshman Gus Edwards are going to have to step up and carry the load going forward. Going in, here were my keys to a CANES victory at Doak and the end results from last night:

1. No Turnovers - Absolutely under no circumstances can we turn the ball over because that's asking for big trouble in a hostile environment like we're going to face. FSU is 11th in the country in Turnover Margin at +8 (1.1 per game). Ball security is going to be critical in this game. Stephen Morris cannot have a 4 INT game up there like he did in Chapel Hill and expect to win. That cannot happen. Most of their turnovers they force is via the Pick. (End Result: Even in TO margin, and FSU 10 pts off 2 INTs, not going to beat a great team like FSU when you don't win the TO battle for 4 quarters and we did not last night in the 2nd half). Grade: F
2. Morris has to be at a minimum 65% completion rate - Morris' completion rate this year is 60% (.599). He needs to manage the game properly and on occasion, take shots downfield when they are there. He's going to be facing the best pass defense in the country in FSU, which allows just 153.7 ypg passing on the season. FSU opp pass completion rate is 52%. Their opponents pass efficiency rate is 95.92, which is 5th in the country. He must make very good decisions on Saturday Night. (End Result: 16-28 (57%), 192 yards, 2 TD, 2 INTs, Sacked Twice) - Grade: D
3. Run the football effectively - If there's a weakness in the FSU defense, its vs the Run, which is 29th in the country allowing 135.7 ypg on the season. The magic number, IMO, is 175 yards rushing combined from Duke, Dallas, Clements, et al. I feel if we're close to that or exceed it, I think we have a very good chance to leave Doak a winner. No fumbles at all. I go back to ball security because at times this year, it has been an issue and up there, we cannot have fumbles lost here by the backs in this game. We have to do what BC did on the ground and they were very effective at it too. (End Result: 29 carries, 115 yards combined and like BC, in the 2nd half, we could not run the ball effectively, especially after Duke got hurt) - Grade: D
4. TDs, not FGs - FSU's RZ Defense isn't as good as in years past (this year, they are tied for 33rd with Wisconsin in that department with opponents converting 76.5% of the time. We have to finish drives with TDs, not FGs. We cannot leave any important points on the field in a game like this. (End result: Matty misses a FG, left at least 3 on that first drive and against a great team like the Noles, you cannot leave any points on the field when you have a chance to cash in). - Grade: F 
5. Pressure Winston - Our defense is 11th in the nation in Sacks, averaging 3.14 per game. Its going to be imperative to get to Winston early and we must rattle him early and often because if we give him time to throw, he's going to pick us apart. You can force Winston into mistakes. Make him have to beat our defense throwing. That's a risk because FSU is 11th in the country in Passing offense, averaging 341.4 ypg. They're 3rd in the nation in yards per completion averaging 16.83 ypc. Our Defense is 10th in the country in Pass Efficiency with a 104.77 rate. (End Result: Winston 21-29, 325 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs (both turned into 14 points for us), 6 carries, 27 yards, sacked once. The D was picked apart by Winston of the game but especially in the 2nd half, where Winston was 12-14, 161 yards. When you allow a great player like that to take over a game, our D had no answers in the 2nd half for him). - Grade: D
6. Stop FSU on 3rd Downs - FSU hasn't been in many 3rd down situations this year, in fact, they have the fewest attempts in the country (69), but when they are in these situations, they convert 52% of the time. The last two weeks vs Carolina and Wake, our defense has allowed opponents to convert 13 out of 31 attempts (42%). Its vital, the D makes stops on 3rd downs and gets off the field. We have to make FSU have to convert the long yardage situations on 3rd down. (End Result: Here's where I give FSU credit, on 3rd and long situations, they made the plays. They were overall 11-15 (73%) on 3rd downs. Against a great team like this, you have to get the D off the field in these situations and we could not make the big plays on 3rd down to get the D off the field, after the Deon pick). - Grade: F
7. Field position - This is a battle we have GOT to win. FSU starts their drives on average from their own 31. Their opponents have started their drives from an average of their own 26. We cannot expect our offense to have to go 80+ yards per drive. We have to have short fields to work with. Make FSU have to go 80+ yards per drive and not allow the big play. FSU's PR Defense is next to last in the country with opponents allowing 26 ypr on Punts, while our PR Defense is 101st allowing 11.5 ypr. On KRs, they are 28th allowing 740 yards in Kick Return Yards. We lead the nation in KR yardage averaging almost 30 yards a return (29.62). FSU is 17th averaging 25.13 per return. Our KR Defense is tied with UCLA for 22nd allowing 466 yards in Kick Returns. FSU is 29th in PR yards averaging 11.8 per return, while we're tied with W. Michigan for 62nd averaging 8.1 ypr. We have to play a clean game here and no penalties because in a game like this, field position is going to be crucial. (End Result: This is more of a wash from a field position standpoint. Tip my hat, we made them had to go 80+ yards on a few drives there, and they got the job done. Matty misses a FG, We made FSU just punt only once, and that's not acceptable at all. Patty had one of three punts be a touchback and another inside the 20. We did what we had to do here for the most part, but again, tip your hat to the Noles, they made the most of the poor field position they started with). - Grade: C-

Those were my keys to a CANES win up in Tallahassee, but unfortunately, that did not happen. Way too many mistakes with poor tackling and where FSU really did the damage was in the running game. 4 of their TDs were on the ground, and this was another key coming in, we had to stop the run first, and we did not do that at all. Very poor performance by the D and last night, the D broke. We allowed 192 yards rushing and 4 TDs, and 517 overall. Not going to beat a great team like FSU when you allow that many yards, especially in big spots. 20 points allowed in the 2nd half, not going to get it done. Defense Grade: F

For the O, in the 2nd half, we had six drives. They ended as follows: Punt, Pick, Downs, Pick, Downs, End of Game. Against a great team like FSU is, you have to try and get points whatever way possible. Tip your hat to FSU's D coordinator Pruitt. He made the adjustments in the 2nd half, and Coley didn't. I like Coley, but in the 2nd half last night, Pruitt outcoached Coley badly. Grade: D (only because of the good 1st half).

Bottom line, we need to shake this off, and get ready for VT at home on Saturday. We have to learn from last night and if there was anything we did learn after last night, its that to beat a great team like FSU, you have to be efficient for 4 quarters, not 2 like we were last night. We'll see the Noles again in Charlotte in 5 weeks and we'll have to play a whole lot better, especially in the 2nd half, if we're going to beat a great team like this. We let it get away from us, hopefully, we learn from this loss, and I'm very confident we will and hopefully, the next time we play FSU in Charlotte, the result will be much different and in our favor.

Win or Lose, I will always stand with the []_[]. See you next week and as always, GO CANES! 

Keys to the game @FSU

As you know by now, we are a 21 point underdog on Saturday Night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Game time is 8 p.m. on ABC with College Gameday in Tallahassee. 

Most of the experts predict an FSU blowout on Saturday Night. I think we have a pretty good chance to win up there. Here are my keys to a CANES victory at Doak. 

1. No Turnovers - Absolutely under no circumstances can we turn the ball over because that's asking for big trouble in a hostile environment like we're going to face. FSU is 11th in the country in Turnover Margin at +8 (1.1 per game). Ball security is going to be critical in this game. Stephen Morris cannot have a 4 INT game up there like he did in Chapel Hill and expect to win. That cannot happen. Most of their turnovers they force is via the Pick. 
2. Morris has to be at a minimum 65% completion rate - Morris' completion rate this year is 60% (.599). He needs to manage the game properly and on occasion, take shots downfield when they are there. He's going to be facing the best pass defense in the country in FSU, which allows just 153.7 ypg passing on the season. FSU opp pass completion rate is 52%. Their opponents pass efficiency rate is 95.92, which is 5th in the country. He must make very good decisions on Saturday Night. 
3. Run the football effectively - If there's a weakness in the FSU defense, its vs the Run, which is 29th in the country allowing 135.7 ypg on the season. The magic number, IMO, is 175 yards rushing combined from Duke, Dallas, Clements, et al. I feel if we're close to that or exceed it, I think we have a very good chance to leave Doak a winner. No fumbles at all. I go back to ball security because at times this year, it has been an issue and up there, we cannot have fumbles lost here by the backs in this game. We have to do what BC did on the ground and they were very effective at it too. 
4. TDs, not FGs - FSU's RZ Defense isn't as good as in years past (this year, they are tied for 33rd with Wisconsin in that department with opponents converting 76.5% of the time. We have to finish drives with TDs, not FGs. We cannot leave any important points on the field in a game like this.
5. Pressure Winston - Our defense is 11th in the nation in Sacks, averaging 3.14 per game. Its going to be imperative to get to Winston early and we must rattle him early and often because if we give him time to throw, he's going to pick us apart. You can force Winston into mistakes. Make him have to beat our defense throwing. That's a risk because FSU is 11th in the country in Passing offense, averaging 341.4 ypg. They're 3rd in the nation in yards per completion averaging 16.83 ypc. Our Defense is 10th in the country in Pass Efficiency with a 104.77 rate. 
6. Stop FSU on 3rd Downs - FSU hasn't been in many 3rd down situations this year, in fact, they have the fewest attempts in the country (69), but when they are in these situations, they convert 52% of the time. The last two weeks vs Carolina and Wake, our defense has allowed opponents to convert 13 out of 31 attempts (42%). Its vital, the D makes stops on 3rd downs and gets off the field. We have to make FSU have to convert the long yardage situations on 3rd down. 
7. Field position - This is a battle we have GOT to win. FSU starts their drives on average from their own 31. Their opponents have started their drives from an average of their own 26. We cannot expect our offense to have to go 80+ yards per drive. We have to have short fields to work with. Make FSU have to go 80+ yards per drive and not allow the big play. FSU's PR Defense is next to last in the country with opponents allowing 26 ypr on Punts, while our PR Defense is 101st allowing 11.5 ypr. On KRs, they are 28th allowing 740 yards in Kick Return Yards. We lead the nation in KR yardage averaging almost 30 yards a return (29.62). FSU is 17th averaging 25.13 per return. Our KR Defense is tied with UCLA for 22nd allowing 466 yards in Kick Returns. FSU is 29th in PR yards averaging 11.8 per return, while we're tied with W. Michigan for 62nd averaging 8.1 ypr. We have to play a clean game here and no penalties because in a game like this, field position is going to be crucial. 

Those are my keys to a CANES win up in Tallahassee. 

Report Card and Game Balls vs Wake Forest

Here's my report card and Game Balls to give out vs Wake Forest. 

Gotta give Wake Forest credit, they killed us on 3rd downs, and on the first drive, they just pound it down our throats. I felt we played a clean game from a turnover perspective and when we needed a play from the D late, we came up with the big pick to clinch the win. We were again out of sync for most of the game and this is still a big problem that almost cost us again yesterday. The good part here was that we didn't turn the ball over in this game and was a +1 in turnover margin. We still have to get the ME's fixed. For the most part though, we again found a way to win late. We did commit 6 penalties for 56 yards, which was a big problem vs a team that doesn't beat itself. However, we still have to clean the mistakes.  

Offensively, we had 391 yards of total offense. 200 yards rushing and 191 passing. Duke had another big game yesterday, with 30 carries for 168 yards and 2 TD (including the GW with :53 left). Dallas Crawford had a poor game with just 35 yards on 7 carries. We had some decent games out of Herbie here having 47 yards on 4 catches, with 1 TD. Clive had a good game as well with 33 yards receiving on 4 catches.  Decent game from Stephen here going 17-28 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs. Again yesterday, on the last drive, he stepped up and was a leader with two big completions that led to Duke's GW TD. Duke was the man on the final drive, having 7 carries for 42 yards. However, that said, we still need to be better and clean up those silly mistakes. Of the 6 penalties yesterday, 2 were on the offense (One was a false start on Brandon and the other was an illegal procedure on Shane). The OL did allow another sack in this game. Bottom line, this type of performance won't cut it in Tallahassee. This unit, especially Stephen, has to play a whole lot better and start much faster in Tallahassee if we are to win up there. Grade: C

Defensively, we forced the pick late to seal the win. We allowed 361 yards of total offense last night, however, just 59 of those yards were rushing, and again, we didn't allow a 100 yard rushing game from an individual standpoint. In the 1st half, we allowed 66 yards rushing, but 132 passing and Price had his way with our defense most of the day. However, In the 2nd half, we allowed just 3 yards rushing (-10 yards rushing in the 4th quarter), but 132 yards passing. The rush defense did a pretty good job, however, the tackling is still an issue. and the pass defense was sloppy in the 1st half, but in the 2nd half, it stepped up and made the plays that had to be made, especially at the end with the Antonio Crawford pick. We sacked Price twice, however that Campanero kid from Wake killed us. We allowed him to have 88 yards on 10 receptions and 1 TD. Still, we need to have a complete game from the Defense. To emphasize this point, Wake on 3rd downs were 8-16 (50%) and only forced 2 three and outs. Of the 6 penalties we had in this game, just 1 was on the D (The PI call on Antonio). We did allow 2 X-Plays yesterday, and one of them almost cost us yesterday, and that was the TD in the 4th on a Wheel route. The D came up big again when it had to, but still, there were some ME's here as well that need to get fixed because mistake like that will kill us up there if we don't fix them. Grade: C

Special Teams wise, of our 6 penalties yesterday, half were on this unit, and two on Jamal Carter alone (one for holding and another for an illegal block in the back). Matty did miss a long FG from 40 in the 3rd, but made one from 34 earlier in the game. Another solid return game with 126 yards of total return, 37 on PR's from Stacy, and the 3 KR's from Duke for 75 yards. Solid game from Patty overall. The Punting game was very solid with two of his 4 punts being inside the 20. On Kickoffs, he was rock solid with all four KO's being Touchbacks. The Return Defense was pretty good. Wake had just 20 yards of returns (19 on KR's, but just 1 on one PR). We started drives on Average from our own 32 and Wake started drives from their own 20, which is excellent. We have to fix the penalties, because those type of penalties give up hidden yards and field position, which against FSU up there, that's asking for trouble. Overall, very good, but need to clean up the penalties here. Grade: C

Now, to Game Balls. This week, I'm going to give out three game balls. 

1. Duke Johnson - 30 carries, 168 yards rushing, 2 TDs (including GW with :53 left), 3 ret., 75 yards (213 all-purpose yards). 
2. Antonio Crawford - 1 Game-clinching INT. 
3. Stacy Coley - 2 receptions, 52 yards, including a big catch, that would ultimately change the game from a field position standpoint.  

Overall, I felt we were sloppy, however, we again kept grinding and found a way to win late. That being said, there were still some ME's (Mental Errors), that still need to be fixed, namely the penalties, which are still issues that have to be fixed. The penalties are still a problem, and still a little bit too many of those for my liking. Close games like this build character, and it felt like we were going through the motions again yesterday. Efforts like we had the last two weeks will not cut it vs FSU, because if we play like we did yesterday and in Chapel Hill, we'll get beat and beat badly. Bottom line, we gotta clean up the mistakes before the trip to Tallahassee Next Saturday Night in Primetime on ABC at 8 p.m. (with Gameday up there too). 7-0 is a good feeling right now, but we could still get better and cut the ME's out. Take care and GO CANES! BEAT FSU!

My take on NCAA ruling

Well, its been over 24 hours since the NCAA came down with its ruling on us. Its what I expected the day before it came out. 9 scholarships lost over 3 years (3 per year), but no bowl ban, and to me, that's the big one right there, no more postseason bans. 

Now, that the NCAA cloud is gone, we're going to see a much more aggressive Al Golden on the recruiting trail, especially in South Florida. The wall is being fortified and strengthened and teams like Florida, FSU, Notre Dame, SEC, and the Big 10 that have taken top talent away from South Florida, those days are OVER! While I understand we can't keep everyone, we're going to keep as much top talent in South Florida as possible. As the slogan for this season goes, and its very accurate here: FULL SPEED AHEAD!, and after yesterday, it takes on additional meaning as from here on going forward, it will be FULL SPEED AHEAD for us. 

Great days are ahead of us and the road back to dominance starts this week vs Wake Forest at Sun Life Stadium. Hopefully, it'll be a sellout (in fact, its very close to that right now).