What We Learned About the 'Canes

Miami started out very strong against VT.  Most of VT's games start this way, but Miami's defense looked great and the offense was running all over the place.  Here's some other things I noticed about Miami on Saturday against the Hokies:

1)  4th String QB Stephen Morris has a bright future in Miami.  He was calm and did not get too worked up when he threw his interceptions.  He also made alot of big time throws that were impressive for a true freshman. 

2)  Coach Randy Shannon does not belong in Miami.  He is a great mentor, but is not getting the full potential out of the 'Canes.  The Hurricanes should have a much better record with all their talent, but there is some serious disconnect between the coaching and players in Miami.  

3)  Miami's stadium never seems to be full.  For such a serious football school, I would expect their stadium to be filled every Saturday.  Especially in a place like Miami where there are SO many people to watch the games.  This may indicate the the Hurricanes are not very exciting and are underachieving lately so the fans don't care to watch.  On Saturday the announcer said, "The fans do a great job of dressing up as empty seats!"   

4)  Jacory Harris still wants to be the leader of the team, and he should not be their leader.  He throws way too many interceptions, is not a durable quarterback, and was outshined by Stephen Morris this past Saturday.  It's sad that Morris threw a couple interceptions and is only a freshman, and showed more promise than Jacory Harris (who is already planned to start this coming weekend). 

5)  Leonard Hankerson is another great offensive player in Miami.  He is tall and has good size for a tight end.  He is big, but not too big and has the speed to outrun the defensive backfield if he gains a few steps on the defenders.  He will definitely go to the NFL and any team who picks him up will be lucky. 

6)  The Offensive line averages 6'6" tall and 313 pounds.  They are huge and provide great protection for the quarterback and huge gaps for the running backs.  With such big guys on the line and such poor QB play, you would think Miami would run more with their FOUR starting running backs.  Why would Randy Shannon put the pressure on Stephen Morris on so many plays Saturday?  Just run the ball! 

7)  Miami's receivers drop alot of passes.  As a Virginia Tech fan, I can think of 2 or 3 major pass drops in the past from Miami receivers that could have dramatically effected the outcome of the VT/Miami game.  In this game, Miami receiver Travis Benjamin could have had 2 big receptions for TDs in the 4th quarter during the same series, but he dropped them both.    Again, they have tons of talent, but it seems the receivers are not well-coached.