Growing 'Canes heading back toward greatness
By Dennis Dodd | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow DennisMIAMI -- Now if they could only sell out the place.
Miami had just completed the best 3-1 start in, maybe, its history and a few thousand empty seats stared down from Land Shark Stadium, evidence that even if the 'Canes have arrived some of their fans were awaiting confirmation.
|
|
| Tight end Dedrick Epps lets everyone know which direction the 'Canes are heading. (AP) |
For Miami it's been eight long years -- without a championship, that is, not a thong. Let's not jump off the partially filled top row just yet but judging by Saturday night's victory over Oklahoma at not-quite sold out Land Shark, the wait in line for greatness just got a lot shorter.
• No. 17 Miami 21, No. 8 Oklahoma 20
Remove the rain and the road -- two hindrances last week at Virginia Tech -- and the Hurricanes' first month was a success. Four games against four ranked teams ended with success, other than that one blemish at Virginia Tech. Not bad. Before the season 1-3 looked likely with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and the Sooners all in a row. Really, 2-2 would have been cause for a party. But 3-1 has the 'Canes thinking they're something special.
"You've got to be excited about this game," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "Tough first four games. Don't think I haven't enjoyed it."
The 21-20 victory over the No. 8 Sooners can be viewed a lot of ways. Quarterback Jacory Harris regressed and progressed in the same game. The Miami defense came up with its best effort of the season, maybe of the Randy Shannon era. Senior running back Javarris James pounded the Sooners for 150 yards.
In the end, though, Miami beat Oklahoma Lite. The stands weren't quite full (61,790 in 75,000-seat Land Shark) and this wasn't a full Oklahoma roster. Should it matter? This was the Sooners' second trip to this stadium in the last nine months. In January, the Sooners were championship material going against Florida. Since then the names -- both of the stadium and OU's starting quarterback -- have changed.
From Dolphin to Land Shark. From Sam Bradford to Landry Jones.
By the time Harris knelt down securing Miami's first win over a top 10 team in almost four years, the Sooners were missing their Heisman Trophy quarterback (Bradford), preseason All-American tight end (Jermaine Gresham) and most productive receiver (Ryan Broyles).
Bradford and Gresham were a given. Bradford looked like a ball boy in shorts and a T-shirt on the sideline, still not fully healed from the sprained shoulder he suffered a month ago. Gresham already has declared for the NFL Draft having blown out his knee in the preseason. Broyles, though, likely suffered a broken shoulder blade in the second quarter and took his team-leading 23 catches to the sideline for what is likely to be the next four to six weeks.
"If I say there's a big [leadership void] then you're making excuses," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "I think we still have enough character and tough guys on our offense for that not to matter."
It better start showing up quickly. Oklahoma is 2-2 after four games for only the second time since 1998. The result proved what we all thought a month ago. Oklahoma couldn't afford to lose Bradford, which meant it couldn't afford to lose to BYU, which meant it is out of the national championship race in the first week of October.
If the rehab on Bradford's sprained shoulder was all about getting him healthy for the Texas game, well, good luck. Red River Rivalry game in two weeks looks diminished to the point that if Oklahoma wins, it could end the Big 12's national championship hopes. The leagues' two best teams would have a combined three losses.
But Saturday was more about Miami, with a fan base so fickle it sells out only the biggest of games. Apparently this one didn't qualify. In January, the Sooners was here playing for a championship. On Saturday, they doubled as Miami's trampoline.
"That was our big emphasis, bouncing back [after Virginia Tech]," Miami linebacker Sean Spence said. "I thought we'd be 4-0 to be honest with you. Three and 1? We'll settle for that."
The 'Canes wouldn't go as far as to say the result would have been different with Bradford. After Oklahoma took a 10-0 lead, Miami adjusted and the Sooners, not so much.
Harris was picked off on two of his first four throws trying to go over the Oklahoma secondary. The solution for budding genius/offensive coordinator Mark Whipple was to start attacking underneath and pound the running game. The next time Harris took a shot it was well-timed. Coming out of a timeout midway through the third quarter, Harris lofted a perfect 38-yard strike to 5-foot-10, 175-pound sophomore Travis Benjamin for a 21-10 lead.
"I wasn't rattled,'' Harris said of the interceptions. Certainly not. Miami's quarterback was sporting a shout out to Jay-Z on his eye black.
"I was laughing because we made some mistakes and were still in the game,'' he said.
With OU trailing 21-17, Miami's defense held on third-and-12 from its own 22. Ending the drive with a Jimmy Stevens' field goal was the difference in the game. Miami was able to run out the clock.
Would Bradford have made a difference? For OU, probably not, even in a one-point game. The offensive line still blew the protection at the beginning of the second half that forced Jones to cough up the ball at his own 11. After the turnover, Harris found Dedrick Epps with a touchdown to give the 'Canes a 14-10 lead they would never give up.
Bradford would have been in there for roughing and unsportsmanlike penalties to tackle Trent Williams and running back Chris Brown that wrecked the next drive. Even the Heisman Trophy winner would have a hard time picking up a third and 25.
"Sam Bradford was on some of them tapes we watched," said Miami's Brandon Harris, who forced the Jones fumble. "We focused in more on the offense, not whether he was going to play. I don't know. We still had to play disciplined ball. He didn't play and that's all that matters right now."
In this four-game start, Miami has established a personality. They are growing, not grown. They are arriving, not there. It's easy to throw out the Virginia Tech game. The conditions were so bad that Harris and the offense couldn't function. The Hokies are the two-time defending ACC champs so the loss wasn't exactly something to be ashamed of.
Let's temper the giddiness that skipped out of Land Shark for some Land Sharks (it's a beer, folks) at the post-game tailgate. This is a 9-3 -- maybe 10-2 team -- that is close to re-establishing Miami's legacy.
"I don't want to give [this win] that kind of props," senior defensive lineman Joe Joseph said. "I don't want to say we're back. I want to say we're getting better every week."
"You know," Shannon summarized, "this is not the 13th or 14th game of the season so that's why you can't say Miami is back. After the 14th game of the season, then you make the decision on where we are and where we need to be."
That was a slip of the tongue for Shannon. The only way Miami plays 14 games is if plays in the ACC title game before going bowling. Maybe by January it can sell out its own stadium for what would then be the Orange Bowl.
