No 13 - Miami Florida Hurricanes 2010 Preview
Thursday, September 02, 2010
by Aengus Moorehead
Miami had a breakout season in 2009, as the Hurricanes powered their way into the top ten for the first time since 2005 with a strong September showing that included wins over three ranked opponents. With nine wins and a top 20 ranking, it was the first time in half of a decade that ‘The U’ was really a force on the national scene. However, they’re still far from being back , showed by Wisconsin’s physical domination in last season’s Champs Sports Bowl defeat. Can the Miami Florida Hurricanes take the next step with a very experienced class of juniors and win the ACC Championship in 2010?
The biggest reason for Miami’s success offensively last season was quarterback Jacory Harris (3,352 yards, 24 TDs, 17 INT), who had a breakout campaign despite a thumb injury that limited him for most of the season. Harris still has a long way to go, as he collapsed down the stretch and his 17 picks were the 2nd most by any quarterback in D-1A football, but he is considered by many to be one of the country’s best quarterbacks this season.
2009 Results: 9-4, Lost Champs Sports Bowl vs. Wisconsin
Head Coach: Randy Shannon (4th Year @ Miami, 21-17 Overall)
Home Venue: Sun Life Stadium (75,000), Coral Gables, Florida
Harris also has a great set of wide receivers, as their top five pass catchers are back from 2009. Senior Leonard Hankerson (45 catches, 801 yards, 6 TDs) is their top option while juniors Travis Benjamin (29 catches, 501 yards, 4 TDs) and LaRon Byrd (33 catches, 460 yards, 1 TDs) are exceptional athletes in their own right. These three are the main trio that should be on the receiving end of Harris’ passes this fall and all three should have excellent seasons.
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Unfortunately, the Hurricane running game doesn’t have the same amount of returning talent. Senior tailback Graig Cooper is expected to miss the season after tearing his ACL in the bowl game, a stroke of really bad luck caused by a field in terrible condition that will cost their starting tailback. However, senior Damien Berry (616 yards, 8 TDs) is expected to be the starter this fall and he was a strong producer last season behind Cooper. Furthermore, freshmen Lamar Miller and Storm Johnson were impressive in the spring, the Miami Florida Hurricanes have more than enough talent to field a solid running game this fall.
Overall, there is a lot of talent on this offense, especially amongst their junior class. The last two years have seen a ton of freshmen take the field for Miami Florida Hurricanes and I think that will pay off this year. The passing game should be one of the best in the ACC with a strong fleet of receivers for Harris to throw to and the running game will surprise some people with their depth. While there are some concerns about the offensive line, they will be good enough to protect Harris most of the time and open up space to run. The Hurricanes are definitely going to have one of the ACC’s best offenses this season.
Miami’s defense has not yet recaptured their former elite status under Randy Shannon, though last season’s 22 points allowed per game was the best result of his coaching tenure. Much like on offense, Shannon has played a ton of young players in each of the last two years and those youngsters are now savvy veterans. Can the Miami Florida Hurricanes reclaim a spot among the elite defense in the ACC?
The defensive line has been a recruiting focus for Shannon since the day he was named Head Coach and that will definitely pay off this season. At defensive end, senior Allen Bailey (34 tackles, 7 sacks) was a 1st Team All-ACC choice last fall after a season of harassing opposing quarterbacks. He will pair with junior Marcus Robinson (17 tackles, 4 sacks) in the starting lineup and senior Steve Wesley (17 tackles, 3 sacks) and sophomore Oliver Vernon (25 tackles, 1.5 sacks) should provide great depth. The theme of depth continues at defensive tackle, where senior Josh Holmes (22 tackles, 1 sack) is a space eater whose life will be made a lot easier with the return of sophomore Marcus Forston, who redshirted last year due to injury after being named a Freshman All-American in 2008.
Miami also has great linebackers. Senior Colin McCarthy (95 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) is the team’s top returning tackler and was a 2nd Team All-ACC selection in 2009. The ‘backers should also get a big boost from junior Sean Spence (36 tackles, 3 sacks), who struggled with injuries last season after a Freshman All-American campaign in 2008. Junior Ramon Buchanan (28 tackles) played a lot in Spence’s absence and that experience should pay off as he will fill out the starting lineup this fall. The Hurricanes have very talented linebackers.
The part of this defense that is a concern is the secondary. While junior cornerback Brandon Harris (58 tackles, 2 INT) was a 1st Team All-ACC pick and a 3rd Team All-American last year, he is by far the most veteran player in among the defensive backs. Obviously, the presence of a shut down corner like Harris will make life easier for the rest of the secondary, but both safeties are probably going to be sophomores this season. Vaughn Telemarque (48 tackles) and Ray-Ray Armstrong (21 tackles) showed great physical skills last year but they won’t be prepared to hold up against a difficult early schedule. However, there are a ton of great athletes in this secondary they will turn out to be quite strong through the air by the end of the season.
Miami has one of the most difficult schedules in the entire country this season. Outside of ACC play, the Miami Florida Hurricanes have monster September games as they visit Ohio State for the first time since the classic 2002 National Championship game before visiting Pittsburgh on a Thursday night two weeks later. If those two games weren’t difficult enough, Miami Florida Hurricanes also hosts their newest in-state rival, South Florida, giving the Canes eleven games against BCS Conference opponents, the most in the entire country!
There is no doubt that Miami Florida Hurricanes is a contender in the ACC Coastal Division this season. Jacory Harris is one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league and he has a great group of wide receivers to work with.
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The brutal opening schedule won’t turn out nearly as successful as the opening run did in 2009. Don’t expect Miami Florida Hurricanes to beat an extremely talented Ohio State team and the other three games are going to be very difficult outings as well. It really hurts that the hated Seminoles will be coming off of games against lowly Wake Forest and Virginia when the Canes are finishing that wicked early run.
While Miami Florida Hurricanes will certainly rebound from a tough opening stretch, they play the toughest schedule in the country and the attrition that comes along with playing such hard competition is going to rear its ugly head this fall.
As for the Coastal Division, primary contender Virginia Tech doesn’t play either Clemson or Florida State from the Atlantic Division, giving them a much more favorable slate. All of those factors will conspire against them and prevent them from winning the division. Even with all of those difficulties, this will still be an excellent team and the Miami Hurricanes are a logicalchoice to finish 2nd in the ACC Coastal Division in 2010.
PREDICTED RESULT: 8-4 (6-2 ACC) - Bodog NCAA College Football Futures Lines
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brandon harris - champs sports bowl - colin mccarthy - damien berry - graig cooper - jacory harris - lamar miller - laron byrd - leonard hankerson - marcus robinson
