They say parting is sweet sorrow.
Well, like I said last week, I don't feel that way about this season. I feel like the end of this season arrived far too quickly upon us.
This team won its half of the ACC, and yet will not get to play to defend it.
That, in my opinion, is just sorrowful.
Alas, there will be no more gamedays for this team.
And so we reflect.
This team went 7-5. At Miami, 7-5 is pretty terrible; at least, 7-5 is terrible in a vacuum.
However, I would say this team's 7-5 is pretty damned impressive.
Consider:
Last season's 6-6 squad lost the following players:
Best overall player and starting MLB Sean Spence (All ACC)
Starting QB Jacory Harris
Starting RB Lamar Miller (All ACC)
Starting WR Tommy Streeter (All ACC)
Starting WR Travis Benjamin (All ACC)
Starting OG Brandon Washington (All ACC)
Starting OG Harland Gunn
Starting DLinemen Olivier Vernon, Marcus Forston, Adewlae Ojomo and Micanor Regis
Starting DB JoJo Nicolas
That meant, at each of those positions, this team would be playing new starters.
That lead to people predicting a 4-8 season and a finish in the ACC cellar.
And yet, despite replacing all that, and a rash of injuries, and another season spent under the strain of the NCAA, and despite at some point or another playing 20 different freshmen, Miami finished 7-5.
In other words, despite everything working against it, this squad improved.
The offense, which carried the team all season, scored 40 or more points 6 times despite losing its triggerman and its 3 primary weapons.
The defense, despite its NUMEROUS struggles, showed its ballhawking nature.
The special teams saw the return of the game changing returns and blocks that made the program so fearful once upon a time.
This team was EXCITING...and they fought their asses off in every game.
And that is what the post mortem on this season is.
It was a transitional year, sure. It was the true transfer from Randy Shannon kids to Al Golden kids. Gone is the old guard...in its place is a young nucleus that looks ready to carry this team to heights we haven't seen in years.
I could go on for a lot of words about how young players like Denzel Perryman, Duke Johnson, Deon Bush and Anthony Chickillo seem ready to carry this program back to elite status.
But I will have years to write about that. The great thing about a young team like this is that it will pretty much be the exact same team next year. All of a sudden the untested OL will return completely intact (or at least 4/5 so, depending on whether Seantrel Henderon makes a dumb decision or not) and with almost 100 combined career starts between them. All of a sudden the safeties won't bite so easily on the playaction...they have seen it before. All of a sudden the receivers won't get so easily spooked during a big game...they have been in too many already.
The other great thing about a young team is that saying goodbye to the seniors does not take nearly as long.
This year's group of seniors is small, and filled with mostly role players. But each and every one of these guys earned our respect this year, and deserve our praise.
Mike James - RB
Brandon McGee - CB
McGee came in with prototypical tools to be a lockdown corner. 4 years later he finally put it all together and became the cornerstone of the secondary. While he never became the All American many expected, the improvement we saw from him over the years was vast. He went from looking like an athlete forced to play cornerback to a physical, instinctive, playmaking corner that will get a chance in the NFL. It was a joy to watch.
Dalton Botts - P
Botts was an absolute weapon for two years, and this year also proved he could turn in to Mike Alstott occasionally. Botts will be missed more than anyone realizes as he becomes the first Golden recruit to complete his eligibility.
Jake Wieclaw - K
Wieclaw sat behind Matt Bosher for three years before getting his shot. When he did, he excelled (save for one rocky stretch this season). He emerged as a reliable kicker and kickoff specialist, and will be difficult to replace.
Davon Johnson - WR
Johnson was a true Miami Hurricane. He came in as a hyped member of the much hyped 2008 recruiting class. After a promising freshman season, he chose to redshirt for the good of the team. He was then injured as a sophomore, and switched to defense as a junior. When the depth chart at receiver thinned out before his senior year, he switched back over to the offensive side, where most fans assumed he would be strictly depth. Instead he became the team's most reliable third down target, and constantly displayed the kind of selfless attitude the rest of this team has been lacking for too long. His season ended due to injury a couple of games early, but he made a true impact before that. If anyone needs a model of true tenacity and hard work, it is Davon Johnson.
Kendall Thompkins - WR
Thompkins, for three straight springs, teased fans with enormous playmaking potential. A lot of people saw Roscoe Parrish in his game. However, he played at a deep position, where one big mistake could mean a ride on the pine pony. And for Kendall, it seemed that every time he got a chance he made a mistake. Still, he stuck around and made a contribution every year, whether as a Scout team quarterback or as a special teams gunner. It all culminated on his Senior Day, when he caught a touchdown and later made one of the finest diving catches any of us has ever seen down the sideline.
Jeremy Lewis - OL
Lewis came in as a defensive tackle with a ton of potential. He left as a backup guard that got 10-15 snaps a game, but made the most of them. He understood the preciousness of opportunity, and played like it. He came in lazy, and left as an example for his teammates.
Ben Jones - OL
Jones was very similar to Lewis in that he came in as a hyped prospect and took years to make an impact. He became a top backup on the o-line and was playing his best football this season when he went down with a season ending knee injury. He, much like Lewis, became an example to hold up to the rest of the team.
Vaughn Telemaque - S
Telemaque seemed destined to be a star as he longboarded in from Long Beach, and seemed to be fulfilling his potential during his sophomore year. However, his development stunted, and like many others on this list, his final contribution came as a reserve in limited opportunities. He was always a standout off the field, and he will find success in this world. But the lingering question around him will be about why he never fully panned out.
Paul Kelly - Long Snapper
When Sean McNally blew his knee out early this season, Kelly, a walk on, stepped up an never missed a beat. And there is something to say about that.
As fans, it is important to take time to thank these players, as well as the numerous walk-ons who made contributions in practice.
This class reflected the attitude in the team: they were hard working, and they fought until their very last game.
The tiny number of them also shows part of the reason this team was as inconsistent as it was.
In the end, they will all be missed. They did their best to set an example and lead in a way they did not have the luxury of being lead.
In the end, they go out as a seniors on a 7-5 team. They were punished from crimes they did not commit. They will, unfortunately, not be around to enjoy the spoils of this sacrifice.
However, many of them were already a part of one attempt at this.
In 2008, behind a very young team, the 'Canes finished the regular season 7-5. Many of these players were freshmen.
The next year they started off hot, before underachieving down the stretch to finish 9-3. Everyone thought 2010 meant national title contention.
Instead, the wheels came off.
The current group of 'Canes freshmen need only look at the seniors for a warning of what can happen if you don't stay focused.
Great beginnings can often lead to disappointing ends.
It is in your own hands to avoid that fate.
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