The Miami Hurricanes season was lost in a Game of Inches (wow, that sounded like the beginning of an ESPN article, no?).
Miami just never seemed to get the inch they needed in big spots.
A foot on the sideline here. A diving catch for the opponent there. Jacory was a couple of inches off on his passes, and Wisconsin was able to keep the game an inch or two out of the grasp of the Hurricanes.
At the end of the day, the ‘Canes lost because, as Al Pacino said in his famous “Any Given Sunday” locker room speech, they were unable to win the inches that were everywhere around them.
It was sadly poetic that the game would end on a ball that landed an inch short of Thearon Collier on 4th and 14. The turf gave way from under him on his cut, he couldn’t get back to the ball, and just like that a late game surge of momentum was wasted and the game over.
Wisconsin won because, at the end of the day, they were slower.
They worked seconds off of the clock throughout the game. They squared up and caught balls with no real concern for making something happen after the catch. After all, that is what they do. They play station to station football. This is the type of football that Earl Weaver would have played. They grind it out. They try and take speed out of the game when they can.
And in this game, it was just what the doctor ordered.
Miami just got beat in every aspect of the game.
Miami caught their fair share of bounces, but time and again they were unable to make anything happen.
While the final score was close, the game really was not. This was very much like the Virginia Tech game, the only other time the ‘Canes were taken completely out of their element.
Wisconsin, to their credit, forced the ‘Canes in to a slow-down, pound it out affair for which they were not well equipped. The Badgers, even after a blitzkrieg first 23 seconds saw the ‘Canes return a kick for a touchdown (called back to the 16 after a phantom penalty…and why wouldn’t it be?) and then readjust and score a touchdown on the ground, never took their eye off the ball. They did exactly what everyone expected, and did it very well.
Miami, meanwhile, was confusing to watch. The offense lacked any sort of rhyme or reason for all but the second to last drive, which was run out of the shotgun no-huddle against a prevent defense.
Jacory was not himself; he looked far more injured than lost to me, but others may have a different opinion. The offensive line was outfoxed by the Wisconsin defensive line. The receivers could not keep their footing. The whole unit was a mess.
The defense was not without fault. They could not find a way to cover Lance Kendricks, who finished with seven HUGE catches, most seemingly for big gains on 3rd Down.
However, when the unit is forced on to the field for the majority of the game (I do not know the exact statistics because I was too upset to look at the game stats and have now vowed to never look at them) and still only gives up 20 points, forces multiple turnovers and holds the opposing offense to 3 second half points, your team should win.
And the ‘Canes didn’t.
The game was just out of their reach all night.
Am I shocked? Yes.
Here’s why:
All year long, this team has held the capability to lay over and play dead for 58 minutes and then make something out of nothing. They seem to thrive on winning when they shouldn’t.
After the ‘Canes cut the lead to 6 and went out for the onside kick, my brother and I joked “Twenty bucks Matt Bosher recovers his own kick here.”
And then he actually did it.
Right after a score. With just over a minute left. At midfield. Were the ‘Canes going to score? Yes.
SIDENOTE: Billy Stein, in the midst of our near-heart attacks: “If we had a sister, Bosher could definitely bang her.”
And then the ‘Canes went 4 plays and game over. I don’t know if there was anyone in the stadium who though we were going to lose that game after recovering the onsider.
And maybe that is the best way to wrap up this blog written after the season finale.
We might not have won them all, but we expected to win them all. Even when the odds were completely against us, we never thought this team was out of it.
Last year, the team found itself in pretty much the same scenario against Cal. They didn’t win then either. I also remember never thinking they were going to. I hoped they would. I wanted them to. I was mad that they didn’t. But deep down, I didn’t expect them to.
This year I did.
On paper, this season will only represent a 2 win improvement.
For anyone that watched this team, even in a bowl game that can only be described as a debacle, they know that the reality is vastly different then what the paper will tell you.
Best wishes to Graig Cooper and any one else who sustained an injury, best of luck to those leaving the team (once a 'Cane, always a 'Cane) and, as always, guard the inbound passer.
