Published Sep 20, 2007

At Least the Future Looks Bright

Miami Hurricanes fans saw some glimmers of hope this past weekend. No, it certainly didn't come from the Canes’ sloppy, rather uninspired 23-9 victory over FIU. That’s because it wasn't even the best display of football from a team from Dade County on ESPNU that day.

That distinction would belong to the Miami Northwestern Senior High Bulls who went to Texas and broke the 49-game winning streak of the Southlake Carroll Dragons, securing their status as the number one high school team in the nation by winning 29-21 in front a packed house at Southern Methodist's Ford Stadium.

They played far from a perfect game; in fact, it can be argued that their mistakes (which ranged from botched shotgun snaps to muffed punts and fumbles) kept the Dragons in the game. But Northwestern, which has provided a steady pipeline of talent to UM throughout the years with such luminaries as Mel Bratton, Brett Perriman, Tolbert Bain, Roland Smith, Nate Webster and Vernon Carey, played with a type of swagger and confidence that was once the trademark of the college program that is just a few minutes up the road.

They certainly play a much more entertaining brand of football, as of now.

They swarmed to the ball defensively, blocked well up front and played pitch-and-catch effortlessly. And what had to please Miami fans, who had just witnessed UM’s desultory performance earlier in the day at the Orange Bowl, was that Randy Shannon's verbal commits stood out.

Sean Spence roamed the field like a classic undersized UM 'backer. Marcus Forston clogged the inside and
showed why many believe he can step in and be a factor next year at defensive tackle. Brandon Washington
provided solid blocking on the offensive front line, Aldarius Johnson overcame his early fumble (that led
to a Carroll touchdown) to make a dazzling touchdown reception, and quarterback Jacory Harris showed poise and presence in leading the Bulls’ offense.

In addition to that crew, two other potential Cane recruits - offensive tackle Ben Jones, and wide receiver Tommy Streeter (who hauled in three touchdowns) - shined.

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's just high school football. But please indulge me, here. To most of the country this was just another prep contest, but to followers of Hurricane football, this was the future. A future that seemingly can't get here fast enough in year one of the Shannon regime.

While there is some individual talent sprinkled here and there, currently in Coral Gables, the roster has glaring holes at quarterback, wide receiver, defensive tackle and linebacker - positions that just happened to
be played by some of the above-mentioned prep standouts.

Granted, we’re only three games into the 2007 season, but you get the sense that it's 2008 and beyond that we should be looking ahead to.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

- The interior of the defensive line was banged-up for the FIU game but it's clear that they were rested for
Thursday night’s game versus Texas A&M and their strong running game featuring Jorvorskie Lane and Michael Woodson at running back, and signal caller Stephen McGee.

They may not be Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland and Jimmie Jones circa 1989, but Antonio Dixon, Teraz McCray and Dwayne Hendricks are certainly an upgrade over 255-pound defensive ends who have been forced to move inside.

- It's clear that Darnell Jenkins, who had a 100-yard receiving game against FIU, is a better player with
Kyle Wright behind center. But the problem is that none of the other wideouts are making plays, period, no matter who is making the throws.

- Speaking of receivers, will Lance Leggett ever fight for a pass?

- Kyle Wright is tantalizing and frustrating, all at the same time. One minute he makes an NFL throw down
the seam to Jenkins for 37 yards. Then he throws into triple coverage into the end zone and gets picked, while he had Javarris James open for an easy five yard dump-off. This, from a fifth-year senior.

You have to wonder just how much coaching - or lack thereof - has had to do with this.

- Those who forecast the demise of the tight-end from the UM offense under coordinator Patrick Nix - and there were many of those on this site - were absolutely correct. They are on pace currently for less than ten catches on the season, combined.

- Are Andre Woodson of Kentucky and Matt Ryan of BC the two best quarterbacks in college football?

- Oh, that seat underneath Karl Dorrell at UCLA? It's hot, all over again. Very hot.

- Does anyone still think Tim Tebow is just a glorified fullback?

- Speaking of recruiting, Bruce Feldman's new book, 'Meat Market', which covers the game of recruiting inside and out, is now available for purchase at Amazon.com and all major bookstores.

Bruce, a Miami alumnus, was given unlimited access by several programs in the South and says it was the most fascinating project he's ever worked on. Feldman was the author of 'Cane Mutiny', which is a
must-read for any Canes fan.

 

Steve Kim is a frequent contributor on CanesOverHere.com and runs his own website, Maxboxing.com. He can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com

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