2010 Miami Hurricanes Additional Information

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2010 Miami Hurricanes Additional Information​

Coaching Staff

Head Coach:
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Official School Bio -Randy Shannon

Assistant Coaches:
Official School Bios - Assistant Coaches
Mike Cassano - Running Backs Coach
Aubrey Hill - Wide Receivers Coach
John Lovett - Defensive Coordinator
Joe Pannunzio - Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator
Rick Petri - Defensive Line Coach
Mark Whipple - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/QBs
Micheal Barrow - Linebackers Coach
Wesley McGriff - Secondary Coach
Tommie Robinson - Running Backs
Jeff Stoutland - Offensive Line
Andreu Swasey - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Boomer Philbrick - Graduate Assistant - Offense
Mark Reese - Graduate Assistant - Defense
Cindy Abraham-Garcia - Director of Football Relations
Corey Bell - Director of Football Operations
Kevin Blaske - Associate Athletic Trainer
Brent Blaylock - Asst. Director of Football Operations
Tim Harris, Sr. - Assistant to the Head Coach
Scott McGonagle - Head Athletic Trainer
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Recruiting

Incoming Recruits:

2011 Verbal Commitments

Scout.com - #44 overall class - 1-5*, 1-4*, 4-3* - 3.50* average
Rivals.com - #38 overall class - 0-5*, 2-4*, 4-3* - 3.33* average

Teddy Bridgewater QB 6-3 192 Miami, FL - 5*/4*
Phil Dorsett WR 5-10 170 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Marcus Jackson OG 6-4 310 Vero Beach, FL - 3*/3*
Albert Louis-Jean 6-1 170 Brockton, MA - 4*/4*
Mick Menocal OLB 6-2 225 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
Eli Rogers WR 5-10 170 Miami, FL - 3*/3*

2010 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #14 overall class - 1-5*, 5-4*, 20-3*, 4-2* - 3.10* average
Rivals.com - #16 overall class - 2-5*, 6-4*, 18-3*, 4-2* - 3.20* average

Latwan Anderson S 5-10 185 Cleveland, OH - 4*/5*
Jermaine Barton OT 6-6 275 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Jeffrey Brown DT 6-2 266 Evanston, IL - 3*/2*
Malcolm Bunche OG 6-6 318 New Berllin, NY - 3*/4* - PREP
Kelvin Cain OLB 6-4 215 Clovis, CA - 2*/2*
Eduardo Clements RB 5-11 185 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Asante Cleveland TE 6-5 235 Sacramento, CA - 3*/2*
Tyrone Cornileus OLB 6-2 189 Stone Mountain, GA - 3*/3*
Devont'a Davis CB 6-1 164 Gainesville, FL - 3*/3*
[strike]Jeremy Davis CB 5-11 170 Cape Coral, FL - 3*/3* [/strike]
Jonathan Feliciano OF 6-4 294 Davie, FL - 3*/3*
Chase Ford TE 6-6 245 Kilgore, TX - 2*/3* - JUCO
Jimmy Gaines MLB 6-2 215 Buffalo, NY - 2*/2*
[strike]Tavadis Glenn OT 6-5 300 Jacksonville, FL - 3*/4* [/strike]
Maurice Hagens FB 6-1 225 Tampa, FL - 3*/3*
Darion Hall RB 5-11 200 Naples, FL - 3*/3*
Seantrel Henderson OT 6-8 338 St. Paul, MN - 5*/5*
Allen Hurns WR 6-1 170 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
Storm Johnson RB 6-1 215 Loganville, GA - 3*/4*
Brandon Linder OC 6-6 290 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/4*
Shane McDermott OC 6-3 255 Wellington, FL - 3*/3*
Stephen Morris QB 6-2 181 Miami, FL - 3*/3*
Kevin Nelson MLB 6-1 215 Gainesville, FL - 3*/3*
Keion Payne CB 6-0 168 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/3*
David Perry DE 6-5 225 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 3*/3*
Kacy Rodgers CB 6-2 183 Southlake, TX - 4*/3*
Andrew Tallman OT 6-6 250 Boston, MA - 3*/3*
[strike]Delmar Taylor DT 6-4 255 Miami Beach, FL - 2*/3* [/strike]
Clive Walford TE 6-6 225 Belle Glade, FL - 3*/3*
Travis Williams OLB 6-2 200 Norfolk, VA - 3*/4*

2009 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #24 overall class - 0-5*, 8-4*, 10-3*, 1-2* - 3.37* average
Rivals.com - #15 overall class - 1-5*, 9-4*, 8-3*, 1-2* - 3.53* average

Ray Ray Armstrong S 6-3 210 Sanford, FL - 4*/5*
Malcolm Bunche OG 6-6 318 Newark, DE - 3*/3*
Dyron Dye DE 6-5 225 Sanford, FL - 4*/4*
Shayon Green DE 6-2 225 Tifton, GA - 2*/3*
Alonzo Highsmith QB 6-1 180 Sugar Land, TX - 3*/3*
Mike James RB 5-11 210 Davenport, FL - 4*/4*
Jermaine Johnson OT 6-6 300 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/4* - PREP
[strike]Prince Kent S 6-2 187 Norcross, GA - 3*/3* [/strike]
Brandon McGee CB 6-0 180 Plantation, FL - 4*/4*
Lamar Miller RB 5-11 203 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Stephen Plein TE 6-6 235 Ft. Myers, FL - 3*/2*
Curtis Porter DT 6-2 330 Charlotte, NC - 3*/3*
Jamal Reid CB 6-0 175 Mayo, FL - 4*/4*
Luther Robinson DT 6-2 270 Ft. Pierce, FL - 3*/4*
Billy Sanders TE 6-4 235 Couer D'Alene, ID - 3*/3*
Olivier Vernon DE 6-2 237 Hialeah, FL - 4*/4*
Brandon Washington OG 6-5 320 - New Berlin, NY - 3*/4* - PREP
Jared Wheeler OG 6-6 310 Plantation, FL - 3*/3*
Cory White OT 6-5 245 Orange Park, FL - 3*/3*

2008 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #3 overall class - 4-5*, 7-4*, 18-3*, 4-2* - 3.33* average
Rivals.com - #5 overall class - 2-5*, 15-4*, 8-3*, 8-2* - 3.33* average

Travis Benjamin WR 6-1 160 Belle Glade, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Arthur Brown OLB 6-1 225 Wichita, KS - 5*/5* [/strike]
Ramon Buchanan 6-1 195 Melbourne, FL - 4*/4*
LaRon Byrd WR 6-3 210 Boutte, LA - 3*/3*
John Calhoun FB 6-2 230 Sebastian, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Thearon Collier WR 5-9 163 Miami, FL - 3*/3* [/strike]
[strike]Taylor Cook QB 6-7 206 Altair, TX - 3*/2* [/strike]
Marcus Forston DT 6-2.5 305 Miami, FL - 5*/5*
Jordan Futch OLB 6-3 215 Hollywood, FL - 3*/4*
Gavin Hardin OLB 6-4 240 Jackson, TN - 4*/3*
[strike]Antonio Harper OLB 6-4 220 Memphis, TN - 3*/3* [/strike]
Brandon Harris CB 5-10 175 Miami, FL - 5*/4*
Jacory Harris QB 6-4 171 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
Patrick Hill FB 5-11 245 Torrance, CA - 3*/2* - JUCO
CJ Holton S 6-1 190 Crawfordsville, FL - 4*/4*
Aldarius Johnson WR 6-2.5 194 Miami, FL - 5*/4*
Davon Johnson WR 5-11 164 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
Benjamin Jones OT 6-6 280 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Zach Kane MLB 6-2 215 Toms River, NJ - 2*/2* [/strike]
Jeremy Lewis DT 6-3 275 West Palm Beach, FL - 3*/4*
[strike]Brandon Marti OLB 6-1 205 Miami, FL - 3*/2* [/strike]
[strike]CJ Odom S 5-11 210 Ft. Myers, FL - 3*/2* [/strike]
Micanor Regis DT 6-3 310 Pahokee, FL - 3*/3*
Marcus Robinson OLB 6-1.5 210 Homestead, FL - 4*/4*
Andrew Smith DE 6-3 235 Coconut Creek, FL - 3*/2*
Cannon Smith QB 6-1 175 Chatham, VA - 3*/3* - PREP
Sean Spence OLB 6-1 200 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Tommy Streeter WR 6-5 200 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
Vaughn Telemaque S 6-2 187 Long Beach, CA - 4*/4*
Kendal Thompkins WR 5-11 160 Miami, FL - 2*/3*
Brandon Washington OG 6-4 314 Miami, FL - 3*/4*
Jake Wieclaw K 6-1.5 175 New Lenox, IL - 2*/2*
[strike]Joseph Wylie S 6-2 190 Lauderdale Lakes, FL - 3*/3* [/strike]

2007 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #13 overall class - 3-5*, 9-4*, 4-3*, 2-2*, 0-N/R - 3.72* average
Rivals.com - #19 overall class - 2-5*, 5-4*, 8-3*, 2-2*, 1-N/R - 3.28* average

[strike]Daniel Adderly WR 6-6 215 Greenville, SC - 2*/2* [/strike]
Allen Bailey DE 6-3 260 Darien, GA - 5*/5*
Damien Berry S 5-11 194 Belle Glade, FL - 4*/4* - starts at RB
Jared Campbell CB 6-0 190 Aurora, CO - 3*/3*
Lee Chambers RB 5-10.5 189 Coffeeville, MS - 3*/3*
Graig Cooper RB 5-11 190 New Berlin, NY - 5*/5*
[strike] Kayne Farquharson WR 6-2 190 Torrance, CA - 5*/N-R - JUCO [/strike]
Harland Gunn OG 6-3 300 Omaha, NE - 4*/3*
Leonard Hankerson WR 6-3 195 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 4*/3*
Tyler Horn OT 6-5 290 Memphis, TN - 2*/2*
[strike]Robert Marve QB 6-2 190 Tampa, FL - 4*/4* [/strike]
[strike]Jermaine McKenzie WR 6-2 165 Bradenton, FL - 4*/4* [/strike]
[strike]Shawnbrey McNeil RB 5-10.5 180 Dallas, TX - 3*/3* [/strike]
JoJo Nichols S 6-2 195 Homestead, FL - 3*/3*
Adewale Ojome DE 6-3.5 220 Hialeah, FL - 4*/3*
[strike]Chris Perry DE 6-3 315 Keller, TX - 4*/3* [/strike]
Demarcus Van Dyke CB 6-1.5 157 Miami, FL - 4*/4*
[strike]Doug Wiggins CB 5-10.5 185 North Miami Beach, FL - 4*/4* [/strike]

2006 Recruiting Class

Scout.com - #14 overall class - 11-4*, 6-3*, 4-2* - 3.33* average
Rivals.com - #14 overall class - 10-4*, 8-3*, 3-2* - 3.33* average

Matt Bosher K 6-1 180 Jupiter, FL - 4*/3*
Graig Cooper RB 5-10 183 Memphis, TN - 3*/3*
[strike]Dedrick Epps TE 6-4 227 Richmond, VA - 4*/4* [/strike]
Joel Fiqueroa OL 6-5 330 North, Miami, FL - 2*/2*
[strike]Jason Fox OL 6-6.5 255 Ft. Worth, TX - 4*/4* [/strike]
Orlando Franklin OL 6-6 300 Delray Beach, FL - 2*/4*
Richard Gordon DE 6-5 265 New Berlin, NY - 3*/4* - starts at TE
[strike]Chavez Grant CB 5-10 175 Miami, FL - 4*/3* [/strike]
Ryan Hill CB 5-11 186 Tallahassee, FL - 4*/4*
Josh Holmes DT 6-3 262 San Diego, CA - 3*/4*
[strike]Javarris James RB 6-1 205 Immokalee, FL - 4*/4* [/strike]
[strike]Tervaris Johnson S 6-3 215 Miami, FL - 3*/4* [/strike]
[strike]Chris Lewis DE 6-2 235 Clovis, CA - 3*/3* [/strike]
Colin McCarthy LB 6-3 215 Clearwater, FL - 4*/3*
[strike]George Robinson WR 6-0 180 Miami, FL - 2*/2* [/strike]
Kylan Robinson RB 6-1 215 Tampa, FL - 4*/4* - starts at LB
[strike]Sam Shields WR 6-0 175 Sarasota, FL - 4*/4* [/strike]
[strike]Daniel Stegall QB 6-2 180 Greenwood, AR - 2*/2* [/strike]
[strike]Ian Symonette OL 6-9 330 Houston, TX - 4*/3* [/strike]
[strike]Chaz Washington DT 6-3 300 Destrehan, LA - 3*/3* [/strike]
[strike]Steven Wesley 6-3 235 Bartow, FL - 4*/3* [/strike]

Name Pos Ht Wt Hometown, State - Scout/Rivals
[strike] Indicates no longer with team [/strike]
Bold indicates starter


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Behind the Numbers

Sample Size: One
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As much as we like to have fun with the inane drivel spilling out of the mouths of sports talk-show hosts; one of them actually made a good point on Labor Day. Colin Cowherd of all people said something that actually bears repeating. If you have any departed relatives who were Michigan fans, you might want to send them some ice skates because their home just froze over.

Mr. Cowherd's comment wasn't necessarily brilliant, but it was a point worth making. To wit: You cannot draw broad conclusions from the results of the first weekend of college football games. While Colin's reasoning behind this point was not consistently relevant (or consistent), there are several reasons this is true.

First, the sample size is one. In statistics, this means that the result may be meaningless or downright misleading. In the second place, it is well known that the first week of college football is the week when you are MOST likely to get statistical outliers. In other words, when we assess the season after it is over, some of the results from last weekend will be the opposite of the general trend that they belie.






Predictably, much has been made about these results anyway. For the game in question, far too many people who should know better are suggesting that Saturday's game in the Horseshoe is a clash of equals. They cite the similarities in last Saturday's games:

• Both teams scored 45 points
• Both defenses gave up 0 points
• Both defenses scored touchdowns

All of the above are true... and irrelevant. This portion of the preview has a history of discarding numbers tallied against lower-division competition, and that isn't going to change this week. Miami's ability to dominate a bad Florida A&M team tells us nothing about their ability to handle the Buckeyes. The real question for these teams is: Where have they been, and where do they seem to be going?

Divergent Paths

Skipping over the much-discussed recent history between these programs, let's start with a look of the overall quality of both teams over the last 9 years (The Tressel Era). The most concise way of doing this is to distill the quality of each team down to one number. The number used at BtN is called Differential Scoring Composite (DSC) and it is computed thus:

The ratio of how many points a team scores to the average points surrendered by their opponents vs. everyone else is called Differential Scoring Offense (DSO). The corresponding number for defense has the acronym DSD, you can guess why. DSC is simply DSO divided by DSD. It thus provides a single number that measures a team's power.
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The graph below shows DSC for both teams over the past 9 years. In this graph and all those that follow, the number above each bar represents the team's National Ranking in the given metric for that year.

First Observation: Yes, Miami circa 2001 was an incredible team.

In 2002, those teams were very evenly matched. When one considers that Miami was still playing in the Big East, it is arguable that the numbers being that close indicates that the Buckeyes really were the better team, all things considered. In other words, the result of the game was not a fluke.

Finally, and getting around to the point, it is clear that the team deteriorated under Larry Coker. Since taking over in 2007, Randy Shannon has them on a path to being about as good as they were immediately after moving to the ACC. They did improve in his 2nd year and again in his 3rd. If they make the same level of improvement again, they will be back to being the Miami that they were after they fell off of their lofty perch atop the Big East.

In fact, considering the jump that Jim Tressel was able to make in his 2nd year, from 37th to 5th in DSC; it is conceivable that the Hurricanes will be a legitimate title contender this year. But back to their dynastic level? That graph makes it appear to be too steep a climb to reasonably expect.

Offense vs. Defense

The previous graph showed that the downward trend of DSC under Coker continued into Shannon's first year. What's interesting is how the Hurricanes maintained their downward momentum. The next two graphs, showing DSO and DSD over the last 9 years, tell the story.

Again, let's get the obvious out of the way first: In 2002 Miami had the much better offense and Ohio State had the much better defense. What is it that wins championships again?

Now take a look at the trends: For Miami, the offense fell off the table in 2006, and that is what got Larry Coker fired. Interestingly, the defense was still playing at a relatively high level; higher in fact than the 2002 defense. But that changed in a hurry under Shannon. During his first year, the offense improved slightly but the defense went off a cliff. That is how they continued the downward spiral; by reversing the downward trend on offense while allowing the Differential Defense numbers to skyrocket (Note to Richrod supporters: skyrocketing numbers are bad when they're defensive statistics). Whether that has more to do with emphasis, coaching or Coker's recruiting is a question that will likely be answered this year. If it was Coker's fault, then the Canes should be pretty good on defense this year; not by Buckeye standards, but certainly by their own.

The noteworthy trend for the Buckeyes is that their DSO number stays pretty constant around the Tressel-Ball level of 1.1-1.25 most of the time; but when The Vest has a quarterback he believes in (second half of 2005 and all of 2006), there is a significant jump in Differential Scoring Offense. So even if the Hurricanes do take another step up in DSO in 2010, it is not a given that they will stay ahead of the Buckeyes in this metric.

Can I See Some ID?

Even the most casual Buckeye fan knows that it is Rushing Defense that the Buckeye stop troops take the most pride in. The Silver Bullets are synonymous with smash-mouth, brick wall rushing defense. What the casual Buckeye fan may not know is that Miami was once as well known for its passing defense. The charts below represent numbers that show Miami getting away from their identity of late. These charts show Differential Rushing Defense and Differential Pass Efficiency (defense) for both teams.

Notice how Miami's DPE on defense has steadily declined over the past 9 years. They used to have average rushing defense and killer pass defense, but not so much anymore.

What's interesting is that Larry Coker got fired after the season for which he posted Miami's best rushing defense numbers of the past decade. That year was so out of character for Miami that, until John Lovett took over as Defensive Coordinator last year, 2006 was the only year where Miami was significantly better on rushing defense than on pass defense. It will be interesting to see if Coach Lovett continues the emphasis on rushing defense this year.

While Miami seems to continue to migrate away from their defensive identity, it is worth noting that Ohio State has had a disappointing season every time they have strayed from their own identity on defense. The only years when Ohio State was ranked higher in DPE than in DRD were 2001, 2004 and 2008. 2001 and 2004 were disastrous years by any standard, and 2008 was one of the biggest underperformances in Buckeye history given that team's experience level. Here's hoping the Buckeyes reestablish their identity in 2010.

The bar is set very high for the Buckeyes defensive identity. 2008-2009 was the first two year period in which Ohio State failed to be ranked 1st in DRD since 2001-2002. In other words, the Buckeyes pretty much have to be #1 in the country in DRD for 2010 to successfully claim what is theirs.

As for Ohio State's pass defense, it is interesting to note that defensive DPE has improved every year that Jim Tressel has coached at Ohio State. The national ranking hasn't always been better than the year before, but the DPE number has never failed to improve.

Conclusion

The team that does the most to establish its defensive identity will win this game. If the Buckeyes dominate the ground more than the Hurricanes dominate the air; Ohio State fans will be happy on Saturday evening.
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The Lighter Side

Well, week one is in the books. Ohio State had little trouble dispatching the Thundering Herd. The offense moved the ball at will and even offered a couple of trick plays. Of course, a pass to the TE is hardly a "trick play" in most play books, but we'll take it. On defense, the Buckeyes proved dominant even though the D-Line numbers don't necessarily show it. But, it's hard to get sacks when the QB is throwing the ball away within the first second and a half of receiving the snap. It's not like Brian Anderson is Shoelaces Robinson, after all.
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Speaking of Shoelaces, the Lighter Side has to confess Michigan's performance against the UConn Huskies came as a bit of a surprise. It was a decent game, and Michigan looked competent for the first time since... well.. this time last year. If we get in the DeLorean for a minute here we'll see that Michigan opened last season virtually the same way, with a 31-7 victory over Directional Michigan. If you roll down the window you'll hear various college football talking heads throw the name Tate Forcier around with the word "Heisman." As we'll get to in a moment, however, one game does not a season make. Look, Robinson had a good game. He was certainly more than UConn could handle. However, he's not a 22 carry a game running back and riding him like that game after game will get the poor fella killed. Indeed, even UConn was able to put a lick on him, knocking the speedy single winger to the sidelines. Interestingly enough, when Shoelaces had to sit down to collect himself, it was true freshman Devin Gardner who took the next game stats, not Forcier. Forcier was busy sulking alone on the bench, no doubt contemplating small schools to which he might transfer. Academic's will, of course, be priority number one (1).

Need more hype? How about Boise State? Frankly, the Lighter Side cannot understand how beating a perennial three loss team 33-30 constitutes a number one ranking among 8 voters who are supposed to know something about college football. Think of it this way, Ohio State jumps out to a 17-0 lead, and then fails to close the book resulting in the need of a last minute drive to eek out the victory. Would Ohio State move up two spots in the polls? Doubtful. It's week one, folks. Boise State is a good team, but they are far from impressive.

A few quick hitters:

Florida - Say what you want about Tim Tebow, but from what I saw against Miami of Ohio, the Gators need him back.

Oklahoma - SELL

Purdue - Loss. "Get used to it"

Going for two - Hat's off to the Downtown Athletic Club for taking a play out of Lane Kiffin's playbook. According to Yahoo Sports, the 2005 Heisman will be stripped from Reggie Bush's mantle. The replica which had been at USC has already been returned.

Now, then, on to the Miami Hurricanes. Of course this piece could argue about "The Call" but really, what's the point. To Ohio State fans and objective observers it was correct, even if a late flag. Ohio State did not win the game because of the call. They still had to score, which they did. Twice. The Buckeyes still had to stop the Canes from scoring, which they did - on a goal line stand. Nonetheless, Miami fans won't be convinced, so what's the point in re-hashing it once more? In fact, even if Miami fans perspective were credited - the crystal football is safely on Ohio State's campus, and there's no amount of complaining which will change that.

Instead, let's talk about something that fans actually have some control over. How about this: The Horseshoe is Hardly Hostile According to Steve Gorten, "The Horseshoe is over glamorized" and, even though it seats over 105,000, "the Big House in Ann Arbor seats six digits, too. And that's no house of horrors for opponents either." Well, Steve, Ohio State fans don't rely on shaking keys to make noise like they do up there in Whore-ville. As for the contention the Shoe is over glamorized, tell that to the USC fans who were heard remarking "We'll trade you Carroll for your stadium" after their visit last season. But, don't take my word for it. Take Vince Young's word for it. Vince, after a victory in 2005 remarked that Ohio Stadium was the loudest stadium he had ever played in.

And, let's make no mistake about this either. Damien Barry seems to believe "We're going to bring the whole city out. Everybody wants to come see us. They ain't coming just to see Ohio State." No, Damien, you're quite mistaken. It matters very little who the Buckeyes are playing. Ohio Stadium is filled every week the Buckeyes are home. Don't believe me? 105,040 people came out to see Ohio State play Marshall. Nonetheless, the Lighter Side understands why you don't get the significance - only 53,674 fans bothered to show up at your home opener. Sure, you were only playing a Division I-AA team, right? Against D-IAA Youngstown State, the 2008 home opener, the Buckeyes drew 105,011. Sure, you say, but both Marshall and Youngstown State are hardly "big time" like the Canes, right? In 2009, Ohio State hosted the Trojans. It was an Ohio Stadium record crowd: 106,033. That's 1,000 more people than the Marshall game. That's 1,000 more people than friggin Youngstown State. You think we're there to see Miami? Get over yourself. Bring the whole city out? Unlike Coral Gables, Ohio State could be playing Cumberland University and they'd still seat 105,000. It's what actual fans do to support their team. Not that you'd know anything about it.

In any event, as readers of this section know, the Lighter Side is never supportive of things like color outs, and key shaking and the like. But, when you've been "called out" like this, the Lighter Side has to change its tune a little bit. They think the Shoe is like the Big House? They think Clemson's a harder place to play? This Saturday, you get a chance to show them how wrong they are. When the Canes take their talents back to South Beach, make sure the only thing they can hear is the ringing in their ears.

Go Bucks.

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Traditions & Opponent Perspective

Team Name and Logo
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Why "Hurricanes?" There are two stories which describe the birth of the team nickname. The first claims that the 1927 football team selected the name in hopes that they would devastate opponents just as a September 1926 hurricane had done the local area. The second version instead claims that a news columnist in 1926 asked Porter Norris, an end for the team, what the team should be called. Upon being told that locals and University officials had been suggesting a name which was based on the local flora and fauna, Norris said there was no way to players would stand for it and suggested "Hurricanes" if for no other reason than the opening game of the 1926 season had been postponed because of the storm.

From time to time the name "Hurricanes" is re-considered in the Miami area owing to a fear of re-inforcing the idea that Miami, Florida, is perpetually weather beaten area teetering on destruction. Still, as one school official observed in the 1960s "Does anyone think Chicago is overrun by bears just because the town has a football team by that name?" and thus, the name remains.

The "U": Prior to commissioning a public relations expert to develop a distinct logo in 1973, the Canes had worn a variety of helmet and uniforms. Noting that there are many schools with the initials UM, the "U" was suggested as a logo by Bill Bodenhamer. Not only is the logo unique in college athletics, it lends itself to slogans like "U gotta believe" and "U is great" (Check the official site if you think we made up this one).

School Colors: Orange, Green & White

Selected in 1926, the school colors are intended to represent the Florida orange tree - Orange, obviously is the tree's fruit, green represents the leaves and white the blossoms.

Lil' Joe & Touchdown Tommy: A cannon fired by the Sigma Chi fraternity after a Miami score, "Touchdown Tommy" was preceded with "Lil Joe"

Four Fingers: A common sight in college football, Miami players and fans can be seen holding up 4 fingers at the beginning of the fourth quarter at every home football game. According to the official site, true Hurricane fans and players use the sign as a symbol that they own that last quarter.

The "Smoke": Beginning in the 1950s, the Hurricanes take the field through a smoke screen. The tradition began in an attempt to increase fan interest. The original idea was to use fire extinguishers to produce the smoke, but some 40 years ago the man who came up with the idea, Bill Nalette, welded some pipe together above the tunnel from which the Canes take the field. The same pipes are still used to this day. The original set up included flashing lights, a couple of hurricane flags and a sound track of a hurricane blasting over the Orange Bowl's PA system. The Canes no longer use the lights or the flags.

The Ring Of Honor: Established in 1997, the Ring of Honor was established to recognize the outstanding players that have passed through the Hurricane Football Program. Names and jersey numbers are added to the Ring of Honor on a regular basis by decade or position played and are on display in the stadium. According to former head coach Butch Davis, "There have been so many great players that have played at the University of Miami, that if we retired all their jerseys, we would not have enough numbers left to outfit a team, and would have to issue players triple digit jerseys."

Nonetheless, the first four inductees have had their jerseys retired. Their names were unveiled on November 1, 1997, during halftime of the Miami vs. Arkansas State game. Those players are: Jim Dooley, Ted Hendricks, George Mira and Vinny Testaverde.

Other inductees include, Ottis Anderson, Don Bosseler, Bernie Kosar, Burgess Owens, Edgerrin James, Jim Kelly, Cortez Kennedy, Jim Otto Bennie Blades and Gino Torretta.

The Tradition of the Ibis: A Bird of Courage. A Bird of Knowledge. A Bird of Strength And Speed. A leader of its species. Folklore maintains that when a hurricane approaches all birds look to the Ibis for leadership. The Ibis senses the storm and provides other wildlife with warning that it's time to take shelter. It is also the first bird to reappear after a storm. The University adopted the Ibis as its mascot in 1926 as it is said to represent leadership, courage, knowledge, strength and speed characteristics that student-athletes are expected to portray.

Sebastian: The "Ibis" motif had increasingly gain popularity since its inception and in 1957 San Sebastian Hall, a residence hall on campus, sponsored an Ibis entry in the homecoming celebration. The following season, a student named John Stormont dressed up in an Ibis costume and performed at games. Sebastian the Ibis has been on the sidelines ever since.

War Canoe Trophy: Carved and painted by Seminole Indians from felled Everglades cypress tree, the Canes and Florida Gators compete display an authentic Seminole war canoe. The canoe symbolizes strong spirit and fighting determination. The canoe is on display in UM's Sports Hall of Fame on campus.

Alma Mater: The Miami Alma Mater is as follows:

Southern suns and sky blue water,
Smile upon you Alma mater;
Mistress of this fruitful land,
With all knowledge at your hand,
Always just to honor true,
All our love we pledge to you.
Alma Mater, stand forever
On Biscayne's wondrous shore.

Cheerleading: Since its founding in 1925, Miami has had a long tradition of cheerleading. There are two cheerleading programs at Miami. The first is a coed team with 15 members, and then a female only team which is also 15 members. The teams cheer at football games and men's and women's basketball games as well as travel to some away football games and post-season play.

The University also sponsors a dance team, known as the Sunsations, which were founded in 1985.The team consists of 15 women who perform pom and stylized dances at home football games, and at men's and women's basketball games.

Both groups, Cheerleaders and Sunsations, are treated as athletes and have access to tutors, trainers and medical staff and some members even also receive a small book stipend.

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Historical Data

University of Miami Hurricanes (Coral Gables, FL) Founded in 1925

Football 1st Season: 1926
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Stadium: Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla)
Constructed: 1987 (Formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium, among other names)
Seating Capacity: 75,192
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (since 2004)
Colors: Orange and Green
Mascot: Hurricanes (Sebastian the Ibis)
College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1937 (first year of NCAA classification)
Conference Championships: No ACC Titles, 9 Big East Titles; 1991, 1992, 1994, *1995, *1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, *2003 (*=Co-Champions)
Consensus All-Americans: 35
College Hall-of-Famers: 7: 3 coaches: Jack Harding, Andy Gustafson, Don James 4 players: Ted Hendricks, Don Bosseler, Bennie Blades, Gino Torretta
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 4: Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Jim Kelly, Michael Irvin
Award Winners: 2 Heisman, 3 Maxwell, 2 Walter Camp POY, 2 Bednarik, 2 Nagurski, 1 Rimington, 2 Davey O'Brien, 1 Butkus, 1 Thorpe, 1 Mackey, 2 Unitas Goldem Arm, 2 Outland, 1 Rotary Lombardi
National Championships: 5; 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: 30 each
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Records

All Time: 544-314-19 (.631)
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Bowl Games: 18-15-0 (.545) Most recently a 20-14 loss to Wisconsin in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl
All Time vs the BigTen: 20-10-0 (.667) versus teams with conference membership at time of game.
All Time vs the Ohio State Buckeyes: 1-2 (.333) Most recently a 31-24 loss to the Buckeyes in 2003 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona (National Championship Game)
Coach's Reord: Randy Shannon, 2006, 22-17-0 (.564)

2010 Season: 1-0-0 (1.000)
Sep 02 Florida A&M W, 45-0
Sep 11 at Ohio State 3:40 PM ESPN
Sep 23 at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Oct 02 at Clemson TBA
Oct 09 Florida State TBA
Oct 16 at Duke TBA
Oct 23 North Carolina TBA
Oct 30 at Virginia TBA
Nov 06 Maryland TBA
Nov 13 at Georgia Tech TBA
Nov 20 Virginia Tech TBA
Nov 27 South Florida TBA

2011 Schedule
TBA
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Links

Official Sites:
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Official School Site - The University of Miami
Official Alumni Site - The University of Miami - Alumni
Student Newspaper - The Miami Hurricane
Official Athletic Site - Hurricane Sports
Official Conference Site - The Atlantic Coast Conference
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Message Boards & Team Pages:
Message Boards - CanesTime (Scout)
Message Boards - CaneSports(Rivals)
Message Boards - Inside The U (Independent)
Blog - AllCanes
Blog - The 7th Floor Blog
Blog - The Miami Hurricanes Blog
Blog - Eye on the U
Blog - FoxSport's Cane's Blog
Team Page - NCAA
Team Page - ESPN
Team Page - USA Today
Team Page - Fox Sports
Team Page - Sporting News
Team Page - CBS Sportsline
Team Page - CNN/SI
Team Page - Yahoo Sports/Rivals
Team Page - Covers

Local News Sources:
Miami Herald - Local News
Sun Sentinel - Local News
New Times - Local News
WFOR - Local News
WSVN - Local News
WTVJ - Local News

Team Previews and Breakdowns:
2010 Preview - Hurricane Sports
2010 Schedule/Results - Hurricane Sports
2010 Spring Roster - Hurricane Sports
2009 Game Notes - Hurricane Sports
2010 Media Guide - Hurricane Sports
2009 Overall Stats - Hurricane Sports
2010 Conference Stats - ACC
2010 ACC Media Guide - ACC
News Releases - Hurricane Sports
2010 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - NationalChamps.net
2010 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - The Inquisitr
2010 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - Fox Sports
2010 Miami Hurricanes Football Preview - RayCom

ACC Conference Previews and Breakdowns:
2010 Composite Schedule - ACC
2010 ACC News - ACC
2010 ACC Bowl Partners - ACC
2010 ACC Predictions - BleacherReport
2010 ACC Preview - National Football Post
2010 ACC Preview - USAToday
2010 ACC Preview - Off The Bag
2010 ACC Predictions and Preview - Don Best
2010 ACC Preview - College Football Poll
2010 ACC Preview - Opposing Views
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Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data
Hickok Sports - Data

Link to 2010 Miami Hurricanes Game Preview ​