miami spice breaks down the biggest canes game in years...

Giant game tonight – doesn’t get any bigger for this program.  Miami plays Georgia Tech, who has owned the U for three years in a row.

We win, and barring a choke job of epic proportion against NC State, we will play in the ACC Championship game for the shot at a BCS bowl berth. 

Five quick keys to the game:

 

• Assignment football. In order to stop the triple option, there can be no freelancing, no lack of discipline.  If the QB is your assignment, you hit the QB every play, whether he’s holding the ball or not.  Randy Shannon played for some of the most disciplined defenses in Canes history, shutting down both the vaunted Nebraska and Oklahoma option offenses.  Let’s see if he can instill that – along with Bill Young – in the young kid on defense.
• You have to get off your block and put your helmet in the ball carriers chest.  Tackle high and try and create turnovers.  Every other game you’re looking low, to wrap guys in the open field.  The option requires a dramatic change in approach.
• Does the pressure get to the kids?  It is absurd how young this team is.  We have true freshman starting at both WR spots (in fact, they make up 4 of the top 6 deep), a RS frosh and true frosh splitting time at QB, true freshman starting at both DE spots, a true freshman playing 75% of the snaps at OLB (but not starting) and another getting 50% of the snaps at DT, a true freshman at a corner spot, and a true freshman at starting FS.  There are 21 freshmen that are getting significant playing time this year.  The games are getting bigger every week – hopefully they are up to the challenge.
• Play this defense the way other teams play our defense.  Big, fast and athletic, these guys will come get you.  Lets see lots of misdirection plays, QB draws, and screens to Coop and JJ – take advantage of their over pursuit to create mismatches.
• The cold.  Many of the kids on this roster – especially the RS and true freshman – have never played a game below 60 degrees.  Forecast for game time is in the high 20s.  I have personal experienced how miserable – and distracting – the cold can be when you’ve never experienced it before.  I hope they brought their thermals.

 

By the way, they list the official UM-NYC game watch site as being here, Brother Jimmy's Murray Hill (181 Lexington Ave., corner of 31^st and Lexington Ave), if you’re so inclined.