Florida A&M @ Miami preview
Hard Rock Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2009 ) Florida A&M 16, Miami 48
Miami head coach Randy Shannon will try his best to keep his team’s focus solely on Thursday night’s season opener against Florida A&M at Sun Life Stadium, but you can’t blame the Hurricanes for taking a peek at what lies ahead on the schedule.
The Hurricanes have won the past seven games against FAMU by an average of 43.7 points, and this year’s matchup is expected to be a similar blowout.
FAMU is coming off an 8-3 season. The Rattlers should have a strong running game, and they expect to be a contender for the MEAC title. But the only thing the Rattlers have in common with Miami is the fact that both schools are located in the Sunshine State. That other school in Tallahassee creates far more concern for Miami fans than the Rattlers.
This game essentially will be a tuneup for a brutal four-game stretch in which UM will visit Ohio State (Sept. 11), Pitt (Sept. 23) and Clemson (Oct. 2) before returning home for an Oct. 9 date with rival Florida State. By that time, we’ll know if the ‘U’ is back.
Expectations in Coral Gables have not been as high as they are this season since the Hurricanes joined the ACC in 2004. After winning or sharing nine Big East titles from 1991 to 2003, UM still is searching for its first ACC championship.
There was a time not long ago when the Hurricanes annually were mentioned as national championship contenders. However, in the past three years under Shannon, they have not finished higher than third in the six-team ACC Coastal Division, much less be included in the national title discussion.
However, since Shannon took over a UM program that essentially was broken and had lost its renowned swagger, the Hurricanes have steadily shown progress. They won five games in Shannon’s first year, seven his second season and were 9-4 in 2009.
Miami enters the 2010 season with a roster that’s as talented across the board as any during Shannon’s tenure. Offensive tackle Orlando Franklin, defensive end Allen Bailey and cornerback Brandon Harris are potential first-round selections in next April’s NFL Draft. The receiving corps might be the best in the ACC. And if junior quarterback Jacory Harris, who passed for 24 touchdowns last season, can cut down on his interceptions (he threw 17 last year), this could be a dangerous team once again.
There also will be no distractions involving Shannon’s job security, at least in theory, since he signed a new four-year contract in May. There was more good news when tackle Seantrel Henderson, the top recruit in the nation, transferred to Miami from Southern Cal after it was slapped with NCAA sanctions.
The consensus among Canes fans is that it’s time the ‘U’ is the ‘U’ again in college football. In other words, it's time to resume winning conference titles and become a part of the national championship discussion.
It all begins Thursday night, and the way to signal the Canes again mean business is to crush a huge underdog opponent like FAMU. Look for that to happen, and then they can quickly turn their complete attention, with Shannon’s blessing, to the Buckeyes.