It’s the offseason so what do we do?  Our thoughts often wonder back to some of the past glory days to games we have attended.  Games that held us on the edge of our seats,  holding our breath.  Leaving the stadium in triumphant celebration or sometimes even in defeat just being happy to witness such a fantastic game.  Below is a listing of the top 5 Miami Hurricanes games I have attended.  They may not be the top 5 of all time but these are the games I was fortunate enough to feel as though I was a part of.

#5   Miami at  Georgia Tech (2012)

This game was a roller-coaster from the get go.  Miami jumped out to a 19-0 first quarter lead thanks in part to one of the weirdest kick-off blunders I have ever seen.  The Georgia Tech kick return fielded the kick-off at his own goal line,  lean forward,  then backwards and took a knee.  After review,  the referee award Miami with a safety.  Miami’s lead did not last long.  By halftime Georgia Tech came rambling back to take a 22-19 lead,  only to increase it to 36-19.  Miami went on to score the next 17 points to tie the game with Mike James scoring his second and third touchdown of the game on the 4^th quarter to tie the contest up and send it into overtime.  In the overtime period,  faced with a 4^th and 1 from the 2 yard line,  the yellow jackets rolled the dice only to get stuffed by LB Eddie Johnson.  Miami made quick work on their possession with a 25 yard sprint off tackle by Mike James for his 4^th and game winning touchdown.

FINAL SCORE:  Miami 42   GT  36

#4   Miami at  Virginia Tech (2011)

If you have never been to Blacksburg,  VA you need to get there.  This is one of the most prettiest places in the fall and one of the best venues to watch a football game.  Great fans,  great area and great food.  Anyways,  the Canes fell behind early,  somewhat in part to a fake field goal early in the 1^st quarter.  By halftime the Canes found themselves down 21-7 and Logan Thomas was having the game of his life picking apart the Miami defense with his arm and his feet.  Miami fought back in the 3^rd quarter to cut the lead to 10.  Miami went on to score 3 touchdowns in the 4^th with the last one being a 30 yard run by Lamar Miller to take a 35-31 lead with  2:51 left.  But that was too much time left.  Logan Thomas drove VT back to the Miami 19 yard line.  Facing a 4^th and 1 with under a minute to play  he called his own number on a quarterback option and no one was home in the middle as he took it in for the score.  Miami had a few desperation chances at the end but the Hokies came out on top 35-31.  It was a fantastic comeback by the Canes but they just fell short.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia Tech 35   Miami 31

#3  FSU at Miami  (2000) AKA  Wide Right III

This was my first Miami FSU game I was able to witness first hand.  I had a GA seat in the temporary side of the end zone so I got there early and grabbed a spot in the front row.  Miami jumped out to an early lead against the Number #1 ranked Seminoles.  At the half the Canes had a 17-0 lead.  But FSU refused to give up that easily and came storming back to take a 24-20 lead with 1:37 left in the game.  No worries,  we got Kenny.  Dorsey drove the troops down the field  in a little over a minute and hit Jeremy Shockey with a short pass over the middle for the go ahead touchdown with :46 remaining.  Not to be cheated,  Chris Weinkie (who I believe played this game at 27 years of age)  drove FSU down the field with a chance to tie the game,  but a 47 yard field goal attempt went wide right.  Sound familiar?

FINAL SCORE: Miami 27   FSU 24

#2  FSU at Miami  (2002) AKA  Wide Left I

Miami came into this game ranked #1 but that did not faze the #12 ranked Seminoles.  Too many times FSU had been the #1 team only to be knocked off by their big brothers.  Miami trailed in this game 27 – 14 with 11 minutes left.  Once again Ken Dorsey corralled the troops and got Miami going.  Big plays by Andre Johnson and Willis McGahee rekindled the Hurricanes’ thoughts of back-to-back national titles.  FSU got the ball back with 2:05 left after a poor punt by Miami and after 2 completions by FSU qb Chris Rix to Talman Gardner,  FSU was in position for a game winning field goal.  I truly believe that wide right was in place kicker Xavier Geita’s mind and he overcompensated and pulled the attempted wide left on a 42 yard attempt.  I was sitting in the second row of the end zone and ball would have landed in my lap if it was not caught by the screen.  What a game!

FINAL SCORE: Miami 28  FSU 27

#1   Floriduh vs Miami (2003)

On a beautiful South Florida night, the dirty stinking lizards came into the Orange Bowl.  It was a great day for me personally as my wife and I had learned early that morning that our second child was just less than nine months away.  She, my wife,  decided to come to the game with me.  We got there early and scouted for tickets.  Luckily for us an alumni member decide to sell to a few Canes fans rather than the throng of scalpers begging him for the seats.  Game started off with Devin Hester taking the opening kickoff over 100 yards to put Miami up.  It was pretty much downhill after that for the first half as Miami found themselves not only being beaten on the scoreboard but in every facet of the game.  The second half did not start off any better and before you knew it,  the gators were up 33-10 midway through the 3^rd quarter.  Some don’t believe it but I do.

This is when Brock Berlin’s blood went from Blue to Green as he lead the Canes back from the jaws of defeat to victory.  Hitting Kevin Beard on a 26 yard slant for the TD and then Ryan Moore for the 2 point conversion got the Canes back to 33-18.  Next drive Brock hooked up with Kevin Beard again.  This time for 62 yards to the one and Frank Gore punched it in.  This made it 33-25 at the start of the 4^th.   Miami’s defense came to light and continued to shut down Chris Leak and the gators offense.  Miami got the ball back and with the help of Frank Gore,  Kellen Winslow and finally a 6 yard TD pass to Ryan Moore and the Canes were within 2.  With plenty of time left Miami went for the 1 point conversion.  Looking back at the game I can’t recall why but who cares.  Miami’s defense held again and Brock went to work with just under 6 minutes left to play.  After driving down to the Florida 34 yard line,  Miami was faced with a 4^th and one.

Brock had come out for the previous play and was obviously limping.  The field goal attempt would have given the Canes a 2 point lead but coach Larry Coker made one of the gutsiest calls of his career.  Berlin took the snap and after a fake hand-off to Gore he ran a naked boot-leg for 6 yards and another Miami Hurricanes….first down.  A few plays later Frank Gore took a hand-off through the right side for an 11 yard touchdown run.  After a 2 point conversion the Canes were up  38-33.  Chris Leak drove the gators down to the Miami 20 yard line with time running low but an interception by Alfonso Marshall sealed the Canes victory.  Highlight of the game was Berlin running over to the Gators section and delivering a Gator chomp followed by a throat slash.  One of those images I will always remember.

FINAL SCORE: Miami 38 Florida 33

Everybody has favorite games they recall attending. May have been just the right time or perhaps you attend this with a close friend you had not caught up with in a while.  Feel free to share some of your Hurricane game day experiences with everybody.

Go Canes!

Invites you to attend its annual
UM Coaches Breakfast
Friday June 14th at 8AM
Riviera Country Club
1155 Blue Road, Coral Gables

Join fellow Miami Touchdown Club members and friends at an exclusive event with the University of Miami assistant and position coaches. Throughout the breakfast, coaches will share stories, talk X’s and O’s and discuss the upcoming Hurricanes football season.

•WHAT: UM Coaches Breakfast

•WHEN: Friday, June 14th @ 8AM

•WHERE: Riviera Country Club, 1155 Blue Road, Coral Gables, FL 33146

•PRICE: Members $25 / Guests $40

•RSVP option1: Email rsvp@miamitouchdownclub.com

•RSVP option2: Call the TD Club hotline at 305-477-1815

•RSVP DEADLINE: June 7th

University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Introduces K.C. Jones as President and Names Other Officers, 2008 Hall Inductee, Two-Time Super Bowl Winner with Denver Broncos Begins 2013-2015 Term

MIAMI, May 9, 2013 – The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF) today introduced K.C. Jones as president and named the other officers who will help guide UMSHoF through its planned renovation and expansion. Jones is an independent financial advisor with LPL Financial in Coral Gables, Fla. A 2008 hall inductee, he was a four-year starter for the Miami Hurricanes football team who earned recognition as one of the best college centers as a 1996 All-American and for three years was named to the All Big East first team. Following his playing career at Miami, he earned two Super Bowl rings in four seasons with the Denver Broncos.

The UMSHoF’s other officers who will serve for the 2013-2015 term are:

Gerard Loisel, President-Elect
Richard Horton, Vice President
Marc O’Connor, Treasurer
Tracy Kerdyk, Secretary
Wally DiMarko, Immediate Past President
John Routh, Executive Director

“Our officers are beginning their term at a pivotal time for the UMSHoF,” said Jones. “Not only are we preparing for our largest annual fundraising event, the Celebrity Dolphin Fishing Tournament June 28 and 29, we are finalizing our plans for the renovation and expansion of the facility on the University of Miami campus. It is clear that the UMSHoF has exceeded the vision of its founders. We want to make it a destination for UM fans nationwide who visit us in Coral Gables or on the Web. Ultimately, we intend to unveil a new website on which fans can experience Hurricanes sports history and participate in online auctions of unique sports memorabilia.”

About the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Dolphin Fishing Tournament

Ray Lewis, a former Hurricanes linebacker and two-time Super Bowl winner with the Baltimore Ravens, will host this year’s activities June 28 and 29 in Islamorada, Fla. The schedule includes a captain’s meeting, full day of fishing, awards dinner and live and silent auctions involving sports memorabilia as well as a variety of gift packages. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to anglers in eight categories. A portion of the tournament proceeds will go to The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys and the UMSHoF. For information about tournament participation, including boat entry or sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.canesfish.com, send an email to info@canesfish.com.

Former Hurricanes sports stars slated to participate include NFL Hall of Fame Inductee and 2012 Tournament Host Warren Sapp (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders), NFL Hall of Fame Member Ted Hendricks (Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders), Brett Romberg (Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons), Gary Dunn (Pittsburgh Steelers), Damione Lewis (St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Houston Texans), and Randal Hill (Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints).

About the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF)

Nestled on the Coral Gables campus of the University of Miami, the UMSHoF is a 501(c)(3) corporation whose sole purpose is to recognize those student athletes, coaches and administrators who have contributed the most to Hurricanes Athletics over the years. The showcase for the UMSHoF and repository of the great sports traditions of the University of Miami is the Tom Kearns Sports Hall of Fame Building, next door to the Hecht Athletic Center on San Amaro Drive. On display are photos of each of the inductees, the National Championship Trophies for University of Miami football and baseball, as well as the Heisman Trophies of Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta. The UMSHoF display includes basketball memorabilia from the Rick Barry years along with items from all of the university sports programs. For information about planning a visit, participating in one of the annual fundraising event or contributing to the UMSHoF, visit http://www.umsportshalloffame.com, send an email to umsportshalloffame@aol.com or contact John Routh directly at (305) 284-2775

Oh… that’s right. Fans of the opposing team. Grown men who will chase you into the concourse of Wallace Wade Stadium to taunt you because you were a little emphatic with your singing of the fight song when Duke Johnson scored his eleventy touchdowns. Almost getting in a fight at Choke Campbell Stadium in 2009 for sneaking in to the student section and refusing to put my awesome foam []_[] hands down so the hillbilly behind me could watch his team lose. Men in Jorts who will roll up their posterboard proclaiming their homosexual feelings for Tim Tebow to use it as a spanking device on me while singing a dirty version of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” 6’5″ Irish pro hockey players buying you beer at Soldier Field because your wide receivers can’t catch a ball unless the temp outside is 80+ degrees. Okay maybe the last one wasn’t as bad … but still. It’s a jungle out there and as a superfan, you need to plan ahead.

Well, the fine folks at the Hurricane Ticket Office have a solution for you and if you are a Hurricane Club member, it starts NOW! Between today and May 31st, you may submit your requests for the away games of your choice. To request tickets, click HERE or call the Hurricane Ticket Office at (305) 284-2263.

Starting the week of June 3, the Hurricane Ticket Office will notify all accounts via email as to whether their requests were fulfilled.

Here is the fine print:

• Tickets may be requested for all away games, though there is no guarantee your requested games will be fulfilled.
• Tickets and location will be assigned on a priority point basis within donor levels and will be shipped once assigned. Seat locations will be determined 2-3 weeks prior to each game.
• Please note for the away game at Pittsburgh, tickets have two different price points: $35 & $25. Should requests exceed UM’s allotment of $35 tickets, and you are seated in the $25 seats, you will automatically be refunded the difference.
• When requesting your tickets, your credit card will be charged. Should UM be unable to fulfill your request, you will automatically be refunded.

And, in case you don’t have the away game schedule permanently burned into your memory, here it is, along with the ticket price:

GO ‘CANES!!!

• Brandon McGee – Drafted in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft as the 149th pick by the St. Louis Rams
• Mike James – Drafted in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft as the 189th pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Jeremy Lewis – Undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft and signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Ramon Buchanan – Undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft and signed by the Seattle Seahawks
• Ray-Ray Armstrong – Undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft and signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Rams

McGee is the 12th Miami Hurricane drafted by the Rams and the first since Damione Lewis in 2001; James is the 13th Hurricane drafted by the Buccaneers and the first since Nate Webster in 2000. With the selections, Miami now has had at least NFL draft pick in each of the last 39 years, one of the longest streaks among FBS programs.

This isn’t exactly breaking news, and is also not the point of this article. Rather, this NFL Draft should serve as evidence of exactly how far down this program had gotten by the time our fearless handsome leader, Al Golden, took over.

With players from the MAC conference, other ACC schools, as well as a couple dozen players from rival schools getting picked up like crazy, there really wasn’t much for ‘Canes fans to talk about until Saturday afternoon.

The good news is, we don’t have a bunch of players foolishly jumping ship before they should, thus, we have a short list here. The bad news is, we really don’t have any players worthy of a pick in the first night whether they left early or not. Linder and Henderson may be there next year, and Duke Johnson the year after that, but that is the closest the ‘Canes are to sniffing a return to the first round.

I think all of us as fans should take a moment to let it sink in exactly where we are, and what we have been able to do with the lack of personnel on the field.

There is plenty of talent behind these new pros, but it is up to them and the coaches to take that talent to the next level and show it on the field during games.

Until then, we really have no business talking about other teams that “underachieved.” We can only be thankful that perhaps the playing field is going to be a little more even this fall.

Congratulations to the players listed above. We wish you a long career in the NFL and look forward to cheering for you on Sundays.

GO ‘CANES!