‘Dudes everywhere’ Saturday in Death Valley. Miami seeks first win vs. No. 1 since 2000
The Last time a No. 7 Miami football team met a No. 1 Clemson in 2017 there was a “hit list’’ that the Hurricanes used in their minds to propel them through each team that had wronged them in the past.
There was Florida State and North Carolina and Virginia Tech and gloriously Notre Dame. The Canes mowed them all down before getting to the Tigers, who had handed them the worst loss in their proud history in 2015, which got the UM head coach fired the next day.
So much for the hit-list strategy, as Clemson pummeled UM 38-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game where it counts: the football field.
But on Saturday, when a different No. 7 Miami (3-0, 2-0 ACC) meets a different, but still exquisitely gifted No. 1 Clemson (3-0, 2-0), there will be no mind games used to help propel the Canes. This time, it seems, it’s mano vs. mano, an expected four-quarter struggle that UM players have underplayed for two weeks. This time, it seems, it really is a business trip.
The programs will collide for the first time since that title game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC) at Clemson Memorial Field — otherwise known as Death Valley — in Clemson, South Carolina, a crowd of 20,000 (COVID-19 limitations) to witness a rare top-10 matchup during the regular season. It’s UM’s third consecutive game where ESPN’s popular College GameDay will be on site.
‘Good vibes’
“We have good vibes right now,’’ said UM quarterback D’Eriq King, the Hurricanes’ highest profile player and FBS record-holder (consecutive games with rushing and passing touchdowns) who is playing well enough to make most believe the Canes have at least a shot in this game. “I think we’re meshing really well.’’
However, that doesn’t preclude the fact that the Tigers were a 14-point favorite as of Thursday.
“The main thing is the main thing and that’s to win,’’ said UM senior safety Amari Carter, who had four tackles, including a tackle for loss and sack, in the 2017 game. “Honestly, this team, this program, we give respect when it’s due and we believe that’s the right thing to do. But at the end of the day we’re playing football.’’
“We have a more mature team and we’re ready for the challenge,’’ said fifth-year senior linebacker Zach McCloud, who registered two tackles against Clemson in 2017.
Clemson, led by quarterback and prospective 2021 top NFL Draft pick Trevor Lawrence and vaunted running back Travis Etienne, has never lost a regular-season game as the nation’s No. 1 team in the Associated Press rankings. The Tigers won the national championship in the 2016 and 2018 seasons, were the runners-up to LSU last season, and have won 32 consecutive regular-season games.
Ages since beating No. 1
Miami hasn’t defeated a No. 1 team since 2000, when the 19th-ranked Canes handled top-ranked Florida State the year before they went on to win their last of five national championships.
UM coach Manny Diaz was asked about another “statement game’’ on his 2020 slate.
“Statement games are always statement games until there’s another statement game,’’ Diaz said. “That goal post of whatever statement you’re trying to make always moves regardless. We’re trying to get ourselves in a position where playing these games is not extraordinary for Miami anymore.
“This is how you build a program to be in these positions and have it feel natural and normal, which is exactly [how it is] for Clemson.
“We’ve got to win the battle of turnovers. We’ve got to win the battle of explosive plays. And third down and red zone are going to be crucial in this game. For the players and coaches alike, it’s still just going to be decided by the things that decide football games.’’
‘Dudes everywhere’
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was not short of praise for the Hurricanes. “Got the biggest challenge we’ve had all year for sure,’’ he said. “They got dudes everywhere — pretty easy to see when you turn the film on.
“The good news is we are 3-0 and we haven’t come near to playing our best football yet.”
Swinney, however, seemed miffed at being asked if the matchup of top-10 ACC teams serves as a reminder that the conference has good teams.
“I ain’t worried about none of that,’’ Swinney said. “I really don’t care about what other people think. We play good people every year. We’ve been in four national championship games, five playoffs, and we’ve had to earn our way there. You’re either good enough or you’re not to win those types of games. And the main reason we’ve won those games is because of what we see week in and week out.
“People make up their own narratives that are often times not reality. This is a really good team that we are getting ready to play.’’
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 10:12 AM.
