Are the Miami Hurricanes ‘back’? Clemson just answered emphatically — yet again | Opinion
If you are straining to see the glass half full here, as opposed to, say, shattered in shards, you can look purely at the math and say that Saturday night marked progress for the University of Miami football program.
There is that, at least.
Still, if this was the measuring-stick game, that stick just whomped Canes football on the butt, upside the head and every which way. This was a spanking. This was, alas, Clemson. Again. And a thorough, put-you-in-your-place comeuppance. Again.
You know how Miami fans pining for a return to glory always are looking for signs The U is “back”?
The Clemson Tigers keep being the damned answer. And it isn’t the one UM wants.
In 2015, it was Tigers over Canes 58-0, in the home loss that pretty much ran coach Al Golden out of town.
In 2017, it was 38-3, Clemson, in the ACC Championship Game, perhaps the start of Mark Richt deciding he really didn’t love coaching all that much anymore.
In 2020, Saturday night, it was Miami losing by 42-17, in a lopsided game before an unhealthily large South Carolina crowd in a pandemic. It never really felt that close. Was there a minute you ever felt an upset coming?
Clemson dominated clock, yardage, everything.
In the duel of Heisman Trophy-candidate quarterbacks, only one emerged as still that. Trevor Lawrence threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns to D’Eriq King’s 121 yards (12 for 28) and two interceptions before backup N’Kosi Perry mopped up.
UM’s first TD came courtesy a rare coaching gaffe by Dabo Swinney. As the first half waned he inexplicably called for a 61-yard field goal try. It was blocked and returned 48 yards into the end zone by DJ Ivey as time expired.
Miami had the best kicker in the game. That was about it.
King had a 56-yard run and a 42-yard pass but otherwise the highlights on either side of the line were rare to find.
Penalties hurt UM, but not nearly as much as Clemson’s talent advantage did.
Miami has now lost four games in a row when playing with a top-10 ranking. That is not “back.”
A lot of teams have their nemesis opponent. Unfortunately, UM’s personal bully happens to be a national powerhouse from its own conference, the towering roadblock to Miami’s full return to elite prominence. The Canes’ road to “back,” to competing for national championships again, runs through Clemson.
Uh oh, as we keep being reminded.
UM head coach Manny Diaz was defensive coordinator for that loss in ‘17 loss to Clemson. He called it a “learning experience.”
Lessons learned were not evident Saturday night.
In fairness, Miami is obviously vastly improved from last years’ 6-7 disappointment. But Clemson is on another level. Another planet, perhaps.
Both teams were 3-0 entering this game. Clemson was ranked No. 1 in the nation and you knew why. Miami was ranked No. 7 and you wondered if that was high.
Saturday sort of answered both ends of that.
A perfunctory 31-14 home win over smaller UAB, a big 47-34 road triumph at ranked Louisville, then a 52-10 home smothering of down rival Florida State put in top-10 land in this weird college season, but really told us very little about how good the Canes really were.
Saturday would. And it happened on a major prime-time, national stage on ABC. “At Clemson” are the two scariest words in the sport these days, for Miami especially.
Clemson was a 14-point favorite and you almost wanted to think, “That’s all?”
Diaz rightly called it, “A great opportunity for us to test ourselves.” The grade on his paper might make him wince.
Essentially, Clemson is what the Canes used to be in the glory years, with those five national championships from 1983 to 2001. And what Miami strives to be again.
“We’ve got to get our program where it’s the same way,” said Diaz — not of UM greatness past, but of Clemson now.
In the past three most recent meetings between the schools Miami has been outscored by 138-20.
UM’s losing margins have shrunk from 58 to 35 to 25.
That is progress, technically.
Still, the best answer to “Are the Canes back?” might continue to start with another question:
Any chance Clemson can somehow be expelled from the ACC?
This story was originally published October 10, 2020 at 11:20 PM.
