Miami - Oklahoma 9/8/07 - Let the Hype Begin!!!

[jmh80]

You can see Rogue Drone in there somewhere (coughBozcough).
:ntome:

Love the music - but if I might remix this vid, I'd consider this:

 

[jmh80]

Not me. I stole his mullet, but he's much prettier than I.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Boz was not only a great collegiate LB, but he was on his way to a good Pro career, he was selected for the '87, I think it was, all rookie team.

He had three problems - He talked smack, that will be rewarded with extra punishment from opposing players, he was played in Seattle on the weak side and he was much better suited for the strong side and the biggest issue he had was he liked to tackle high and that ruined his shoulders, he was out of the league after three years because of that.

Hate this time of year, don't ya?
Way to long till September?
Yeah, me too, but I have MMA year round to get me through.

So, Miami.

What do you think Randy Shannon can and will do to get the Miami Offense back to being the Miami Offense?

If you were an opposing, say Bob Stoops, coach, how would you beat the Miami you predict will be on this year's field?

Give it a go, and I'll pop back sooner than of late and we'll make a thread of this.

Yes - ugh, after the NFL draft there is pretty much just the homerun derby (ehhh @ NBA playoffs).

Randy has alot of work to do - the first of it is to get the stale, "I don't give a sh*t" attitude moved out of the program.
Many of these kids aren't in as good of shape as they should be, IMO.

The X's and O's can come later. He's got to get these kids to play hard and together. If he does that - that's half the battle.

The biggest parts on offense that need help are 1) QB play 1A) O-line play.
I'm hoping that an open QB battle this off-season between Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman will motivate one of them. (Seems as if that much-ballyhooed just signed QB, Robert Marve, will redshirt.)

I really hope that Wright will finally feel some pressure and get his sh*t together.
Many of our fans don't think he has the mental toughness - nor the on/off-field leadership - to be a winning QB.

I'm not sure I believe that. He's got the talent though.
He needs to get better at decision making, not focusing on the pass rush (a better O-line would help this though), and not taking some many god-d*mn sacks! (Again - better OL would help that.)

The O-line speaks for itself. At times, they brought it (the discipline thing) and many times they didn't.
Pass blocking sucked major balls.
Run blocking did at times - but not as often IMO.
We'll have some newer guys starting.
But - stronger, better conditioned OL's would be an upgrade.
Along with less false starts/dumb penalties.

We need some more creativity with playcalling.
We'll gain quite a bit of run game creativeness with Craig Cooper (Mr. Outside) now enrolled to run along beside Javarrious James (Mr. Inside).
Cooper should be able to split out wide, sent out of the backfield on passes.
We'll FINALLY have an RB to throw the screen to - that can take it to the house on any given play.
We've missed that sort of RB since McGahee (see FSU 2002 - 70 yard screen pass).

I'm really excited about the running game.
Being that the OL was better at run blocking last year - and now with Cooper, I see some special stuff.
I don't think running the ball would be our issue in '07.

With the receivers and TE's - we need to find guys with heart and balls.
Too many guys last year (Greg Olsen included) just didn't give a hell.
Lance Leggett needs to benched at WR. He just doesn't try for anything that isn't a fly pattern.

Give the newly signed freshman a chance before him - make him earn it.

Sam Shields (sophomore) can be dangerous. He's got some good talent - but didn't get many chances to show it (and had freshman mistakes, understandable) last year.
Better QB play would go long towards Sam being a #1 WR (which he may be this year).

After Shields - it's thin.
I think our best bets (not sure of the status of Darnell Jenkins - he was looking for a medical red-shirt to play in '07, if not no more CFB) are the true freshman.
We got the Mississippi 60 meter champ (Lee Chambers) - that should allow us to do some things we haven't done since Andre Johnson was here (drag routes/slants).
We'll have a more possession/over the middle guy in Leonard Hankerson. That should help the QB - dude has great hands it seems.

There's another guy, Kylan Robinson, a red-shirt frosh that may play RB or WR - I'm not sure. He's a big dude - like 6'3" 220/230 lbs. He'd be a load at RB - may be better as FB - or a big time target at WR.
I'm not sure where he fits better - his high school competition wasn't so good.

The other thing on offense (well, sets up the offense) we need to get better at BIG TIME is special teams.
It was HORRIBLE in '06.
Might as well have had my white azz back there returning punts and kicks.

I'm looking at the 3 headed speedster monster of Craig Cooper/Lee Chambers/Shawnbrey Mcneal (TX state 100 m hurdle champ - small guy only 5'8" ala Roscoe Parrish) to take over the kick-off and punt return duties.
Better field position (less turnovers) here would really help the offense (QB position) quite a bit.


If I were Stoops - I'd make the UM QB (whomever it is) beat me. I'd load up 8 in the box - not respect the receivers/TE's - and go after the QB/stuff the run.

But - he'll be breaking in a new QB, so he should expect the same treatment.
Their QB will become infinitely familiar with THE best defensive player the US hasn't heard about - DE Calais Campbell. :woohoo:

 

[jmh80]

Here's an article that illustrates well why Randy will succeed and take the Hurricanes back to the top.
He WORKED to get to where he is in life. He has my total respect as a man - not just as a football coach.

ESPN.com - NCF - Shannon's life experiences keep football in perspective

 

[jmh80]

I believe it's on the previous head man, Coker, he allowed way too much slack to creep into that program.

100000% agreed. Where we are today is solely due to Coker, IMO. Just think - a mere 5 (or so) years ago, we won a national title (with kids brought up under Butch Davis). Now - 7 and 6.

At Miami, I have to think that a surface flash Gangsta mentality has become established, to
succeed, it has to be replaced with the collective daily discipline of a Soldier.

I would agree - though I'd add that we won in the past with a gangsta mentality (if you will) - we just had head coaches and (sometimes more importantly - see Ed Reed in 2001) players that held the rest of the team accountable and didn't let them play to 70% of their potential.

From what I've read thus far - I think Randy will mold the team into the soldier mentality that you mention.
I think he's already kicking the kids in the behind.
We'll see how that plays out on the field.