CATEGORY 6

It's all about . . . The U!!!

Tag Archives: Ed Reed

Category 6 2013 Very Early UM Mock Draft.

This year’s NFL Draft failed to elevate Miami back to “NFL U”. There were disappointments, (Lamar Miller lasting all the way to the Phins in the 4th Round & Marcus Fortson being undrafted) pleasant surprises (The Steelers taking Sean Spence in the 3rd & Olivier Vernon by the Dolphins in the same round), and of course the expected (Jacory Harris & Laron Bryd going undrafted). The remaining ‘Canes are a young team, so it might be a few more years before they again dominate the stage on NFL Draft Day. Nonetheless today we take a look in our crystal ball at next year’s class (early entries omitted) and take a stab at where they may go and why.

Where will Ray Ray Amstrong go in the Draft next year, you ask?

 

Ray Ray Armstrong, S. 6’4 215. 1st Round Dallas Cowboys. Amstrong becomes the first ‘Cane since Kenny Phillips in 08′ to get picked in the 1st Round. Following a huge senior year Ray Ray finds his way to the top of the Cowboys board and joins Morris Claiborne in a very young and talented secondary. Jerry Jones starts to fit the team for Super Bowl rings immediately after the selection.

Vaughn Telemaque, S. 6’2 211. 3rd Round Baltimore Ravens. With the  proud & legendary career of Ed Reed winding down, the Ravens take a stab at another UM safety who was once compared by Randy Shannon to Reed.

Mike James, RB. 5’11 222. 3rd Round Green Bay Packers. The rugged James draws raves for his goal line running and sure hands out of the backfield. Lack of breakaway speed and lost carries to Duke Johnson keeps him on the board this long. Aaron Rodgers has a new weapon.

Mike James has a nose for the end zone.

Brandon McGee, CB. 6’0 190. 3rd Round New York Jets. Coach Rex Ryan and staff barely hold on to their jobs after another disappointing year. They draft McGee to replace the overrated Antonio Cromartie,  who they subsequently trade for a seventh rounder.

Darius Smith, DT. 6’2 360. 4th Round New England Patriots. Brought in to back up and learn from  the ageless Vince Wilfork, another former UM star at DT,

Jake Wieclaw, K. 6’2 195. 7th Round Washington Redskins. After former Seminole Graham Gano costs the team a few games, Mike Shanahan demands they draft a new kicker.

Andrew Swasey, DB. 5’10 205. 7th Round New York Giants. The Giants love DBs from the U, and Swasey uses a surprisingly impressive senior season to get an NFL look.

Ramon Buchanan, LB. 6’1 222. 7th Round Miami Dolphins. The Phins also love UM products. Buchanan gets a shot despite losing playing time to younger players as the season progresses.

CJ Holton, FB. 6’1 240. UFA Cleveland Browns. The Browns bring in the powerful Holton to lead block for Trent Richardson and play special teams.

Kendal Thompkins, WR. 5’10 182. UFA Buffalo Bills. Thompkins impresses Buffalo enough with his quickness to get a look in training camp.

 

While more players could make this list should they leave early, we expect most of UM’s underclassmen to stay as Al Golden and company start to build something special in Coral Gables.

Stay tuned for more projections as the season gets closer.

Here’s a look at current UM Alumni in the NFL (special thanks to procanes.com)

Category 6 Breaks down UM Football Post Spring!!

Miami’s spring concluded this Saturday with the annual spring game. The Orange team defeated the Green 7-6 in what amounted to either sloppy offense, great defense, or a little from both column A and a little from column B. With Stephen Morris out until summer practice, Memphis transfer Ryan Williams had a great opportunity to get a leg up on the QB competition. All indications are that the battle will continue into the fall, with Williams appearing to be the more accurate of the two (despite the rough outing in the spring game) and Morris clearly having the bigger arm. In addition to the upcoming battle for the starting QB position here are some other things to consider as the ‘Canes get ready for the fall:

# 11 Ryan Williams will battle Stephen Morris for the starting QB job.

Freshman QBs Gray Crow and Preston Dewey both appear to be redshirt candidates heading into the fall. While both have tremendous upside, neither looks to be in position to challenge as a starter at this stage in their careers……

The most improved unit on the team could be Defensive Back.

“I really like how the DBs moved around and swarmed to the ball”,

said Carnell Jenkins, who attended the spring game at Sun Life Stadium.

“Brandon McGee looked especially good.”

McGee joins freshman Larry Hope and transfer Ladarius Gunter having nice springs, as well as veteran Ray Ray Amstrong. The unit will get even better when incoming freshman Deon Bush and Tracy Howard arrive in the fall. Could the days when guys like Ed Reed, Phillip Buchanon, and Mike Rumph dominated, be returning?…….

Miami's current group of DBs may be the best since the days of Ed Reed.

Speaking of the DBs, Miami’s depth chart currently lists AJ Highsmith as the starter at Strong Safety over Senior Vaughn Telemaque. Telemaque came to UM with a lot of hype but has had an up and down career.  Look for VT to regain his starting role by the fall and provide veteran leadership to a young and talented secondary…..

While the DBs maybe the most improved, the O-Line should be the best unit on the team.  Here’s a look at how they could line up:

LT Malcolm Bunche: the massive and talented Bunche may eventually be supplanted by Seantrel Henderson, but for now the job appears his to lose.

LG Jermaine Johnson: Something tells me come fall, Jon Feliciano will be manning this spot. Feliciano line up last year at RT, but appears to have the power and mean streak of a top line guard.

C Shane McDermott: McDermott could be a future all conference player.

RG Brandon Linder: Linder is as talented as McDermott, and could play C should he falter.

RT Seantrel Henderson: Perhaps the most talented player regardless of position on the roster, Seantrel could end up at LT. This guy is a future NFL 1st rounder……….

If Seantreal Henderson stays healthy, he could be a beast.

With the group above leading the way Mike James, Eduardo Clements, and freshman Duke Johnson & Dallas Crawford might get chances to break some long runs this year.

Sophmore DE Anthony Chickillo is coming off a tremendous freshman year, and should produce double-digit second numbers this season.

The sky is the limit for Anthony Chickillo

WRs Rayshawn Scott and Phillip Dorsett had solid springs. Scott was awarded the most improved offensive player by the coaches, and could team up with Dorsett and Sophomore Allen Hurns to form a nice trifecta of targets for the ‘Canes.

 

Summary: Miami has some nice pieces but remains a very very young team. The QB position remains a huge question mark. Either Williams or Morris will have to exceed expectations for UM to challenge for their first ACC crown. The offense will also sorely miss the huge play ability of Lamar Miller.

The linebackers are young and undersized. Head Coach Al Golden and Defensive Coordinator Mark D’Onofrio will have to find the right combination of players on the front 7 to improve on last year’s mediocre run defense.

That being said the O Line is filled with studs. The DBs have just the right mix of veterans and superstar newcomers to be one of the best groups in the country this year. Anthony Chickillo, Denzel Perryman, and Mike James are poised to have break out years.

Coach Golden and staff have their work cut out for them. If the spring is any indication, there are some definate speed bumps to overcome,  but this is a team with a very bright future ahead of them.

Miami Hurricanes Football: National Signing Day Extravaganza

Special thanks to http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/signingday/ for providing live coverage of today’s events. Today is the most exciting day in college football!!!  It’s like Christmas for coaches and fans.

Loving the enthusiasm today of Cane Nation!!! Twitter and Facebook are blowing up with Canes fans.

Here are some random thoughts and updates as they occur:

By 9am EST Randy “Duke” Johnson, Danny Isadora, & Deon Bush had all faxed in their LOIs. No surprises here, as all three had verbally committed. But worth mentioning the top all-purpose back in the country (think Reggie Bush with power), a road-grading guard to make a path for him, and a play-making defensive back could all be cornerstones of monster class.

Early enrollees: The big news here is quarterbacks Preston Dewey and Gray Crow arrived in time for the spring semester. While we fully expect either Stephen Morris or Ryan Williams to emerge as the starter, both guys give themselves a better chance to play early on by enrolling early. Dewey appears to have the bigger arm and the higher upside. Linebacker Raphael Kirby is also on campus. I can’t help but to compare him to Sean Spence after watching his highlight reels. Also on campus are offensive lineman Taylor Gadbois and Erick Flowers along with corner Ladarius Gunter (JUCO transfer),  and linebacker Josh Witt.

QB Preston Dewey could be a key to the class.

 

Sleeper Alert: I am hearing nice things about defensive end Jake O’Donnell, a 3 star prospect from Pennsylvania. At 6’6 233 he runs a 4.6 forty. Once he fills out he could be a strong run stuffer as well as a nice pass rusher.

9:52 AM Tracy Howard is coming to the U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   The Best corner in the nation makes signing day even sweeter!! This kid might play right away. The U nation is erupting right now!!!!!

Welcome to the U, Tracy Howard!!!

10:02 am: Reggie Northrup to FSU. A bit disappointing, but with Kirby in the mix and some of the other young linebackers on the roster,  UM should be fine. Also LB Josh Harvey-Clemons to UGA, no surprise there either.

10:07 am: #1 DT Eddie Goldman to FSU.  Our bitter rivals are putting together a nice class as well. FSU war room erupts on ESPNU.

Another huge piece in this year’s class is Tyriq McCord. The 4 star defensive end from Tampa is rated as the #7 DE in the nation. He could pair nicely with Anthony Chickillo over the next few years. 6’5 250 pound Jelani Hamilton from powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas also figures prominently.

Future UM stars Tyriq MCord and Deon Bush flash the U

10:17 AM:  All World WR Dorial Green-Beckham announces he will attend Mizzou!!! Big Surprise.  He is already drawing raves and being compared to Calvin Johnson. With Missouri headed to the SEC they just got a major piece to compete with the Alabamas and  LSUs.

(Josh asks did Haith recruit him?  LOL)

Breaking down the WRS: Angelo Louis-Jean has the highest upside.  If he can get his academics in order, he might play immediately. He’s a burner with good hands and superior athleticism. Malcom Lewis (from Miramar, same school as Tracy Howard) could be a Steve Breaston type.  He’s shifty as well as sure handed and may be a punt returner as well down the line. He also has the experience of making a bunch of clutch catches in the state playoffs. D’Mauri Jones is 6’4 red zone threat, who could step in to the void left by Tommy Streeter. Herb Waters is a 3 star guy who may be a project early on. Rayshawn Jenkins may end up at DB, but is another good athlete. The sleeper of the group might be Robert Lockhart,  a 6’2 do it all type from Fort Union Military Academy in VA, who will come in more mature then your average freshman. Jontavious Carter is another talented kid in the mix.  Louis-Jean and Lewis look like future starters, but overall a very deep and potentially special group.

10:45 am:  Will Avery Young come to the U????  The 4 star O Lineman would be another nice pickup. Alabama proved that National Championships start up front.  Fingers crossed here!!

Sleeper Alert Part 2: Watching some highlights of RB Danny Dilliard may not make you forget Duke, but he looks like a load. Already 210, he should get bigger and provide a “smash” to Johnson’s “dash”.

11:04 AM:  Miami adds DT Dequan Ivery 6’4 310, originally a Louisville commitment. Ivery is a 3 star  prospect who adds depth to the D line.  Ivery looks to be a run stuffer. A nice steal by Golden and Co.

(Jerry wonders, Can he dunk like Dequan Jones?)

My top 5 UM recruits:

1) RB Randy “Duke” Johnson

2) CB Tracy Howard

3) DB Deon Bush

4) WRs Angelo Louis-Jean/Malcolm Lewis

5) LB Raphael Kirby

Another steal: 4 star DB Antonio Crawford and his 4.4 speed are headed to UM. Crawford was a verbal commit to Georgia Tech. Along with Larry Hope, Vernon Davis, and of course Howard, Crawford adds to Miami’s very deep class of DBs. Are the days of Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, & Ed Reed returning?

Rumor has it, 3 star MLB Jawand Blue has switched commits from VA Tech to UM. Coach Beamer must be steaming!!! Al Golden is a closer!!!

1:40 EST:  Andrus Peat declares for Stanford,  phew.  Was worried he’d go to FSU. The massive offensive lineman is a steal for the Cardinal!!

2PM EST: Avery Young announces he will be attending Auburn. War Eagle it is.

At this point all of the major announcements affecting Miami are through. We will do a full write-up on the class in the next few days for those interested.  What an exciting day so far!!!! The big news being the addition of Tracy Howard. Congratulations to all the newest ‘Canes and Al Golden and staff.

Don’t forget this evening’s signing day party at the BUC, leading up to Miami’s critical home Men’s Basketball game against Maryland starting at 8pm EST.   Go ‘Canes!!!!!

Former Miami Hurricanes in the NFL having huge impact in Playoffs, plus Hurricanes recruiting update.

The NFL playoffs have a huge Hurricane flavor. Jimmy Graham nearly kept the Saints alive with a remarkable catch and run. Willis McGahee gave the Steelers fits in the wildcard round. Ed Reed clinched the Ravens win over the Texans with yet another remarkable interception. And Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle were all over the field as the Giants pummeled the Packers.

Ed Reed sealed the win over former teammate Andre Johnson

In this years AFC and NFC Championship Games, 11 players will have come from the University of Miami. They are: From the Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis (All-Pro),Reed (All-Pro), Bryant McKinney (All-Pro), Damien Berry (practice squad); NY Giants: Rolle (All-Pro), Phillips, Dwayne Hendricks (practice squad);  49ers: Tavares Gooden, Frank Gore (All-Pro), Corey Nelms (Practice Squad); NE Patriots: Vince Wilfork (All-Pro). This guarantees at least one former Cane will end this year with a championship ring.

This should come as no surprise. No other collegiate team has replicated the NFL talent the “U” has put forth over the past 2 decades.  It’s not simply quantity, but most notably quality (at least 4 players listed above will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, including two (Reed and Lewis) who are arguably the greatest to ever play their respective positions).

 Some more facts:

The University of Miami‘s football program has set multiple records in producing players who go on to the National Football League. Put simply: There are tons of Miami Hurricanes in the NFL. The Hurricanes hold the record for most players selected in the first round in a single draft (6, in 2004), most first-round draft picks in a two-year period (11, from 2003 to 2004), most first-round draft picks in a three-year period (15, from 2002 through 2004), and most first-round picks in a four-year period (19, from 2001 through 2004). For a 14-year period, from 1994 through 2008, Miami had at least one player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Hurricanes once had a streak of 149 consecutive regular season weeks where a former Hurricane scored a touchdown in an NFL game; the streak started in Week 15 of the 2002 NFL regular season and ended in Week 11 of the 2011 season. During the streak, 33 different former Hurricanes scored touchdowns and a total of 661 touchdowns were scored. The Miami Hurricanes are also 10th overall on the NFL’s all-time number of draft picks with 307 (School only started the football program in earnest in 1970, whereas powerhouses like Michigan and Ohio State have been around since 1944, first year of the NFL).

Since 1999, Miami Hurricanes has had 67 players selected, 2nd-most in the nation, behind only Ohio State University (77). In the same time-span, Hurricanes players were picked 33 times in the first-round, the most of any Division I university.

Though Miami has struggled over the past couple of years record-wise, the school is unequivocally moving in the right direction, under the leadership of Al Golden. There is no doubt that over the next several years, Miami will continue to send impact players to the NFL, thus making it a very attractive destination for all talented and motivated recruits, looking for an ideal “home” around the country.

 

Hurricanes Recruiting update:

The “U” picked up 3 new recruits for the 2013 class. ATH Jayron Kearse 6’4” 185lbs, RB Alex Collins 5′ 11″ 180lbs, and DT Keith Bryant 6′ 2″ 290lbs.  All three are highly touted players from Florida, that join fellow Florida ATH Levonte Whitfield in committing to the ‘Canes. It’s a great sign to see Al Golden  focus on  recuiting local kids.  Howard Schnellenberger’s’ “State of Miami” philosophy appears to have rubbed off on Golden.

Here’s some video to whet your appetite.

ATH - Jayron Kearse

 

RB – Alex Collins

DT – Keith Bryant

ATH - LeVonte Whitfield

 

Jimmy Graham: from Power Forward to Pro-Bowler!

Through 13 games this year, Graham has 80 catches 1101 yards and 8 touchdowns.

In 152 of 153 weeks a Miami Hurricane has scored a touchdown in the NFL, including the remarkable recently broken streak of 149 in a row. Superstars like Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson, Ed Reed, and Devin Hester highlight the list. UM is after all “NFL U”.  But in 2011 one ‘Cane has shined the brightest. Jimmy Graham is the best tight end in the NFL right now.

 

 

Back in 2007-08 UM’s hoops team was a scrappy bunch. Jack McClinton was the unquestioned star. Anthony King provided the inside punch, James Dews was

Sometimes a scream says 10,000 words.

McClinton’s sweet-shooting side kick, and Dwayne Collins was king of the thunderous dunk. They ended up being the last Miami team to make the NCAA Tournament, bowing out to a tough Texas team in the second round. Perhaps the least skilled but most fiery member of that team was a 6’8 250 hulk of a power forward named Jimmy Graham. He only averaged 4 points a game and 6 rebounds and was ALWAYS in foul trouble. When the guards dumped the ball down to him in the low post, my usual reaction was “no. no. no!”  But the kid played with heart. He set bone crushing screens, played great D when he wasn’t fouling, and quite frankly his primal screams after big dunks seemed to scare the other team and fire up the ‘Canes.

 

Below are some of the team’s highlights. Graham stars with a big block at 2:24, an incredible in-bounds save at 4:21, 7:03-7:13 well that speaks for itself, and 8:51-8:55 are exclamation points!

 

I can remember when I first heard that Jimmy Graham was going out for UM’s football team. I thought it might be a cool way for the basketball team to get some much deserved publicity, but thought little else of it. He scored a few touchdowns and looked real good at times, but I mostly remember his heart breaking drops in the Virginia Tech game. As a diehard basketball junkie, I rooted harder for him then anyone. He finished his lone year on the college gridiron with 17 catches 213 yards and 5 touchdowns. Not bad considering it was his first football action since 8th grade.  

 

Did I think Graham was on his way to NFL stardom? I absolutely did not. Do I think it is the coolest thing ever? That’d be an understatement. So while the University of Miami is and always will be unequivocally a football school, I encourage fans to take a closer look at the basketball program. You just might see Drew Brees’ future favorite target,  or something else really cool.

 

Some of Graham’s best on the football field:

 

Category 6 Football Simulation: Miami Hurricanes (2001-2002) vs. Auburn Tigers (2010-2011) Part 2

Welcome back for the conclusion to this epic simulated game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Auburn Tigers. When we last left off, the Hurricanes had jumped out to a 26-14 halftime lead over the Tigers. To read about the first half, click here.

 

Darryl Jones (1) snagged two passes from Dorsey to get the 'Canes rolling in the 2nd half.

Willis McGahee (2) is having a great season in the NFL despite playing behind a QB who is completely inept for the first 3.5 quarters of every game.

THIRD QUARTER: Miami deferred so they received the ball to start the second half. Miami returned the ball to their own 35 and Dorsey immediately hit Darryl Jones on passes of 15 and 16 yards. This took the ‘Canes into Tiger territory and Miami went to the ground game.

 

Auburn fans in attendance hoped the intermission would help recharge their defensive front, but Miami’s offensive line was firing on all cylinders. Portis, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore (wow, what a backfield) took turns punishing Auburn’s defense with Portis finally plunging in on a 3rd and goal from the 1-yd line.

 

Matt Walters (91) wonders "What's that sound?" Casey Printers (1) thinks "Ouch! My spine shouldn't bend like that!"

RIP Sean Taylor (26).

After the converted PAT, Auburn’s returner was demolished by Sean Taylor, pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory. Newton dropped back on a 3rd and short and Matt Walters leveled him for a drive-killing sack. Miami took the punt to their own 38 where Johnson made an amazing one-handed diving grab for a 25-yd gain.

 

Todd Sievers (16) reacted strongly to his missed FG. Shortly after, Ed Reed consoled him on the sideline and told him the D would get the ball back.

William Joseph (94) didn't get a sack, but his run defense on 3rd downs was big in the simulated match-up.

The ‘Canes ran the ball and with the aid of a couple of Auburn penalties moved into position for a Sievers’ 35-yd field goal attempt which sailed wide-left. Auburn took over and after a 5-yd run by Mario Fannin and a Dyer run that was blown-up at the line of scrimmage by William Joseph, Reed kept good on his promise and sacked Newton on a safety blitz.

 

 

 

Miami took yet another Auburn punt and returned it to their own 48. After a Portis run that went nowhere, Dorsey found Johnson for a gain of 25. With the Tiger defense on its heels, coverage was rolled to Johnson’s side and Miami had a draw called at the perfect time. Portis gashed through a gaping hole and trucked two defenders at the goal line for the score. Miami’s defense continued to dominate Auburn’s offense. After another 3 and out time expired on the clock. END OF THIRD QUARTER: MIAMI 40 AUBURN 14.

 

FOURTH QUARTER: Miami took the punt back to their 33 and three-headed monster of Portis, McGahee, and Gore helped guide the ‘Canes into Auburn territory. On a 4th and 4, Larry Coker elected to go for it instead of a long FG try by Sievers. Dorsey dropped back and Dee Ford sacked him for a 6-yd loss, firing up the Tigers.

 

Dee Ford (95) got to Dorsey for a big sack on 4th down.

Onterio McCalebb (23) looked good in a limited role.

Auburn took over and Onterio McCalebb busted through the Hurricane front line on a draw for a 37-yd gain, taking Auburn deep into ‘Cane territory. Miami’s defense held the Tigers in check, forcing a 4th a 13. Bynum was called on and he drilled a 41-yd FG.

 

Kodi Burns (18) dropped a sure TD pass from Cam Newton which would have received an emphatic "C'mon Man!" from Keyshawn Johnson. Keep your head up, young man, it's only a simulated game.

Cam Newton (1) is consoled by Coach Gene Chizik.

The teams then traded 3 and outs. Auburn missed a golden chance to get back into the game when a blown coverage left Kodi Burns alone behind the secondary. Newton put the ball on the money and Burns dropped it, staring at his hands in disbelief.  Miami had a little more success on their next drive, but Stevens sacked Dorsey on a 3rd and 2, forcing a punt.

 

With 6:19 left in the game, Auburn took over from their own 34. On 3rd and 10, Netwon escaped the pocket and picked up nine yards. Auburn converted the 4th and short on a toss to McCalebb. 3 plays later Auburn was back in a must-convert 4th down. Newton tried to get to the marker but was stopped short by Jerome McDougle and Phillip Buchanon.

 

Jerome McDougle (95) is ready to smash poor #20 after 50 other 'Canes get their chance.

Phillip Buchanon (31) celebrates after helping to bring Newton down.

Miami took over with 4:12 on the clock. A few Portis runs ate up a minute and a half and seemed to seal the victory for the ‘Canes. With 2:13 left in the game Miami was once again in Tiger territory. Again denying a long FG attempt, the ‘Canes went for it on 4th down. Portis didn’t make it and the ‘Canes were flagged for holding which was declined.

 

Newton scrambled effectively against a prevent defense. The NFL star mixed in a few dump offs that took the Tigers down to the ‘Canes 28. Mike Rumph was sent on a blitz and inexplicably delivered a late hit to Newton. With 48 seconds left the ‘Canes sideline was well into its celebration as Dyer took an option pitch from Newton and scored from 13-yds out.  Newton kept it himself on the 2-pt conversion and scored. Auburn tried an onside kick, but Miami recovered. The offense came out and downed the ball to end the game. END OF GAME: MIAMI 40 AUBURN 25

 

This concludes our fantasy match-up of what many consider the best college football team in history with last year’s undefeated Auburn team. The results of this game take nothing away from what the Auburn Tigers accomplished last season.

 

A few notes: the first simulation run was picked to be the focus of the analysis. If Auburn had won, I would have written that game up. We ran the simulation a total of ten times with Auburn getting its only win in a very close game #6. The result: Miami 9, Auburn 1. The scores: 40-14, 47-17, 45-12, 62-21, 43-40 Auburn, 45-30, 41-10, 39-27, 43-30. The game was simulated at a neutral location and the simulated weather was a perfect 70 degrees F.

 

Our final post for this game will be a stat-dump from the game, so look for it the next day or two. If you have any suggestions for historical match-ups (from 1996 on in football or basketball) please comment below.

 

The 'Canes celebrate a hard-fought simulated win against a tough Auburn Tigers squad.

Category 6 Football Simulation: Miami Hurricanes (2001-2002) vs. Auburn Tigers (2010-2011)

Somewhat inspired by Jerry’s sudden desire to post about football, I contacted the computer programmers at Category 6 and gave them this challenge: What would a game between the 2001-2002 undefeated national championship Miami Hurricanes team and the Cam Newton-led Auburn Tigers who took home the bacon last season look like?

 

Ken Dorsey (11) looks for a future NFL star to throw the ball to.

Cam Newton (2) stiff-arms a defender face-first into the turf.

Ken Dorsey was a  mentor to Cam Newton before his scintillating rookie season. Netwon is poised to be a future NFL superstar and Category 6 thinks that Dorsey has a career as a head coach somewhere in his future. Maybe at the U.

 

FIRST QUARTER: Auburn won the toss and elected to receive. After a modest return to their own 31, the Tigers sputtered on offense, despite a 28-yd hookup from Newton to Darvin Adams. Ed Reed blew up a draw play on 3rd and 2 to force a punt. Miami fared better on their first possession, despite some silly penalties. Dorsey hit Andre Johnson with a 32-yd strike. Locked-in, Dorsey hit Kevin Beard and Jeremy Shockey for a succession of first downs moving the ‘Canes into the red zone.

 

Ed Reed (20): making life difficult for opposing defenses one play at a time.

Clinton Portis (28) had a monster simulated game with 238 total yards and 4TD's.

The drive stalled after Dorsey was sacked by Ryan Smith on 3rd and 2, resulting in a 27-yd field goal by Todd Sievers. After a quick 3-and-out, Miami took possession again and Clinton Portis went to work, busting a 16-yd run on a draw on 3rd and long to keep the drive going.

 

Dorsey then hit Shockey, Robert Williams, and finally, Ethnic Sands in the end zone for the game’s first TD. Nick Fairley blocked the PAT and showed why he was the Lions 13th pick in last year’s NFL draft.

 

Nick Fairley (90) blocked a PAT and was held to only a single sack in the simulation.

Michael Dyer (5) was Auburn top player, rushing for 141-yds and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries.

After a return to their own 41-yd line, the Tigers went to the option on their first play. Netwon made the first defender miss with his strength and pitched to Dyer who bolted down the sideline for a 59-yd score. The Hurricanes only needed one play to answer after a short return to their own 16.

 

 

 

Dorsey faked an end-around to Andre Johnson which confused Auburn’s linebackers. Portis leaked into the flat and Dorsey floated a pass that just missed the outstretched hand of LB Craig Stevens who was struggling to recover. Portis caught it and turned on the jets, streaking for 84-yds and a score. END OF FIRST QUARTER: MIAMI 16 AUBURN 7.

 

Wes Bynum (18) wishes via leaning and contorting that his simulated kick was 18-inches further to the left.

SECOND QUARTER: After a return to the 20, the Tigers struggled to move the ball until Netwon hit Terrell Zachery for a 28-yd gain. Netwon then used his legs to scramble for a couple of first downs. Newton continued to press his luck and the ‘Canes corralled him for two consecutive losses bringing up a 41-yd field goal attempt by Wes Bynum that sailed wide-right. Usually, this kind of effort is reserved for Seminole kickers. On their first play of the drive, Miami went to the screen pass.

 

Bryant McKinnie got out in front and leveled Stevens, freeing up space for Portis to operate. Portis made three additional defenders miss before being forced out of bounds. Dorsey hit Andre Johnson with a short pass. Johnson shed tacklers turning a short gain into a 39-yd pass play that took the ‘Canes into the red zone.

 

Bryant McKinnie (78) was a pancake machine.

Andre Johnson (5) = BEAST

However, the drive stalled there and the ‘Canes called on Sievers who converted a 24-yd try. Auburn returned the kickoff to their own 35 and went back to the ground game. After converting a couple of short first-down opportunities, the Tigers went back to the draw and Dyer didn’t disappoint.

 

He darted past an overzealous defensive front and sped 42-yds to the promised land. The ‘Canes tried to answer with Portis but the Tigers stopped a 3rd and short plunge forcing a punt. Auburn faced the same fate, going 3-and-out. Miami returned the resulting punt to their own 35 and Dorsey went to work hitting Beard, Shockey and Williams for first downs to lead the ‘Canes deep inside Auburn territory. Auburn defenders were gassed and Miami called on Portis to score on a 7-yd run. After this score both defenses stiffened. Auburn went 3 and out and Miami did the same as Fairley sacked Dorsey on a big 3rd and long pass attempt. Auburn tried to get something done in the 2-minute drill, but the ‘Canes defense stopped the Tigers in their tracks. END OF HALF: MIAMI 26, AUBURN 14.

 

As the teams headed into the locker room, Netwon implored his offensive line to give him more time to look down field. Auburn appeared fired-up, despite being down by 12 at the half. The ‘Canes appeared confident and looked to continue to stifle Auburn’s offense. Before vanishing into the tunnel, Portis gave “The U” salute and nodded his head confidently.

 

Tune in later this week for the 2nd half and the conclusion of the game.