UM and Notre Dame will show their worth
It’s fun to revel in past, but Canes trying to add new chapter to legacy.
The 7th-ranked Canes host the No. 3 Irish tonight, and playoff hopes are on the line.
Some of the best advice a wise sportswriting elder gave to a younger me: see yourself as a theater critic.
They send you to review the play, he told me. The actors are players. The coaches, playwrights. The stage is the sta
dium and the fans, as always, are fans. You are their eyes and ears, and you suggest to them if it’s worth seeing the next matinee. If not, you should critique the production without fear.
I predict we’re about to see a darn good show tonight.
I’m not much of a Broadway guy, but I know Miami-Notre Dame is no “West Side Story” rerun. This isn’t Cath- olics vs. Convicts, either. Forget those old labels, especially since “convicts” is regrettable. Those old games in the
’80s and ’90s meant a lot then, and it’s fun to look back and remember those moments.
But Steve Walsh and Michael Irvin and Jimmy Johnson had their time in the spotlight. This 2017 team deserves it now.
The biggest production company in college football, ESPN, shines its megawatt power on the New U this week. Its signature show, “College GameDay,” is on campus for the first time, and part of its goal is to bring these characters to life for a national audience.
They’ll meet loquacious linebacker Michael Pinckney, who wore an ’86
Gang’ T-shirt for a segment with reporter Maria Taylor. The shirt references the 1986 Miami defense, which defensive coordinator Manny Diaz believes set the standard for all Miami defenses. ESPN’s Marty Smith spent time on campus with Dennis Erickson, the last UM coach to beat Notre Dame (1989). The Hurricanes will always embrace the greatness of the past.
But if the social media teases ESPN has shown are any indication, the nation will also meet newcomers like cornerback Michael Jackson, called “The Face of the Turnover Chain,” for how many times he has worn UM’s signature accessory (four, all after interceptions). They’ll meet Sheldrick Redwine, the dreadheaded safety, whom Jackson calls the “Keeper of the Hit Stick,” and as Jackson boasts, is the best safety in the nation who also wears braces.
One of the lasting images of last week’s win over Virginia Tech: After his game-sealing interception in the final minute, Redwine, rocking the Turnover Chain, wrote “BALL GAME” on a dry-erase board.
The old Canes were no doubt proud to see that.
Any good play has a rousing score. Miami’s defense provides the soundtrack, with heavy percussion and talented rhythm players. Defensive tackle Kendrick Norton likes to play air guitar after sacks, throwing down a Pete Townshend windmill. Defensive end Chad Thomas, who plays nine instruments, owns his own record label and has contributed tracks to the works of Rick Ross, D J Khaled and Drake, celebrates big plays by twinkling his fingers on an imaginary piano.
Yes, Miami is having fun again, and it’s anything but forced.
Mark Richt, in his second year, still needs a couple recruiting classes to boast the kind of depth of a regular national-title contender. This team entered the year with questions at quarterback and in the defensive backfield, but Malik Rosier and that secondary have developed to the point they believe they can beat anyone. The defensive front seven, loaded with NFL prospects, gives them even more confidence.
It’s a team that was able to shake off the loss of its star running back, Mark Walton, and nagging injuries to top receiver Ahmmon Richards. It didn’t go sideways when Hurricane Irma wrecked its September routine. They’re ahead of schedule, unbeaten entering mid-November, and challenging for a playoff spot.
Who says they can’t keep it going?
Their dramatic foil: an Irish squad that shook off a 4-8 season, retooled its coaching staff, and found smashing success with an old-school, dare-you-tostop-it run game. The central conflict is Miami’s ability to shut down Heisman Trophy contender Josh Adams and quarterback Brandon Wimbush.
What doesn’t fit in this extended theater analogy: the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, which should be raucous. No polite applause here.
If you have to look back, recall that Miami hasn’t lost in more than a year. The longest winning streak in the country — 13 games — began after an Oct. 29, 2016 loss in South Bend.
These Canes, on their own unbeaten merit, have earned their place on this national stage.
They hope to be familiar characters.