UM’s early slate may define season
CORAL GABLES (AP) – Central Florida opened its season with four consecutive opponents ranked among the AP Top 25 in 1999. Notre Dame did the same in 2000.
Miami, take note: No one has done it since.
“There might be a reason,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said.
Maybe so, but Shannon isn’t lamenting how the Hurricanes’ 2009 schedule worked out.
Unless there’s some substantial shifting in polls over the next month, the Hurricanes will become only the third team in at least the last 15 seasons to open with four ranked opponents. When Notre Dame did it nine years ago, Fighting Irish officials said they could only find one other instance of such a schedule abnormality – and that was Central Florida doing it the previous season.
“We’re taking this as an opportunity. We’re taking this the right way,” left tackle Jason Fox said. “If we can come out of those first four games with a positive start, that can mean big things for our season. We’ve been working hard all summer to get there.”
The run starts next Monday at No. 18 Florida State, and it could get progressively tougher each week. No. 15 Georgia Tech visits Miami Sept. 17, the Hurricanes play at No. 7 Virginia Tech Sept. 26, then host No. 3 Oklahoma on Oct. 3.
The rankings will change along the way, but there’s little argument about which team has the toughest opening stretch in the nation.
“We’ve just been talking about the opportunity that we’re going to see,” cornerback Chavez Grant said. “All the first four teams are ranked and ranked pretty high. So for us, it’s an opportunity to show people that we’re ready to play. It’s a big opportunity.”
The last two teams to try something like this didn’t exactly fare so well.
Central Florida went 0-4. Notre Dame went 2-2, and the Hurricanes know plenty of prognosticators won’t be surprised if they emerge from their opening stretch with an ailing record.
“Let them throw the 0-4 and 2-2 things around at us,” defensive back Randy Phillips said. “Just come back and holler at me after the fourth game. We’ll see how that goes.”
It’s really the first three games that might be most significant to Miami.
Central Florida played as an independent in 1999, Notre Dame still is independent, so neither had to worry about conference standings. Miami’s first three games are against Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, meaning the ‘Canes could take control of the league race – or be out of the picture – before September ends.
“I like it,” quarterback Jacory Harris said. “I can’t wait, actually.”
Miami’s own recent history suggests this might be a problematic stretch.
Starting with the 40-3 loss in the 2005 Peach Bowl to LSU, the Hurricanes have lost 11 of their last 13 games against ranked teams, beating only No. 18 Boston College 17-14 to end the 2006 regular season, then topping No. 20 Texas A&M 34-17 on Sept. 20, 2007.
The 11 losses? Ugly.
Only four of those defeats were by seven or fewer points, and the last five losses – starting against Oklahoma in 2007 – have come by 38, 48, 30, 14 and 23 points, respectively. Despite all that, though, the Hurricanes sound undeterred.
“We’re still confident. It’s coming from hunger,” wide receiver LaRon Byrd said. “If we do the things we’ve got to do right, all 11 players on offense, all 11 players on defense execute to their full potential, I don’t see how we can lose. We’ll know soon, is winning the ACC possible, is the BCS possible. We’ve got to clear those first games out of the way first.”