but got through it with the help of USF and the Kentucky d-end who hit Tebow :)

….the loss would of been fine though if it wasn’t for ESPN being all over their shit for the past week and a half. I just hope that if UM goes 2-2 after OU they are still in the Top 25. On another note, Vag Tech needs to lose two ACC games and the Canes have to go flawless for them to go to the ACC champ. That’s annoying. Those idiots who lost to USF today have an easy road to that game.

…and I know the loss is not his fault. But the Jimmy Graham experiment should now officially be over. This guy is getting major PT and looks in his third football game ever. They need to just move on, he’s not Antonio Gates.

to say UM should have won today.

VT wanted it more, that was clear from the outset and they took it to us. Still though if Jimmy makes a catch it’s a different game. In the end we didn’t do much save for a few minutes at the start of the 2nd half. As crappy as they played they didn’t quit.

A lot can be taken away from this game and built upon. That is the test going forward, to see how we react from here out.

“I preached that all week long – the last five out of six years against Virginia Tech, if you rush more than your opponent you win,” coach Randy Shannon said. “Tonight we turned the ball over, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t run. It was not a good performance by our kids. I expect a lot out of the guys on the football team. They kept fighting, but it was in spurts.”

Wide receiver Leonard Hankerson added, “We came out today, I don’t know what happened. They had a very good defense, were very physical. But we didn’t come out and put everything together as we did in the past two games. We have to come out and work harder for the next game.”

After a week in which Miami reached its highest national ranking since 2005 at No. 9, the Canes couldn’t keep the momentum going after a 2-0 start.

“You sit back and say, `What could you have done differently?’” Shannon said. "You had to compete and play. It was raining, which was bad. You try to get these guys to understand the importance of staying focused. When you get in a rhythm you have to keep it going. You can’t go in spurts.

“Our whole offense wasn’t right. We had maybe six drops that were key plays in the game. You can’t do that. You expect a quarterback to carry the team, the run game to pick it up.”

Miami trailed in this game at halftime, 21-0.

The closest Miami came: After scoring on its opening possession of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-7, the Canes were driving to get within a touchdown. But Jimmy Graham dropped a pair of first down passes inside the Hokie 20, leading to a punt.

And Miami never got back in it from there.

“Jimmy had two drops that were crucial,” Shannon said. "Jimmy’s going to get better. But those drops were crucial because we would have probably been seven points down, and you never know what you will do if you’re seven points down. He just didn’t make the catch.

“We came back in the second half, had a great kickoff return (and then scored), stopped them, came back down the field (and had the dropped passes), then they had a long run (and got a field goal).”

Quarterback Jacory Harris struggled in the rain. He finished hitting on nine of 25 throws for 150 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

He hit on just two of nine passes for 37 yards in the first half.

Harris was victimized by numerous dropped passes in the game.

“Oh, man, we just didn’t come out here and execute,” Harris said. "There was a lot of plays we wish we could have back. We just have to step it up and make plays next week.

“Their defense came out there, put a lot of pressure on me. I have to credit coach (Frank) Beamer. He’s like a guru of defenses. He went against us and made everything happen.”

Asked what he takes out of a game like this after all the hype surrounding the team after a 2-0 start, Harris said, “That no one’s perfect. That’s what I take out of it. I understand this game makes you understand that even more. But I know this team is going to rally, that we’re going to come back strong and execute and make plays.”

A big problem for Miami was that the running game never got untracked.

Javarris James finished running 14 times for 36 yards, and Graig Cooper added 11 rushes for 55 yards.

“Our guys didn’t finish the blocks up front,” Shannon said. “They were doing a good job of spinning off blocks. We have to keep pressing those guys to get it done.”

Harris added, “That’s something coach Shannon preached this whole week, said we have to get the running game. Things like that, we’re not going to win the game. We just have to step it up.”

The top receiver was Hankerson, with three catches for 79 yards.

Where a week ago nine different receivers caught passes, in this game just three players had receptions – Hankerson, LaRon Byrd and Dedrick Epps.

It seemed like whatever could go wrong did go wrong in this game.

“The run game wasn’t there, I don’t know for what reason,” Hankerson said. "We have to pick it up in practice, the defense bring the safeties down more, get the offensive line, defensive line right.

“(Virginia Tech) brought a lot of intensity, came out very physical, did what they had to do to get the job done. They had great schemes. It went well for them.

“I told everybody from the time I saw the game was over, two minute left, that we have to work harder in practice, get the drops gone and keep working.”

The Cane defense simply couldn’t stop the rushing attack.

Ryan Williams ran 35 times for 154 yards for the Hokies, and quarterback Tyrod Taylor added 74 yards rushing.

“We didn’t tackle,” Shannon said. “Flat out, we didn’t tackle the football. Guys were arm tackling.”

Hokie fans swarmed the field afterward, sliding across the wet grass in celebration.

“Nothing on this football team got done in this game,” Shannon said. "I don’t know what happened, maybe the youth and inexperience showed up. As a staff and football team we have to get better. We’ll watch the tape, make the corrections and see how we respond against Oklahoma. I think we will respond against Oklahoma.

“I think this football team learned its lesson. They’re going to come back, grind and work hard.”

Hankerson, asked what the team learned from the loss, said, “We learned a lot. We learned we’re not at the top right now. We have to keep working.”

that I am afraid of clowns?

at least we only fell to 17. Not too bad all things considered.