YO OLD HEADS!!!
I am a bit on the young side and its rather difficult to research online so I figured I would turn to you all. What was the buzz like around the 97 team that went 5-6? How was Butch viewed and what was the climate like with the media and among the fan base?
I was 23 years old, still on college and it was my second year covering the Canes (for Grassy.com)—so I remember it a little better than the average "old head".
Most were still in a fog that the Canes had slipped to being a 9-3 program—losing Big East games to the likes of Virginia Tech, two in a row to Florida State and dropping games to UCLA and East Carolina.
A few years prior, the Canes were still rolling and in the title hunt—10-2 in 1994 and falling to No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Going 17-6 those first two years under Butch was unfathomable.
After that 45-14 season opening win at Baylor, Miami opened the home schedule against Arizona State (finishing off a home-and-home that started in 1994; the Canes rolling 47-10 in Tempe).
Curious how many others were at that Friday morning team breakfast on September 12th—but I recall clear as day (as my dad and I talked about it several times that season as the wheels came off)—Butch Davis up in front of everyone saying that Miami would compete for a national title that season.
On the heels of waxing Baylor, as well as Miami never staying down long at that point in history—it didn't seem like the craziest thought in the world. There was actually some hype to start that season as the Canes were a preseason No. 14 team.
The Sun Devils were without Jake Plummer, Keith Poole and most of the other superstars that helped them to an 11-1 season the year prior, where they lost the Rose Bowl last second to Ohio State and cost themselves a national championship. (#4 OSU beat #2 ASU while #3 UF beat #1 FSU; the one-loss Gators winning the first title.)
In an ugly outing, Miami fell 23-12 against Arizona State—which left everyone a bit shell-shocked. Five days later, the Canes played at Pittsburgh on a Thursday night, falling 21-17—the Panthers first win over the Canes since 1976, behind Miami-bred QB Pete Gonzalez.
The back-to-back losses put things in wheels-off-mode immediately. The following home game was nine days later against West Virginia—where the notorious "From Champs To Chumps—Thanks Butch" banner flew, as Miami was bowled over 28-17 behind the running of Amos Zeroue as UM faded down the stretch; blowing a 17-7 lead. The lack of depth truly showed that day and became a theme for the rest of the season.
1-3 heading into Tallahassee against No. 4 Florida State—the Canes were thrashed 47-0 in the most painful game I've ever witnessed in person. Miami literally looked like a JV team against the Noles that year and were a heartless, broken bunch. The wheels were beyond off in a brutal four-game stretch—the entire season going to **** in a handbag by way of those six days in September with the Arizona State and Pittsburgh losses; games the Canes had no business losing.
To it's credit, Miami responded with a 45-44 double overtime win at Boston College and dominated lowly Temple and Arkansas State, getting back to 3-4 on the season.
More heartbreak in Blacksburg, with a third-consecutive loss to the Hokies—up 13-10 at the half and falling 27-25. Virginia Tech had Miami's number in close games back then; 13-10 in 1995 .... a 14-7 game in 1996; UM with a chance to tie late, but an end zone pick-six made it a 21-7 loss. VT pushed this one to 27-19 in the late fourth quarter before Miami got a late score to make it look closer than it was.
Canes topped Rutgers the following week, but were blown out at home by Syracuse, 33-13 in the Donovan McNabb era. (Even a year later when the Canes were on the mend, McNabb was there for that 66-13 route with a Big East title on the table—a week before UM bounced back and upset #2 UCLA.)
Hardest pill to swallow that season is that nobody saw 5-6 coming. Again, Davis was talking national title hunt early September and a month later the Canes were an unthinkable 1-4. Never rebounded from that as this program was just shell-shocked.