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Another blast from the past -- Miami vs LSU 1988...

k9cane

k9cane

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another personal favorite of mine. Miami comes into Death Valley and plays one of LSU's best teams in the 80's(IIRC, they were the co-SEC champs, and this roster was littered with future NFL guys) and just absolutely blows them out, 44-3.

To me, this game is an example of why Steve Walsh and Gary Stevens were perhaps the best QB/OC combo we've ever had. They just seemed a step ahead of defenses in that era. And in a basic monsoon, they just systematically ran the system and produced yards and points. It looked so effortless and efficient.

Also, as this game got more out of hand, our guys got our dancing shoes on. We did all sorts of celebrations (including a group 'Bunny Hop' in the end zone after a Charles Pharms INT). Again, this era of Canes football was the purest and greatest form of 'sports and entertainment.' Nobody played football at this level in this era, and had more fun doing it.

This game also had a rarity -- because of the rain, Jimmy Johnson actually had a hair out of place. Enjoy:

 
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Great stuff, k9. LOL at the 12:00 mark. Walsh is literally standing still waiting for a person to get open.
 
Remember laying across my bed watching that game, it was a torrential rain here in Tennessee as it was in Louisiana that night, **** we were just bad *** back then
 
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k9cane said:
another personal favorite of mine. Miami comes into Death Valley and plays one of LSU's best teams in the 80's(IIRC, they were the co-SEC champs, and this roster was littered with future NFL guys) and just absolutely blows them out, 44-3.

To me, this game is an example of why Steve Walsh and Gary Stevens were perhaps the best QB/OC combo we've ever had. They just seemed a step ahead of defenses in that era. And in a basic monsoon, they just systematically ran the system and produced yards and points. It looked so effortless and efficient.

Also, as this game got more out of hand, our guys got our dancing shoes on. We did all sorts of celebrations (including a group 'Bunny Hop' in the end zone after a Charles Pharms INT). Again, this era of Canes football was the purest and greatest form of 'sports and entertainment.' Nobody played football at this level in this era, and had more fun doing it.

This game also had a rarity -- because of the rain, Jimmy Johnson actually had a hair out of place. Enjoy:

Click to expand...

Thank you
 
Gary Stevens was the best I’ve seen at using backs in the passing game. He did the same w Terry Kirby at fins. Imagine if he had Duke or DJ woulda been super sick..smh.
 
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gatorsSUCK! said:
Gary Stevens was the best I’ve seen at using backs in the passing game. He did the same w Terry Kirby at fins. Imagine if he had Duke or DJ woulda been super sick..smh.
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I loved how he would flex out his backs(basically making it into a spread set) and he loved using them down the seams. I know a few guys that played for Stevens, said that he was basically a genius in terms of the passing game at the collegiate level/

Steve Walsh told me that if Stevens would've been name the head coach in 1989, he would've stayed for his senior year.
 
Check out 15 year old Chris Fowler (@ 20:20) talking about the schedule that year.
 
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CTCANE said:
The 1988 team is one of my most favorite teams of my 37 years of being a Canes fan even if we didnt win the NC
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they played one of the toughest schedules in the 80's for any program (vs pre-season #1 in FSU, which lost 1 game, Big 10 champion in Michigan, SWC champion in Arkansas, co-SEC champion in LSU, Big 8 champion, Nebraska, and a bowl team in BYU. The one loss, the robbery at South Bend by one point) -- all this while losing an incredible amount of talent from the 86 and 87 teams

Unreal

And this was thought to be a rebuilding year for UM. Jimmy Johnson had really mastered the art of running a college program at that stage, his recruiting was getting better and better. I really believe if he stays at UM long-terms, he wins at least three or four more titles before 1995

If there is one thing I could change about Miami football from a historical perspective, is having Johnson stay longer
 
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AUcane said:
Great stuff, k9. LOL at the 12:00 mark. Walsh is literally standing still waiting for a person to get open.
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Those Olines of the late 80's under the guidance of Tony Wise(one of our best assistant coaches, ever) were so underrated and good. They were usually on the smallish side, but they were always a cohesive unit that always played well in big games. And most of those guys were players who didn't necessarily have great high school accolades (that didn't come till the likes of Leon Searcy) and guys like Scott Provin (who went to Cerritos JC out here in So Cal) and scrappers like Bobby Garcia and Rod Holder, who never played at the next level but really solid as Hurricanes
 
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I'm baffled that all those LSU fans are holding umbrellas in the stands... Was that widely acceptable back then?? You'd get chewed out by everyone behind you for doing that in any stadium today
 
k9cane said:
I loved how he would flex out his backs(basically making it into a spread set) and he loved using them down the seams. I know a few guys that played for Stevens, said that he was basically a genius in terms of the passing game at the collegiate level/

Steve Walsh told me that if Stevens would've been name the head coach in 1989, he would've stayed for his senior year.
Click to expand...
The truth might really have been that Steve didn't have the tools for Erickson's offense. His arm was too weak. Don't forget that he started spring practice when DE came in -- spring, 1989. then he quit and turned pro. I think he saw the handwriting on the wall and he felt he might have been beaten out by Craig Erickson who had a much stronger arm and could make the quick hard throws for Erickson's "hot read" offense.

Despite their success in '87 and '88, I heard that the receivers were not too enamored of Walsh's arm. This was confirmed by something brief that Brett Perriman said to me before the season started, I think in '87. We were watching Erickson throwing to the younger receivers, like Dale Dawkins, and he implied that Erickson should have been starting then. I think it was '87, but I don't remember. I'd have to figure it out.
 
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Cane_Mutiny said:
I'm baffled that all those LSU fans are holding umbrellas in the stands... Was that widely acceptable back then?? You'd get chewed out by everyone behind you for doing that in any stadium today
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You should have seen that storm....I don't know if I've ever seen a swirling rainstorm like that. I remember looking up from the stands and the rain was just swirling, like nothing I've ever seen. Hard and powerful. Incredible.
 
TheMatador said:
The truth might really have been that Steve didn't have the tools for Erickson's offense. His arm was too weak. Don't forget that he started spring practice when DE came in -- spring, 1989. then he quit and turned pro. I think he saw the handwriting on the wall and he felt he might have been beaten out by Craig Erickson who had a much stronger arm and could make the quick hard throws for Erickson's "hot read" offense.

Despite their success in '87 and '88, I heard that the receivers were not too enamored of Walsh's arm. This was confirmed by something brief that Brett Perriman said to me before the season started, I think in '87. We were watching Erickson throwing to the younger receivers, like Dale Dawkins, and he implied that Erickson should have been starting then. I think it was '87, but I don't remember. I'd have to figure it out.
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It's interesting, Walsh told me during our conversation that the one issue he really had with Erickson's offense was he felt it left the QB's very vulnerable. But Walsh didn't have a great arm, but honestly, his football IQ was off the charts, Craig had better tools but I dont think UM wins the national title with him under center in 87

As for what Perriman told you, I cant believe it, but to be fair, how many guys ever had the arm talent of Vinny in that era?

I always wonder how the course of Jeff George's career would've changed if he would've came to UM after Purdue...
 
k9cane said:
Those Olines of the late 80's under the guidance of Tony Wise(one of our best assistant coaches, ever) were so underrated and good. They were usually on the smallish side, but they were always a cohesive unit that always played well in big games. And most of those guys were players who didn't necessarily have great high school accolades (that didn't come till the likes of Leon Searcy) and guys like Scott Provin (who went to Cerritos JC out here in So Cal) and scrappers like Bobby Garcia and Rod Holder, who never played at the next level but really solid as Hurricanes
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Actually, Searcy was a nobody nationally. When somebody mentioned his name, I said, "Who?" I followed all the recruiting publications and he was mentioned nowhere.

the big names we recruited in that era were Rudy Barber ( USA Today A-A 1st Team) and Claude Jones (No. 1 guard in at least one publicstion). Neither could hold a candle to Searcy as it turned out.
 
k9cane said:
It's interesting, Walsh told me during our conversation that the one issue he really had with Erickson's offense was he felt it left the QB's very vulnerable. But Walsh didn't have a great arm, but honestly, his football IQ was off the charts, Craig had better tools but I dont think UM wins the national title with him under center in 87

As for what Perriman told you, I cant believe it, but to be fair, how many guys ever had the arm talent of Vinny in that era?

I always wonder how the course of Jeff George's career would've changed if he would've came to UM after Purdue...
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NO! *****. Mom running on to field when he gets hurt?

Don't believe it. Call me a liar. I know what Perriman said. It was implied, not a direct statement. It was pretty clear he thought the backup, Erickson, was a better passer. Maybe you're right. Maybe Walsh would have succeeded in DR's offense. It's just surmise on my part that Walsh might have felt he would have trouble succeeding in DE's offense.

What was Craig, a freshman in '87? I guess. I can 't remember. He had little chance to win NC a true freshman anyway. They shortened the passing game for Steve in '87-'88.
 
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