Canegrad89
Recruit
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,197
Major props to the coaches & the players on an impressive win in the Swamp. Man that was fun to watch. This team looks like the class of the ACC but there's a long way to go this season & many potential pitfalls lay ahead. Huge benefits from that performance (beyond the obvious):
1) QBs should flock to play for Mario going forward: Cam gave a dazzling performance & being able to show many hours of that footage is going to pay hella dividends with recruits going forward. Our outstanding OL (with support from our TEs & RBs) gave Cam all kinds of time to pass the ball. What QB wouldn't want to be protected by that ruthless posse? The OL was awesome blocking for up to 7-8 seconds...without any penalties. Plus, Cam has: (a) a stable of dynamic & dependable WRs to throw to; (b) one of the best TE rooms in the country; and (c) a consistent & powerful run game that travels anywhere and takes a ton of pressure off the QB. Mario's biggest priorities actually take a ton of pressure off the QB & free him up to shine. That performance should lay to rest permanently the notion that Mario is a QB killa. It's totally the opposite. For example, Cam clearly had the freedom to throw late down the middle at least six times (yes, one of those was picked off). Those "dangerous" throws led to many more positive outcomes than negative (by at least a 6-1 ratio), including that spectacular TD grab at the back of the end zone by Jacolby. To his credit, Mario let his star QB play with seemingly complete freedom & without reining him in.
2) We're now really well situated in the ACC: Not only do we appear to be the class of the ACC this yr but we should enjoy some "tailwinds" this season due to that strong start. Unlike others that poked the ACC in the eye during the offseason (including one team that's now 0-2), Mario & Dan played things smart in the offseason & publicly expressed support for the ACC (while others sued). The ACC needs at least one team to make it to the Playoffs to stay relevant in the CFB landscape & it looks like Miami & maybe Ga Tech are the most likely candidates. So, some benefits should accrue to us as we play through the ACC schedule this yr.
3) Recruiting should be en fuego: Mario was an awesome recruiter before this game. We've already heard some positive reactions to that performance from potential recruits like DJ Pickett & Joshua Moore and there'll be others for sure.
4) Major validation of Mario's rock solid approach to program building: That game was huge for Mario as everyone can now see a tangible & exciting representation of Mario's vision for UM football. He isn't limited anymore to simply describing his vision verbally. He can now show an exciting product on film & at games for the rest of the season (what a marketing tool those will be). That should be a boon for at least the next 2-3 recruiting cycles. Mario's approach to roster building (primarily stellar HS recruiting + additional studs added through the Portal) has taken longer but will ultimately be much more sustainable than FSU's fairly pedestrian HS recruiting rankings the last 5 yrs combined with heavy Portal usage (which looks like a "swing & a miss" so far this yr).
As excited as I am to see this team play the rest of this yr, it's definitely worth remembering that:
1) Even the legendary '01 team almost lost two games during the regular season (BC & Va Tech) so we can't play down to anybody or take any team lightly. Worth noting that those are two ACC teams who finished a respectable 8-4 on the '01 season but weren't as highly ranked as some of the other opponents. The 2001 Canes blew out some of their highly ranked opponents by gaudy margins (UW, Nebraska (11-2), and Cuse (10-3)) but only beat Va Tech by 2 points and eked out a close one against BC on the famous Walters/Reed play; and
2) Any ACC team can beat any other ACC team on any given day: Yes, Miami appears to be the class of the ACC this yr...but see point #1 above as a decent BC team almost beat the greatest team of all time in '01. This team should approach every ACC game as a stern test...and not take any non-conference games lightly either.
This team can have an incredible year if it stays humble, avoids distractions & simply focuses on the work ahead instead of the potential outcomes. Great start to the year. Go Canes!
1) QBs should flock to play for Mario going forward: Cam gave a dazzling performance & being able to show many hours of that footage is going to pay hella dividends with recruits going forward. Our outstanding OL (with support from our TEs & RBs) gave Cam all kinds of time to pass the ball. What QB wouldn't want to be protected by that ruthless posse? The OL was awesome blocking for up to 7-8 seconds...without any penalties. Plus, Cam has: (a) a stable of dynamic & dependable WRs to throw to; (b) one of the best TE rooms in the country; and (c) a consistent & powerful run game that travels anywhere and takes a ton of pressure off the QB. Mario's biggest priorities actually take a ton of pressure off the QB & free him up to shine. That performance should lay to rest permanently the notion that Mario is a QB killa. It's totally the opposite. For example, Cam clearly had the freedom to throw late down the middle at least six times (yes, one of those was picked off). Those "dangerous" throws led to many more positive outcomes than negative (by at least a 6-1 ratio), including that spectacular TD grab at the back of the end zone by Jacolby. To his credit, Mario let his star QB play with seemingly complete freedom & without reining him in.
2) We're now really well situated in the ACC: Not only do we appear to be the class of the ACC this yr but we should enjoy some "tailwinds" this season due to that strong start. Unlike others that poked the ACC in the eye during the offseason (including one team that's now 0-2), Mario & Dan played things smart in the offseason & publicly expressed support for the ACC (while others sued). The ACC needs at least one team to make it to the Playoffs to stay relevant in the CFB landscape & it looks like Miami & maybe Ga Tech are the most likely candidates. So, some benefits should accrue to us as we play through the ACC schedule this yr.
3) Recruiting should be en fuego: Mario was an awesome recruiter before this game. We've already heard some positive reactions to that performance from potential recruits like DJ Pickett & Joshua Moore and there'll be others for sure.
4) Major validation of Mario's rock solid approach to program building: That game was huge for Mario as everyone can now see a tangible & exciting representation of Mario's vision for UM football. He isn't limited anymore to simply describing his vision verbally. He can now show an exciting product on film & at games for the rest of the season (what a marketing tool those will be). That should be a boon for at least the next 2-3 recruiting cycles. Mario's approach to roster building (primarily stellar HS recruiting + additional studs added through the Portal) has taken longer but will ultimately be much more sustainable than FSU's fairly pedestrian HS recruiting rankings the last 5 yrs combined with heavy Portal usage (which looks like a "swing & a miss" so far this yr).
As excited as I am to see this team play the rest of this yr, it's definitely worth remembering that:
1) Even the legendary '01 team almost lost two games during the regular season (BC & Va Tech) so we can't play down to anybody or take any team lightly. Worth noting that those are two ACC teams who finished a respectable 8-4 on the '01 season but weren't as highly ranked as some of the other opponents. The 2001 Canes blew out some of their highly ranked opponents by gaudy margins (UW, Nebraska (11-2), and Cuse (10-3)) but only beat Va Tech by 2 points and eked out a close one against BC on the famous Walters/Reed play; and
2) Any ACC team can beat any other ACC team on any given day: Yes, Miami appears to be the class of the ACC this yr...but see point #1 above as a decent BC team almost beat the greatest team of all time in '01. This team should approach every ACC game as a stern test...and not take any non-conference games lightly either.
This team can have an incredible year if it stays humble, avoids distractions & simply focuses on the work ahead instead of the potential outcomes. Great start to the year. Go Canes!
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