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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Timing is everything, so it’s been said, which is why Florida State-Miami has been fun but, well, a little hollow the past few seasons. They have provided drama the last 2 games with undefeated matchups and fourth-quarter lead changes, but though it’s been entertaining prime-time programming, it’s lacked championship intrigue on both sides.
After the game, Brad Kaaya vowed that the Canes will meet FSU again in the ACC title game. In a speech reminiscent of the promise made by that former QB of a State university in Gainesville after dropping a game
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1612153453 to Ole Miss, UM Brad Kaaya made a promise to his players and Cane Fam after Saturday night nationally televised loss that he will outwork anyone, and vowed that he will lead his players to the ACC Title game, and meet FSU once again in dramatic fashion. [
Shots fired?]
“We can’t lose the Coastal,’’ Kaaya vowed. “That’s been our goal since day one.’’
The Virginia Tech game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU) at Sun Life Stadium. The Hokies (3-3, 1-1) defeated North Carolina State on Friday night.
The No. 6 Clemson Tigers (5-0, 2-0) visit Miami for the first time since 2009 on Oct. 24. And Duke (5-1, 2-0), just out of the ranking as of this past week, meets Miami in Durham, North Carolina on Oct. 31.
Following the 29-24 loss, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya declared to FSU defensive coordinator Charles Kelly that would change later this season.
“For the past eight months we’ve been working our tails off,’’ Brad declared, “and it has to show up on game day. That’s my plan and that’s our team’s plan. We can definitely beat the Noles. We definitely can. I told a lot of their guys and their defensive coordinator that I’m going to see him again… we will handle business in the Coastal first week by week.’’
This has been the one game that has derailed Miami’s season the past few years, however. Two seasons ago, Miami lost three of its last five after Florida State dropped the Canes from the undefeated ranks. The Seminoles ended the Canes’ title-game hopes last year, and Miami lost its final three games after that to finish 6-7.
Miami is 2-6 the rest of the season after losing to FSU the past two seasons, and opponents outscored them 313-220 in those games.
The rhetoric following this latest loss to the Seminoles was
similar to what was heard in 2013, but Miami fell apart. It was an even uglier finish in 2014, as the final three losses were to teams with a combined record of 18-20.
"I don’t see any quit in this team," Al Golden said following Saturday’s loss.
Kaaya said after the game that
this loss would not break Miami. Patience was running thin in the 24-hour aftermath of the loss, as Golden and Kaaya, two of the more considerate interviews, looked and sounded a little annoyed about the questions on how Miami was handling the loss.
It’s understandable, given they have been asked about it since before preseason camp.
Now they’re in a similar situation, and the general sense is Miami is
in danger of allowing another season to slip away following an emotionally crushing loss to a rival. Golden would not be able to survive a third collapse.
"We laid it on the line and came up short. There’s going to be no less fight in this team," Golden said Sunday. "This team is going to be ready to go when we get back on the field on Tuesday."
Unlike last season, when the loss eliminated Miami from Coastal contention, the Hurricanes still have a full slate of ACC games left. They’re 0-1 in the conference, but reside in a lesser division that has afforded teams second and third chances the past few seasons. A team with at least two conference losses has won the Coastal the past three seasons.
Miami athletic director Blake James is giving Golden the entire 2015 season, and it’s conceivable Miami can climb into the Coastal race. The Canes host Virginia Tech this coming weekend and Clemson on Oct. 24.
"They know we haven’t played a division game, so we better move on quickly and learn from this," Golden said of his team, "and I think they did that today and did a good job today of just moving on. We already started on our Virginia Tech preparation, and they did a really good."
Kaaya said Miami can "definitely beat" Florida State in an ACC Championship Game rematch, but acknowledged the Hurricanes have to play their way to Charlotte. Miami has struggled to close out games under Golden, and even in a win earlier this season, Miami blew a 23-point fourth-quarter lead.
And of course there was Saturday, when Miami scored a touchdown to take a 24-23 lead only to allow Florida State to respond with the game-winning touchdown on the ensuing drive.
"We had them right there on the ropes ... but things happen and you got to bounce back," Kaaya said.
Miami believes it will, but it’s a pretty small bandwagon at this point. Jared Shanker. Who's still on board?
