A return to glory is a phrase fans of once great programs long for and speak of often. The term does get thrown around a lot and doesn’t always apply. In the case of the Miami Hurricanes, they have been good, they’ve been less than good, but it’s been a while since they enjoyed a real return to glory. The reason ‘return to glory’ has been a hard sell in South Florida is because teams from the past are part of college football’s richest history.
When the Miami teams are compared, success isn’t good enough. Those previous teams were daunting, if not dominant, and big plays came in waves. There have been Hurricane teams that have been good, entertaining or even threatening in the last decade plus, but none of those teams felt like the Canes of old. Welcoming in the sixth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish would prove to be an interesting litmus test for the 2025 campaign.
Almost everything they did in that game should be viewed as promising through the lens of such a return to glory. The story of that game was not who won, but how they won. Whether this year’s team will come anywhere close to the 2001 team that is still celebrated as one of the greatest college teams of all time, is still yet to be seen. However, there was plenty to be excited about for Canes fans.
Despite transfer QB Carson Beck’s less than smooth offseason, the biggest question about these Hurricanes was which version of the QB were they getting? The Beck from the past two years? Beck didn’t light up the box score necessarily, but remember, this is about the how not the what. Beck threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 64% passing. A good day, not a great day.
However, his second touchdown pass to WR CJ Daniels was the highlight of the year early in this week-old season. It might not surpass Odell Beckham Jr’s Giants one handed catch but it’s close. After acknowledging the difficulty on Daniels’ end, one must consider the pass. Beck released that ball while being hit before Daniels had established his position. The ball had to be high but catchable with three conversing defenders to worry about. This game, and that play specifically, felt like Beck from his first season at Georgia.
Daniels' efforts were added to that of Malachi Tony and Keelan Marion, creating that sense of production coming in waves. Tony was impressive when we consider he’s only 17 years old. Putting him in an interesting group with Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams. Two top flight receivers who made a name for themselves before the age of 18.
Great Miami teams don’t win in volume because the QB is feeding his favorite target. It’s because the production comes in waves. Beck and his backs and receivers did a very good job moving the ball, but it’s the defense that popped off the screen. Reuben Bain Jr in the Notre Dame game put NFL Draft analysts on notice. He plays and looks like an NFL defensive end right now. Bain spent most of the game in Notre Dame’s backfield. In a play that will likely stand out in viewers’ minds was the sack incompletion that would be reviewed and called intentional grounding. Bain and Akheem Mesidor met at the QB, but again, this is about ‘how’.
On that rush, Bain beat the Right Tackle inside using nothing but his right shoulder and brute strength, spinning the larger offensive lineman out of position. It was Bain throwing to CJ Carr that disrupted the throw and created the intentional grounding call. Miami’s defense was almost textbook on the final drive allowing almost nothing. With over a minute and decent field position, the Miami defense shut down Notre Dame to close out that game.
Mario Cristobal’s squad came out of week one with a quality win over a quality opponent. At the end of the day, that’s all that should be pulled from that game. However, a deeper look into the ‘how’ should reveal aspects Canes fans and the Miami football program can be excited about.
This might be the first time in over 20 years, a Miami team has played in a way that feels reminiscent of much more dominant times for the program. No one should compare this team early to those dominant teams of their past. This current team might not have the next Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Jeremy Shockey of the NFL, but they seem to be out to a heck of a start towards invoking the feelings of watching those historically good Hurricanes teams with dominant pressure and offensive production in waves.
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