Miami Hurricanes - Football Schedule 2016

[Cane from the Bend]

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O' Yeah! Watch out for the week of October 29th:
I think I'll be busy that day, for sure...


2016 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Sept. 3 – vs. Florida A&M
Saturday, Sept. 10 – vs. Florida Atlantic
Saturday, Sept. 17– at Appalachian State
Saturday, Sept. 24 – bye
Saturday, Oct. 1 – at Georgia Tech
Saturday, Oct. 8 – vs. Florida State
Saturday, Oct. 15 – vs. North Carolina
Thursday, Oct. 20 – at Virginia Tech
Saturday, Oct. 29 - at Notre Dame
Saturday, Nov. 5 – vs. Pittsburgh
Saturday, Nov. 12 – at Virginia
Saturday, Nov. 19 – at North Carolina State
Saturday, Nov. 26 – vs. Duke

My wife says we'll be sitting on opposite sides of the stadium.
I think I agree.

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[Spence]

You should put your foot down.

[Cane from the Bend]

If that foot is across the throat of a Leprechaun, maybe I will.

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[billybud]

It will be October until the Canes play football. That lead in sched of FAMU, FAU, Appy State, Bye...has got to be one of the easier openings this year.

My dad used to never start the car with the air conditioner "on"...claimed it was better for the engine to warm up before adding stress.

[donovan]

It will be October until the Canes play football. That lead in sched of FAMU, FAU, Appy State, Bye...has got to be one of the easier openings this year.

My dad used to never start the car with the air conditioner "on"...claimed it was better for the engine to warm up before adding stress.

..."If God wanted us to have air conditioning He wouldn't have made these windows roll down!"

[Cane from the Bend]

It will be October until the Canes play football. That lead in sched of FAMU, FAU, Appy State, Bye...has got to be one of the easier openings this year..

No doubt; I would certainly like to see at least 1 top 15 potential opponent in those first three weeks.

Though, when looking at the game here in South Bend, on the 29th, the October lead up to that game, is:

Saturday, Oct. 1 – at Georgia Tech
Saturday, Oct. 8 – vs. Florida State
Saturday, Oct. 15 – vs. North Carolina
Thursday, Oct. 20 – at Virginia Tech

I just hope we hit stride finding our competitive self, and not see ourselves limping into the dome zone beaten up & absent some key position personnel.

And, if we can get into this game with just 1 loss (or none), then watch out, because that could be the momentum necessary to get us into the ACC title game.

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[billybud]

The Noles play Miami away on Oct.8

FSU should already be battle tested having played Ole Miss, Louisville, UNC (and USF). I always worry about the Canes. Good QB, good athletes...and the game is usually close.

[Cane from the Bend]

This game has a lot of intrigue. One aspect which favors us, as best as it can, is the home field atmosphere.

This game is always a sell out. So, if we get off to a solid start, the place should be electric. And this is the first time in a few years now, I feel as though we are a legitimate threat to the 'noles.

I'm sure the pregame buildup, as well as throughout the game, we'll get the obligatory commentary of Richt's time as QB for Miami, and his stint as FSU's offensive coordinator.

I like the direction Richt has gone with his choices for a supporting staff. Which, as you will see below, there is more kindling for the media furnace, at the top and bottom of the list.

--- so let's start the list, here ---

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach: Manny Diaz
Diaz, the son of former mayor of Miami, Manuel Alberto “Manny” Diaz, returns home to South Florida with 18 years of defensive experience.
During his 18-year coaching career, Diaz has coached in 14 bowl games and has coached numerous all-conference and NFL players at six different collegiate institutions.
Diaz spent the 2015 season at Mississippi State – his second stint in Starkville.
Last season his defensive unit held opponents to just 23.2 point per game and ranked in the nation’s top 10 in redzone defense.
In 2014, Diaz spent one season at Louisiana Tech and his impact was felt in a big way, mainly by opposing teams’ offenses. In 2014, Louisiana Tech led the nation in turnovers gained (40) with 15 fumble recoveries and 25 interceptions.
Prior to his stop at Louisiana Tech, Diaz coached three seasons at Texas (2011-13).
In 2010 at Mississippi State, Diaz guided a defense that ranked 22nd in the nation in scoring defense (19.9 ppg), 17th in rushing defense (214.9 ypg) and 17th in tackles for loss (7.0 pg). MSU also finished ranked 13th in red-zone defense (.730) and 22nd in turnovers forced (28) nationally.
Diaz spent four seasons as defensive coordinator at MTSU. Diaz also coached linebackers for two years after mentoring the safeties during his first two years [2006-09].
In four years under Diaz, the Middle Tennessee defense led its conference in sacks and tackles for loss twice, and finished no lower than third in the league in either category during his tenure. In 2009, the Blue Raiders finished second nationally in tackles for loss, stopping more than eight and a half plays per game behind the line of scrimmage. Diaz’s defense also ranked sixth nationally in sacks that season, posting nearly three per game.
Diaz played a major role for one of the country’s top-ranked defenses by coaching safeties in 2004-05 and handling the linebackers in 2002-03 for NC State.
In 2005, the Wolfpack finished eighth nationally in total defense, sixth in third-down percentage, and 12th in scoring defense.
Diaz spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons at NCSU as a graduate assistant working primarily with the linebackers. During that time, the Wolfpack went to two bowl games and became the first ACC team to beat FSU in Tallahassee.
Diaz began his coaching career at Florida State in 1998, working alongside defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews for two seasons. During his stint, the Seminoles won a national championship in 1999 and were national runners-up in 1998.


Quarterbacks Coach: Jon Richt
Joining his father’s staff for the second time in his coaching career after he spent the 2015 campaign with the Buffalo Bills as an offensive assistant.
He spent the 2014 season serving on Georgia’s staff as a quality control assistant.
Richt was a three-star member of Clemson’s 2008 recruiting class before he transferred to Mars Hill College to finish out his collegiate career.


Defensive Line Coach: Craig Kuligowski
Comes to Coral Gables after spending the past 15 years as the defensive line coach at the University of Missouri.
During his 15-year tenure with the Tigers – the longest-tenured position coach in the SEC [much of which was actually in the Big XII] - Kuligowski coached 24 players to all-conference honors. In addition, Kuligowski produced four first round NFL Draft picks since 2009.
This past season at Missouri, Kuligowski’s defensive line helped the Tigers rank second in the nation in team tackles for loss. The Tigers also ranked ninth in the nation in total defense.


Cornerbacks Coach: Mike Rumph
Rumph was part of the last national championship team at the University of Miami.
He has spent the past three years as the football coach at Plantation American Heritage Private School.
Rumph, played six seasons in the NFL and had stints with the 49ers, who drafted him in the first round in 2002, and later the Redskins and Rams.
After retiring following the 2007 season, Rumph went into coaching and became an assistant at Miramar Everglades in 2010 and later at American Heritage. In 2013, he replaced former Dolphin Jeff Dellenbach as the school’s coach and guided the Patriots to back-to-back state championships and a regional semifinal appearance this past season. During that time, American Heritage went 35-6.


Safeties Coach: Ephraim Banda
He spent the 2015 season at Mississippi State where he served as a Defensive Assistant under the Hurricanes' new Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz.
During the 2015 season, the Bulldog's defensive unit held opponents to just 23.2 point per game and ranked in the nation’s top 10 in redzone defense.
MSU led the nation in fewest pass plays of 20+ yards allowed in 2015, surrendering only 24. Despite several key injuries to seniors, the secondary ranked fourth in the SEC in passes defended with 63.


Running Backs Coach/Co-offensive Coordinator: Thomas Brown
He spent the 2015 campaign on Richt’s staff at Georgia where he coached the Bulldog running backs.
Prior to arriving at Georgia, Brown coached Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin in 2014.
He and sophomore Corey Clement combined to run for 3,536 yards to break the single-season Football Bowl Subdivision record for rushing yards by teammates that had been set the year before by Gordon and James White (3,053 yards).


Offensive Line Coach: Stacy Searels
Searels, in addition to last season at Virginia Tech, has coached the offensive line at Texas, Georgia and LSU — coaching with Richt at Georgia from 2007 to 2010, and with Hurricanes' new Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz from 2011 to 2013 as a part of the Longhorns' coaching staff.
He was an All-American lineman at Auburn, and played in the nfl for the San Diego Chargers for two seasons before going to the Miami Dolphins in 1990 for one season.
Searels’ coaching path has taken him from Auburn (graduate assistant) to Appalachian State to Cincinnati to LSU to Georgia to Texas and to Virginia Tech, where he coached the O-line the past two seasons.
During his time at LSU (2003-06), Searels’ Tigers won two SEC West titles, an SEC title and a National Title .


Special Teams Coordinator /Tight Ends Coach: Todd Hartley
comes to Miami after serving as the Director of Player Personnel at Georgia.
Before his time in Athens, Hartley worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Marshall University.
Hartley joined the Marshall staff in March, 2011, and served as the Herd's safeties coach for two seasons before being named tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator in March, 2013.


Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator: Ron Dugans
He comes to the Hurricanes from USF in Tampa, where he served as receivers coach the past two seasons.
Dugans coached receivers at Louisville from 2010 through ’13 – part of a Cardinals’ program that went 12-1 in 2013 and defeated UM in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
He was a standout receiver for Florida State from 1995 to ’99, when Richt was the FSU offensive coordinator.


The only real question mark I have, is in Craig Kuligowski, the D-Line Coordinator out of Mizzou. They had some up & down seasons. And I'm not sure the resume from a program that competed in the Big 12 North, and the last couple of years in the SEC East is particularly stellar.

I do acknowledge Missouri's climb up to an #2 ranking in the poles in the recent past. However, much of that was on the offensive side of the ball, rather than defensive.

Although, it would, admittedly, be interesting to see just how good Missouri could be, if they were a bigger draw for recruits, and if their region had a more fertile prospect zone.

The Tigers have had some scrappy teams, so, maybe my apprehension is a little premature. And, if I'm going to be skeptic about one hire, I suppose I'd rather it be a position component, rather than the head coach [like I was with the Golden hire]...

Of the above group, I am most excited about the Manny Diaz hire.

Here is a guy that has been primed and ready to take on a Power 5 Head Coaching job.
And yet, to here it from Diaz, he couldn't be happier being at the U.

Manny Diaz: "“Starkville is a special place and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity Dan Mullen and Scott Stricklin gave my family and I. The Bulldog fans are like no other and it has been a privilege to be a part of such a great program, University and community. I wish the MSU players, coaches and fans all the best. Their future is bright. We knew it would take a very unique opportunity for us to consider leaving. God blessed me with a chance to return home, to coach in my hometown and to reunite with family. It is the kind of opportunity that comes along rarely in this business. It was simply too good to pass up. I can’t wait to help Coach Richt build a championship program at Miami.”

It is this sort of enthusiasm that whets the appetite for the season to begin. And, who knows. If all the cards fall in the right places, maybe Richt retires in South South Beach, while Diaz takes over the reigns.

As for the Miami/FSU game on October 8th, it could come down to how polished Seminoles passing game shapes up.

Richt has gone out and gathered a pass prevent defense. And, although our Quarterback situation is solid. Between these 2 stingy defenses, this game may be decided on the ground.

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