How does one recap the University of Miami's 2014 regular season?
Despite a 3-3 start, the Hurricanes bounced back with three straight victories by outscoring opponents 132-60. The team looked as good as it had in years.
Led by freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya and junior running back Duke Johnson, the offense could both pass or throw with ease. On defense, junior safety Deon Bush looked like his hard-hitting, healthy self, while senior linebacker Denzel Perryman played at a Butkus Award level.
Miami entered its rivalry game with undefeated Florida State, at the time riding a 25-game win streak, with confidence. Head coach Al Golden seemed poised to capture his signature win by opening up a 16-point lead over the Seminoles.
The 2014 season hasn't been the same since halftime of that game.
The Hurricanes watched that lead disappear and closed the regular season on a three-game skid, going from Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division contention to a three-way tie for last place. Instead of having a chance at matching last year's win total of nine games, the program is back to 6-6 for the first time since 2011.
During the preseason, media outlets chose the Hurricanes as the favorites to win the Coastal Division. Instead of an appearance in the ACC title game and a top-tier bowl, fans are calling for the firing of Golden.
"We're responsible for the record at the end of the day," Golden said after Saturday's game. "I'm responsible for the record. I feel like we have a lot of guys on our team -- Clive (Walford), Duke, Denzel -- that are chasing elite. Maybe we haven't had that for a while. Overall as a team, we need to perform better, and that's my responsibility. We are what our record is, period. I'm disappointed."
THE GOOD
1. Career years for Johnson, Walford, Perryman and Dorsett
Though 2014 has seen its share of youthful inexperience and inconsistency, four upperclassmen showcased their elite status.
On Saturday, Johnson became the program's career rushing leader with 3,387 yards, passing Ottis Anderson in just his 32nd game. He already set the all-purpose yards record Oct. 11 against the Cincinnati Bearcats. After a season-ending broken ankle in 2013, Johnson stayed healthy and cemented his legacy with seven straight 100-yard games in 2014. His 1,520 yards rank 11th in the nation. He had added 370 yards on receptions with 13 total touchdowns.
Walford decided to return for his senior year rather than put his name in for the NFL Draft this past spring. As a John Mackey Award finalist, given to the nation's top tight end, he has matched Florida State's Nick O'Leary in catches (44) and Minnesota's Maxx Williams in touchdowns (seven). He has more yards (676) than the two. Walford will leave as UM's leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns for a tight end.
Perryman, like Walford, came back for his final season. He is a finalist for the Butkus Award, presented to the country's top linebacker. Perryman is three tackles shy of James Burgess for ninth on the program's all-time career list (343). The notoriously hard hitter has started 25 straight games. This year, he has 102 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, four pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.
Wideout Phillip Dorsett didn't completely recover from a knee injury last season, and he worked throughout the summer to regain his speed and explosiveness. With a 51-yard touchdown Saturday, the senior became the seventh Hurricane with at least 2,000 career receiving yards. It also marked his 16th career score, good for seventh in program history. His 26.6 yards per catch leads the nation.
2. Promising freshmen
Nine months ago, Ryan Williams was the projected starter at quarterback for the Hurricanes. But then he tore his ACL, which meant Kevin Olsen became the likely benefactor of the injury. That is, until four-star recruit Brad Kaaya arrived on campus upon high-school graduation and wowed both coaches and teammates with poise beyond his 18 years.
Kaaya, who was named an ACC honorable mention Monday by the media, finished the regular season with at least one touchdown in all 12 games and 200-plus yards in eight contests. He led the league with 25 touchdowns and a 148.2 passer rating. His 2,962 yards trailed just reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
With Kaaya, the Hurricanes finally have a quarterback to grow with who shows the potential for greatness. After the regressions of Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris, Kaaya's talent and maturation exude promise.
"I just want to get better," Kaaya said following the team's regular-season finale. "I just want my fellow young guys to really come on and progress and get better for the bowl game. I want us to carry it to next year. I want to be great. I'm trying to be great and all my teammates want to be, especially the young guys. They have to step up. It's our turn too."
Fellow freshmen Braxton Berrios and Joe Yearby also saw significant snaps. Berrios, who reminds many of NFL talent Wes Welker, was a reliable third-down target early on for Kaaya. In 11 games (five starts), he caught 20 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. As Johnson's backup, Yearby ran 80 times for 489 yards (6.1 average) with one touchdown. He should only get better with added weight and more experience.
THE BAD
1. Gradual defensive improvement?
The Hurricanes ranked 15th nationally in total defense with 327.6 yards allowed per game and 22nd in turnovers gained with 23 (13 fumbles recovered and 10 interceptions). In 2013, however, there were 27 takeaways.
Defense still tends to be more of a liability than a strength.
Miami allowed at least 30 points five times, including each of the last three games. All of those instances led to a loss. Eighty-three percent of the time opponents scored in the red zone (70th in the nation).
Top backs Ameer Abdullah and James Conner ran all over the unit. Florida State freshman Dalvin Cook scored a pair of long touchdowns. Georgia Tech's triple option controlled the clock for 40 minutes.
Aside from Perryman, there are no players on defense that offenses would gameplan against. Bush seemed to return to his freshman form until he got hurt again last month. Dallas Crawford, who converted from running back to safety, was a backup to walk-on Nantambu-Akil Fentress. Former five-star recruit Tracy Howard doesn't start.
Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio continues to be much-reviled amongst the UM fan base.
2. "Special" teams
This season turned out to be a mixed bag for the special teams unit.
Junior kicker Matt Goudis got hurt over the summer and another injury kept him out from Week 4 on. Freshman Michael Badgley took his place and went 12 of 15 on field goals, recording a career long of 48 on Saturday.
But extra points, of all things, gave the Hurricanes trouble with four missed attempts. Badgley couldn't connect on a 29-yard kick and an extra point got blocked in a four-point loss to Florida State.
Sophomore Justin Vogel had big shoes to fill as the successor to Pat O'Donnell, a 2014 NFL draft pick. Vogel averaged 43.7 yards per punt with 21 inside the 20 and 12 of 50-plus yards as a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
Neither kickoff nor punt returns gained any traction with sophomore Stacy Coley. Not only did Coley find it difficult to make an impact as a receiver, but also in the return game this season. He averaged just 22.5 yards with a long of 41. As a team, the 20.4-yard kickoff average ranked 72nd. Opponents, meanwhile, averaged 24.5 yards and even scored a touchdown. Vogel and Badgley split time as the kickoff man.
"We're struggling with our kickoff coverage," Golden said Saturday. "We're not driving the ball deep enough, we're not giving our guys enough time to cover it, and we're not hanging it up right now. I tried both kickers again (Saturday). Pitt did a better job than we did in that department. Overall, I think Vogel has had a very productive year for us. Our return game is something that we're going to have to really have an explosive return. That's disappointing."
THE UGLY
1. Limping to the finish
Ending seasons on a losing skid has become a disturbing trend with the program.
Last year, the Hurricanes lost three straight after opening 7-0. In 2012, they dropped three of four from October to November. In both 2011 and 2010, it was three of the final five.
What's worse is the way UM looked during a three-game losing streak this time. After dominating Florida State for three quarters, the Hurricanes allowed a pair of inferior opponents to beat them without much of a fight. Virginia and Pittsburgh were both under .500 entering their matchups vs. Miami, and they outscored the Hurricanes 65-36.
It looked as though the team didn't show up or care. Following the team's regular-season finale, Perryman said that maybe players had gotten complacent after the elimination from Coastal contention.
"No, I mean things happen," Perryman said. "We have playmakers -- young guys and freshmen. I know that they are going to have some good guys coming in. But I can say the games that we lost, some of them just did not go our way and some of them we just beat ourselves. But, I expect those guys to step up."
2. Hostility on social media
Saying Miami fans aren't happy would be an understatement.
Halfway through the season, a few purchased an advertisement that was flown over Sun Life Stadium before a game calling for the firing of Golden. After the regular-season finale, during the singing of the Alma Mater, those remaining in the stands were cursing him out.
A program with five national championships doesn't want to get used to the mediocrity that has plagued it over the past decade. Yet it isn't something that has just surfaced of late. It started at the end of Larry Coker's regime and has since continued through Randy Shannon's and Golden's eras.
Fans are calling for change, but will it come? Which UM team will show up for the bowl game?
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
