Hurricanes Lunchtime List: Top 5 Moments from 2011 UM Season

Every day (well, every weekday), we’ll bring you a Hurricanes top five list at lunchtime. It’s something to look forward to.

Mondays: Answers to Top 5 Game Preview from Friday
Tuesdays: Top 5 in the ACC
Wednesdays: Unique Top 5 List
Thursdays: Unique Top 5 List
Fridays: Unique Top 5 List

5. The comeback @ Virginia Tech. This would be number one on the list if Miami held onto the fourth quarter lead for the win. But the offense stormed back after a 21-7 halftime deficit to take the lead with less than three minutes remaining. The defense just couldn’t hold Logan Thomas and the Hokies offense, who scored with under a minute to go. Miami couldn’t move the ball on the final drive, and the Hokies escaped with a 38-35 victory. Jacory Harris passed for three touchdowns with no picks in the game, and Lamar Miller rushed for 166 yards and a score.

4. Holding Georgia Tech to 134 rushing yards. The Yellow Jackets have been one of the country’s premier rushing teams on the back of their triple-option attack. But head coach Al Golden and defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio are accustomed to defending the offense from their time at Temple when the Owls faced Navy’s triple-option. The Canes defense did a marvelous job of playing disciplined to stop the Jackets. The 134 rushing yards are the fewest Georgia Tech has managed all season, and the fewest since Miami held the Jackets to 95 rushing yards in 2009.

3. Jake Wieclaw’s game-winning field goal @ USF. It capped a 6-3 win for Miami, and the Hurricanes struggled to get just about anything going on offense. It was a good effort from the defense, but what stood out most was the ‘pressure kick’ scene on the Miami sidelines as the Bulls attempted to ice Wieclaw before he attempted the 36-yarder. His teammates jumped around and shouted at him, and is, as Golden noted after the game, something they practice every Thursday. It took the power out of the opposition’s hands, and put it with Miami and Wieclaw. And it has to be good for morale. Because that was just awesome.

2. Tommy Streeter’s performance vs. Virginia. The country was introduced to Streeter in the loss to Virginia as the Miami Northwestern product caught big pass after big pass. He caught seven passes for 176 yards including 3- and 51-yard touchdown receptions. He also had receptions of 57, 26,20, and 13 yards.

1. Beating Ohio State. It won’t come close to making up for the 2002 referee debacle in the national championship game, and Miami missed its first opportunity for revenge last season…but the Week Three win was a start. The Hurricanes were coming off a bye week following the loss to Maryland in the opener, and were expecting big things with most of their suspended players returning for the home date with the Buckeyes. Miami jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, then added another touchdown to make it 14-0 in the first quarter. There wasn’t a whole lot of scoring after that. The Hurricanes defense held freshman quarterback Braxton Miller, playing in his second collegiate game, to 2/4 passing for 22 yards and an interception.