Miami-Florida A&M: Hurricanes Rout Rattlers, Then Entertainment Begins

Any Canes fan who takes too much away from the 48-16 rout Miami had over the Florida A&M Rattlers needs to seriously check themselves.

Let’s be real here. Florida A&M had no chance whatsoever of beating the Canes coming into the game. This is the one game of the season the Hurricanes schedule to give their team a needed rest (something all programs do).

It was against a school that, until they changed the format to make them part of the Football Championship Subdivision, was a member of Division I-AA.

Furthermore, it was against a team that had lost six consecutive times to the Hurricanes prior to Saturday by an average score of 51-6.

So, it’s safe to say no one in their right minds thought the Rattlers would defeat the Hurricanes. That being said, I’m sure Florida A&M head coach, Joe Taylor, hoped his boys would put up a better fight.

He was gracious in post-game interviews, stating “There’s a reason they are No. 11 in the country. We made some plays, but they certainly made more.”

Miami certainly did make more plays. One of those making those plays was reserve running back Damien Berry, who made the most of his opportunity to play for the first time in his career, racking up 162 yards (the most by a Miami player since 2005) on 14 carries.

Asked about his debut, Berry said “I was a little nervous. My heart was going 150 mph.”

Another player making his debut was A.J. Highsmith. Son of Alonzo Highsmith, who starred with the Canes in the '80s, A.J. is a true freshman who took over for Jacory Harris (who went 16 of 24 for 217 yards and two touchdowns) in the second half.

Although A.J. was only 3 of 3 for 38 yards, he did direct two scoring drives, and his father had to have been proud.

Randy Shannon, who has been roundly criticized by many this season, felt good about his team’s performance, summing up how he felt about it when he said, “You need a game like this. We came out focused and started the game fast.”

Offensive and Defensive Coordinators, Mark Whipple and John Lovett had to have walked away from this game feeling far more satisfied than they had after the last four games.

Last week, Whipple was quoted as saying that even though the Canes had weathered the four games against ranked opponents to start their season, and came out of it with a 3-1 record, that “Offensively, [he] didn’t think we’re very good, honestly.”

I’m guessing that even though it was against lowly Florida A&M, Whipple is feeling better about our offense.

Defensive Coordinator, John Lovett has to feel good about the play of those like cornerback Brandon Harris, who led the defense by intercepting one Rattlers pass and breaking up five others.

And although the Canes came to play, albeit against a clearly inferior opponent, this game could have been seen as a real snoozer if it weren’t for one thing. When the final whistle blew at the game, the entertainment was just beginning.

For when the players dispersed and left the field, the fabled FAMU “Marching 100” Band took the field. They’d already performed a short piece at halftime, and everyone in the stands were anxiously awaiting the drums, horns, and awesome dance moves that heralded the 15-minute post-game tribute to Michael Jackson they were to perform.

Randy Shannon summed up the feeling of everyone about the band playing when he said, “It’s very rare that you get an opportunity to play a team like Florida A&M. And then you get a band to perform that everybody knows about. After enjoying a game and coaching in a game like that, you can’t miss out on enjoying the band.”

So, while ‘Canes fans shouldn’t take too much away from this win against the Rattlers, they can take away the thought that the Hurricanes didn’t disappoint, and Florida A&M brought more than just a little game to the game.

It was a great night for all. Of course, the Hurricanes winning makes it even more special.

Quotes taken from two separate Associated Press pieces by Tim Reynolds and Steven Wine, titled "Miami Coordinators: 'Canes Still Work in Progress" and "No. 11 Hurricanes Beat Florida A&M 48-16" respectively.