The Road Game Journal feature will detail our excursions to various Miami Hurricanes road games over the years. Hide the children, because when you wear orange and green to an opposing team’s stadium, well, they tend to not take to it kindly. The below article details our trip to South Florida to see the Canes take on the Noles on October 9th, 2010 (yes, this was a home game, but it’s Miami-FSU).
Fresh off my trip to Clemson last week, I have a flight on Saturday afternoon 
for what is by far the biggest game of the Randy Shannon era. Miami vs. FSU. Win, and the Canes are likely in the top 10 with national title hopes alive and well with a soft remaining schedule. Lose, and the fans will be calling for a coaching change as the team will have suffered its second loss in its fifth game. So much was on the line (not to mention 80% of the country would be getting this prime time game on ABC). I was hyped.
for what is by far the biggest game of the Randy Shannon era. Miami vs. FSU. Win, and the Canes are likely in the top 10 with national title hopes alive and well with a soft remaining schedule. Lose, and the fans will be calling for a coaching change as the team will have suffered its second loss in its fifth game. So much was on the line (not to mention 80% of the country would be getting this prime time game on ABC). I was hyped.So I hop on my flight, which went strangely well considering how much I hate flying. The plan was to hit up LaSpada’s off University Drive as soon as my 5:30 flight landed. Ahhh, LaSpada’s. F Subway and F Quizno’s. LaSpada’s buries those cockroaches. Best subs in Florida. F it, best subs in the USA. My dad picks me up at the airport (first time he’s been on time in years) and we head over. I get out of the car and the heavenly clouds part as the LaSpada’s sign is revealed. I hear choir boys in my head singing “Ahhhhhhh.” Part Soup Nazi, 
LaSpada’s requires that you know what you’re ordering and how to order as it is always packed. I order my turkey sub with everything but olives and mayo. I grab some drinks and a bag of salt and vinegar chips. It’s 6:00 but I don’t want to risk being late for the 8:00 kickoff, so we take it to go. I learned my lesson in Clemson the week prior, so we head straight to the stadium.
LaSpada’s requires that you know what you’re ordering and how to order as it is always packed. I order my turkey sub with everything but olives and mayo. I grab some drinks and a bag of salt and vinegar chips. It’s 6:00 but I don’t want to risk being late for the 8:00 kickoff, so we take it to go. I learned my lesson in Clemson the week prior, so we head straight to the stadium. The traffic was almost Clemson-like, though. Since we were still crawling at a 
snail’s pace at 7:00, we decided to just feast on the subs en route. Starving, I take my first bite into my sub and immediately ejaculate in my pants. Their subs are that good. Well, I didn’t really have an accident in my pants, but I almost did. Fresh bread, two layers of freshly sliced turkey, some lettuce, tomato, onions, sweet peppers, and spices and oils. The subs hit the spot and now it is 7:30 and we see Joe Robbie Stadium (I refuse to call it anything but). This takes
me back…I remember goin to Dolphins games here with my dad when I was younger. The plan was for my buddy Khalil, who had a 4:00 wedding to go to, to meet me at 7:45 outside the stadium. At 7:30, he texts me and says that he can’t go cuz his wife is pissed at him already and he doesn’t want to make it worse by leaving the wedding early. Make it worse? This is f’n Miami-FSU! I text back: ‘Dude, turn in your man card. Will head with Pops then. We’ll pick you up some Vagisil on the way back.’ F’n marriage. This dude is a shadow of his former self. I remember in 2003 we drove up to Blacksburg at the last minute to go to the Virginia Tech game and we just drove back that same night. Now, this fool can’t even attend a Miami-FSU game that is 15 minutes away from his house.
snail’s pace at 7:00, we decided to just feast on the subs en route. Starving, I take my first bite into my sub and immediately ejaculate in my pants. Their subs are that good. Well, I didn’t really have an accident in my pants, but I almost did. Fresh bread, two layers of freshly sliced turkey, some lettuce, tomato, onions, sweet peppers, and spices and oils. The subs hit the spot and now it is 7:30 and we see Joe Robbie Stadium (I refuse to call it anything but). This takes
me back…I remember goin to Dolphins games here with my dad when I was younger. The plan was for my buddy Khalil, who had a 4:00 wedding to go to, to meet me at 7:45 outside the stadium. At 7:30, he texts me and says that he can’t go cuz his wife is pissed at him already and he doesn’t want to make it worse by leaving the wedding early. Make it worse? This is f’n Miami-FSU! I text back: ‘Dude, turn in your man card. Will head with Pops then. We’ll pick you up some Vagisil on the way back.’ F’n marriage. This dude is a shadow of his former self. I remember in 2003 we drove up to Blacksburg at the last minute to go to the Virginia Tech game and we just drove back that same night. Now, this fool can’t even attend a Miami-FSU game that is 15 minutes away from his house.So my dad, who prefers to watch the games on his couch, takes one for the team and goes with me. Only it’s 7:50 now and we’re still not parked. He tells me to head in and he’ll park the car and catch up later, so that’s what I do. I head to the gates and can already tell that this is no ordinary game. Canes 
chants everywhere, alcohol flowin, and tons of F bombs being hurled. It felt like I was at a European soccer game as I entered the gates. I get to my seats just in time to see the pregame message from former players and the team running through the smoke. I have never – EVER – seen Joe Robbie that electric before a game. The excitement was palpable.
chants everywhere, alcohol flowin, and tons of F bombs being hurled. It felt like I was at a European soccer game as I entered the gates. I get to my seats just in time to see the pregame message from former players and the team running through the smoke. I have never – EVER – seen Joe Robbie that electric before a game. The excitement was palpable.Game kicks off and my heart is racing. One good showing. One well played game and this team – rather, this program – is back. All we have to do is beat
FSU at home (a game that we’re favored by 6 points in), and we’ll be 4-1 with nothing but UNC and VT at home and Georgia Tech on the road. C’mon Randy. This is the big stage. Time to show your best.
FSU at home (a game that we’re favored by 6 points in), and we’ll be 4-1 with nothing but UNC and VT at home and Georgia Tech on the road. C’mon Randy. This is the big stage. Time to show your best.Canes come out and drive the ball down the field thanks to a Jacory scramble. Why the f*ck doesn’t he do that more? Dude’s got some wheels. The drive stalls at the 10, though. Not sure what was up with the rush on 3rd and Goal from the 10, but I think they didn’t want Jacory throwing another 3rd and Goal pic. So, Bosh comes on for the 32 yard chip shot for us to take a 3-0 lead. It’s up, and….WTF? He missed? Not a good sign. You can’t give up points like that to FSU.
Speaking of giving up points to FSU, the D takes the field and after a 3 and out by each team, it lets FSU walk down the field and score the game’s opening touchdown. Missed tackles and FSU domination at the line of scrimmage resulted in a Jermaine Thomas 17 yard touchdown run. F me. No worries, this is just going to be one of those 42-38 shootouts, I think. First quarter 
ends, and Miami is not looking good on either side of the ball. Damien Berry takes a hand off on 3rd and 10 (again with the 3rd and long rushes?…remember we don’t have Lamar Miller for this game). And, despite never having fumbled in his career, Damien puts the ball on the ground and it is scooped up by the Noles for a TD. From my upper deck seat I thought the Seminole player might have fumbled out of the end zone resulting in a touchback, but replay confirms that he was down at the 1 and the Noles take it in for the 14-0 lead. Ugh. The FSU section next to us is goin crazy. I don’t believe what I am seeing.
ends, and Miami is not looking good on either side of the ball. Damien Berry takes a hand off on 3rd and 10 (again with the 3rd and long rushes?…remember we don’t have Lamar Miller for this game). And, despite never having fumbled in his career, Damien puts the ball on the ground and it is scooped up by the Noles for a TD. From my upper deck seat I thought the Seminole player might have fumbled out of the end zone resulting in a touchback, but replay confirms that he was down at the 1 and the Noles take it in for the 14-0 lead. Ugh. The FSU section next to us is goin crazy. I don’t believe what I am seeing.When FSU scores again to make it 21-0, I’m at a loss. How does this team come out on the biggest stage – the biggest moment in most of their athletic lives – and lay a f’n egg like that? Still, after Jacory takes it in to make it 21-7, I hold out hope that this team can overcome the 24-7 halftime deficit.
I still think that Miami can win this game. Surely, a fire is being lit underneath them in the locker room. Someone, whether it is a coach or a player, is going to motivate this team to give it all they got and start making plays. Man, was I wrong. A 44 yard rush by FSU’s Chris Thompson sets up a Lonnie Pryor touchdown to make it 31 to f’n 7. 31 to 7?! Part of me thinks that we can still put something together to win this game. The other part wishes that, if we lose, we lose by a lot rather than a little so that changes can be made. Damien Berry rips off a nice TD run to make it 31-14 and I think ‘here it comes.’ Vaughn Telemaque makes an interception on the ensuing FSU drive and now Miami has the ball and can make it a 10 point game halfway through the 3rd quarter.
Three straight incompletions at the FSU 18 result in a Matt Bosher field goal to cut the margin to 14. Still manageable. Miami forces a punt and gets the ball late in the 3rd quarter. A touchdown here will cut it to 7. But one first down is all they can manage. They had everything…momentum…the crowd….but just couldn’t do it. Repeatedly. So disappointing. Fans are cursing out Whipple and Shannon and I can’t really blame them. Let us not forget that the players themselves didn’t produce. I saw so many missed tackles I thought I was watching a high school team. You know it’s bad when you look up at the big screen in the 3rd quarter and see that your leading tacklers are Ray Ray Armstrong and Vaughn Telemaque. Um, those are our safeties.
FSU scores again and the fans start filing out. Ugh. So deflating. I can’t think 
of a more devastating loss to the program since the Fiesta. Maybe the 2003 Virginia Tech game, but that team had so many close calls earlier in the year, you could see the writing on the wall. A loss to FSU was certainly feasible, but not a blow out loss at home. I don’t know anyone who saw that coming. My dad and I stick around cuz it’s such a nice night and cuz gettin out of JRS is a nightmare. Bad move. We look up to see Chris Thompson rip off a 90 yard run against a tired Miami D. Great. By now, it’s mainly FSU fans left in the stands. Very bizarre.
of a more devastating loss to the program since the Fiesta. Maybe the 2003 Virginia Tech game, but that team had so many close calls earlier in the year, you could see the writing on the wall. A loss to FSU was certainly feasible, but not a blow out loss at home. I don’t know anyone who saw that coming. My dad and I stick around cuz it’s such a nice night and cuz gettin out of JRS is a nightmare. Bad move. We look up to see Chris Thompson rip off a 90 yard run against a tired Miami D. Great. By now, it’s mainly FSU fans left in the stands. Very bizarre. Speaking of bizarre, we start filing out and head on the escalator. I look 
down and almost lose my LaSpada’s. This one girl, who was rockin flip flops by the way, had the oddest toes I’ve ever seen. Now, I’m not a foot guy or anything, but this chick had four really long toes and it almost looked like she had no pinky toe. Like she lost it in some freak lawn mowing accident. But sure enough, it was there, it was just really small. So, for those scoring at home, that’s four abnormally long toes and one really short one. Dude, if I was a chick and my feet looked like that, I’d be lacing up some knee high boots.
down and almost lose my LaSpada’s. This one girl, who was rockin flip flops by the way, had the oddest toes I’ve ever seen. Now, I’m not a foot guy or anything, but this chick had four really long toes and it almost looked like she had no pinky toe. Like she lost it in some freak lawn mowing accident. But sure enough, it was there, it was just really small. So, for those scoring at home, that’s four abnormally long toes and one really short one. Dude, if I was a chick and my feet looked like that, I’d be lacing up some knee high boots.Anyway, so we head out of the stadium and the fans are irate. I can hear the WQAM blaring in car radios already calling for Shannon’s firing. I walk past 
one Canes fan, who lights up an orange and green jersey and sits down to watch it burn. Nice. Way to support the team, man. I still can’t wrap my head around the loss. Not that we lost, but HOW we lost. Had we won, it would have set up a possible title run not only this year, but next year as well. Now, it is clear that this team is just not that good. Supremely talented, but the talent is not translating on the field. In my heart of hearts, I truly wish the best for Shannon. My fear, though, is that he just doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful head coach. I hope this team wins out and wins the ACC, because that would render this moot. But anything less than that and the writing will be on the wall.
one Canes fan, who lights up an orange and green jersey and sits down to watch it burn. Nice. Way to support the team, man. I still can’t wrap my head around the loss. Not that we lost, but HOW we lost. Had we won, it would have set up a possible title run not only this year, but next year as well. Now, it is clear that this team is just not that good. Supremely talented, but the talent is not translating on the field. In my heart of hearts, I truly wish the best for Shannon. My fear, though, is that he just doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful head coach. I hope this team wins out and wins the ACC, because that would render this moot. But anything less than that and the writing will be on the wall. I’ve been to many FSU games over the years, but none sting like this one. This loss not only affected our 2010 season, but seemingly put a damper on the Jacory-led 2011 one as well. It’s times like these that I call ‘the shaking of the tree.’ Are you gonna hang on…or are you gonna burn jerseys?
