There is more than three months until the season opener and a spate of games both Miami and Clemson must win to set up a potential ACC Championship Game rematch.
But as the Hurricanes continue working their way through their offseason program, many of them believe Miami has the talent to return to the championship this December. And their expectation is if they get back to Charlotte, they’ll likely line up again against Clemson, one of the most consistently successful teams in college football today.
For some members of Miami’s defense who are still smarting from their 38-3 loss to the Tigers last year, a chance to face Clemson again would mean an opportunity for redemption. They’re determined to make sure things turn out differently.
This time, they vow they won’t be nearly as starstruck as they were last year when the Hurricanes won their first Coastal Division crown and played for their first conference tile. This time, they believe they have the experience to better challenge Clemson and help bring the Hurricanes back into the national championship conversation, a conversation they were in briefly after opening 2017 with 10 straight wins.
That streak came to an end in late December when the Hurricanes dropped their regular-season finale at Pittsburgh. But Miami had, to that point, done enough to earn the Coastal Division’s berth in the ACC title game, and there Clemson dominated.
The Tigers amassed 331 yards of offense. They scored on three of their first four possessions. Quarterback Kelly Bryant completed his first 15 passes on the way to earning championship game MVP honors.
The Hurricanes allowed a season-high 38 points in that game and managed just one turnover — a Trent Harris fumble recovery early that led to a missed Michael Badgley field goal.
Things only got worse and it’s a feeling the Hurricanes say they haven’t forgotten. The goal now? Find a way to be better against the team that has won four ACC championship games since 2009 and three straight conference titles.
“It’s definitely motivation. We were just on the bus arguing about [Michael] Jordan and LeBron [James],” safety Sheldrick Redwine said during one of Miami’s community outreach events at George Washington Carver Elementary on Tuesday. “We were talking about how every great player has that team he has to get over. For us, we have to get over Clemson to get to where we’re trying to get. … We’ve got to move faster, everybody has to attack everything we do, and everything we did last year, we’ve got to take it to a whole other level.”
Redwine, a senior that is expected to be among Miami’s leaders in the secondary next season, said he watched the film from last year’s loss to Clemson just once, to study the mistakes he and his teammates made.
His goal since has been to move forward and continue improving in case the rematch happens.
Defensive end Demetrius Jackson missed last year’s ACC Championship Game while recovering from a knee injury. But like the rest of the Hurricanes, he hasn’t forgotten that night.
“No disrespect to Clemson. Watching on the sideline with my crutches, they didn’t do anything spectacular. They’d been there before and they just came to play ball and I think we didn’t,” Jackson said. “It was our first time there and we got a little starstruck and gazed like, ‘Whoa, we’re here.’ Okay, we’re here. But that’s not the goal. The goal is to get there and win it. We’re going to have to leave it all and give everything. … Give 1 percent every day and it will add up to 100 soon. Give everything we’ve got, every day to each other, and I promised the guys … we’ll be successful.”
Gauthier honored
Hurricanes center Tyler Gauthier was one of 57 players nationwide to earn a spot on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding center in Division I football, the Boomer Esiason Foundation announced Wednesday.
Gauthier started all 13 games for Miami last season and has started 17 games on the offensive line dating to 2016. He was an honorable mention All-ACC selection last season after helping anchor a line that helped the Hurricanes average 403 yards per game.
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CAPTION Hurricanes running back Travis Homer discusses some of the work he and his teammates are putting in during the offseason ahead of Miami's Sept. 2 opener against LSU. Hurricanes running back Travis Homer discusses some of the work he and his teammates are putting in during the offseason ahead of Miami's Sept. 2 opener against LSU. CAPTION Hurricanes running back Travis Homer discusses some of the work he and his teammates are putting in during the offseason ahead of Miami's Sept. 2 opener against LSU. Hurricanes running back Travis Homer discusses some of the work he and his teammates are putting in during the offseason ahead of Miami's Sept. 2 opener against LSU. CAPTION Hurricanes cornerback Michael Jackson talks LSU, more during a community outreach at Tucker Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon. Hurricanes cornerback Michael Jackson talks LSU, more during a community outreach at Tucker Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon. CAPTION Hurricanes baseball coach Jim Morris talks about Miami's upcoming trip to the ACC Tournament. To advance to the NCAA Tournament, Miami likely needs to win every game in Durham, or at the least, Morris says, advance to the ACC Tournament championship game. Hurricanes baseball coach Jim Morris talks about Miami's upcoming trip to the ACC Tournament. To advance to the NCAA Tournament, Miami likely needs to win every game in Durham, or at the least, Morris says, advance to the ACC Tournament championship game. CAPTION Former St. Thomas Aquinas standout Al Blades Jr. discusses his decision to attend Miami, the school where his late father once starred. Former St. Thomas Aquinas standout Al Blades Jr. discusses his decision to attend Miami, the school where his late father once starred. CAPTION UM baseball coach Jim Morris reacts after the pregame ceremony celebrating his career and completing his final regular season as UM baseball coach. UM baseball coach Jim Morris reacts after the pregame ceremony celebrating his career and completing his final regular season as UM baseball coach.
ccabrera@sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @ChristyChirinos.