[Note: Look for the newest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll in a separate post in the blog soon after tonight's UM-North Carolina game ends. Post time: 11:30 p.m. Watch for it and vote!].
Final: Canes now 5-2 and 3-1 in the ACC after a quite-impressive home win over North Carolina, ending Butch Davis' three-game win streak over his former school. Jacory Harris an efficient 21-for-32 with three TDs, Damien Berry with a fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, and Allen Bailey leading a stout defensive effort. Aslo key: Balance on offense, with lots of running to take the pressure off Harris. Smart game plan. More of it, please.
Second half: Damien Berry short scoring run and the rout is on at 33-10 ..... Ramon Buchanon INT for Miami early 4th Q. All Canes right now ..... Harris' third TD pass, this one to Leonard "Money In The Bank" Hankerson, and UM now in charge 26-10. Harris is eating alive UNC's freshman cornerbacks ..... Brandon Harris INT for Miami, then a penalty for too much celebrating. Please. Ticky-tack call ..... Jacory Harris to Travis Benjamin TD pass and 19-10 lead (missed extra point kick), on a great play by Benjamin. Harris, since his one interception, has been really good.
Halftime: UM with a nervous lead, but a lead. Penalties hurting Miami, as usual. Return of RB Lamar Miller has been a big boost. Defense -- other than the one long scoring run allowed -- is coming on pretty nicely.
First half: Harris to LaRon Byrd and Canes up for first time at 13-10 ..... UM cashes another Bosher FG after apparent spectacular TD catch by Aldarius Johnson was (properly) called a no-catch..... UNC 76-yard TD run for 10-3 Tar Heels lead. Awful D by The U. Never laid a hand on the guy ..... UM 38-yard FG ties it 3-3 ..... Canes lucky not to be down 14-0 early after one UNC drive settles for FG and another (preceded by a Jacory Harris INT) ends with fumble into end zone recovered by Telemaque.
Original post: Simple. The U must end the Butch Davis Hex to save its season and keep alive any hopes of an ACC title. Miami and North Carolina both enter 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Canes are a none-too-convincing 6 1/2-point favorite, but Davis has beaten his former team three straight times. It shouldn't happen again. Two separate scandals have depleted UNC's roster -- called them the Tarred Heels -- and a home loss would be close to devastating for coach Randy Shannon and his program. I like Miami along the lines of 28-17. Then again, I have a feeling I have been overestimating the Canes most of the year. How good are they? I'm still not certain, but tonight's result against a dangerous visitor will tell a lot.
Other Week 8 state-college FBS games:
South Florida 38, Cincinnati 30: Nice upset win on road Friday night for da Bulls, now 4-3 and 1-2 in the Big East.
Arkansas State 37, FAU 16: Owls (now 1-5, 0-3) were an 8-point road 'dog in Sun Belt matchup but disappointed. Tough season for Howard. Owl Nation, arise!
Central Florida 41, Rice 14: UCF's Knights (now 5-2, 3-0) continued angling for shot at Conference USA championship.
Off this week: No. 16 FSU (6-1) rides five-game win streak into game at North Carolina State on Thursday Oct. 28. FIU (2-4) brings two-game win streak into Shula Bowl rivalry at FAU Oct. 30. And Florida (4-3) nurses a three-game losing streak, Gators' longest since 1999, as it readies for its neutral-site grudge vs. Georgia in Jacksonville Oct. 30.
National top-25 matchups: 4-Auburn d. 6-LSU, 24-17; 13-Wisconsin d. 15-Iowa, 31-30; 16-Nebraska d. 14-Oklahoma State, 51-41; and 11-Missouri d. 1-Oklahoma, 36-27 -- the third straight week the No. 1-ranked team has lost.
COTE TOP 30
Our own cumulative ranking of the college football programs that have had the greatest impact on the 2010 season, entering Week 8:
Rank-LW Team Points
1-2 Alabama 681
2-1 Ohio State 672
3-3 Boise State 670
4-4 Texas Christian 629
5-5 Oregon 628
6-7 Oklahoma 577
7-6 Nebraska 556
8-10 Wisconsin 434
9-9 Iowa 433
10-13 Auburn 430
11-8 Florida 427
12-14 Louisiana State 416
13-15 Utah 394
14-11 Arkansas 392
15-12 Texas 386
16-16 MIAMI 328
17-17 Stanford 326
18-18 South Carolina 297
19-19 Arizona 295
20-20 Florida State 230
21-23 Michigan State 220
22-25t West Virginia 163
22-21 Penn State 163
24-22 Michigan 162
25-25t Virginia Tech 154
26-24 Southern Cal 152
27-29 Missouri 128
28-30 Oklahoma State 123
29-27 Nevada 104
30-28 Georgia Tech 91
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GREG COTE: READ columns and blog in The Miami Herald and MiamiHerald.com, including general sports columns, Friday NFL predictions page and Sunday "Random Evidence" notes. FOLLOW on Twitter. WATCH for occasional appearances on ESPN's Outside the Lines and elsewhere. LISTEN on 790 The Ticket's weekly Dolphins pregame show and Tuesdays around 4:20 p.m. JOIN in live chat every Wednesday noon to 1 p.m. CONTACT at gcote@miamiherald.com.
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