IT'S A 'U' THING

Three decades covering the #MiamiHurricanes—@BleacherReport, #CanesTime, #allCanesBlog.

Rise up #UFAMILY—Mario Cristobal is back in the 305! 🙌🏼 🇺🇸🙌🏼

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@Kizer_is_elite A few paragraphs is too long. So much for that Notre Dame education. Grown ass man with a fan-boy account for a college kid. Creepy. Bet your Internet history is interesting.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Honestly, for all the Notre Dame apologists and Miami haters out there, let's play it this way: Canes up 31-24 at HardRock against the top-ranked Fighting Irish in early November.

CJ Carr just went to Jordan Faison on 3rd-and-6 where there was no pass interference call and it looked like a Miami defender got away with one.

4th-and-6 with 3:36 left in the game; last shot for the Irish looking to tie the game—Carr scrambles, eludes tacklers, motions to Micah Gilbert to get open in the end zone—perfectly placed ball; Gilbert with the acrobatic pirouette grab ... both feet in ... Xavier Lucas swats it out of his hands as he's two steps out of bounds.

The level of shit one would have to be full of to unequivocally say that ISN'T called a catch for Notre Dame in that same reversed scenario ... you are jaded beyond belief and not a serious person.

We've all seen this movie before; there's NO WAY that isn't a touchdown catch for No. 1 Notre Dame in that same exact do-or-die, fourth down moment. None.

Take the win, Irish—after almost blowing a 24-3 lead to the No. 1 team missing the best player in all of college football—but don't embarrassingly die on some hill how this wasn't a catch, when we literally saw the same play ruled a touchdown in the NFL weeks back between Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Onto the next. Beat Duke. 1-0 every week.

And in this world of sports "entertainment" ... don't be shocked if / when we get Notre Dame at Miami in the opening round of the College Football Playoffs as we know how much Hollywood loves a sequel—and you couldn't run it back for the Irish if they were eliminated last night.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@GeoMilian @homerun0620 It’s almost surprising how fucking stupid Notre Dame fans are. Tuned them out since Selection Sunday last year; seeing the stupidity in my feed the past 24 hours—it’s almost impressive how they can paint themselves into a corner.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@mcavoy_jim58 ... and such "belt to ass" with these stats. Yeah, the Irish really took it to the Canes. 🤣

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Bwahahahahaa ... so now Notre Dame is banging the drum on "scoreboard"—and the you rewrite the post and leave that out.

After crying like a bunch of schoolgirls for the last year saying head-to-head didn't matter; that Miami's 27-24 season opening win at HardRock didn't matter—the Irish were "playing better" later in the year and THAT should've sent them to the College Football Playoffs—NOW you bums want to yell "scoreboard"

Holy shit y'all can't get your fucking stories straight. That's rich.

The self-own here is hilarious. Thanks for the morning laugh, nerds.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@chernobylurmom Nope. It's a lesson in hypocrisy and double standards that obviously went over your moronic head. Thanks for playing.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@ELTaco19 Hey jagoff, ready to have your little feeble mind blown... you're welcome; wrote this mid-October:

https://t.co/0KlK2lxRkN

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I can’t believe I effectively have to say something decent about #NotreDame here, but they too are a loathed program in this sport and the juxtaposition between how their game at #BYU ended and the ending of #Miami and #FloridaState last night tells you all you need to know about the selectively-outraged, virtuous college football haters, as well as rage-baiters with content they want to get trending.

Look at your timelines, check the podcasts and listen to the performative talking heads today—all of the hyperbolic “feeling bad” for the #Seminoles after their two hail mary plays came up short and the #Canes survived double overtime in this heated rivalry game.

I’ve seen more national vitriol about this ending at #HardRock than I did a late flag in overtime in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl that would’ve ended the game, but instead ended a 34-game win-streak and a bid at back-to-back national titles for #TheU.

When it happens to the likes of a Miami or a Notre Dame, it’s deserved—but when it happens to the opponents of the Canes or the Irish, it’s a fucking travesty.

BYU corner #EvanJohnson absolutely interfered with Notre Dame receiver #JadenGreathouse on that final play of regulation—and not only was there no flag, but there should’ve been :01 left on the clock and Notre Dame should’ve had one more shot at the end zone from the four-yard line (even closer if pass interference is rightly called.)

Are your feeds jammed up with “Notre Dame got screwed!” posts today?

Are all of the college football talking heads “feeling sorry” for the Fighting Irish for how things ended on a shitty non-call in Provo last night?

Of course not; but Florida State’s double-teaming linemen clearly grab #DamonWilson and drag him to the ground, drawing a flag—while #DuceRobinson gets out-jumped by smaller safety #BryceFitzgerald to end the game with a pick … and it’s Hands Across America for #MikeNorvell an his squad.

The non-call that benefitted BYU was the literal difference between their 28-24 win and a 31-24 comeback for Notre Dame—while Robinson coming down with the ball makes it 43-41 in Miami’s favor, with Florida State needing a two-point conversion to force another overtime.

Early second quarter with Miami up, 7-0—a phantom face-mask call turned a 3rd-and-18 stop into 1st-and-10 for Florida State, where they tied the game 7-7 one play later.

Any outrage there? Of course not; in a game that ended 28-28 in regulation.

A program like #Duke poaches #DarianMensah from #Tulane and all is fair in love and war, but Miami lands him this off-season when he leaves Durham—and the Canes are everything that’s wrong with NIL and the transfer portal.

The post-FSU outrage is now shifting to Miami’s new No. 1 ranking this week—the conversation steered back to the the easy schedule; as if it’s the Hurricanes’ fault the likes of Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech stopped holding their own in the #ACC.

Yet nobody says boo about #CurtCignetti and #Indiana verbalizing the desire to punt on tough out of conference games for the likes of North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky to start the year? Or the fact their #BigTen schedule is pedestrian this year, outside of #Ohio State, who they lost to at home yesterday?

Northwestern and Nebraska gave the #Hoosiers fits, while they beat on a bad Rutgers team—and now a down Michigan, an average Minnesota, underachieving former Pac-12 teams in Southern Cal and Washington, as well as conference doormat Purdue all remain.

No, it’s gamesmanship when Cignetti cancels a home and home with Notre Dame for the Bison of Howard … but Miami’s schedule is back under the microscope (just last year’s cries of “Don’t leave the state of Florida until November 1st!” while nobody gave a shit they shoehorned in two bye weeks in a three week span last October.)

It’s enough to make you scream … until you take that deep breath and realize all is right again in the college football world when the selective outrage against Miami reaches these levels again; “us against the world” is back with a vengeance and the Canes being contenders again is making those rivals, haters and critics big-mad again.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Fucking hilarious coming from a cuck who cites Terry McCauly—the broadcast literally sticking an ex-ref in the booth as a propagandist to shill for the zebras on the field to shut up millions viewing who said “bad call” and and to give those on the winning side their “evidence”.

Your “booth ref” literally sides with the call 99% of the time, unless is so egregious that he can’t.

McCauly is a hack and is on these broadcasts to protect these clowns in his former profession—he is literally PAID BY NBC SPORTS where he analyzes rules and officiating for Notre Dame football telecasts as an EMPLOYEE of the same network who pays millions for rights to broadcast Irish football.

You idiots citing him as a source is as fucking biased as Miami fans saying Michael Irvin was right there, saw the play and called it a sure touchdown as a former receiver.

Get bent, nerds.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@irishdownunder1 https://t.co/ijqK3gsrTf

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Sure, Michael—I'll "educate" myself.

52 years old, a paid college football writer for over three decades and started going to the Orange Bowl in 1979 at five years old supporting these Miami Hurricanes.

Notre Dame doesn't get "the call EVER"—you literally got a phantom fucking fumble against Cleveland Gary in THIS SERIES back in 1988, to win that game 31-30, propelling the Irish to their last national title in the Reagan era.

Cute gaslighting attempt there, Rudy.

"In college football, a completed pass requires an eligible receiver to secure firm control of the ball, touch the ground in-bounds."

Lofton caught ball in bounds, got both feet down stepped out and had it knocked away.

Go watch countless talking heads—even people on your precious bought-off NBC Sports broadcast post game—saying it was a catch.

I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot, as I described above, you'd be authentically all over social media this morning stating the Irish receiver didn't catch the touchdown—the double-standard is fucking laughable, pal.

This was literally a catch between the Eagles and Rams a few weeks ago—in the NFL, with more rigid standards to determine a catch.

Congrats on now blowing a 24-3 lead and only letting Miami outscore you 21-7 down the stretch, without the best player in college ball and by just throwing it around the yard to second-rate receivers when the Irish knew the Canes weren't running down that many points

Get bent. Hope to see you nerds in Miami in December in the first round.

https://t.co/TpD1M3Vmrh

[Aidan Doc 🧸 @AidanDoc__]

Exact same thing happened in the NFL about two years ago:

The NFL ruled it a TD. I don’t see why it isn’t one for Miami.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Yup.

Took time, but so it goes.

The offense line was getting blown up—Congdon is the reason Mensah didn't walk in and Miami settled for three—and the run game wasn't there.

Tried to run on first possession; Fletcher wrecked on 3rd-and-4.

Started next drive on three yard line; Mensah couldn't connect with Barkate on 3rd-and-8.

Settled for field goal on next drive.

Started on nine on next drive; Gray batted down 3rd-and-3 pass to Wingo—veteran made play on freshman.

Mensah rush on 3rd-and-3 comes up short and overturned; punted again.

Alofaituli holds on first down coming out of half; 1st-and-20 out the gate—Mensah sacked for loss of 11 on 3rd-and-7—Faison bobbles punt and returns it 56 yards; Irish take over on Canes 30-yard line and score two plays later.

Miami scores touchdowns on three of next four drives; Mensah with bad pick when Talich jumped route on Lofton; saw something on film and they were ready—should've been touchdowns on four of five if Lofton isn't overturned.

Took a minute to get the groove, but also started when down and needing to throw and Notre Dame didn't have to worry about the run and still got cooked by the pass.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@rwreece1019 Hilarious; a Dodgers fan and a Notre Dame puke. Thanks for the insight, "Irish Rob"—are you one of those guys who tired to give himself his own nickname? "No, dude—they call me Irish Rob! I love Notre Dame and House of Pain is my ringtone, get it? Because I'm Irish Rob!"

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

So your resume is a loss to BYU and stealing a win from a team whose resume is dogshit?

Got it.

Unlike you losers, there's a conference title game coming up—an ACC title and Notre Dame coming to Miami in December for a rematch, with Malachi Toney back—wouldn't that be a lovely turn of events.

Congrats on not blowing a 24-3 lead to a team in your house, with home cooking, needing an overturned touchdown on fourth down to win.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

A few paragraphs too intimidating for a Notre Dame fan? I expected more out of you clowns than just the simpleton "I ain't readin all dat" bullshit—thought that was more for the low IQ bozo Gators and Buckeyes fans.

Congrats on barely beating a team without the best player in college football while letting back-up receivers cook you.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@mjohnst89 Yes, such a "fake simulation"—a different set of rules for how college football has bent over backwards for Notre Dame since the beginning of time. Don't be mad your little head is too feeble to process it. Scram, nerd.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@tmshrout ...but had to comment about it; what a flex "I'm too stupid to digest a few long paragraphs!"

Couldn't give less of a fuck, Tim. Beat it, nerd.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Maybe, but we also know a lot of what the NFL and draft are about is potential, measurables and talent—so a team will get him in, let him sit a few years behind a veteran and work to coach him up.

I absolutely agree that he could benefit from another year but let's say he goes No. 10 overall—that's $31-million guaranteed, a $19-million signing bonus and he's making like $23-million next year with another $8-million over the next three.

If Mensah were to drop out of say the top 15 in the Draft projections, then sure ... you could case-build about coming back and a massive NIL deal that would justify a return—but if he has a few good games down the stretch and he's still projected a mid-to-early first rounder, the guaranteed money and opportunity dictates he goes.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I mean the game itself on NBC last night; it had all the fucking energy of a Thursday night NFL game on Amazon Prime ... and if I never heard Todd Blackledge on a call again it'll be too soon; I would've been drunk if I took a shot every time he covered for a Notre Dame defensive back's pass interference by saying the defender was in Miami's receiver's "hip pocket"—that fucking hack.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I've never felt "good" after a loss ... but definitely had an indifferent feeling last night.

Shut the flat screen in the media room, walked downstairs, tossed on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and slept peacefully ... proving to me just how much the 12-team playoffs has changed this sport.

I was a freshman in high school October 16th, 1988 when I woke up the morning after that con-job in South Bend and it was like a piece of our family had died.

The Irish stole one on their turf (old habits never die) and as a Miami fan, you effectively felt like the season was over ... unless No. 2 USC could take out No. 1 Notre Dame over Thanksgiving weekend (spoiler alert; they didn't) or there were post-season upsets.

No. 2 Miami beat No. 6 Nebraska in the 1989 Orange Bowl—No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl—and the 1988 national champion was decided.

Sunday October 21st, 1990 was another morning-after nightmare after falling to the Irish in South Bend in the series finale, after those bitches took their ball and went home.

The season really over this time after Miami pissed away its mulligan at BYU in the opener—no way over overcoming two regular season losses in that era—yet by year's end, No. 4 Miami was cleary the best team in the sport, demolishing No. 3 Texas, 46-3 in the Cotton Bowl ... but it was Georgia Tech and Colorado splitting the 1990 title. Gross.

11-1 with a loss at Notre Dame was penciled in by many to start this 2026 season—of course no narrative had Malachi Toney out with an ankle surgery, or a bullshit call on a fourth down game-tying touchdown—but it's neither here or there.

Miami beat Notre Dame in the season opener last year; felt great at the time and ultimately kept the Irish out of the CFP—a double 'fuck you' to the program who deserves it most—but the reality was that the Canes would've been better off dropping that one instead of either loss to Louisville or SMU; as 6-2 in conference killed ACC Championship game hopes.

Fitting that in the final year of conference title games before a 24-team playoffs, a reminder that an ACC Championship is how you punch your ticket to the postseason this year.

You want to beat those Notre Dame pukes anytime you play them, but if there was any game to drop down the stretch, this was it—as it's a 12-team playoff era and a conference title is still the path.

Duke, Virginia Tech, Boston College—and all are at HardRock—unlike last year where November had three road trips; SMU and then two late-November road games at Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.

Miami has a lot to clean-up and figure out with Toney out—but a team without it's best player up in South Bend with that home cooking last night and it took an overturned fourth down, game-tying touchdown to snuff the Canes out?

Use it as fuel and forge ahead.

This ain't 1988 or 1990 anymore ... which I love and hate at the same time, as I really don't want to be indifferent over a regular season loss at Notre Dame ... but this is what they've done to the sport we're fans of these days; these regular season out of conference games simply aren't do-or-die anymore—the emotions don't lie.

Years back I'm throwing some shit around and want to throw up this morning.

Now it's literally, "Meh. They stole one. At least Miami made it a game; looked really bad for a minute there at 24-3—outscored them 21-7 from that point on ... without Malachi Toney."

Regular season games in the past against Notre Dame felt like heavyweight title fights.

That game had the energy of a Thursday night NFL game on Amazon Prime.

Beat Duke. 1-0 this week.

[Kev @Smith31Kev]

I’m obviously bummed we lost..

We had a chance to win that game…

But I’ve also never felt better after a loss.. it’s weird lol

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Again, you sound very basic, simply and reactionary—zero logic, all emotion.

Take a deep breath, homie.

Corey Hetherman's defense is based on run-stopping and having a lock-down secondary that doesn't exist right now without the personnel—and even with OJ Frederique and Ja'Boree Antoine, Miami still don't have all it needs to succeed with his scheme.

Your over-focus on the secondary's issues is wild as you give this defensive line a pass; everybody outside out Marquise Lightfoot unable to shed blocks or get to the quarterback—while you have linebackers playing tight and inside and so overly-focused on stopping the run, they are lost in any form of coverage.

The problems with this secondary are part personnel and part a front seven that isn't doing its job and is leaving those guys over-exposed.

We ready to have a real conversation and say where the fuck is Damon Wilson after all this "nine sacks in the mighty SEC last year!!" shit we heard—best defensive lineman in the portal, my fat ass.

Where is the consistency and massive step forward Armondo Blount and Justin Scott were suppose to be this year with their pass rush?

You REALLY can't grasp that last year's secondary looked stronger with Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor blowing up offensive lines and harassing quarterbacks all season?

If you want to bitch that Hetherman needs to better-adjust to the personnel he has, versus running the scheme he wants to run, just expecting these guys to execute—sure—I'm not here to defend the man's process; his boss Mario Cristobal can take that shit up with him in the next coaches meeting.

But to sit here and just blame the secondary and to not "get" that all of these defensive pieces work in tandem—the lack of pressure from this d-line and linebackers who only know how to play the run and how that impacts this secondary ... you're really misguided aiming all your vitriol again this one unit—sorry, pal.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Mirabal ... but also these guys aren't fucking freshmen anymore in November.

Congdon got blown-the-fuck-up on that third down run; Mensah would've walked in that touchdown if the freshman guard did his job ... and then everyone blames Dawson for not just handing it to Fletcher.

Great play call; shitty execution—and a freshman in November on Mirablal's line lost a rep you can't lose in that moment.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Yes, that is problematic.

I feel like Jeff Brohm exposed that in Corey Hetherman's defense last year with Miller Moss and it still exists.

Hetherman's front four can't shed blocks to get to the quarterback, while his entire modus operandi is rooted in a lock-down secondary which Miami simply doesn't have right now—and when you sell out that hard to stop the run; linebackers playing inside, you are putting yourself in a bad position to defend the pass.

We all wanted to believe that names like Lightfoot, Blount and Scott were ready to just step in and "replace" Bain and Mesidor, while Moten returned and Wilson was coming in with his SEC pedigree and multiple sacks in that conference ... but outside of Lightfoot, everyone else has disappeared at times, or flat out not showed up.

Duke like to run the ball; Miami's defense likes to defend the run—and we'll have a full week for Dawson to game-plan an offense around Barkate, Lofton and hopefully Jacobs, who earned more reps—Upshaw needs to take a seat.