FSU vs. The U? .... Nothin' new

For real this Turnover Chain thing the Miami Hurricanes have had going on these last two years has been so much fun that I'm surprised the NCAA hasn't passed a new rule that forbids it. For years college teams have rewarded players for making big defensive plays in various ways: perhaps with a WWE-style championship belt or a sledgehammer or any number of other things. But when The U introduced its Turnover Chain during the 2017 season, it pretty much left all other teams' devices of celebration behind in the dust.

Get an interception, or recover a fumble, or force a fumble that results in a turnover, and when you come off the field after the play a big, shiny, gold chain is draped around your neck. Weighing in at nearly 7 pounds, the Chain is too heavy to be a part of most players' personal collection of bling; but it's the perfect size to wear proudly on the sideline while celebrating your big play until it's time to take the field again. The Chain became nationally famous last year while the Hurricanes were racking up a whopping 31 turnovers, a total topped by only two other FBS teams. Evidently the lure of being honored so lavishly was too irresistible for Canes defenders to pass up.

The 2018 edition of the Chain, modeled in the photo above by freshman LB  Waynmon Steed after his FR in the Week 2 home opener against Savannah State, has a new look to it, most notably that its pendant now is a replica of the team's mascot instead of the team's famous "U" logo (see S Sheldrick Redwine in photo on left, after his late 4th quarter INT in last season's Week 10 home win over Virginia Tech) - a change gone into great detail in this USA Today article from about a month ago: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/09/miami-hurricanes-turnover-chain-2018-sebastian-ibis-bird-u-shape-differences

In addition to the Turnover Chain, there's something else new at the U - the winning. After a decade of mostly mediocrity, Coach Richt has led the Canes to 19 victories in his first two seasons, their most in a 2-year span since they won 20 in 2003-04. Playing their 13th season since joining the ACC, the Hurricanes finally made their first appearance in the league championship game in 2017. It doesn't figure to be their last.

What's not new? Well, that's easy. I'm happy to report that whenever Miami plays their biggest rival, the Florida State Seminoles, you can still count on this one thing happening: that there will be at least one player with dreads who will take one to the house. A week and a half ago (on Oct. 6) when junior WR Keith Gavin finished Florida State's opening drive with a 17-yard TD catch for the first points of the game and sophomore speedster Jeff Thomas later also scored on a 17-yard reception in the middle of Miami's comeback from a 27-7 deficit, it marked the 12th meeting in a row between The U and FSU in which somebody with dreads has scored a touchdown. The Hurricanes won the game 28-27, with the 20-point deficit being the largest they've ever overcome to win a game. It was also their first home win over the Seminoles since 2004, ending FSU's streak of 6 straight wins in Miami.

When Miami RB Graig Cooper and FSU QB Xavier Lee scored in the 1st quarter of Miami's 37-29 win at Tallahassee in 2007, little did they (or anybody else) realize they were the start of something that would last so long. But year after year without exception, somehow someway the streak endures, even when it doesn't look like it's going to. I mean, it sure didn't look like it was going to continue last year. I thought the streak was a goner. Miami trailed by 3 in the closing seconds but was in FG range, so the game seemed to be headed into overtime. But then WR Darrell Langham, on the field for only his 2nd snap all game, made a 23-yard TD catch (photo on right above, barely getting across the goal line despite CB Tarvarus McFadden's desperate attempt to stop him) with just 6 seconds remaining to give the Canes the 24-20 victory and keep the streak going.

Over the years (and including this year) 7 different Miami players with dreads have combined to score 11 TD against the Noles, and 4 FSU players with dreads (two of whom are Miami natives now playing on Sundays) have scored a combined 13 TD against the Canes. The following is a list of those 11 players, with the Miami players and the years Miami won the game in orange and Florida State players and years won in red.

2007
RB Graig Cooper 1
QB Xavier Lee 1

2008
WR Travis Benjamin 2
LB Sean Spence 1

2009
WR Travis Benjamin 1
RB Graig Cooper 2 (photo below, celebrating after the game after his 2 TD in the 4th quarter led The U to 38-34 road win)

2010
RB Damien Berry 1

2011
TE Clive Walford 1

2012
RB Devonta Freeman 2 (photo below)

2013
RB Devonta Freeman 3

2014
RB Dalvin Cook 2

2015
RB Dalvin Cook 3 (photo below)

2016
RB Dalvin Cook 1

2017
WR Darrell Langham 1

2018
WR Keith Gavin 1
WR Jeff Thomas 1



Of course, everyone watching the game this year may not have realized the streak was extended after Gavin and Thomas scored their touchdowns. Gavin, whose TD was his first ever in an FSU uniform, and Thomas, whose 76 yards from scrimmage (on 3 catches) were the most by anyone on either team in the game, have dreads that are too short to be visible with their helmets on - a sign of the times. You can click on the links below if you need to see their dreads. The interview of Gavin (first link) is from after FSU's win over Northern Illinois two weeks earlier, while Thomas' comments were after this game. The injury he's talking about happened on this play in the 2nd quarter (photo above on left) when FSU P Logan Tyler grabbed his facemask and dragged him down on a kickoff return.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QJ6poksJpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez1LYjxYZCU

Throwing the passes to Thomas - and to the Canes' others receivers as well - was freshman QB N'Kosi Perry (photo below), who was playing his first of what hopefully be many games with dreads. But earlier in the week he hadn't twisted his hair into dreads yet. And since I have doubts he's going to keep it in dreads, I'm holding off on welcoming him to the house for now. But if you show that you're serious about growing dreads, N'Kosi, there's plenty of room for you, and we'd love to have you join us.

Before I wrap this up I feel that I should mention the story of Malek Young. If you're a Canes fan, you are already familiar with what has happened to him; so you need to read no further. But if you haven't heard .....

Young, the first recipient of the Turnover Chain after his INT in the 2017 season opener (see photo on left), is handing out the Chain to teammates this season instead of earning it for himself because his career has been cut short by the serious neck injury he suffered during the Orange Bowl in the final game of the season. He was able to walk off the field, so at least we were spared the sight of him being carted away strapped to a stretcher. But later it was discovered he needed surgery on his neck and that it would be too dangerous for him to ever play football again.

As you can tell if you click on the (ESPN) video (first link below) and the story in the Miami Herald (second link), Young is very thankful the damage wasn't any worse, and he's making the best of his situation. As for this season, he's still on the team and on the sideline during games in his new role as a student assistant coach and official presenter of the Turnover Chain (that's him presenting it to Steed in photo on the right). Thankfully he'll still be able to live a normal life; but it's too bad playing Sunday football won't be a part of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-3dxS0Nqs

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article212295729.html

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