Confusion, exhaustion, and the lack of knowing assignments.

That about sums about Florida State’s performance Monday night against their long-time rival Miami. Most of the night showcased a brand new secondary that got burnt and beat all night long resulting in Miami quarterback Jacory Harris passing for a career high [...]]]> By Daniel Brommer |Florida State Gameday Correspondent

Confusion, exhaustion, and the lack of knowing assignments.

That about sums about Florida State’s performance Monday night against their long-time rival Miami. Most of the night showcased a brand new secondary that got burnt and beat all night long resulting in Miami quarterback Jacory Harris passing for a career high 386 yards and the most passing yards against a Seminole defense in the series.

The defense as a whole failed to impress. With the lack of an outside pass rusher to replace the departed Everette Brown, Harris had all day and night to look down the field. He showed poise and a presence of a classic Hurricane quarterback. He showed the kind of resilience that makes up a leader and the Florida State defense paid for it.

Time and time again the secondary was out of position or getting burnt by speedster Travis Benjamin, who had a career game himself with four catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Starting strong safety Korey Mangum looked last the entire night, and veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson looked like a scared freshman in his first line of duty.

This did not look like a Mickey Andrews defense. The defensive line showed signs of dominance at times with starting true freshman Jacobi McDaniel in at tackle and walk on starter Craig Yarborough at left defensive end, but Markus White was supposed to take up the mantle left to him by Everette Brown. While he had a giant interception return for a touchdown caused by true freshman cornerback Greg Reid, he still failed to apply pressure to Harris.

While the defense was average at best, the offense showed huge signs of improvement from a season ago. Christian Ponder is in his second season as being the full time starter and he showed Monday night. He was 24-41 with 294 yards and two touchdowns. A new career high in passing yards, but that’s not the whole story. His ability to stay in the pocket and check off receivers showed his transformation into not only a good college quarterback, but a solid leader in the huddle.

Florida State’s receivers looked the part led by Richard Goodman and Jarmon Forston. With what was thought to be a weak point in the offense, the receiving crew ended up being a strength.

The running game on the other hand still needs a little bit of work. Jermaine Thomas saw limited time due to injury, but his back up Ty Jones ignited a late offensive drive.

We can’t take away from this Miami team however.. They showed the will to win and the hunger to succeed. This is a team to look out for in the near future. With so many youngsters and a solid quarterback who looks to be a household name by midseason, this could shake up to be a monster year for the ‘Canes.

All bets aside, Florida State’s season is not over. They could still run the table with their remaining ACC conference schedule and could possibly see their bitter rival in the ACC Championship.

Florida State is almost there, but they still need a tune up. Here’s to hoping they find their itch by Saturday.