Sports Update Monday: Canes Win Big, Dolphins Win Big & Heat Season Starts
Canes Win Big Against Hostile Virginia Tech Crowd
What a performance. Players and coaches ignored the noise and stepped up. The Canes controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Miami’s offensive line paved the way for a huge night for both Duke Johnson and Gus Edwards. On defense, the intensity and energy was obvious. The Canes forced three fumbles and pressured the quarterback all night. Miami outgained Virginia Tech 456-262, including a 364-120 advantage on the ground. Junior running back Duke Johnson notched his 13th career 100-yard rushing game and fourth consecutive 100-yard game, as he ran for a career-high 249 yards. Thursday night’s resounding 30-6 road victory against rival Virginia Tech was arguably the best performance by a Miami team in the Al Golden era.
Dolphins Defenses Crushes Jaguars
The Dolphins beat the in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars on the road yesterday 27-13 on the heels of a stout Dolphins defensive performance. The Jaguars turned the ball over three times and they had a field goal blocked by Olivier Vernon. The reality is, even after the lopsided win, the Dolphins did not play well offensively. Safety Louis Delmas and corner Brent Grimes each had pick-6s to provide enough firepower to beat Jacksonville all by themselves. Miami’s offense couldn’t outscore the Jaguars on Sunday. Fortunately for the Dolphins – now 4-3 and winners of two in a row for the first time – their defense did. The Dolphins look to win three in a row next week at home against the San Diego Chargers.
Heat Look to Start Fresh and Begin “Life After LeBron”
The Miami Heat has been to the NBA Finals four seasons in a row and played more games since 2010 than any other team in the league. On Wednesday, the Heat will begin relearning how to play basketball. The reverberations of losing LeBron James to the Cavaliers this summer have settled down in Miami. The city got over it pretty quickly. The Heat’s coaches and players, on the other hand, are still trying to find north on the compass. James did a little bit of everything for the Heat, and while the four-time reigning Eastern Conference champions still have plenty of talent on the roster, gluing it all together could take some time. On Wednesday, the Heat look forward to playing in their first game of the 2014-2015 season against the Washington Wizards at home.