Hurricanes Riding High But Know There Is Still Work To Do
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CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) – Are the Hurricanes back?
Fans say yes, players say pump the brakes.
One thing is for sure – The U has everyone's attention.
And after a dominating performance against Notre Dame – these guys have gone from the hunters to the hunted.
"All I did was take the video of the television copy of the people making predictions," said Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt. "Most everybody picked Notre Dame and some of them said why they picked Notre Dame. And some of the why's got their blood pumping."
"We did something great but you know at the end of the day, if we go out and play bad this game I guarantee you that these comments that were said before [the Notre Dame] game will come right back," said Canes linebacker Michael Pinckney. "They'll say that we had a lucky game and that we're frauds."
Miami may have won their first ACC Coastal title – but with an undefeated record heading into the final two weeks of the regular season the Hurricanes are trying to stay levelheaded.
They want to avoid an unexpected upset to teams like Virginia and Pittsburgh.
"We always have the same approach," said Miami defensive back Jaquan Johnson "We're going to play pissed off, regardless if we're doubted or if we're the favorites."
"I mean now that we have the target [on our back] it doesn't really matter," said Canes defensive end Joe Jackson. "That's what we want and either way the outcome is going to be the same. We're going to grind, we're going to grind and we're going to play. We are going to fight you. We're going to punch you in the mouth. "
The U continues to exceed expectations but whatever happens this year, the future is bright.
They're getting big play after big play from freshman like Deejay Dallas, Trajan Bandy, and Jonathan Garvin, just to name a few.
"Of course that was our whole goal for getting together," Dallas said of Miami's success this season. "That's the reason we came to The U; to win championships."
"They're teaching the younger guys how to beat the learning curve," Pinckney added. "I still make mistakes. Plenty of mistakes, as much as the freshman, but you got to overlook those mistakes and be the best you can be."