She told us not to rush the field.
Leave it to Donna Shalala to count her chickens before they’re beaten 48-0 by Virginia.
You see, the only reason any Hurricanes fan would’ve hopped the fence on Saturday night would have been to give the Hurricanes players and coaches a jawful.
Luckily, the fans were gone by halftime.
Never before has the Orange Bowl witnessed a shutout to such a grand scale, and never again will the OB have to. In fact, the last home shutout, 3-0 at the hands of Auburn in 1974, was not only a respectable defeat, it predated most of us by at least a decade.
Credit Al Groh’s boys for this: On a night of role reversal, Virginia stormed like a hurricane through Miami’s cavalier effort. And, as long as we’re giving credit where credit is due, Virginia made it too easy for Canes fans to part ways with our beloved stadium, the uneasy, queasy feeling reminiscent of being double-crossed by your one true love.
Even with a win on Saturday, it would have been hard to top the many magical moments that the Orange Bowl gave witness to.
So, as we embark on a new future in Dolphin Stadium, perhaps this was the greatest blessing in disguise.
For, as Canes filtered out from the city’s old jewel, there was certainly no turning back.
– Ben Minkus
Class of 2006