Tough week gets harder for Hurricanes

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


TIM REYNOLDS

Associated Press

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Kirby Freeman's voice cracked as he spoke. He swallowed hard and his eyes reddened. It wasn't that Miami's quarterback didn't want to cry. He simply had no more tears to shed.
"I've cried all I can cry this week," Freeman said. "I'm really dehydrated right now. ... It's a situation where your throat clogs up and you want to cry, and I just didn't have anything left. I really didn't and that's the way it is with a lot of our team right now."
Four days after Miami lost senior defensive lineman Bryan Pata, who was shot and killed outside his apartment, the Hurricanes lost a football game - 14-13 to No. 23 Maryland on Saturday.
It was Miami's third straight loss, one that dropped the team's record to 5-5 and put its shot of even going to a bowl game in further jeopardy. Yet things like postseason bids and won-lost records have been rendered meaningless, replaced by real-life issues.
"The hardest thing we've ever gone through as a team," defensive lineman Calais Campbell said, "is losing Bryan."
Pata was a teammate, a brother, a friend, a leader, and the Hurricanes freely admit they're still in shock. As the sun went down Tuesday afternoon, Pata was on the practice field. Two hours later, he was gone.
"I don't know how much more we have in the tank," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "I still think we're a pretty good football team. ... But pretty good football teams win games, also, and we're not doing that right now."
There's two games left on Miami's schedule - at Virginia next Saturday, then home against Boston College on Thanksgiving night. The Hurricanes have to win one of those, or else they'll be home for bowl season.
Pata's viewing is scheduled for Monday night, his funeral is Tuesday and there'll be an on-campus memorial service Wednesday.
A season that was already disappointing has gotten immeasurably tougher for the Hurricanes to handle - especially Saturday, in a game where Miami rallied from a 14-0 deficit to get within 14-13, then had an interception and a fumbled punt in the final 3:08 to deny itself one last chance at a comeback.
"We looked at it an opportunity to do something great for our community, for our family, for our brother that couldn't be with us," linebacker Jon Beason said. "That was definitely the mind-set going in. Those were the words being expressed throughout the game."
He sighed, then continued.
"To come up short, man, it don't make any sense," Beason said. "You look for answers and you can't find them. We don't deserve this, man. You know what I mean? We don't. We work hard, these coaches prepare us. Sometimes, man, you've got to have a little favor on your side. I don't know what it is, but we just, as a family, have to have everyone stop looking at themselves and start living right."
A moment - eight seconds - of silence was held in Pata's memory shortly before kickoff, while the Hurricanes were still in their locker room. When it was over, one fan sitting in the Miami section near the east end zone kept his head bowed, all the while tapping his chest over his No. 95 jersey - Pata's number.
Miami's players emerged moments later, trotting to the far end zone to genuflect in prayer. Some stayed down longer than others; Campbell was the last to stand. As he rose, he kissed his fingers and pointed them skyward for several more seconds before joining his team on the sideline.
There were many more tributes, too. Four shirtless young men in the Miami section painted their chests to spell out P-A-T-A, while two girls next to them had 9-5 on their exposed midriffs. One guy carried a T-shirt with Pata's number scribbled on it. And Maryland's team voted to donate their meal money from Saturday to a fund for Pata's family, something that moved Coker deeply.
"I thought that was just a tremendous gesture on their part and we appreciate that," Coker said.
But the outcome that the Hurricanes wanted - and needed - didn't happen. And when it was over, as Maryland ran out the clock after Bruce Johnson's fumbled punt with about a minute left, Miami left the field in silence.
Kicker Jon Peattie, who had Pata's number written on the back of his socks, stared at the scoreboard in disbelief. Offensive coordinator Rich Olson held his head with his right hand, anguished. Offensive lineman Andrew Bain walked off slowly, oblivious to two Maryland fans who shouted at him as they stormed the field.
Soon, the Hurricanes had their warmup suits on and shuffled quietly out of the locker room. Some rubbed their eyes, others walked alone, and others took one long look back at the now-empty Byrd Stadium.
"The most important thing right now is not losing the game," Freeman said. "It's that we don't have one of our brothers."
 
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