Dorsett and Howard Describe Locker Room Post UVA Loss

The loss against FSU just over a week ago was one Canes fans wanted to forget immediately. It was saddening, heartbreaking and depressing, yet optimism was still alive. Miami went neck and neck with the defending champs in front of 70 thousand plus fans and hundreds of recruits. A win was wanted, but plenty of positives were deserved.

Flash forward a week and all that optimism died in a 30-13 embarrassing defeat against a mediocre Virginia Cavaliers squad. Fans were upset, angry, but how did the players feel? What was it like on the charter back from Charlottesville? I asked senior WR Phillip Dorsett and DB Tracy Howard, both of whom gave different but similar answers.

Q: "Against FSU you guys were one or two plays away from winning, I'm guessing the mood in the locker room was heartbreak, what was the mood like after this loss?"

Dorsett: "Of course you gotta be mad after that game, getting beat by Virginia, getting beat the way we got beat. We couldn't really move the ball as an offense. Defense played a good game, they kept a lot of points off the board. But we couldn't really compliment defense. Of course it was heartbreak. Not heartbreak, more anger than heartbreak. A lot of guys want to take some plays back, but you can't, that's life."

Anger. That was the emotion felt across all of Canes Nation. Miami had no business losing to an under .500 team with such difference in talent. But that seems to be the norm as of late.

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Tracy Howard was upset as well, but he's had plenty of hard-to-swallow losses in his time. Listen to his response below as he was asked the same question as Dorsett.

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This saturday will be emotional for a variety of players, some of whom will play one final game in Sun Life Stadium, possibly Duke Johnson as well. No player will want to experience the feelings they've shared over the last two games, so a win will be crucial...for the fans and especially for the seniors.