Desire disparity?

When you talk about all the reasons Clemson lost that game Saturday -- and there were many -- you must start with the six turnovers and the three busted plays on defense.

When you give your opponent the ball in your own territory six times -- four of them inside your 30 -- it tends to matter.

When your linebackers and secondary routinely allow talented receivers and running backs to run free on passing routes, it tends to be a big deal.

So the following sequence does not illustrate why Clemson lost to Miami.

But it's a telling sequence that points to a disparity of desire, passion, toughness, whatever you want to call it, between the two teams.

Second-and-7 from Miami's 26, fourth quarter. Clemson is down 27-21 and driving. Andre Ellington takes the direct snap from the shotgun and runs off the right side. Big hole. He's headed for a sure first down before safety Vaughn Telemaque races in, gets low and delivers a ferocious hit.

Ellington is stopped in his tracks, but it's a gain of 6. The ball is spotted less than a yard from a first down.

On third down, Jamie Harper runs into the teeth of a blitz. The pulling guard doesn't get there quickly enough to pick up Colin McCarthy, who stops Harper for a loss. The ball is now beyond the 20-yard line. Clemson needs a yard-and-a-half for a first down.

Dabo Swinney goes for it on fourth down. He and Billy Napier choose to fake a run up the middle and flip to Ellington on a pitch right.

Ellington gets the ball at the 27-yard line, 8 yards from a first down. But he's running at full speed and appears headed for a first down.

Receiver Terrance Ashe is lined up on the right side, and his job is to seal off the outside. But here comes JoJo Nicholas, a 205-pound defensive back who completely blows Ashe off his feet and back, back, back, far enough that it affects Ellington and prohibits him from turning upfield.

So now it's a race to the corner between Ellington and Brandon Harris. Harris makes a spectacular play by delivering a pulverizing hit and stopping Ellington short of the first-down marker.

"Just a stone-cold knockout," Swinney said of Harris' hit, and he might've also been describing Telemaque's hit on second down, or Nicholas' mauling of Ashe.

I'm not a big fan of using or hearing the phrase "they wanted it more" to describe why a team won, but the aforementioned sequence really did seem to highlight a disparity between the Hurricanes and Tigers on Saturday afternoon.

Not that the Tigers came out flat or didn't give effort. Not saying that at all.

But you can't tell me Clemson's defense -- particularly the defensive backs -- came out with the same frenzy, the same attitude, they showed for long stretches at Auburn.

Given an open date to recover from Auburn and to prepare for Miami, there was just too casual an approach for my tastes. Too little aggression when trying to stop the Hurricanes' running game.

Miami was the better team Saturday. Miami is the better team. They are more talented, and they have fewer weaknesses.

Clemson has to narrow that gap somehow. And the Tigers can narrow it not only by committing fewer turnovers and having fewer busted coverages, but also by playing with a ruthless edge.

What happens if DeAndre McDaniel knocks Leonard Hankerson's head off in the end zone with six seconds left in the first half? Maybe Hankerson manages to hold on for the touchdown, but I tend to doubt it.

If Clemson's safeties play with more aggression, does Lamar Miller run for a total of 26 yards on two third-and-10 plays?

Miami's defensive backs played with an edge Saturday, and it made a difference. When you're looking back at a loss and all the things that contributed to it, little things like this turn into big things.

It might not have been what lost the game, but it can't be ignored.

Moving on to some Monday linkage...

Take a look at the highest-rated team from the Sunshine State.

After 37 days and three grueling road games at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Clemson, the Hurricanes will come home Saturday to Sun Life Stadium.

And they'll return as the state's top-ranked team in The Associated Press poll. For the first time since Dec. 4, 2005, the 13th-ranked Hurricanes (3-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are the highest-ranked Florida team in that poll.

In this story, Harris reflects on his game-changing hit.

Said UM coach Randy Shannon: ``It was the play of the game.''

Just seven plays before that, Harris had been called for pass interference, giving Clemson the first down.

``It kind of rewinded me to Florida State last year when I had the pass interference in the end zone, came back and make a big play,'' Harris said. ``Once that play happened, I smiled to myself and said, `Here we go again. You're going to get another shot.' I was looking forward to it. I didn't know it was going to happen that quick. But I was proud of myself.''

Heather Dinich made the trip to Clemson, and she says the Hurricanes are good but not great.

They might not be great, but they're the best the ACC has to offer at this point.

Here's an update on North Carolina, which broke free from a close game and dusted East Carolina on Saturday.

So Boston College gets smashed again. Now all the Eagles have to do is travel to Raleigh and Tallahassee in the next two weeks.

The Tar Heels caused three turnovers, and the offense found its rushing legs. Johnny White ran for a career-best 140 yards, despite a gimpy right ankle, and Draughn cranked out 137 yards and three touchdowns.

Yates connected with tight end Zack Pianalto seven times for 95, including twice on a third-quarter scoring drive which culminated with a 13-yard touchdown catch by Dwight Jones.

"All the guys are excited and energetic," Yates said. "We can't wait for next week."

Gene Sapakoff consults his Braggin' Rights Barometer and gets a readout of Gamecocks 24, Tigers 23.

Greg Wallace says this start feels like deja vu.

It could be worse for Clemson. You could be Georgia, which is trying to avoid its first 1-5 start since 1905.

The last time the Doggies lost four in a row?



LW