UM is struggling, and for once it is not the offense holding them back.

Senior quarterback Jacory Harris is looking like the passer Canes fans wish he could become, rather than the mistake-prone source of worry he had been for most of the past two seasons. And running back Lamar Miller has become a freakish combination of Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee, prone to score from any spot on the field with his wizard-like ability to disappear in front of defenders.

But alas, the Canes can't keep opposing opponents out of the end zone. Throw out Miami's wins over lower-division Bethune-Cookman and an Ohio State squad depleted by suspensions, and it is becoming clear that the Canes' porous defense is holding the team back.

35 points is usually more than enough to top an opponent on the road, but after the Canes took a late 35-31 lead in Blacksburg on Saturday, the Hokies moved methodically down the field in the final minutes for the go-ahead score.

Head coach Al Golden feels the same way. "If you have said 'Coach you're going to get 519 yards of offense and you won't turn the ball over,' I never thought I would feel the way I feel this morning."

If the Hokies' game-winning touchdown, a quarterback draw up the middle, looked familiar, it's because Kansas State used the same play en route to 265 rushing yards in their win over the Canes two weeks earlier.

This is not entirely Miami's fault. The team has been racked with injuries to key starters. Ramon Buchanan and Marcus Forston are already out for the season, and Adewale Ojomo missed the entire second half Saturday due to an undisclosed injury. It is not known when he will return.

Add in the fact that standout defensive end Olivier Vernon has been serving a six-game suspension for allegedly taking improper benefits from disgraced booster Nevin Shapiro, and it becomes clear that Miami's defense is playing with one hand tied behind its back.

That won't make the rest of the season any easier for the Canes. Vernon will return in time for Miami's October 22 game against Georgia Tech, but at this point it may take a miracle for Miami's defense to come together.

"We have a long way to go on defense," Golden said during his Sunday press conference. "That's the bottom line. We have a long way to go."