Back in July, before one of the most highly anticipated seasons in recent memory began, Jaquan Johnson smiled as he shared the story of how a conversation with Hurricanes legend Ed Reed had helped convince him to return to Miami for his senior year.
Like Reed, Johnson had championship aspirations, the hope of helping the Hurricanes return to the ACC Championship Game and build on what happened last fall when Miami won its first Coastal Division title.
But after Miami’s 20-12 loss to Duke on Saturday night — the Hurricanes’ third straight loss in conference play — there was no smiling.