Miami Football: AD Blake James delivers message after Pinstripe Bowl loss

It was a tough day for “The U,” as Miami football suffered an embarrassing 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl held inside Yankee Stadium.

That marks two consecutive years in which Mark Richt and the Hurricanes have had their season come to an end at the hands of the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers. And while last year was a closer 34-24 setback in the Orange Bowl, this defeat definitely caught the attention of Miami athletic director Blake James.

Shortly after the final horn sounded in New York City, James posted this on Twitter:

“Our football team’s performance tonight – and at other times this season – is simply unacceptable to all of us who love The U. I am committed to getting UM Football back to national prominence and that process is underway.

“We will compete for ACC and national championships and I know that Coach Richt is alongside me in that commitment to excellence.”

The season started off tough for Miami, as they dropped a 33-17 decision to LSU in one of the opening weekend kickoff classics inside AT&T Stadium. The defeat saw the Hurricanes plummet from eighth to 22nd in the Top-25.

Miami got back on track with five consecutive wins, including a thrilling 28-27 victory over rival Florida State, but that was followed by four straight losses. During that span, the Hurricanes failed to score over 21 points, falling to Virginia, Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech.

Back-to-back wins over Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh gave Miami fans a renewed sense of hope, but all was lost with the three-point effort vs. Wisconsin. Malik Rosier and N’Kosi Perry combined to go just 6-for-17 passing for 48 yards and four interceptions.

Perry was on the fence in regards to even playing, and his off-the-field issues – coupled with this less-than-desirable performance – will leave many wanting someone new under center next season.

The Miami defense, which lost coordinator Manny Diaz to Temple, was gashed for 333 yards on the ground to the Badgers.

With a few weeks here before the next national signing day period, it will be very telling what Richt does in regards to his coaching staff and if any players decide to announce plans to leave Miami for other schools.