Eye on the U

Hot time in MIami: Gators at Canes in football: noon on Sept. 7 on ESPN.

University of Miami tailgaters might want to get to sleep early on Friday, Sept. 6th. That's because the highly anticipated Florida Gators at Miami Hurricanes football game was announced for a noon kickoff at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 on ESPN -- upsetting fans who would rather have a night game.

A night game would certainly be a great draw and the event to party around at Sun Life. UM would get heavy-duty exposure. And let's face it, night games are always more fun (unless you're on deadline or savor getting broiled outside).

Turns out that ABC has NASCAR from Richmond, Va., that night and ESPN is broadcasting the Notre Dame-Michigan football game in prime time. A game has not yet been announced for the prime-time ESPN2 slot.

"We requested and lobbied ESPN for an evening slot for the game vs #BeatUF.'' tweeted UM athletic director Blake James. "Unfortunately, they were unable to accomodate.'' 

 I just got off the phone with ESPN spokesman Mike Humes, whom I asked about the noon start.

"Essentially, we looked at all the options and this was the best available window for the game,'' Humes said. "We average probably around three million viewers for that time slot. So it wasn’t like, 'Let’s put the worst game on at noon.' The noon window does really well with fans.

"We view this as a great matchup. Scheduling games is like putting together differrent puzzles with different time zones and commitments, and this was the best window.''

 UM AD James also tweeted this: "espn/abc wanted to take game national 3:30 slot is regional coverage."

Humes said the 3:30 p.m. ABC game is Oregon at Virginia.

In other Canes football news, the Aug. 30 season opener at Sun Life Stadium against FAU will kick off at 8 p.m. Aug. 30 -- a Friday -- and will be aired by ESPNU.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN 

Virginia thoughts, Shannon video

NEW YORK -- Devastating loss for the Hurricanes Saturday at Virginia. How devastating? We'll find out in the coming days.

Not only is quarterback Jacory Harris' status uncertain, but so is the direction of this program. One week they look like they're ready to get on a roll after an impressive home win against North Carolina. The next, they're down 24-0 to Virginia and scrambling in the fourth quarter just to stay in it. Are they ACC contenders? Or, just another mediocre football team?

Honestly, I'm done trying to make sense of this team. The only thing we know for sure is they're inconsistent, unreliable and maddening to watch for fans. At this point, the Canes are going to need a lot of help to achieve their goal of winning the ACC title. Even if they get that help somehow, which team is going to show up week to week? We have no clue.

If there was one positive to come out of this game, it was the play of freshman quarterback Stephen Morris in the fourth quarter. Yes, he threw two interceptions. Yes, this was only Virginia. But Morris rallied the Hurricanes in the fourth quarter and in my opinion is probably the best quarterback for Mark Whipple's offense (that includes if Jacory Harris is healthy or not). Morris was handpicked by Whipple out of Monsignor Pace, where he ran a pro style offense. Harris ran the spread from the shotgun at Northwestern.

I'm not saying Morris is going to be the best quarterback for this team right now or the rest of this season. He's still very green. But in the long run -- assuming Whipple is still here -- Morris is a much better fit than any of the other QBs on the current roster for Whipple's play-calling. 

Anyway, here is what UM coach Randy Shannon and center Tyler Horn talked about after the game. Video is courtesy of UM's Sports Info office.

GAMEDAY BLOG: UM AT VIRGINIA

Hi everyone.

It's SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN at Scott Stadium on an absolutely gorgeous day in Charlottesville.

Manny isn't here today (he's covering Heat game tonight), but I'll have this blog set up so you guys can comment during the game.

I'll try to write some stuff during the game, but please free to chat.

Here come the Cavaliers -- orange jerseys and blue pants. The Canes are running out now with white jerseys and green pants.

I'm wondering if the Canes will come out flat, or come out with fire. I'm expecting fire, but you never know.

Cavs just won toss and deferred to second half.

Nice pass and catch by Harris and LaRon.

UM doesn't make its fourth-down attempt. UVA does because of pass interference on JoJo.

Wow. Beautiful pooch punt by UVA. Hurricanes take over at UM 6.

No on the Cover it Live. Sorry.

 Somebody must have taught the Cavs how to tackle and play rush defense this week. They came into the game ranked 114th nationally in rushing defense.

whoa. Jacory was nailed. Lying on his back. Not good.

SECOND HALF

We still haven't gotten a report on Jacory Harris, other than he's out for the game. Poor guy. He can't catch a break.

Stephen Morris? Wow. What the heck? There goes that redshirt.

UM

UM has not given us any updates on Jacory. "We don't talk about injuries," said Chris Freet, associate athletic director for the University of Miami. And that's after I asked if Jacory was taken to the hospital.

 

However, UVA sports information director Jim Daves said as of halftime, Harris was not taken to the hospital and remained at the stadium.

 

 

 

Secondary to none: UM DBs have answered bell

Outside of what Brandon Harris accomplished during an All-ACC sophomore season in 2009, there were still plenty of questions surrounding the University of Miami's secondary entering the season. For instance: 

> When would redshirt sophomore Vaughn Telemaque finally start delivering the big plays and turnovers he was known for in high school?

> What would the Canes be able to get out of fifth-year senior Ryan Hill, a player coming back from injury and who hadn't played cornerback since high school?

> Would senior DeMarcus Van Dyke and sophomores Ray Ray Armstrong and Brandon McGee take the next step? Would the Hurricanes have to count on former walk-on Corey Nelms to fill some big shoes?

Safe to say, the Hurricanes have answered the bell. After ranking 46th in pass efficiency defense last season, UM enters Saturday's game at Virginia (3-4, 0-3 ACC) with arguably the best pass defense in the country. The numbers are eye-opening: 

> Not only does UM rank No. 1 in pass efficiency defense, they've given up the fewest passing touchdowns in the country (3) and opposing quarterbacks are completing less than half of their pass attempts (49.5 percent). Only three other teams have accomplished the latter feat: Nebraska, UCF and Buffalo.

> The Hurricanes 14 interceptions are tied with Ohio State for second most in the country and only one behind national-leader Alabama (15).

> A year ago, UM gave up 14 touchdown passes and had only nine interceptions in 13 games. They gave up 2,695 yards passing -- the most in school history. In their first seven games, the Canes have only given up 1,044 yards (149.1 per game).

> To date, the Canes have only given up two passing plays of 35 yards or longer -- both against Ohio State.

"Holding an opponent to 150 yards a game is our goal every week," said Hill, who emerged as the team's other starting cornerback with Harris and is as big a reason as any why the Hurricanes' secondary is much improved.

"We try not to let any ball get over our heads, that's something we take in the secondary very seriously. Coach [Wesley] McGriff does a good job of reminding us we don't want any balls over our heads. For a couple years now, this is probably the best year of guys coming together, corralling and saying we're not going to give up any deep passes, we're not going to let receivers catch passes or let quarterbacks pick us apart. If we can do that, we feel we can help our defense out and our team. We feel like we're one of the strongest units on the team."

UM coach Randy Shannon what has made the secondary really special is how much it helps in the run game, too. "You watch them play, they play with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of excitement," Shannon said.

"Ryan Hill has been put in a lot of one on one situations, come up with big plays. [Demarcus] Van Dyke has come up with big plays compared with what he did in the past. And also they're getting physical in the run game. You really don't get too many corners that want to play the run and pass. They really get on each other in practice about being physical. When you have that as a coach it makes things a lot easier. If you have a shutdown corner, then when they start motioning in, now the corner has to go in and be the tackler. They're not afraid of doing that. They really have a lot of confidence in the way they're playing. I think they see that by the defensive line doing what they do, they have to respond."

A FEW MORE TIDBITS...

> The reason I brought up UM's pass defense today is because they figure to face a pretty good challenge from Virginia. The Cavaliers own the second-best pass offense in the ACC (255.1 yards per game) and have the second-best defense in the ACC as well. The Cavaliers have thrown for 11 TD passes this year -- three more than all of last year. Leading receiver Kris Burd (5-11, 195) has made 32 catches for 472 yards and 4 touchdowns -- including a pair of 50-yard grabs. Matt Snyder (6-4, 205) has 14 catches over his last 3 games.

> If there is an unsung hero in UM's secondary, its junior JoJo Nicolas, who has started the last three games at safety alongside Telemaque. Shannon has used Nicolas in the rotation with Armstrong for a reason: it allows the sophomore time to pick up what he's doing wrong on the sidelines and then go in and do it the right way.

"Whoever practices the best is who we're playing," Shannon said of the safety spot. "When you have that competition, you keep that thumb on them a little bit more, it keeps the competition going. It's been good to watch them practice and compete."

> The Hurricanes have played 18 redshirt freshmen and true freshmen this season and several outside of OL Seantrel Henderson, RB Lamar Miller and OL Brandon Linder have contributed in big ways.

The reason freshmen receiver Allen Hurns has earned playing time over other veteran players is his blocking and effort on special teams. "Allen Hurns has done a great job on kickoff return, the flier part of it," Shannon said.

"It isn't what he does as far as catching, routes. Allen Hurns, his job last week was run some routes, and when we need you, block those safeties. Those 200 yards rushing last week, a lot had to do with Allen Hurns getting downfield. He's contributing that way."

Linebacker Kelvin Cain had his big day at Duke, starting in place of Colin McCarthy. Cain, like tight end Asante Cleveland, was an under-the-radar star from California Shannon was able to recruit to Miami through a tip from Ronnie Sims, a friend Shannon grew up with who coaches Junior College football.

"Kelvin Cain and Asante Cleveland were probably guys you never heard of," Shannon said. "We made the decision on taking those guys, because those guys are what's best for the University of Miami and this football team and not what everybody may think [star rating wise]. Kelvin came in against Duke, started, did a great job. He's on kickoff team and our score team now.

"Asante comes in an emergency, catches balls against Duke. He made two big catches [last] week against North Carolina on third down and fourth down. You have to have guys like that come in and really contribute. If mentally and physically you can handle it, you can play at the University of Miami. It's not always athletic ability. Physically and mentally, if you can handle it you can be successful."

> If there's a reason we're seeing more production from Allen Bailey lately its probably because he's not bouncing around all over UM's defensive line. "I've only been playing one or two spots since the Pittsburgh game I believe," Bailey said Tuesday. "I have the rhythm of it now and know what to expect."

Back home on Sapelo Island, Ga., Bailey does a lot of hunting. But here in South Florida, he says, he just doesn't have the time. "When I go home I do," Bailey said of hutning. "I hunt small game, raccons or possum. We might go hunting for hogs every now and then, but that's early in the morning. We use a gun, not bow and arrows."

Canes video: Behind the scenes of UNC win

Here is a fun behind the scenes look at UM's 33-10 win over North Carolina courtesy of Hurricanes Gameday including a peek at UM coach Randy Shannon being presented the game ball after the game.

Tune into CSS on Thursday at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am for the full episode including an interview with Shannon each week.

Holmes headlines UM injury report

The University of Miami released its injury/extremity report as usual Thursday.

The biggest news? The ‘Canes will probably be without defensive tackle Josh Holmes, who is listed as doubtful. Holmes missed the Florida State and Duke game, before returning to action in UM’s 33-10 win over North Carolina. Holmes has started all five games he has played in this season.

The surprising news? Left tackle Orlando Franklin isn't on the list. But that doesn't mean he'll play a lot. Franklin was seen limping around during practice after getting hurt near the North Carolina game. Freshman Seantrel Henderson took a lot of snaps this week at left tackle.

Here is the complete extremity list...

Probable
CB Brandon McGee (Lower extremity)
- McGee didn't play against North Carolina, but did play in the previous six games. He is primarily a nickel and dime corner.

Questionable
QB A.J. Highsmith (Upper extremity)
- The plan is to try and redshirt Highsmith before probably moving him to the secondary next season. He's been wearing a protective thing on his wrist. 

Doubtful
DL Josh Holmes (Lower extremity)
- The Hurricanes are deep enough where this isn't really a big deal. Marcus Forston, Micanor Regis will just have to play more.

Out
OL Joel Figueroa – Lower extremity
DT Curtis Porter – Lower extremity
- Figueroa hasn't played since the Clemson game. He was having a really tough season anyway. Porter only played against Ohio State and is on a path toward a redshirt.  

News, notes from basketball media day at UM

The University of Miami men's and women's basketball teams accomplished something last year that had never been done before: they each finished with at 20 wins in the same season. With the bulk of those teams back, expectations are high as both believe they should make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Will they get there? We'll find out in March. But here are some news and notes from Wednesday's media day in Coral Gables:

> Men's coach Frank Haith, whose team opens the exhibition season next Wednesday at home against Barry, finished 20-12 and reached the semifinal round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament before losing to eventual national champion Duke.

"We had our media day in North Carolina last week and somebody asked me if you can have momentum carry over last year. And my answer was yeah -- if you have the bulk of your team back from last season, which we do,'' Haith said.

"I think we got a team good enough to finish in the middle of the pack. Does that mean we'll finish fifth or sixth? I don't know, we could probably second or third. I think we have a team that can finish in the upper half of this league."

> The two things Haith said he challenged talented sophomore Durand Scott to improve after last season was his role as a vocal leader and his three-point shooting (he was only 16 of 58, .276 as a freshman). It appears Scott, who attended Chris Paul's prestigious camp for guards over the summer, has done both. 

"I've seen a drastic change in Durand," junior swingman Dequan Jones said. "He's one of those kids where he was naturally born to lead. He has an ambience about him that makes you want to follow him. I think now he's really tapped into who he is and how he's going to lead the team vocally and by example. Guys are ready to rally behind him and win some games. In practice everyday he gets guys going. He's always vocal whether we're running dummy offense or playing five-on-five live. He's always talking, saying screen left or screen right. He gives you that confidence on the court that he's always there."

Haith said Scott has also already shown an improved shooting touch. He just doesn't want him to make the mistake of feeling like he has to prove it during the games, rather flash it. "Durand has to be a well-rounded, all-around player," Haith said. "The strength of his game is getting in the paint. I think it will be even more effective if he can make shots. I don’t want him to have to prove to people he’s a three-point shooter. That’s the worst thing a young player can do when they think they lack in our area and the first opportunity they get they have to prove they’re a three-point shooter. You have to do you. We had a practice the other day and Durand made three or three threes in a row. He’s definitely worked at it. It’s all about working game speed with Durand.

> There were plenty of highlights for the Canes during the summer -- trips to different parts of the world and what not. But the big highlight? When LeBron James and several NBA players (Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade) came in and spent three days playing pick-up games with the team over the summer.

"They came in here and played ball with us -- it wasn't just breaking a sweat or anything like that," forward Julian Gamble said. "They talked to us, kidded around. It was a great opportunity, once in a lifetime. These are superstar guys that get paid hundreds of millions of dollars do what they do. For them to come in there and act like one of us, showed us how they’re people too. The way they came in here how humble they were, it was really great."

Scott said he was able to steal the ball once from LeBron. Any dunks? "No," Scott said laughing. "I wish."

> Since practice started Oct. 15, Haith said guard Malcolm Grant, a 6-1, 180-pound junior who is expected to join standout sophomore Durand Scott in the starting back court, has stood out the most. "He's playing with such confidence, playing quicker,'' Haith said. "I told him to study a former player I had at Texas, D.J. Augustin. [Grant] reminds me a lot of D.J."

Haith said Grant, who lost about 10 pounds in the offseason, made his biggest strides "in terms of pace, how he can accelerate and his ability to shoot the ball."

"He's playing at a high level right now," Haith said.

> Forward Julian Gamble (6-9, 258) returned to practice Monday after sitting out a month following surgery to repair or a torn meniscus in his left knee. "It's just a process of getting back into shape, just jelling with the guys,'' said Gamble, who says he doesn't feel any discomfort in the knee. "I'm really happy to be back out there when I'm not sucking wind on the sidelines, trying to survive.''

Haith expects Gamble, who started 11 games in a row to close out the 2009 season and averaged 6.3 rebounds over his last seven starts, to be ready by the time the Hurricanes play their first road game at Memphis Nov. 15. The Tigers debuted at No. 19 in the preseason AP poll.

> Junior swingman Dequan Jones has been rather unspectacular most of his career despite coming to UM as one of the most highly touted recruits Haith has brought in. Last year, he averaged 5.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and had just 15 steals and 16 blocks in 20 starts. But his strong showing at the ACC tournament, when he averaged 11.7 points, has Haith optimistic about Jones' future.

Jones said he's continued to work hard in the offseason on his jump shot, putting up 500 to 600 shots a day after practice when he's already tired. Jones said he wouldn't leave the court until he's done making at least 300. "Jump shooting has been a big thing for me in the offseason," Jones said. "Most people come in at different times to shoot. When you shoot after practice, when your body is tired, that's more like a game situation."

> Freshman forward Raphael Akpejiori (6-8, 229), who sustained a stress reaction in his foot when practice first began on Oct. 15, is being closely monitored said Haith. As for his play, Haith said: "He is relentless on the court. I love that about him. Compared to say Dwayne Collins at the same stage, he’s got more skill set than Dwayne does. Dwayne was very raw as a freshman. [Akpejiori] has good low post moves. He has really tremendous instincts around the basket in terms of keeping balls alive. He’s not afraid of contact. He even gave the old [Dikembe] Mutombo move the other day at practice. He has all the things I love in terms of energy and enthusiasm."

> Haith said redshirt freshman forward Donnavan Kirk (6-9, 227) will definitely be in the rotation this season and play quite a bit. "He gives us athleticism in the post,'' Haith said. "He's a pretty good skill [player] too. He can make a shot 17-feet in. I think he'll be a three-point shooter before his career is over. He's a guy that's not allergic to working."

> At 6-10 and athletic 303-pounds, sophomore center Reggie Johnson can be a pretty intimidating presence on the basketball court. But could you picture him wearing shoulder pads, a helmet and standing side by side with 6-8, 355-pound freshman tackle Seantrel Henderson?

Apparently, Hurricanes football coach Randy Shannon already has. Johnson, who held court for about 20 minutes with reporters (telling funny stories about his offseason trip to China and how he tripped and fell during his tour of the Great Wall), said Shannon has joked with him in the past about coming out for football.

"Coach always says, `Hey, big fella, come on out to the football field. You saw Jimmy Graham, right? Look where he is now: Making millions,'" Johnson said. "I'm like, `Yes, sir.'"

Johnson, who impressed at last year's ACC Tournament averaging 13.7 points, eight rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in earning Second Team all-tournament honors, probably won't ever have to do it. His basketball talents are already drawing the attention of NBA scouts. But would he try football if hoops didn't work out? "Hopefully I don't have to; I want to stick with basketball," Johnson said. "[But] If it comes about I think I would. It could be [an option]."

Johnson of course would have to get over one big issue: his fear of Shannon. "I'm afraid of coach Shannon for no reason, I don't know why," Johnson said. "He walks up, comes to my class - and even though he's not checking on me - I straighten up, raise my hand, pay attention. I can't explain it."

> Haith said Dwayne Collins, drafted 60th overall by the Suns last June, is back home in Miami. Collins was playing in the Italian basketball league top level for Pallacanestro Varese. Former Canes Jack McClinton, Rob Hite and Brian Asbury are all playing in Israel. Haith said last he heard Guillermo Diaz was playing in Puerto Rico and Anthony King was in Germany. 

> Women's coach Katie Meier, whose team is bringing back its top two scorers in Shenise "Moe Moe" Johnson and Riquna "Bay Bay" Williams from a 22-14 season which ended with a runner-up in the NIT, said the biggest improvement her team has made is in the backcourt.

"The difference between this year and last year will be that when the game is on the line and there is four minutes left in the game, [Johnson and Williams] won't have played 34 minutes already and try to win the game when they're completely exhausted,'' Meier said. "There is a lot on those two kids and in end of the game situations they were pretty much spent. It's my job as a coach to give them the eight minute media rest, plus a couple more minutes in the second half so when its time to bring their A-game in the last two minutes of the game, they can do that."

> Freshman guard Krystal Saunders, a 5-8 standout from South Broward High, is one of the new additions Meier is most excited about. She said Saunders' scoring ability … particularly from three-point range -- should help spread the floor even more for Johnson and Williams to penetrate.

"Her style and our style is a great marriage," Meier said. "She's really showing up in practice."

Canes basketball media day videos

The Hurricanes hosted basketball media day on Wednesday. For a complete list of audio interviews, check out our audio page. I'll have news and notes soon.

Shannon: Horn "the key" to o-line's success

When they met as part of coach Randy Shannon's first recruiting class four years ago, Tyler Horn and Allen Bailey discovered they shared a common bond:

They both were in love with Popeye's fried chicken.

"We used to do these runs down to Popeye's -- it was about 30 minutes down south from campus," Bailey said. "We'd go there, Tyler would have an eight piece, biscuits, all that. I'd have a two piece.

"Since he moved off campus, we really don't it too much anymore. He's got a girlfriend now. No time for us anymore."

Bailey, a 6-4, 285-pound senior from Sapelo Island, Ga., and Horn, a 6-4, 295-pound junior from Memphis were both selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference's linemen of the week Monday. While Bailey -- a three-year starter who had a career-high 3.5 sacks last Saturday against North Carolina -- has long been drawing attention, Horn is really only beginning to get noticed now.

Saturday, the first-year starting center had the best game of his career, grading out at 97 percent with six pancake blocks against the Tar Heels. But it's been his work helping glue together a young, inexperienced offensive line that UM coach Randy Shannon says deserves praise.

“I had a pretty good game, but the thing about the offensive line is that if one guy wins it, then all the guys should win it,” said Horn, who is the eldest of six children and has five younger sisters.

“No one offensive lineman is going to make that big of a difference. It is when they all work together, that is when we are good. It is when I get my combo blocks with Brandon and Harland. It is a product of everybody working together.”

At the start of the season, the Hurricanes had only two returning veterans with double-digit starts -- seniors Orlando Franklin (who had 27, but only two at right tackle) and Joel Figueroa (13 all at guard). The plan was to start Franklin and Figueroa at tackle with junior Harland Gunn (five starts at right guard), sophomore Brandon Washington (two starts at left guard) and Horn in the middle. But Figueroa, hampered by shoulder injuries, struggled and was switched back to guard last month before sustaining an undisclosed injury. He hasn't returned and likely won't.

Over the last four games, freshman Seantrel Henderson and redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson have taken the bulk of the snaps at right tackle while freshman Brandon Linder, a standout from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, has worked his way into the rotation, particularly in jumbo packages.

But now, with Franklin's status uncertain for Saturday's game at Virginia (3-4, 0-3 ACC), more changes could be looming. If Franklin (knee, ankle) can't go Saturday, Henderson will slide in at left tackle. If that move ends up working out the same way the last big shakeup did, the 22nd-ranked Hurricanes (5-2, 3-1) shouldn't worry.

Not only are the Canes averaging 4.5 yards a carry (up from 3.8 last season), but they've averaged 202 yards rushing over their last four games. The pass protection has also improved. After giving up 35 sacks last season, UM has surrendered only nine sacks this season -- including only three in their last four games.

Shannon credits a lot of the improvement to the time his young players have spent breaking down film. But he also said Horn has been "the key."

"He's the guy that has to call out the run blocking," Shannon said. "He's the guy that has to call out the protections and notice when the free safety is coming, the linebacker is coming and how to set the front. He's done a phenomenal job."

Horn, who came in as a little known Rivals two-star recruit, prefers to defer the praise and focuses instead on the improvements that could be made.

“We feel like we should have more than 450 yards over the last two week or whatever it is," said Horn, who said he speaks to former UM centers A.J. Trump and Xavier Shannon frequently.

“We've left a lot of yards out there after penalties. The biggest thing we can't do is get complacent. We have to keep fighting, keep improving."

Canes: Rolle's visit "put the dog back in us"

When UM lost to Florida State by 28 points back on Oct. 9, several former Hurricanes came out and criticized the lack of effort and passion they saw from their former team. Coach Randy Shannon said he didn't see enough internal leadership and policing from his players. 

Last Saturday's 33-10 rout of North Carolina was almost the antithesis of the FSU loss. Players weren't just bouncing around, arguing with each other on the sidelines and creating big plays, they were drawing 15-yard penalties for excessive celebration. It was almost as if some old Hurricane spirits had taken over the bodies of the current Canes and made them enthusiastic and fun to watch again (Hey, it's almost Halloween, give me a pass). 

Turns out, what really happened was that a visit from former Hurricane Antrel Rolle helped a rather large awakening take place in Coral Gables. Rolle met with the entire team and then privately with the defensive backs to deliver a strong message.

What was it? "Just to play for each other, have each other's back, have coach Shannon's back and our coaching staff's back most of all," cornerback Brandon Harris said Tuesday. "The main thing we talked about was how we've been taking a back seat and letting our coaches take the heat when as a team we have to get some things together and get some things going. You sort of hear a lot about what old guys used to do. But just to hear it come out of his mouth, it was impressive...

"He spoke his honest opinion on some issues. It was true, it was undeniable. As a team, finally hearing that from an outside influence, but also somebody still close to the family, it kind of hit close to home. Usually when you hear things you're able to wash it off. But hearing it from a guy of his caliber, who has been here, who has been a part of the program, it really stuck with us. In the back of our minds we were kind of like 'Man, we can't let these guys down.' They've established this program to where it is and we have to keep it going. He said a lot of good things to us. A lot of guys took it and ran with it the rest of the week."

Rolle has worked out in Coral Gables over the last few summers since he left for for the NFL in 2005 (8th pick overall by Arizona) and is widely admired by players in UM's secondary. Senior Ryan Hill said chose to come to UM because he thought he could develop into a player like Rolle, who was a vocal leader during his time at UM.

"I've been talking to Antrel for awhile," Hill said. "I know his mindset. He has that killer instinct, that dog, typical Miami player. For him to come back and talk to us, I felt like guys bought into it. One of the things he mentioned was that he didn't think we were having fun... he put the dog back in us."

That dog showed up right around the second quarter when the Hurricanes started bopping their heads and dancing during a North Carolina injury timeout. According to Hill, it even spread into a new team chant led by Spence.

"Sean does a good job getting the defense ready," Hill said. "We have his little chant now: 'Up and down, round and round.' "If it takes us having fun the rest of our games, I'm sure you guys will see a sequel to that."

Although the fun went a little too far for officials last Saturday (when Harris drew a 15-yard penalty for playing the role of a horse getting whipped by teammate Sean Spence after his interception), it doesn't appear as if Shannon is going to curtail the emotion or enthusiasm. After the game, Harris said he expected to be punished by Shannon for his antics. But it turns out, he wasn't. Shannon gave him a pass.

"Coach said he just wants me to remember next time not get penalized," Harris said. "But the fun, the dancing? He's all for that as long as we keep winning."

> I'll have more notes and blogs for you in the coming days. But here are the video interviews from this morning and afternoon. For more interviews including Randy Shannon's press conference, check out our audio section.

LT Franklin hurt; Seantrel at LT

Good morning.

It appears that the biggest concern, quite literally, for UM this week will be the left tackle position.

Senior Orlando Franklin was hurt in the fourth quarter of the North Carolina game, and he was limping pretty badly at practice this morning. He has a hard black brace over his left knee, with his left ankle and outside back end of his shoe wrapped heavily.

Franklin couldn't practice, and we're not sure what, exactly, is injured. Ankle? Knee? Orlando has worn the brace before. He also has worn one before on  his right knee.

For fans who love watching young Seantrel Henderson do his thing at right tackle, today he took the place of Franklin at left tackle. Jermaine Johnson was playing first-team right tackle.

"He’s getting some reps. You’ve got to prepare for everything,'' said center Tyler Horn of the 6-8, 355-pound Henderson. Horn earned Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week for his performance against North Carolina. "Crazy things happen in games. Anything can happen. You always have to be prepared. It’s one of those quality-control type deals."

Guard Joel Figueroa was not at practice in the beginning but was seen in street clothes at the end of it. He has missed three games in a row.

--SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

Canes talk after North Carolina win

Big win for the Hurricanes on Saturday night against the Tar Heels -- one I certainly didn't see coming especially by the final score of 33-10.

Couple of thoughts before we get to the video:

> I can't stress enough how much emotion had to do with this win. The Hurricanes looked like an entirely different team, playing with heart, playing with passion, celebrating big plays and not caring about drawing penalties. In the third quarter, I felt like someone switched the DVD and put in highlights from The U movie. The question now becomes will the Canes keep it up?

That's hard to say. But it if felt like after talking to Brandon Harris -- you'll see the video below -- that this team did exactly what Randy Shannon wanted them to do. They became accountable for themselves, started policing themselves. Harris said the team had a players only meeting last Tuesday, prompted by himself, Sean Spence and Vaughn Telemaque. He said during the private meeting, different players stood up and expressed themselves. It took them a little while, but the Canes started playing with that emotion Saturday. Like Telemaque told me last week, you can't be a vocal leader until you actually do something on the field. Now that some of these Hurricanes have -- especially on defense -- maybe we'll start seeing this team on Saturdays instead of the lazy, walk-through version we've seen far too often. Cross your fingers, anyway.

> Heard this after the game: Former Cane Antrel Rolle, who visited UM on Tuesday, was a big part of that players only meeting and encouraging Shannon to come out of his shell a little more. Not sure if Shannon actually danced. But he definitely chest-bumped Orlando Franklin.

> Quarterback Jacory Harris looked like he was getting off to a terrible game Saturday. He threw a wounded duck on a deep route to Travis Benjamin on UM's opening drive, then threw and interception on an absolutely terrible pass back across his body. But give Jacory credit. He rebounded nicely, finishing 21 of 32 for 217 yards and three touchdowns. What I liked most about Harris was that he didn't get down. According to Shannon, after his pick, he came to the sideline and said I should have run the ball. I'm not saying Harris is completely over his woes. He still couldn't hit the deep ball and was almost intercepted two more times. But this was his best game in quite a while. And that's a start.

> If Allen Bailey can figure a way to send just one tape to the NFL combine, he should make sure it's this one. Tremendous game -- 3.5 sacks and six tackles. It was nice to finally see the big dominate like Mel Kiper thought he would when he tabbed him the 11th best player in the upcoming draft.

> It's not even a question anymore -- Asante Cleveland is UM's best tight end. He should be starting and seeing a lot more balls going his way.

>

Gameday blog: North Carolina at Miami

MIAMI GARDENS -- The 25th-ranked Canes will try to end a three-game losing streak to North Carolina and avoid taking a huge step back in the Coastal Division race. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Sun Life Stadium where a crowd of at least 40,000 is expected. Watch it on ESPN2 or listen to it on WQAM. Feel free to participate in our discussion below as you tune in.

REWIND: As mentioned earlier, the Hurricanes haven't beaten North Carolina since 2006 and the Tar Heels own an 8-5 edge all-time in the series. The Hurricanes lost 33-24 last year in Chapel Hill and dropped a 28-24 decision the last time the teams met in South Florida. 

ABOUT CAROLINA: The Tar Heels opened the season with a pair tough six-point losses to LSU and Georgia Tech before picking up wins against Rutgers 17-13, East Carolina 42-17, Clemson 21-16 and Virginia 44-10 in the past month. While the team was obviously rocked by the suspensions and dismissals of several key defensive players, quarterback T.J. Yates has kept Carolina in the hunt. He owns the lowest interception percentage in the country (1 INT) and has completed nearly 67 percent of his passes for 1,495 yards and 11 touchdowns. His favorite receiver, senior tight end Zack Pianalto, was knocked out for the season last week at Virginia. But receivers Dwight Jones (19 rec., 302 yards, 3 TDs), Erik Highsmith (14-205-2) and Jheranie Boyd (12-297-3) are all capable targets and big play threats. Carolina's running game, led by Johnny White (86 att., 464 yards, 4 TDs) and Shaun Draughn (63 att., 287 yards, 4 TDs), has averaged 164.7 yards a game over their last three. Defensively, the Tar Heels live off turnovers. They've forced 16 this season (11 interceptions, 5 fumbles). Where the Tar Heels are vulnerable is against the run, where they currently rank 9th in the ACC.

THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE FOR THE U...

 > As usual, turnovers... We keep trying to figure out the identity of this team. Not sure why. It's obviously turnovers. When UM's defense is forcing them and quarterback Jacory Harris is avoiding them, the Canes have a real good chance to win. Last season, Harris threw four picks against North Carolina and lost. I think the magic number for Harris and the Hurricanes to have a chance to win this week is plus-2 (as in turnover margin).

> How much action the true freshmen see... Last week at game, Kelvin Cain started at middle linebacker and had a stellar game. Tight end Asante Cleveland came in late for Chase Ford and got open for two catches. Seantrel Henderson started his third straight game at right tackle and played the entire game. Receiver Allen Hurns had one pass thrown his way last week. It will be interesting to see if all four get more or fewer opportunities this week. Personally, I'd like to see more of them. We've already seen what the other guys can do. 

> Red Zone and third down efficiency... As documented in my story earlier this week, the Canes offense has been dreadful in both categories this season. Carolina ranks sixth nationally in red zone offense and fourth in red zone defense. The Tar Heels are average on third down, though, ranking 70th on defense (40.0%) and 72nd on offense (38.8%).

> MY PICK: UNC 30, MIAMI 21. You want to believe this game would be the turning point for Miami -- especially against a UNC team hurt by the loss of so many key returning players. But there is nothing I've seen from the Canes -- outside of the defense's ability to create turnovers -- that has really impressed me this season. And North Carolina doesn't turn the ball over. It's like all of the Tar Heels' strengths are the Canes' weaknesses. I think UM will come to play tonight (unlike FSU and Duke). The sad thing is I just don't believe it will be enough. 

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UM injury report for North Carolina

Time for this week's extremity report from UM before the Canes take on North Carolina Saturday night at Sun Life Stadium:

PROBABLE
RB Storm Johnson - Lower Extremity
WR Tommy Streeter - Upper Extremity

QUESTIONABLE
QB Alonzo Highsmith - Upper Extremity

OUT
OL Joel Figueroa - Lower Extremity
CB Brandon McGee - Lower Extremity
DT Curtis Porter - Lower Extremity

Here is what UM coach Randy Shannon talked about after Thursday's walkthrough courtesy of the fine reporters on UM's Sports Information Staff.

Linder, young line a fresh dose of hope for UM

The first time they met as teammates they didn't say much to each other at all.

"We were all kind of hesitant, you know," said Brandon Linder, describing the moment he, Seantrel Henderson, Malcolm Bunche and three other University of Miami freshmen offensive linemen crossed paths inside their dormitory at UM. "I think we were all trying to size each other up. Be tough guys, you know.

"I think about an hour later, when all that toughness broke down, we started giggling and stuff. Now, we're all each other's best friends. We love each other. When we're watching film, were always critiquing each other. I think it's going to be a lot of fun the next four years."

Fun sounds like a welcome change for Canes fans. Since the 28-point loss to rival Florida State two weeks ago, it feels like everything related to this team has been accompanied with a sense of a negativity because of a failure to meet expectations. Fire Randy! Bench Jacory! We only beat Duke by 15?

If you are searching for some fresh hope, the Canes are starting to provide some of that too. Freshman linebacker Kelvin Cain and tight end Asante Cleveland provided two large doses of it Saturday at Duke. But the biggest reason for hope in my opinion is what's happening with Linder, Henderson and the rest of the Hurricanes' young offensive line.

In case you missed it, sophomore right guard Brandon Washington earned ACC Lineman of the Week honors after grading out at 97 percent against Duke. With redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson back home (supposedly because he was sick), Henderson made his third straight start at right tackle and played the entire game for the first time in his career. Linder, meanwhile, made his first college start in a jumbo package and played the most he had all season.

And although UM's offensive line appeared to have some major issues at the start of the season with Joel Figueroa injured and struggling to handle a switch to right tackle, pass protection hasn't been as a big of an issue lately as some feared it might be. In fact, the Canes have only surrendered eight sacks this season -- that puts them on pace to finish with half as many as they did a year ago (35) at season's end.

Outside of left tackle and senior Orlando Franklin (and possibly Figueroa if he is not granted a medical redshirt), the Hurricanes will bring back all of their offensive linemen next season. Starting left guard Harland Gunn and center Tyler Horn will be seniors. The rest of the group will be made up of talented underclassmen.

The group of true freshmen -- led by Henderson, Linder, Bunche and accompanied by Johnathan Feliciano, Shane McDermott and Jermiane Barton -- "is going to be real special" according to Horn.

"All of those guys are really, really good and they're going to be really, really good players," Horn said. "They get reps and go against a really good team on scout team and it's starting to show up. They're pushing guys around like its nothing."

Said UM coach Randy Shannon: "I'm very excited. They're big and competitive. Malcolm Bunche is doing a great job of competing down there, Jermaine Barton we just got back this past week - it's a slow process because he's been out for a long time [with injury]. And Feliciano has been doing a good job. They give our defensive line a lot of fits because they're big, they're physical and knock guys around. Anytime you have guys competitive like that on scout team they give you a great look and take pride in doing it, it's always good for your team."

Linder, who is currently backing up Horn at center, has taken reps in games at guard and as a third tackle on overload packages. Horn calls Linder "extremely smart" and said his attention to detail in the film room has helped him get on the field early.

"He's one of those guys whose always in the film room, hounding [offensive line] coach [Jeff] Stoutland to teach him, teach him, teach him," Horn said. "He also plays hard, runs downfield, never gives up on a block, never stops blocking. It's a mixture of effort and the desire to learn."

Henderson, tabbed as the top high school recruit in the country, was supposed to play at some point this season. But the fact he cracked the starting lineup in just UM's fourth game, Horn said, came as a result of his work ethic.

"He didn't come out here and say 'Hey I'm the No. 1 recruit.' He said I want to earn it the right way. And he's done that," Horn said. "I respect a Seantrel a whole lot because of it. I'm really proud of the way he came in and instead of being all high and mighty, he came in all humble with a chip on his shoulder to really prove he's the best."

Washington said he thinks the Canes will potentially be just as good, if not better than the impressive offensive line Florida State has groomed over the past few seasons. Just like the Seminoles did two weeks ago, Washington believes its only a matter of time before the Canes start dominating up front the way they did.

"If we can get everybody clicking on all cylinders, by my senior year, it's going to be crazy," Washington said. "You'll have Malcolm Bunche, Seantrel on the same side -- that's 600, 700 pounds alone of meat and muscle working together to blow open some big holes. It's going to be a beautiful thing."

QUICK HITTERS

> The more you hear players talk about Damien Berry, the more you realize how much he's not only a huge leader but how much the offense feeds off him and his big runs.

"It's like blocking for your brother -- your blood brother," Horn said. "When you see him run over one of the safeties down the field, it fires you up, you want to open a bigger hole for him so you can see him run it again. As the game goes on, he doesn't get tired. It's like he gets more amped up, excited about running over people. It's a lot of fun to block for that guy.

"He's fierce," Brandon Washington said. "He's a powerhouse, a one-man wrecking crew. It feels good blocking for someone like that knowing if I just stay on my block this could spring for a 20, 30-yard run. If I can make my play, this could be a great run."

> With Berry getting the bulk of the carries these days, you wonder how the guys behind him are feeling about their limited opportunities. Berry said he talks to a lot of the guys behind him on the depth chart about having patience and points out how he had to wait to the middle of his junior year to run the ball.

"I talk to Storm [Johnson] and Eduardo [Clements] a lot," Berry said. "But they know there are four great guys in front of them that have playing experience and when it is their time, they just have to show out. Everybody will get their opportunity.

"You can't get down. Me and [Graig] Cooper are like best friends. Sometimes he does have his days. But it's never down in the tank. It's more like I have to do more to help this team."

For fun I asked Berry if he missed playing safety. His response: "That's like asking me if I like riding the bench."

> For those of you who believe some of these players don't demand enough perfection from themselves, when I asked Brandon Washington if he was proud of the Canes' improvement in allowing fewer sacks he just shook his head at me. "Eight sacks? We're not proud of that at all," Washington said. "We want zero sacks. The first half of the season is behind us. We want to end the last six with zero sacks and more pancakes."

> If you are wondering where those six big freshmen offensive linemen dine together, it's not off campus. According to Linder, they can't go anywhere because "none of us have cars."

"Freshmen aren't allowed to have cars," Linder said. "So we go to the Rat and stuff, tear it up."

> Another great quote from Tuesday's press conference came from the lips of Tyler Horn. When asked about the recruiting stars system, Horn said: "You can have all the stars in the world, it doesn't mean your going to be a good football player. It just means you have the potential to be a good football player. I've always been told potential is a nine-letter word for bad."

Canes schedule Michigan State for 2020, 2021

The University of Miami and Michigan State announced the signing of a two-game football series in 2020 and 2021 according to a press release on the school's website.

The `Canes will travel to East Lansing and the Michigan State campus on Sept. 26, 2020. MSU will visit Miami on Sept. 18, 2021.

"We are committed to continuing our tradition of playing a strong non-conference schedule," said Miami Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt. "The University of Miami is excited to announce this series against a very strong Big Ten Conference program. These types of match ups are great for our program and the game of college football."

UM has won all four previous meeting with Michigan State, but the two programs have not met since 1989. Three of the four all-time meetings have been decided by less than a touchdown.

In coming seasons UM has non-conference games scheduled with BCS opponents Notre Dame, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Florida, USF, Ohio State and Kansas State.

This season, Michigan State has gone from unranked in the preseason polls to No. 7 in the initial BCS rankings released last weekend.

Lineman's message to Jacory: "Lead the troops"

With the Hurricanes playing a huge game this week against North Carolina, it would have been nice to hear what Jacory Harris had to say about facing a team that has been in UM's way the last three seasons and intercepted him four times last November in Chapel Hill.

It would have been nice to ask him how he's feeling and why we've seen him standing off to the side on his own during games and not firing up his teammates on the sideline like he usually does.

Hey, at least I know I'm not the only one wondering what Jacory is feeling. Turns out, sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Washington, tabbed as the ACC's Lineman of the Week Monday, is worried about his quarterback too. While most of his teammates answer the 'How's Jacory doing?' questions with what sounds like prepared speeches, Washington provided something a little fresher Tuesday: his heart-felt concerns and some inspiration for J-12.

"Jacory is a very talkative guy," said Washington, who played with Harris at Miami Northwestern and has started at right guard for UM in all six games this season.

"I just want him not to feel discouraged or feel like he's not wanted. When he doesn't make the plays he expects to make, you can see it in his face. He goes into a shell, breaks off and sits by himself on the sideline. That's not how he usually is. Usually, he'll be like 'Line, don't worry about it we got another drive. The defense is going to get the ball back. We're going to score.' He's just kind of discouraged right now."

Harris has been on a steady decline since he threw four interceptions in the loss at Ohio State. His completion percentage is 52 percent -- third lowest among starting quarterbacks in the ACC.  "He just hasn't been having the season he thought he would,' Washington said. "That Ohio State game hurt him." 

After that game, Harris received a racially-charged message on his Twitter account. After telling reporters about it a few days later as the Hurricanes prepared to face Pittsburgh, UM coach Randy Shannon decided Harris "needed a break" from the media. He's been unavailable for interviews since.

I'm not in any way trying to say Harris' struggles are related to him not talking to the media. I'M NOT. But while he's been behind the scenes, it is clear Harris has quietly been having a hard time dealing with his struggles. 

"Sometimes when he gets in that shell, [we] just to talk to him and say 'Man, we still love you. Come sit by the offensive line, we still love you, nobody hates you here," Washington said. "Once you start talking, he'll usually come out of it real fast, smile, be Jacory again.

"It's not that we need him to be the leader. But he's our quarterback, he's the head man. Lead the troops, lead us to the promised land."

QUICK HITTERS FROM TUESDAY...

> After getting a first hand look at UM during its 45-17 loss to Florida State, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit said last week that the atmosphere at Sun Life Stadium had too much of a "corporate feel" than it did a big-time college football game. There's no doubt FSU-UM games had a different feel in the Orange Bowl.

Damien Berry said while the student section has done a good job filling in for what used to be the old West End Zone crew -- being rowdy and obnoxious to the opposing teams, he admitted having fans sit farther away than they did at the OB has brought down the electricity level a bit.

Cornerback Brandon Harris made a great point about what it really takes to make a stadium rock. "I think what made the Orange Bowl special was the team that was playing in the Orange Bowl," Harris said. "That really amped up the crowd. I think the more we progress and the more put together wins, Sun Life will become just as crazy as the Orange Bowl was. It's just a matter of time."

> For those of you rooting to see more of freshman Kelvin Cain at middle linebacker after his stellar debut at Duke, here some news: You will. Just not in the starting lineup. Yet. Colin McCarthy was back practicing with the first team Tuesday at middle linebacker. Word is Cain will rotate in, allowing McCarthy to shift back outside every now and then.

> According to our Barry Jackson, freshman safety Latwan Anderson, rivals.com's 15th-best prospect in the 2010 recruiting class, has left the football team but remains on the track team. A UM source told Barry that Anderson is frustrated but should have known he likely would redshirt this season. UM is uncertain if he will return to the football program. I heard Anderson went off on Facebook over his frustrations of not playing.

> Saturday's win 28-13 win at Duke might have been a good win for some, but count Brandon Harris as someone who expected more. "As you team you want to dominate opposing teams," Harris said. "That was a game we felt like we played well in spurts, but we didn't feel like we dominated that game to the magnitude we were supposed to."

> After the FSU loss, Shannon said he was looking for more vocal leaders. Sounds like safety Vaughn Telemaque is answering the bell. The fact Telemaque has had three interceptions in his last two games has built a little more swagger under his belt, something he admitted he was sorely missing after going his first 15 starts at UM without a pick.

"They've definitely helped me tremendously," Telemaque said. "It's easier to be a leader, be vocal when you've done something. I just feel like I'm back in my groove. I hadn't had a pick in so long, I forgot the feeling of it, seeing the ball in, everything like that."

Several teammates said Telemaque has been a lot more vocal, talking trash to opposing receivers much more than he used to. "I told one of the Duke receivers tell your quarterback to stop throwing it this way," Telemaque said. "I wanted him to get mad and do it again."

> The quote of the day definitely belonged to Damien Berry. When asked what it might take to make UM fans happy, the running back provided some comedy. "I really don't know -- maybe give them some bean burritos after the game," Berry said with a chuckle, knowing full well national titles are all that keeps fans in a good mood. "I love our fans even though they put us up and down. They're with us when were up and sometimes they leave us down. But, it's not about the fans. Its about this family right here."

> Last but not least here is what Shannon had to say about North Carolina:

"The last couple of years have not been good for me or the University of Miami playing North Carolina. We're 0-3. We've had some games come down to the wire. We talked about it as a staff, football team - they have our number right now. We have a chance to do something about it. It's a home game. Watching North Carolina, you see their offense is doing a great job of scoring points and not having turnovers. T.J. Yates is doing a great job. The one thing he's done is stay focused, you can tell by his completion percentage. What he's doing with the offense, it's going to be tough. They run the ball to create passing opportunities for him. They have players that are skill guys. They'll miss the tight end [out with injury], but knowing coach [Butch] Davis they won't change what they do. Someone will have to step up at tight end for them.

"Defensively they have some great players. Their linebacker [Bruce] Carter is one of the best linebackers in the country, probably could have left last year and been a first rounder. You watch those guys on defense, they really fly around and make plays. They do a great job of creating turnovers like we've been doing. Their defense isn't going to do anything deep, will play backed off coverages, will see if we have patience enough to throw the ball underneath. We'll rely on receivers catching the ball underneath, make someone miss and get positive yards, and run the football. When we get opportunities to go deep we will. They're a bend but don't break defense. So it's going to be one of those games. We have to compete in our ACC conference. Coming down the stretch we'll have to play each other. All of us are geared up, ready to go."

Canes talk Tar Heels

Before I come back with some news and notes, here are today's video interviews from Coral Gables as the Hurricanes prepare to take on North Carolina Saturday at Sun Life Stadium:

Colin McCarthy, Jermaine Johnson practicing

Good morning.

Randy Shannon said linebacker Colin McCarthy and offensive tackle Jermaine Johnson did not make the trip to Duke because they were sick.

This morning, both McCarthy and Johnson were in their position groups practicing.

Offensive lineman Joel Figueroa, who didn't travel to Duke, was not at practice.

Tailback Lamar Miller was out there practicing as well. All the quarterbacks practiced, including backup A.J. Highsmith, who still has a support on his left wrist.

Defensive tackle Josh Holmes, who also didn't play at Duke, was out there practicing with an elasticized brace over his left knee.

DT Marcus Forston has a shin bandaged, but he seems fine.

--SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

Regis' play becoming as good as his bark

The musical beats provided by Duke's marching band are usually the loudest sounds heard at Wallace Wade Stadium on football Saturdays in Durham, N.C. But for a brief moment last weekend -- while the Blue Devils band was taking a short break -- Hurricanes defensive tackle Micanor Regis found an opening to sound off. And in the process, he created a little bedlam of his own.

"Rick does this bark," Canes defensive lineman Allen Bailey said. "It sounds like a real dog, like an angry rotweiler. We were on the sidelines and he just let one of those out. He barked at the band and half of them jumped like two feet in the air. I laughed so hard."

Regis did more than put a scare into Duke's band Saturday. Like a dog chasing after a frisbee in flight, he snatched a Sean Renfree pass out of the air in the third quarter and rumbled 22 yards for a touchdown in what UM coach Randy Shannon called the play of the game in a 28-13 win over the Blue Devils. 

The play made Regis the focal point of teammates' jokes after the game for the way his 6-3, 305-pound body looked chugging toward the Canes' second defensive touchdown of the season. But all of that teasing, Bailey said, was of out of love for the Regis, who has always tried to pass himself off in practice as a sleek skill player and not a lumbering lineman.

"When I was growing up, I didn't think I was going to play football. I thought I was going to be the next Michael Jordan," Regis said.

"I was five feet tall when I was in the fourth grade. By the time I got to sixth [grade], I was 6-feet, 300-pounds. I always looked two grades ahead of my class. People were scared of me until they got to know me. I was just a regular guy. I wasn't a bully or nothing. I was just bigger than everybody else."

The fourth of seven children raised by a single mom in the football hotbed of Pahokee in Palm Beach County, Regis didn't begin playing football competitively until he was 13. Once he put on the pads, It didn't take him long to begin making an impact. A three-year starter at left tackle and at defensive tackle, he helped lead Pahokee to three state championships. By the time he was a senior, he was tabbed the 29th-best defensive tackle prospect in the country by Rivals.com.

"He couldn't be blocked," Pahokee coach Blaze Thompson said Monday. "Whoever we were playing, their big hoss on the line, Micanor just wanted to dominate him. I don't remember him being beat once. I just always worried before the game what might happen if he got a hold of the quarterback. 

"He was a great offensive lineman too. In the Muck Bowl [against rival Glades Central] we ran leads right behind him the entire game and he led us right down the field, opening holes every play getting five, 10 yards a pop. They knew exactly where we were going to go and they still couldn't stop it. He was just a beast."

Former recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt (now at Louisville) discovered Regis midway through his sophomore season. Regis, the second cousin of Ravens Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin (a former Florida State star), said he was told by Hurtt to expect an offer from UM on the first day he could receive one as a junior. Once he did, Regis said he fell in love with the Hurricanes and never once thought about going anywhere else.

"He's a Cane true and through," Thompson said. "I had coaches from Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida State in my office trying to talk to him. He would just tell them 'Coach, I don't want to waste your time. I'm going to Miami.' "

"Now that he's playing, starting, you can see he's excited. I didn't see the interception return for the touchdown Saturday, but I heard about it. I think he's doing great. I get the sense he's just about ready to really start coming on."

After two seasons as a reliable backup, Saturday's game might have been that turning point for Regis. In only the third start of his career at Miami, he finished with a career-high nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. The interception was the third of his career (he had two as a sophomore) and the touchdown he scored was his first at any level.

The play, while funny, didn't surprise teammates at all according to Bailey, who have seen Regis transform himself from a sloppy 330 pounds freshman to a well built 305 third-year tackle who is more than capable of making athletic plays.

"He's like an interception magnet," Bailey said. "For some reason, every time the ball gets batted up in the air, he gets it. Micanor is just a great player. He's worked hard to get where he is.

"And he's got a great personality. He's a fun guy to be around. He kind of bullies the small guys, tries to give [defensive backs] tips how to catch balls like if he played corner or something. He makes us laugh."

Regis doesn't just provide comic relief. A self-described video game junky and fan of old action movies starring James Bond and Bruce Lee, he also entertains his teammates when he listens to his favorite musician, rapper Slick Rick. His passion for the old school rapper earned Regis the nickname 'Rick' from his teammates.

"I've never heard him rhyme," Bailey said laughing. "But I like his bark and the way he plays football. He should stick to that."

Washington, Telemaque named ACC players of week

The Canes' 28-13 win over Duke may not have been a fine work of art, but two of their players are being recognized for their performances. Sophomore offensive guard Brandon Washington and safety Vaughn Telemaque earned ACC Player of the Week honors Monday.

Washington anchored a Miami offense that recorded a season-best 448 yards and did not allow a sack. As the Hurricanes’ starting right guard, Washington graded out at 97 percent while recording seven pancake blocks against the Blue Devils.

Telemaque had two interceptions to lead a Miami defense that forced five interceptions and two fumbles. Telemaque also had six tackles for the UM defense, which is tied for second nationally in turnovers gained among BCS schools. It is the ninth time this season that an ACC player has claimed multiple interceptions in a single game.

North Carolina receiver Dwight Jones earned Offensive Back of the Week honors. Jones had seven receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns (all career highs) in Carolina’s 44-10 victory at Virginia. It was the Tar Heels’ first win at UVA since 1981. Jones, who had 119 receiving yards in the first quarter, had touchdown catches of 81 and 20 yards. He also had a 54-yard reception to the 1-yard line, which led to another TD. Carolina scored on its first play from scrimmage when Yates connected with Jones on an 81-yard touchdown strike. Jones’ 198 yards receiving rank as the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.

Rogers decommits, could Bridgewater be next?

Miami Northwestern receiver Eli Rogers told me Wednesday his dream is to spend the next four years catching passes from his best friend Teddy Bridgewater. Now, it looks like that might no longer happen -- at least at the University of Miami.

Sunday, the 3-star receiver told Canesport.com that he has decommitted from the Hurricanes and he's reopening the recruiting process.

"I'm open to any colleges that want to talk," Rogers told Canesport. "Coaches know about [the decommitment]. They said they can understand my reasoning and that they're still recruiting me and still see me the same. I told them I just want to open back up my options and they said they're cool with it."

No word yet on whether Bridgewater, one of the nation's top high school quarterbacks and the only QB in UM's 2011 signing class (at the moment), will do the same.

On Wednesday, when I drove to Northwestern and spent about two hours watching practice, Bridgewater told me he was still planning on being a Hurricane. But he also said he was a bit disappointed by the Florida State loss and what he's seen from UM's offense this season. He also admitted he's been having second thoughts about his commitment.

"I’ve been paying close attention," said Bridgewater, who went to the UM-FSU game. "The season is going good so far. But it could be better. They have to improve in some areas.

"More can be done in the offense. I paid attention to the Florida State game. Third and 10, Third and 8, they came out unbalanced. I’m just asking myself 'What’s going on? Why aren’t they opening the offense at this point of the game?'"

Bridgewater also said he's been paying close attention to the way Jacory Harris has been struggling and the way he's been criticized by fans and the media.

"I’ve been paying close attention to that," Bridgewater said. "That’s the one thing that stands out. It’s something to think about. The way he’s playing, the way he’s been treated, everything. He’s playing good. The wide outs have to help him also. I talked to coach. He said the past five games the wide receivers have dropped 30 passes. That will bring a quarterback’s confidence down.

"Everywhere I look, everyone on TV, the internet, everybody is dogging Jacory. That’s something I really don’t like because he comes from the same school I play at. He’s my role model. Seeing that, seeing him go through that it makes me wonder do I want to go through the same thing. It upsets me a lot. It upsets the coaching staff, the alumni, everybody at Miami Northwestern.

"People need to keep the faith, don’t give up, don’t give up on Jacory or the team."

Bridgewater said he thinks the biggest thing Harris needs is competition.

"From what I’ve seen, I would like to come in and play – or push Jacory at least," Bridgewater said. "I think that’s the one thing he’s missing. I think he feels like he has no one there to push him. He might be a little relaxed or something. That’s one role I’d like to play."

Bridgewater said a number of schools have continued to recruit him over the past few months including the University of Florida, South Florida, Louisville, LSU and Michigan.

"All of them want me as a quarterback," said Bridgewater, who at times has been dubbed by some recruiting analysts as a better receiver than passer. "I’m paying attention to everything. It’s like the whole recruiting process is rebuilding. At one point, I thought it was over. Now, more teams are showing interest."

Stay tuned. I'm guessing this story is far from over.

QB Watch: Charting Jacory Harris

The University of Miami got back on the winning side of things Saturday with what could best be described as an unimpressive 28-13 win at Duke. Quarterback Jacory Harris finished the day 17 of 34 for 224 yards, 1 touchdown pass, 1 touchdown run and no interceptions.

It was the first time since the season opener Harris didn't throw an interception -- a span of four games. It was also the first time since the Pittsburgh game he completed at least half of his passes. Harris has been under a lot of scrutiny this season for his inconsistent play. So, this week, after watching a replay of the game on ESPN360, I charted every single one of Harris passes to try and gauge where he's having success and where he's struggling. 

There's no question Harris caught a few breaks Saturday in Durham. He had six passes batted away, including four that could have been intercepted. But of his 34 attempts, aside from the six that bounced off defensive backs hands, only three others were uncatchable. His receivers, who had 30 passes dropped in his first five games, dropped at least five more against Duke. As you know, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple likes to throw the deep ball. Harris attempted 11 of those passes Saturday and completed only three of them for 93 yards. Harris had a lot more success throwing short passes (under 10 yards), completing 11 of 14 for 84 yards. 

CHARTING JACORY
First quarter
1st, 2-10-37M, Shotgun, deep pass to Ford 20 yards downfield into double coverage batted away
2nd, 3-10-37M, Shotgun, deep pass to Hankerson 25 yards downfield, dropped
3rd, 1-10-49D, Shotgun, short quick screen pass to Hankerson loses two yards
4th, 3-11-50, Under center, short quick slant to A. Johnson 9 yard gain
5th, 2-5-35M, Audible, Shotgun, short quick slant to Byrd 10-yard gain
6th, 1-10-45M, Shotgun, midrange pass 15 yards downfield to Ford almost intercepted
7th, 3-5-50, Under center, playaction, short pass incomplete to Byrd (Harris pressured)
8th, 3-9-46M, Shotgun, midrange pass to Hankerson for 17 yards
9th, 1-10-37D, Shotgun, deep pass to Hankerson 30 yards downfield into end zone, dropped
10th, 1-10-26D, Under center, short quick slant to Benjamin for 12 yards

Second quarter
11th, 1-10-14D, Under center, short crossing route to Hankerson for 14 yards, touchdown
12th, 1-10-45M, Under center, playaction, deep pass to Hankerson 25 yards downfield, dropped
13th, 1-10-49D, Shotgun, deep pass to Hurns down sideline, dropped
14th, 3-9-48D, Shotgun, midrange pass to Ford, underthrown, trapped, incomplete
15th, 1-10-3M, Under center, playaction, deep post to Benjamin for 37 yards
16th, 1-10-40M, Under center, Heavy pressure, evades sack, throws pass away
17th, 1-10-46D, Under center, playaction, short dump off pass to P. Hill for 5 yards
18th, 3-3-39D, Under center, short quick slant to Byrd thrown behind receiver, incomplete
19th, 4-3-39D, Under center, deep pass downfield to Benjamin for TD overthrown
20th, 1-10-46D, Under center, play action, deep pass 20-yard downfield to Hankerson almost intercepted
21st, 2-10-46D, Shotgun, deep pass to Hankerson for 33 yards
22nd, 1-10-36M, Shotgun, midrange pass to Byrd near sideline thrown high, incomplete
23rd, 2-10-36M, Shotgun, midrange pass downfield to Ford almost intercepted
24th, 3-15-31M, Shotgun, midrange pass to Hankerson almost intercepted (Harris pressured)

Third quarter
25th, 1-10-22M, Under center, short quick curl pattern to Gordon for 9 yards
26th, 3-5-46M, Shotgun, short crossing route to Hankerson for 7 yards
27th, 2-9-46D, Shotgun, short quick out pass to Hankerson for 11 yards
28th, 1-10-24D, Under center, play action, deep pass to Byrd for 23 yards
29th, 1-10-41M, Under center, short screen pass to M. James for 1 yard (holding penalty negates 21 yard gain)
30th, 1-20-32M, Shotgun, midrange out patten to Cleveland for 12 yards

Fourth quarter
31st, 2-8-44M, Shotgun, short pass to Cleveland for 8 yards
32nd, 3-15-47M, Shotgun, midrange pass to Benjamin for 18 yards (caught 11 yards downfield)
33rd, 3-5-30D, Under center, short pass to Benjamin dropped
34th, 4-5-30D, Under center, deep pass to Gordon in end zone, overthrown, incomplete

> Attempts: 34 (thrown away 1)
> Completions: 17
> Passes defended: 6 (4 could have been intercepted)
> Passes dropped: 5 (Hankerson 3, Benjamin, Hurns)
> Poorly thrown passes: Underthrown 1, Overthrown 2
> Deep (20 yards or more): 3-11-93 yards
> Midrange (11 to 19 yards): 3-8-47 yards
> Short passes (10-under): 11-14-84 yards
> Shotgun: 9-18-114, 0 TDs
> Under center: 8-16-110, 1 TD
> Play-action passes: 2-4-42

Gameday blog: Miami at Duke

MIAMI -- Our Susan Miller Degnan is in Durham today as the unranked Canes try to rebound from their embarrassing loss to Florida State last week with a win at Duke. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium. You can watch the game on ESPN3.com or listen to it on WQAM.com. Feel free to participate in our discussion below as you tune in.

REWIND: The Canes own a 6-1 all-time advantage and 4-0 record since moving to the ACC against Duke. Last season, UM pulled off a 34-16 win at Sun Life Stadium. The last time the two teams met in Durham, the Hurricanes were led to a second half rally by Jacory Harris in a 49-31 win. A win over the Blue Devils would give the Canes their third road win in a row on the road. UM has played four of its last five away from Sun Life Stadium.

ABOUT DUKE: The Blue Devils are 1-4 and their only win came over Elon in the season opener. They've lost 54-48 at Wake Forest, 62-13 vs. Alabama, 35-21 to Army and 21-16 at Maryland. But they've had an extra week to prepare for UM coming off a bye. The Blue Devils are one of the most productive passing teams in the country, ranking 15th nationally by averaging 295 yards per game. Quarterback Sean Renfree is second in the ACC in passing yards and has tossed 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He has three dangerous receivers in Conner Vernon (34 catches, 548 yards), Donovan Varner (31-386) and Austin Kelly (25-269). The offensive line has only given up eight sacks this season, but four in their last game at Maryland. The team relies on its other quarterback, Brandon Connette, to run the football. He ranks third on the team with 129 yards rushing. Defensively, the Blue Devils have improved over the last two weeks. Since giving up an average of 510.7 yards per game over its first three games, Duke has held its last two opponents to 313.5 yards per game. Five players have made interceptions for the Blue Devils this season. The Blue Devils love to blitz. Duke kicker Will Snyderwine is 9 of 10 on field goal attempts. Punter Alex King is averaging 43.5 yards a boot.

THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON FOR THE U...
> How long quarterback Jacory Harris remains in the game... It's likely the Canes will try to rest Harris some this week against Duke. Spencer Whipple, AJ Highsmith and Stephen Morris all made the trip to Durham.  We might finally get to see what UM's backups really look like.
> How much time freshmen LB Kelvin Cain and WR Allen Hurns get... UM coach Randy Shannon said this week both players might see some action. Keep your eyes open.
> How much pressure the defensive line gets on Duke's QBs... After failing to record a sack last week, I've got a feeling the defensive line is going to come out with something to prove. I'm expecting Allen Bailey and his friends to have a big game.

MY PICK: No reason Miami shouldn't win this game and get some backups into action -- especially coming on the heels of last week's loss. This Duke team isn't as good as the last few Blue Devils teams UM has faced. If this is still a game in the fourth quarter, something is very wrong. MIAMI 45, DUKE 20.

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Spencer Whipple backup QB for Duke

Spencer Whipple, who started the season as UM's No. 3 quarterback behind starter Jacory Harris and A.J. Highsmith, appears to be the No. 2 quarterback going into the Duke game at 1 p.m. Saturday (ESPN3 on Internet; No TV).

Whipple is the son of Miami offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple.

Coach Randy Shannon  on A.J. Highsmith after Wednesday morning practice: "Nicked? He's Ok. Left hand, but he's OK. I don't know the extent of it. He didn't do nothing today as far as contact and taking snaps from center and stuff like that. We just have to monitor it and see where it's at.''

Highsmith is wearing a wrist support on his left wrist. There are no bandages or any protection on his hand.

Whipple, who completed one of two passes against FSU, has been in five games (he's the holder) and has completed four of six passes for 32 yards. He has no interceptions.

Highsmith has played in two games -- in the second half against FAMU and for one play at Pittsburgh when Harris was sacked and injured his left shoulder. He has completed four of seven passes for 18 yards, with one interception.

Many believe that Highsmith, the son of former Hurricane great Alonzo Highsmith, will be redshirted this season and converted to a safety.

Look for Miami to get Whipple a decent amount of playing time at Duke, that is if the Canes get a comfortable enough lead. I think Jacory needs to rest up his left shoulder (he now wears a shoulder harness) and groin, and whatever else is ailing him, as much as he can before North Carolina and Butch Davis come to town Oct. 23.

 Some comments from Spencer Whipple, a junior, after Wednesday's practice: "Nothing has really changed for me. I've just been preparing the same way all year. That's the way I like to prepare, to be ready for anything that happens, whether you're sixth on the depth chart or 1 or 2. You always have got to prepare the same way, watch the same amount of film, take notes in meetings and be ready whenever your number is called.''

How much does it help getting into games?  Whipple: "It's good. It's fun. Everyone wants to get into the game. It's good experience. But these reps out here in practice, we do periods against our first defense all the time -- two or three times a day. And that's great experience, too, going against those guys because they're so talented."

Spencer, who transferred last year to UM from UMass, said he was "fifth, fourth" team at UMass. "But that doesn't really make a difference. You have to prepare as if you're No. 1, wherever you are. I haven't changed anything about the way I go about practicing or studying film. It has all been the same.''

He asked how he has changed since UMass, where he played in one game in 2008, against Bryant, and completed a 16-yard pass on his only attempt.

"It's just experience,'' he said. "I wasn't very confident while I was there, and my dad has kind of helped me with that, which is a good thing. It's something I kind of needed to build up, my morale and confidence in saying, 'Yeah, maybe I can play.' Being more confident in practice throwing the ball. I think that's the biggest part of my game that has changed.''

On his dad being his coach and giving him advice, Spencer said, "He just supports me. And like I said about the confidence part, when I have a bad day or something goes wrong, sometimes I'm really hard on myself. Coaches have told me my whole career that I get down on myself too easily and my dad is always there to pick me up and show me the positive things I did, which helped bring me out of a slump.''

On Jacory, Spencer said, "He's a confident guy. I don't have to say too much. He knows what he needs to do. He's done it last year. He's taking care of business. He's going to be fine. He's a great quarterback and nothing really much needs to be said to him. He knows what he needs to do and he's practicing really well this week. He's going to do great.''

--SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

Alumni: Where is the leadership at The U?

With the University of Miami trailing Florida State 24-7 at halftime Saturday night, Melvin Bratton said he told a group of Hurricanes fans sitting next to him at Land Shark Stadium not to worry. 

"I said this [expletive] ain't over," said Bratton, a running back on the 1987 National Championship. "This is The U. It's 0-0. We're never out of it."

But a little over an hour later, at the end of an embarrassing 45-17 beat down by the Seminoles, Bratton said he came to a sad realization: The U he played for isn't The U of today. What Bratton said troubled him and many other former Hurricanes -- including Michael Irvin, Gino Torretta, Dan Morgan and Leon Searcy -- wasn't that the Canes lost to Florida State. It was the way they lost, with a lack of leadership, urgency and fire from players and coaches up and down the Hurricanes sideline.

"You can blame the coach, you can blame the players. To me, it's a state of emergency right now," Bratton said. "Everybody needs to take control, take a step back and say 'What can I do better? Is it the coaching? Is it the weight room? Do guys need to spend more time studying, dissecting plays? I don't have the answer.

"But what I don't see is any urgency. I don't see that fight. And that is inexcusable."

Irvin and Torretta, who host radio shows on WQAM, have echoed those sentiments this week. Irvin went as so far as saying the program could use "one or two more thugs." He later clarified it to mean hard-nosed leaders on the field.

Although he pointed the finger at himself for Saturday's loss to the Seminoles, UM coach Randy Shannon said Tuesday the Hurricanes need some more vocal leaders on the field. But when asked if the coaches were urging that in practice, Shannon said: "No. [The players] have to do it on their own."

"The coaching staff and myself can demand a lot of them. We can get on them, push them, all the things we do. But like anything, when you have somebody standing next to you pushing you, it's a different voice, a different person talking to you, that helps out a lot," Shannon said.

"You don't just make a leader. I said this on the radio, talking to Michael Irvin. When I was here as a player it was Kevin Fagan, [John] McVeigh, Julio Cortes, Jerome Brown, Mike [Irvin] got involved. It started snowballing. When I started coaching, it was the same thing. Any great football team or really good football team always has leaders that demand stuff out of everybody on the team, not just a coach doing it. That's when you start developing what you need. We've got those guys, they're starting to come out. But we need them to voice it a little bit more."

Bratton said Shannon is right.

"I'm not saying these kids are soft," Bratton said. "But somebody needs to step up on offense and defense and be a leader. I don't see that on the sideline. You watch the game and keep waiting for somebody on the defensive side to go to the offensive side of the ball and say 'What the hell are you all doing?' Jerome Brown and those guys, when we screwed up, he would go check [Vinny] Testaverde, myself, [Alonzo] Highsmith. If we saw the defensive backs giving up long plays, we'd go to the defensive backs and say 'What the hell are you doing dog? Tighten your [expletive] up.' These guys don't hold each other accountable."

Searcy, who hosts the Canes4Life show on CBS-4 every Saturday at 11:30 a.m., said he sees a huge disconnect at the moment between alumni and the program. Searcy said it has become increasingly difficult for former players to reach out to current players, a trend he said began when Butch Davis took over the program in the mid 1990s. Fewer alumni, he says, are being granted sideline access on game day. Searcy believes connecting more former players with current players could help the young Canes, whom he said never had the opportunity to have mentors like Searcy and his teammates once did, become the vocal leaders Shannon is looking for.

"All this throwing up The U has nothing to do with these kids now," Searcy said. "It has to do with the guys who back in the day that got the University of Miami the reputation for whooping ass every Saturday. These kids don't have that same mentality. They don't have anybody talking to them about the tradition of the University of Miami. They don't have any old guys coming back. When I played at the University of Miami, the older guys had access to the field while we were playing. If we weren't getting it done, you got freaking Cortez Kennedy right there in the defensive huddle telling you what you're not doing. If the linebackers weren't getting it done, you had Winston Moss telling linebackers what to do. If they weren't getting it done in the secondary, Bennie Blades was saying 'Hey man you aren't coming off the edge.'

"That kind of access on the field where not only your coach is telling you something, but guys who have been to the NFL that you'll listen to are saying it too, that resonates. You're a running back. How are you not going to listen to Melvin Bratton, one of the best all-time running backs and fullbacks at the University of Miami. If you're a defensive tackle, how are you not going to listen to Russell Maryland? All that access to the game was a huge plus. It's not there anymore."

Aside from leadership, player development has become another growing concern. Bratton, who went to Miami Northwestern, said he's surprised some of the Hurricanes signed from the Bulls' mythical national championship team of 2007 still haven't been able to get on the field.

"Look at Sam Shields starting [for the Green Bay Packers]. Look at Bruce Johnson. Randy Phillips. Tavares Gooden. These kids didn't get drafted," Bratton said. "Let's be real. This is the NFL. There are only 53 people that can be on a roster. These kids at the University of Miami were part time starters, didn't make any All-American lists. But they can go to the league and dominate? Something is wrong. I don't know if it's coaching or if its scheme. But how can you go to the next level and start on opening day? Somebody isn't getting the best out of these kids.

"You want to have chemistry and allow the players on the field to be who they are. The Ray Ray Armstrongs of the world, when he came in there, the reason he wanted to go to Miami was because he fit the Miami mentality, Sean Taylor-type mentality, knock the [expletive] out of you. You can't pigeon hole those kids. You got to let them go.

"It's not like they don't have it in them. Go to the innercity. Go watch those Pop Warner and Little League football games. You got parents fighting, kids fighting. They know football is their way out. You go to the University of Miami now, it's like a country club."

QUICK HITTERS

> After giving up two long kick returns Saturday, Shannon said Tuesday the Hurricanes have made some personnel changes on their kickoff coverage and punt return teams. Running back Lamar Miller, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Ohio State, practiced full-contact Tuesday and should be back for Saturday's game at Duke after sitting out against the Seminoles.

> The Duke Blue Devils might be really good at basketball and only 1-4 on the football field, but Shannon said the trip to Durham this week won't be easy and he's asking his players not to "fall into a trap and just go through the motions."

"Offensively they do a great job of throwing the football around," Shannon said. "They're averaging close to 400 yards on offense. It's going to be a real challenge for our secondary and also our front guys to control the game and get after it a little bit. They have two quarterbacks they use; one is more of a scrambler. They run inside-outside zone in their run game, will try to establish that a little bit and also take shots.

"Defensively they blitz. They bring the corner blitz, free safety, Mike, Sam blitz, every blitz known to man to stop the run but also get you in bad, negative plays on first down. So we have to do a great job on first down of getting positive yards. Second and nine is positive yards; second and 10 is positive yards. You can't get in second and 15 or second down and 18."

> Shannon said quarterback Jacory Harris, who at the very least tweaked his groin against the Seminoles, ran well Tuesday at practice and looked "back to normal." Since Jacory is still unavailable to the media, here is what fullback Pat Hill had to say about his quarterback: "Coming into his freshman year, a lot of people were talking about how small he is. But he's a tough guy," Hill said. "He's battled through injury after injury. He continues to fight for the team. He battles through what good is said about him and what bad is said about him. He's a competitor, he's a fighter."

Canes talk Duke, bouncing back from FSU

I'll be back later with some notes and thoughts from Tuesday's press conference before the Duke game. But for now, here are some interviews from today.

Extra points and observations: Florida State

The point of this blog every week is to recap the good and the bad following a Hurricanes game. I will do that again this week after UM's 45-17 loss to Florida State, but I'm starting with a much broader point of view: 

THE BIG QUESTION... Was Saturday's blowout loss to the Seminoles just an ugly loss/growing pain? Or, was it a loud affirmation Randy Shannon and his staff are simply not up to the challenge of getting this program turned around?

> The Hurricanes played their worst game of the season -- and probably their worst since they were manhandled by Oklahoma 51-13 in Shannon's second game as a coach in 2007. The defense gave up 298 yards rushing, produced no sacks, one turnover (forgot about Vaughn Telemaque's INT) and its leader (Colin McCarthy) picked up a really dumb penalty on a late hit. The offense produced only 17 points and for the second week in a row failed to complete even half of its passes. The special teams had a horrendous day on kickoff coverage and Matt Bosher once again had a field goal attempt go wrong. The players weren't the only ones who didn't get the job done. Mark Whipple and Jon Lovett, second year coordinators at UM, were taken to school by Jimbo Fisher and his staff in just their sixth game together. Afterward, UM coach Randy Shannon shouldered some of the blame. 

If there is one positive from Saturday's game -- and believe me there is only one -- it is that the Hurricanes can still turn things around, win their division, play for an Atlantic Coast Conference title and potentially play in a BCS Bowl game. But the real question here isn't if the Canes can do that. They can. The ACC is putrid and right now nobody in the Coastal Division is that much better than UM. The real questions: Why were the Canes embarrassed by a Florida State that was 7-6 a year ago? Why are the Canes, in the fourth season under Shannon, still struggling to even be among the Top 25 teams in the nation? 

With Saturday's loss, UM fell to 3-8 against ranked opponents under Shannon and 24-19 overall. Larry Coker went 53-9 and won a national title before he was fired in 2006. Coker's record against Top 25 ranked teams was 18-13. Add those numbers up and it makes UM only 21-21 vs. ranked teams since the start of the 2001. Greatness? This once proud program is fighting just to be mediocre.

Shannon, who signed a four-year extension before this season, can still turn things around. He can still do what he's done the past few years and finish with a better record than he did the year before. Mathematically he can. But after Saturday's whooping, are we really confident that will happen? Those wins at Pittsburgh and Clemson aren't nearly as sexy as we thought they were. Both of those teams are now 2-3. What about the rest of that "easy schedule?" Does anyone really believe North Carolina and Butch Davis are just going to roll over when they come to Sun Life Stadium in two weeks? Is Virginia Tech, which lost to an FCS school, going to come in unprepared under Frank Beamer? How about that trip to Atlanta in late November? You think Georgia Tech won't be a better football team?

College football isn't what it used to be. We know that. Parity paints itself all over the Top 25. Boise State, TCU, Utah -- they're all Top 25 teams from non-BCS conferences.

But is it really unfair to ask this program to be at the top of a mediocre ACC with one of the richest areas for talent in the country in its backyard? Is it too much to ask them to show up prepared and enthusiastic about a national television showdown with its biggest rival? The 2008 recruiting class, tabbed No. 1 by ESPN, is in its third year at UM. Those five-star high school seniors aren't babies anymore. They've been through at least two springs and three summers with trainer Andreu Swasey. Physically, they're supposed to be able to play at a high level, not get pushed around like they were Saturday by players from Florida State who had just as many stars next to their names as they did coming out of high school.

Can any coach or player on this team explain why missed tackles is still an issue, why this team still looks still terrible on kickoff and punt coverage, why they're still getting beat up front by opposing teams on both sides of the ball, and why they're still thin at positions like quarterback, tight end, defensive tackle and linebacker?

Better yet, can anyone explain the regression of the passing game when just a year ago people were talking about Jacory Harris as a Heisman candidate and his receivers as possibly the best unit in the country? It's certainly not a question of talent or having the time to coach 'em up.

The bottomline is this team isn't playing at the level it should. Individually, the list of players not meeting expectations in terms of growth and potential far exceeds those who are blossoming into better players. For every Sean Spence, Brandon Harris, Damien Berry and Leonard Hankerson, there are players like Ben Jones, Jeremy Lewis, Kendall Thompkins, Tommy Streeter and John Calhoun who have been at UM for three years and still haven't seen the field. Those aren't Coker's recruits. 

Blame the players for not delivering. But can we also point the finger at Shannon for a few things, too? Like, why doesn't Jacory Harris have a backup quarterback who could fill in now that he's hurt and struggling? Why is Harris being asked to play with an injured left shoulder, a sore groin and gimpy hamstrings? Why isn't A.J. Highsmith capable of filling in? If Highsmith isn't a capable quarterback, why didn't the Canes go out and find someone to backup Harris when Robert Marve and two other quarterbacks bolted?

Why, in the last four years, has the Hurricanes' only reliable tight end been a converted basketball player? Why are Sean Spence and Ramon Buchanon the only reliable linebackers this program has been able to bring in over the last four years and make better? Why can a guy like Sam Shields, who was a disappointment in his college career, go undrafted and all of a sudden become a starting cornerback for the Green Bay Packers? Can anyone explain to me how Willie Williams and Arthur Brown went from being the No. 1 high school linebackers in the nation to not doing a darn thing in this program? I still can't understand it.

I could go on (I haven't even really touched recruiting), but I hope I've made my point. Four years into Shannon's run as coach there are still a lot of troubling questions and trends that haven't been resolved. Again, things can turn around. Hope shouldn't be lost. There is talent here. There is opportunity. Shannon isn't a stranger to winning. He's been around it. He's been a part of it. Now, he has to make it happen as a head coach. 

And if he doesn't, if the Canes stagger down the stretch, will anything be done? You would like to think the clock is ticking, that expectations would be higher than this for a program that has won five national titles. But it seems like nobody at Miami is really keeping score of wins and losses anymore except the fans and boosters. Good GPAs and clean police records appear to count a lot more than touchdowns and field goals. That's probably the way it should be. But it just sounds strange for a program that spent 20 jubilant years collecting championships and loading up on swagger to be satisfied with mediocrity on the field. And it makes you wonder if the Canes will ever be great again.

QUICK HITTERS

> Senior Damien Berry had a costly first half fumble in Saturday's loss that led to an FSU touchdown. But he responded by finishing with 101 yards on 20 carries. He also had a 26-yard touchdown run. Berry has fumbled once in 180 carries at UM. That's a pretty good percentage.

> For a team that spent extra time last week catching passes, the Hurricanes are still a team plagued by the drops. Unofficially, I've counted 30 drops in UM's first five games. That's six a game. Turn half of those into completions and Jacory Harris' 52.4 completion percentage isn't the worst in the ACC among starting quarterbacks.

> Chris Thompson's 90-yard touchdown run at the end of the game was the longest against UM in team history. I don't want to accuse the Canes of quitting, but right before his 90-yard burst, Thompson had a 50-yard run called back by a holding penalty. The 90-yard run? That came on the same exact run to the same exact side on the very next play. 

> Since his punt return for a touchdown against Ohio State, Travis Benjamin has fielded six punts and returned them for a total of 14 yards. 

> Special teams ace Cory Nelms didn't play Saturday against Florida State. He's good. But do you mean to tell me he would have made up for Florida State starting a pair of drives at the UM 45 and 43 yard lines? Is Nelms' absence really the reason Greg Reid and the Seminoles (who came in with the worst kickoff return unit in the country statistically) had a field day? Seems to me like there are bigger problems than the absence of a former walk-on.

> Almost forgot -- how about some props for safety Vaughn Telemaque? His first career pick was about the only highlight for the Canes defense. But he got it. 

UM-FSU postgame video

Here is what UM coach Randy Shannon and a handful of players talked about after the Canes' 45-17 loss to Florida State on Saturday night.

Gameday blog: No. 23 FSU at No. 13 Miami

SUN LIFE STADIUM -- The 13th-ranked Canes are looking to win their second in a row against Florida State and earn their first win at home over the Seminoles since 2004. The game will be played in front of the first sellout crowd for a Canes game at Sun Life Stadium since UM moved over from the Orange Bowl in 2008. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Watch it on ABC or listen to it on WQAM.com. Feel free to participate in our discussion below as you tune in.

REWIND: Since 2000, only one game between these in-state rivals was decided by more than 10 points (UM's 49-27 win Tallahassee in 2001). The last three games have been shootouts (UM won 38-34 last year, FSU won 41-39 in 2008 and UM won 37-29 in 2007). Saturday's game marks the first time both teams have been ranked in the series since 2006 when FSU won 13-10 in the season-opener at the Orange Bowl. FYI, the team that has scored first has won 22 of the past 25 meetings.

ABOUT FSU: Coming off a 7-6 record in Bobby Bowden's final season as coach, the Seminoles were picked in the preseason to win the Atlantic Division title. But after a 47-17 loss at No. 6 Oklahoma, a lot of folks dropped off the FSU bandwagon. The Seminoles, however, have responded by cruising to wins over BYU (34-10), Wake Forest (31-0) and Virginia (34-14). Under first-year coordinator and former Hurricanes assistant Mark Stoops, the defense has made drastic improvements from last season. FSU leads in the country in sacks with five per game and is second to UM in tackles for loss (9.40). They've gone from a man-to-man pressure to defense to a unit that plays a lot of zone. Offensively, ACC Preseason Player of the Year Christian Ponder and the pass offense hasn't made too many big plays. Only six passes have gone for 25 yards or more. Then again, FSU's potent running game hasn't required Ponder to do too much with his arm. The trio of Jermaine Thomas, Ty Jones and Chris Thompson has rushed for 853 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns behind a veteran offensive line that gets 3-year starter and left tackle Andrew Datko back this week.

THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON FOR THE U...
> Quarterback Jacory Harris' health... Coaches -- and parents -- have tried to downplay the amount of pain Harris has been playing with since being driven into the ground and injuring his non-throwing shoulder at Pitt. But it is painfully obvious Harris is being a bit tentative with his delivery. Aside from his physical ailments, which I'm sure the Seminoles will target, Harris has made his share of mental mistakes the past several weeks. The Hurricanes could ill-afford to lose Harris or have him continue to turn the ball over. Since the Ohio State game, all four of Harris' interceptions have been thrown on the opponents' side of the 50. Miami can win Saturday -- even with Harris throwing picks -- if that remains the case.

> UM's right tackle spot... Freshman phenom Seantrel Henderson is expected to make his second consecutive start Saturday against FSU. Whether it's Henderson or redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson blocking on the right side, the Seminoles figure to do most of their attacking from that side. Sophomore defensive end Brandon Jenkins leads FSU with 4.5 sacks. Senior Markus White (2 sacks) should also be a handful.

> How much work Graig Cooper and Storm Johnson get in the backfield... With speedy redshirt freshman Lamar Miller not expected to play this week with a right shoulder injury, Damien Berry and Mike James figure to get the bulk of the work. But Cooper, UM's leading rusher each of the last three seasons, and Johnson, a true freshman who has worked primarily on special teams, figure to get some work. FSU's run defense ranks fourth nationally. An unexpected lift from Cooper or Johnson could prove valuable in this game.

> UM's blocking on special teams... Greg Reid could turn into a huge headache on punt returns. But the real concern is how UM blocks during kicks and punts. Last week, Clemson blocked an extra point and came dangerously close to blocking two punts. Three weeks ago, Ohio State blocked a UM field goal. The Hurricanes made it a point to work heavily on special teams this week. Let's see if it pays off. FYI, special teams standout Corey Nelms is out for this game.

MY PICK: Any Hurricanes fan who believes UM should blow the Seminoles out because of what happened to them at Oklahoma needs a reality check. Sure, BYU is 1-4, Wake Forest is 2-3 and Virginia is 2-2. But FSU still handled all three of those teams with ease and is a much better football team than they were last season when they went 7-6. Bring up the history and the rivalry and you know the Seminoles will not only be jacked up for this one, but so will the Canes, who by the way rank 112th in penalties per game. I just don't see this game being lopsided like some UM fans believe. And I wouldn't be surprised if FSU won at all. But I think it's time for the home team to win in this series. The Hurricanes win with defense yet again. UM 23, FSU 19 

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Who has the edge? Breaking down FSU-Miami

Saturday night at Sun Life Stadium, a sellout crowd and national TV audience will watch the 13th-ranked Hurricanes and 23rd-ranked Seminoles renew their rivalry. So, who is going to win? I don't know. But I have a feeling its going to come down to the wire -- just like the last three meetings have.

Here is a breakdown of who owns the edge on paper...

WHEN THE HURRICANES RUN THE BALL
> Damien Berry is averaging 4.9 yards a carry and Mike James is averaging 5.1 a carry. But the Hurricanes running game ranks 77th nationally (136.5 yards a game) and probably will not have its biggest home run threat in speedy redshirt freshman Lamar Miller (right shoulder). Graig Cooper, UM's leading rusher each of the last three seasons, is being listed by the team as probable after missing the last three games with an ankle injury. But how much Cooper will really be able to help remains to be seen.
> The Seminoles have only given up more than 100 yards on the ground once this season (103 on 43 rushes by Wake Forest) and held sixth-ranked Oklahoma to 93 yards rushing on 41 attempts. FSU's run defense, led by linebacker Nigel Bradham, is ranked fourth in the country (74.8 yards per game) and ranks second behind UM in tackles for loss. UM true freshman Seantrel Henderson and redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson are still working out the kinks at right tackle.
> Edge: Florida State.

WHEN THE SEMINOLES RUN THE BALL
> Florida State has run for over 200 yards in each of its last three games and owns the nation's 26th best rushing attack averaging 208.6 yards per game. Junior Jermaine Thomas (5-11, 192), junior Ty Jones (5-10, 210) and sophomore Chris Thompson (5-8, 185) have each broken off runs of 50 yards or more this season and are averaging 6.3, 7.9 and 7.7 yards a carry respectively. Jones, who is returning from an ankle injury, could be limited Saturday.
> The Hurricanes' run defense will be the toughest the Seminoles have faced so far this year -- ranking 43rd nationally and fourth best in the ACC (Oklahoma ranks 80th in run defense)> The Canes also lead the country in tackles for loss (10.5). But UM has been prone to giving up a few long runs this season. Ohio State's Terrell Pryor had his moments scrambling for big gains and last week Clemson's Andre Ellington ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run. If the Canes can prevent those long runs they can swing this category their way. But for now...
> Edge: Florida State.

WHEN THE HURRICANES PASS THE BALL
> Jacory Harris has thrown 25 interceptions over his last 17 games as a starter -- including eight in his first four games this season. But he's also been very productive, tossing 34 touchdowns and averaging over 250 yards a game over the same span. Few receivers in the ACC have been as productive Leonard Hankerson (23 catches, 388 yards, 6 TDs) and few have burned FSU quite as often as Travis Benjamin, who plays his best against the Seminoles.
> FSU will counter with a stout pass rush. The Seminoles lead the nation with 25 sacks including 20 over their last three games. FSU's pass defense has improved since being scorched at Oklahoma (394 yards, 4 TDs) giving up an average of only 159 yards a game while producing four interceptions and allowing only three touchdowns through the air. But as talented as sophomore cornerback Greg Reid is, the rest of FSU's secondary is young and the Seminoles rank 60th nationally in pass efficiency defense. The Canes have also only given up six sacks in their first four games.
> Edge: Miami.

WHEN THE SEMINOLES PASS THE BALL
> Three-year starter Christian Ponder has enjoyed some big games against UM in the past. This season, he's averaging 168.8 yards passing and has eight touchdown tosses against only three interceptions. Receiver Bert Reed (28-251-1 TD) has been a steady and consistent short-yardage target. But FSU's offense hasn't been able to get the vertical game going much in part because of an offensive line that has given up 11 sacks in five games. The return of three-year starting left tackle Andrew Datko (shoulder) will help Saturday.
> But the Hurricanes are is good as anyone in the country at shutting down opposing passing games. UM ranks second nationally in sacks (17 total), No. 2 in pass efficiency defense and has five interceptions in their last two games.
> Edge: Miami.

SPECIAL TEAMS
> The Hurricanes have All-ACC kicker/punter Matt Bosher, who is one of the best in the country, and are one of only two teams (USC is the other) to score on a kickoff and a punt return this season. But in terms of kickoff and punt coverage units, FSU has done a better job statistically this season than UM. Where the Seminoles struggle is on kickoff returns, where they rank last nationally and UM ranks 22nd (averaging 25.2 yards a return). But FSU kicker Dustin Hopkins has 19 touchbacks on 33 kickoffs compared to Bosher's four touchbacks on 25 kickoffs this season. Hopkins has also made 16 of his last 20 field goal attempts. Greg Reid, who led the nation last season in punt returns, has already taken one back for a touchdown this season. UM has had a field goal and extra point blocked this season. FSU blocked a punt in its season opener versus Samford.
> Edge: Florida State

UM injury report for Florida State

Here is UM's injury report for Florida State:

Probable
RB Graig Cooper – Lower Extremity
WR Allen Hurns – Upper Extremity
RB Storm Johnson – Upper Extremity

Questionable
RB Lamar Miller – Upper Extremity
CB Corey Nelms – Lower Extremity

Out
DT Curtis Porter – Lower Extremity

Who packs Canes' biggest punch? Cobra

Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel didn't have the type of game he was hoping for against the Hurricanes last Saturday. The All-American blew coverage schemes and was torched by Canes receiver Leonard Hankerson on 22- and 65-yard touchdown catches.

But that wasn't the worst part of McDaniel's day.

According to a story in The Charleston Post and Courier, McDaniel had four teeth knocked loose after taking a helmet to the facemask by an unnamed Hurricanes player. So who delivered the big blow? We might not ever know (I've got a hunch it was running back Damien Berry).

But the topic got me to thinking -- who does deliver the biggest hits on this Hurricanes team? Sophomore running back Mike James didn't hesitate when I asked him. In fact, he didn't even let me finish the question. "Sean Spence," James said. "The Cobra."

"After that, I'd say Allen Bailey, Colin McCarthy ... [after a long pause] Then, I'd go with Andrew Smith."

A FEW MORE TIDBITS

> Junior Andrew Smith might be one of the most efficient sack artists in the ACC. Smith has three sacks this season for the Canes in three games. What's really impressive? With Marcus Robinson back, he said he was only in on 10 defensive plays Saturday at Clemson. 

> I'm expecting the Seminoles to know where Hankerson will be at all times Saturday. During Wednesday's ACC teleconference, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher didn't sound like a coach who is planning to let Hankerson run wild in the secondary.

"He's a complete receiver," Fisher said of Hankerson. "He's unique in that he has great size and speed, will go over the top of you, run away from you. But at the same time he's a great route runner. He can stick his foot in the ground, has shake, can run with the ball after he catches it, understands where the holes are, how to set zones. He is an extremely tough matchup. You never stop guys like that; you just hope they don't kill you totally. He's a complete player and we're going to have our hands full with him."

> Count former Hurricanes offensive tackle Leon Searcy as a fan of Seantrel Henderson. Searcy, who hosts the show Canes4Life on CBS-4 Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., told me during the show's filming tonight the 6-8, 355-pound true freshman impressed him. 

"He's got all of the raw materials to be a great one," said Searcy, who spent 11 seasons in the NFL. "I thought he did a real good job on his kick outs. He had a couple guys get around him, but overall I was very impressed."

UM-FSU sellout near

No matter what happens Saturday, the house will be rocking.

According to the University of Miami, the UM-FSU game is 500 tickets away from being a sellout -- and that's without the tarp that sometimes covers extra seats.

The UM media guide lists capacity for Sun Life Stadium as 75,540.

That's pretty exciting, if you're a Hurricanes or Seminoles fan. No home game in the Randy Shannon era has drawn more fans than the crowd expected Saturday. You just know it's going to be a wild environment to go along with what has become a wild game in recent years.

The lowest price for the available club-seat tickets was $295 as of about 5 p.m.

Maybe some big-time spenders will eat up the rest of the tickets.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Canes or through Ticketmaster at  http://su.pr/1BNAqy

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Canes relish FSU rivalry, share memories

They may not be the national title contenders or super powers they once were, but Florida State-Miami week still gets the blood boiling for the players and coaches involved. 

Just ask Canes linebacker and special teams standout Jordan Futch. "I'm more excited than ever," Futch said Wednesday. "This is that one game that I came here for, that one game every UM football player came here for, to beat the hell out of Florida State."

Over the last two days, some Canes have shared their fondest memories of the rivalry. Some, like receiver Travis Benjamin, have talked about their own big moments against the Seminoles -- like in 2008 when as a freshman, Benjamin, compiled 274 all-purpose yards (the most by a Hurricane since Edgerrin James' 310 against UCLA in 1999). Others, like UM cornerback Brandon Harris, recall seeing the late Sean Taylor make big plays as some of their favorite moments.

"Watching Sean Taylor intercept the ball in the rain and running it back for a touchdown -- that's an image that a lot of us as kids saw and thought that one day we'd be in that position to make those plays, the ones that people remember," Harris said. "This is one of those games that guys want to step up and be remembered for a long time."

Of course, not every current Hurricane grew up a Canes fan. A Tallahassee native, cornerback Ryan Hill naturally grew up a Florida State fan. Receiver Leonard Hankerson said he loved the Seminoles growing up and was a huge fan of former FSU receiver Peter Warrick. But they both said they eventually saw the light -- and followed it to Coral Gables.

"Anytime you're born in Tallahassee you bleed garnet and gold for a certain amount of time," said Hill, who says whenever he goes back home he pulls his Hurricane car flags out of his trunk and flies them proudly. "But going into my senior year of high school I realized Florida State was not the school for me. I was a fan, but it wasn't a school I really wanted to go to as a player."

"Guys are excited. We've been waiting for this a long time. This is what you come to Miami for. Either you're garnet or gold or orange and green. You hate each other. When Florida State plays in Tallahassee, I think Leon County jail has one of the highest rates of incoming inmates that night. You can speculate why."

NOTES FROM WEDNESDAY'S PRACTICE

> Don't count on redshirt freshman Lamar Miller playing Saturday. For the second consecutive practice Miller wore a green, non-contact jersey with an injured right shoulder. When he took his jersey off after practice, he was wearing a black harness on his shoulder to protect it. Players who do not practice by Wednesday don't usually play on Saturday.

> Shannon said special teams has been a focal point at practice all week: "We got a lot to improve from last week. We had the field goal blocked. So we're working on that very heavily. We're working on the kickoff team. We do some good great things on kickoff, then all of a sudden we'll have a bad play. We're focusing on that and our punt coverage. We have to make sure our fliers do a good job getting downfield. [FSU's Greg] Reid is an exceptional returner and we have to do a good job on that."

When asked if there would be any changes in personnel, Shannon said: "No. Just got to keep coaching. You don't keep trading guys everyday. You give them a chance -- twice -- and if a guy can improve you leave him in there. If not, then you make the change. Like anything, you just have to keep getting better."

Said Futch of UM's special teams: "Hopefully we can all do like [Patrick] Chung did against the Dolphins [Monday night] and make some plays on special teams."

> Shannon has been impressed with true freshman Brandon Linder, who has come in on special packages blocking packages on the offensive line. But if Linder is going to be given more playing time, he's going to have to earn it. "We gave him a small package in the game and he executed it," Shannon said. "Like anything, if you grow and develop, the more things you give guys to do. If they don't learn it, you back off it."

> As it stands, expect freshman Seantrel Henderson to start at right tackle and to split time with redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson for the second consecutive game. Senior Joel Figueroa, who moved to guard before the Clemson game, is now on the second team. Brandon Washington and Harland Gunn are running with the first team at left and right guard.

> Ryan Hill was asked about the Canes' 2008 recruiting class Tuesday and provided high praise. "I compare that class to a lighter," Hill said. "You take gas and take a spark, I think they were the spark. You have a bunch of guys here who are gas, want to be lit. And when they came in they just sparked us. You had older guys here like me, Jason Fox, Javarris James, guys who wanted to do whatever it takes to win. And then you brought these guys in who were used to winning - that's all they did was win in high school. You have a puzzle, pieces to a puzzle, and you finally put those pieces together to make a puzzle."

> Well after practice, senior Damien Berry was seen coaching freshman fullback Maurice Hagens through roly-polies. Not sure why Hagens had to do them. But it was another sign of seniors getting on freshmen. Sunday, Allen Bailey said he yelled at guys for being lazy.

> According to UM's sports information staff, only club level seats valued at $205 remain for Saturday's 8 p.m. kickoff against the Seminoles.

Continuity big reason for UM's defensive success

Never underestimate the power of continuity and good coaching -- especially on defense.

The last time the Hurricanes faced the Seminoles, it was the first time Mark Whipple and John Lovett were calling plays for the University of Miami. Whipple and his high-octane offense was the story everybody was interested in. In the end, though, it was Lovett's defense that had to win the game for the Hurricanes. 

After a pass interference penalty on Brandon Harris on third and goal at the UM 3-yard line, the Seminoles were given nine seconds and three shots at the end zone. Somehow, an exhausted Canes defense was able to survive and pull out a 38-34 win. 

Fast forward 13 months and a span of 17 games and the 13th-ranked Hurricanes look a little different than they did then. Defense -- no longer quarterback Jacory Harris and his wealth of receivers -- has become the backbone of this team. The last two weeks have arguably been the finest hours in Hurricanes defense since Randy Shannon's days calling the defensive plays back in 2005. 

Improved depth on the defensive line and the growth and maturity of talented young players have obviously played a factor. But for senior Colin McCarthy, who has had four defensive coordinators in his five years at UM, having the same boss and the same playbook for the last two years has definitely helped.

"We just feel more comfortable," McCarthy said of UM's defense, which ranks 15th nationally in scoring defense (15 ppg), 12th in total defense, sixth in pass defense, second in sacks, first in tackles for loss -- and who over the past five quarters has created eight turnovers.

"A lot of times [last year] we weren't getting the right call, we weren't getting the right checks in. We weren't on the same page. One side was playing one call, the other side was playing the other. Now, everybody is making the call. To have that and be comfortable with that and that everybody knows what they're doing out there makes it a lot easier.

"I think maybe what helps us to be great is the way we play together. We're real unselfish. We just want to win and people are willing to do their job. That's what make us good."

McCarthy said Lovett -- and the rest of UM's defensive assistants -- deserve credit for that.

"He's a crazy coach," McCarthy said. "I think the schemes he comes up with, the game plan week to week, the amount of film he and the rest of the defensive coaches watch week to week, giving us a different game plan, helps us out tremendously."

Said Harris: "Coach Lovett is a high energy guy. He has a great personality, jokes with us so well. Everybody knows when it comes down to business, he'll get after you. He's not the type of coach to take a back seat. He'll get in a guys face. Since I've been here, he's gotten in my chest a few times. He's let me know if I don't do what is expected of me, somebody will step up and take my spot. He's just a coach who has no favorites. He just wants to win, put the guys in the position to win and have guys be accountable for their jobs."

> NO VERDICT ON HARRIS' SHOULDER: If you want to know how healthy quarterback Jacory Harris is doing, Shannon said you're going to have to "find out Saturday."

Harris, who took a vicious hit on his left shoulder at Pittsburgh Sept. 23 when he was sacked and driven into the ground, practiced as usual Tuesday morning. But at least through these eyes and a few other reporters who saw him throw a few passes at practice, he appears to be playing with some pain. 790 The Ticket reported Monday Harris could have a torn labrum in his left shoulder. 

Harris has been unavailable to the media since before the Pitt game. He completed 13 of 33 pass attempts and matched a career-high with four touchdown passes while also throwing two interceptions at Clemson last weekend. 

Receiver Leonard Hankerson said Harris was "throwing the ball pretty good [Tuesday]." Travis Benjamin also said the same thing.

"Everybody’s banged up, the whole team is banged up," Hankerson said. "We just have to prepared and stay in the training room, keep focused, and not worry about that.”

QUICK HITTERS FROM TUESDAY... 

> It's been awhile since the Hurricanes lost an underclassman to the draft early, but don't be surprised if All-American cornerback Brandon Harris becomes the next one. Harris made a promise to his parents that the one thing he would do before leaving UM was graduate from college. Turns out, Harris, who has been taking classes over the summer and excelling in school, could be done as early as December.

The NFL? Well, some people believe Harris is the second best cornerback in the 2011 class behind LSU's Patrick Petersen. "I can't lie. As a child growing up, that's always been your goal," Harris said of the NFL on Tuesday. "You want to become a professional football player. The older I got, the more realistic that goal became to me being a top recruit and coming to a top university. If I'm fortunate enough that if I'm playing well and I can make that decision, it does make you think about it a little bit. You know your closer to your goals."

> Whether or not Lamar Miller (who didn't participate in contact drills Tuesday) isn't healthy enough to play Saturday, it looks like Graig Cooper could end up stealing a few carries this week. Shannon sounded enthusiastic about Cooper, who hasn't played since the FAMU game in the season opener, when he spoke with our Susan Miller Degnan in the morning. "[Cooper] did a lot of live stuff and is a lot better than he was last week," Shannon said. "The improvement from last week to this week is unbelievable. If he keeps progressing, he has a shot of playing in this game."

> Shannon said Florida State’s offensive line is their team strength and that the Seminoles run a zone blocking scheme similar to when offensive line coach [Rick] Trickett was at West Virginia. "You see a lot of things like the Denver Broncos where they try to reach everybody and cut everyone on the backside and hit them low,” Shannon said.

> Shannon said stopping FSU punt returner Greg Reid could be his team's biggest challenge on special teams this year. Reid is averaging 12 yards per return and has one touchdown. “He is a small guy, but he is a exciting guy," Shannon said. “He is very fast and energetic and we have to do a great job with our flyers on our punt team and covering the field. This is going to be one of the biggest challenges that we have on special teams.”

> Shannon told WQAM's Joe Rose on Monday he went "ballistic" on the team for being lazy during Sunday's practice.  Apparently, he wasn't the only one. Defensive lineman Allen Bailey said he did too. "Yesterday I kind of went ballistic in practice too," Bailey said. "Guys got a little complacent and I was upset about it. They understand last year was the same situation against Virginia Tech and we screwed around and didn’t take it as much serious as we did. I got on a couple guys."

>  According to kicker/punter Matt Bosher, the Canes spent some on Sunday and Tuesday working on on kick and punt protection. Bosher had an extra point blocked and nearly had two punts blocked at Clemson. He had a field goal blocked at Ohio State. "We're doing what we have to do to get better at it," Bosher said.

>The Hurricanes are holding a fundraising drive to benefit the United Way. If you’d like to help: text “MIA” to 864833 anytime from Wednesday through Saturday night’s game against Florida State, a $5 dollar “text-to-give” donation will be made.

Canes talk Florida State

Here is a collection of video interviews from Tuesday as the Canes prepare for their Saturday night showdown against Florida State at Sun Life Stadium. I'll be back later with some notes...

Miller late to practice (non-contact jersey)

Good morning.

Canes tailback Lamar Miller, UM's second-leading rusher with 157 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries (5.4 yards-per-carry), was missing for the start of practice today (Tuesday). He came to practice late wearing a green, non-contact jersey.

I saw Miller right after the Clemson game walking with a large bag of ice on his right shoulder area. Didn't look good.

If Miller misses FSU, or even if he is limited because of the injury, that's obviously not great news for Miami, which nonetheless has a pretty deep corps of runners. Graig Cooper hasn't played since the opener, when he injured what appeared to be a knee (but possibly an ankle -- we don't know for sure). Cooper, who has two carries for 11 yards and two catches for 13 yards this season, has been practicing full go. He caught a pass from Jacory Harris this morning, and took some good contact from both sides, though they stopped short of tackling him.

UM coach Randy Shannon has been saying for years how important it is to have a lot of runners. Mike James (see story today in Miami Herald: ) would be the guy who would step in for Lamar, and he's ready, though Lamar's agility and speed give defenses a different look from bulldozer types such as Berry and James.

Perhaps we'll finally see freshman Storm Johnson take his first carry against FSU. 

Storm returned two kickoffs at Death Valley for 24 and 12 yards.

> Also, Jacory Harris, who hurt his left shoulder when he was sacked at Pittsburgh, was out there practicing and throwing, as usual.

> As we were walking out, I saw freshman Seantrel Henderson lining up at right tackle on the first team again, next to guard Brandon Washington.

--SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Forston, "Hank," honored by ACC

   Two University of Miami football players who were instrumental in the Hurricanes'
30-21 victory Saturday at Clemson were honored Monday as Atlantic Coast Conference Players
of the Week.

   Receiver Leonard Hankerson, a 6-3, 205-pound senior who graduated from Fort Lauderdale
St. Thomas Aquinas High, caught seven passes for a career-high 147 yards. He also had a
career-high three touchdowns (7-, 22- and 65 yards) in the first half.

   Hankerson extended his streak to 17 consecutive games with a reception. He now has 15
career touchdowns, tying Brian Blades (1984-87) for sixth place all-time.

   On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore tackle Marcus Forston, a 6-3, 305-pounder
out of Miami Northwestern High, had three tackles, a tackle-for-loss, quarterback hurry,
interception and shared in a sack Saturday.

   Forston's first career interception led Miami to a touchdown to make it 20-14 in the
second quarter. Forston helped lead a UM defense that forced six turnovers and held
Clemson to seven points in the second half.

   • The ACC announced Monday that the Oct. 16 Miami at Duke game will be at 1 p.m. and
can be seen on the Internet at ESPN3.com.

   --SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Extra points and observations: Clemson

Before shifting our attention to Florida State here a few of my final thoughts on the Canes' 30-21 win at Clemson:

HOT TOPICS
> The defense has hit another gear... A week after shutting down Pittsburgh's offense and showing us they're much improved at swarming to the ball and gang tackling, the Canes' defense took it up another notch against Clemson. They forced six turnovers -- by far the most impressive stat in the game. We may not ever get an answer as to when the last time a UM defense created that many turnovers in a game, but it's safe to say it's been awhile. Almost as impressive to me were the quick adjustments defensive coordinator John Lovett was able to make after Clemson found a wrinkle (cutbacks) to have some success running the football in the first quarter. Clemson finished with 162 yards rushing. But aside from his 71-yard touchdown run, Andre Ellington had a grand total of 36 yards on his other 16 carries (2.3 avg). Jamie Harper, who spurned the Canes for Clemson on national signing day 2008, had 57 yards on 18 carries (3.2). Not impressive at all. Kyle Parker? He was 14 off 33 for 149 yards and three INTs. UM broke up five passes, produced three forced fumbles, three sacks and eight tackles for loss. That's great defense.

> Will Jacory Harris be able to solve his interception woes? Point the finger wherever you want, eight interceptions in three games is still eight interceptions in three games. Harris' two interceptions Saturday simply weren't good passes. "We always keep saying you can't turn the ball over in the red zone," UM coach Randy Shannon told WQAM after the game. "Aldarius [Johnson] had beat the guy. [Harris] saw it, threw it, it just didn't get there on time. The [first interception] was a break off route. [Harris] went to Travis [Benjamin], who was doubled. [Harris] saw the safety rotate, but the safety rotated to the middle and [Harris] threw it to the weak side. It was kind of disguised and got him. [But] he came back threw a touchdown. Anytime you can do that, you'll be okay."

The Canes were okay on Saturday because they got the win. But how much better could they be if every time Harris went back to pass you didn't have that knot in your stomach? I know his receivers, running backs and tight ends aren't helping him much right now. I counted at least five drops Saturday, which probably would have made his final stats (13 of 33 for 205 yards, 4 TDs) look a little better. But there is just something fundamentally wrong with Harris right now. 

790 The Ticket reported Harris could have a torn labrum in his left shoulder. It wouldn't be surprising at all. Harris definitely looked a little more than "nicked" when he took a hard shot at Pittsburgh two weeks ago. There's no doubt in my mind Harris is banged up physically and mentally. He just isn't the same quarterback we saw last year in UM's first two games. And right now, he's worse than the QB who threw for 3,352 yards, 23 touchdowns and finished second in the country with 17 INTs at the end of last year. One way or another the Canes have to figure a way to remedy the situation. Because even though they won Saturday, it was still only by nine points on a day when they're defense forced six turnovers (all in Clemson territory). I mean, how differently would we be talking today if Brandon Harris hadn't made that big fourth down tackle in the fourth quarter at the UM 20-yard line?

> Leonard Hankerson needs to pass along Mark Duper's phone number to the rest of the Canes' receivers... Can you imagine what things would be like if Hankerson had left for pros early? Would the Canes be 3-1 right now? Probably not. Hankerson has been a flat out beast this season. The rest of the Canes' receivers? Not so much. Between the drops, not getting open and just not making plays, the passing game has by far been the biggest disappointment so far this season. Aldarius Johnson had one catch for eight yards versus Clemson. Benjamin had one for seven. LaRon Byrd, meanwhile, did a nice job getting dressed for the game. The production simply has to be a lot better than that. Maybe it's time Tommy Streeter and Kendall Thompkins get a shot at doing more than participate on special teams. 

> Sean Spence is making a case for ACC Defensive Player of the Year... Pretty simple: the Canes have the best defense in the ACC at the moment and Spence is the Canes' best defensive player. He had a career-high 14 tackles versus the Tigers and made a vicious hit in the second quarter to force a fumble. As long as he stays healthy and keeps playing at this level, it's hard to give anybody else in the conference the award. FYI, Spence is currently third in the ACC in tackles per game with 9.5. Only Boston College's Luke Kuechly (12.8) and Maryland's Alex Wujciak (11.4) have more. And I've never heard of either of those guys.

> The blocking on field goals, punts and extra points has been suspect... Clemson put an end to Matt Bosher's streak of consecutive extra points made at 105. The Tigers' Jarvis Jenkins did a nice job getting his hand up to get a piece of the ball. What concerns me is that Bosher has now had an extra point and field goal blocked in the last three games. And saturday, Da'Quan Bowers came dangerously close to blocking one of Bosher's punts in the first half. So far, none of the blocks has meant much. But it's obvious the Canes are playing with fire.

QUICK HITTERS

> To steal a line from HBO's Bill Maher -- New Rule: Can we please stop comparing players who haven't done anything yet to former Canes greats? Chase Ford is a really nice guy. But he hasn't shown me anything yet that reminds me of Jeremy Shockey. Here are Fords' stats in four games -- 2 catches, 13 yards, 1 touchdown and whole lot of unfulfilled hype. Richard Gordon has 3 catches for 16 yards. Barring some unforeseen changes, we just shouldn't expect much from the tight end position this year.

> Can you imagine how good Ryan Hill would be if he had just played cornerback from the get-go? Two starts, two interceptions and two great games for the fifth-year senior. Brandon Harris is still the best the Canes have at cornerback, but Hill has been very impressive so far. He's helped make DeMarcus Van Dyke better too by moving him to a spot he's obviously more comfortable with -- the third/nickel cornerback. 

> For those of you clamoring for more running, less passing... UM attempted 33 passes Saturday and ran it 43 times. Sounds to me like offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and you are already on the same page.

> Seantrel Henderson still has a ways to go... He's going to be a beast by the end of the season, but Mount Henderson isn't completely ready yet to be trusted on his own. Upon further review, I saw he was beaten at least once by DaQuan Bowers on Saturday on the play that led to Harris' fumble and Henderson's fumble recovery. The real good news here is two-fold: One, it is only the beginning for Henderson, Two, senior Joel Figueroa is no longer being asked to do something he can't -- play right tackle. The Canes should be set for the rest of the season with Henderson and redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson sharing the right tackle duties. There is only room for both to improve.

> The Canes were flagged 12 times for 105 yards -- including three times for kick catch interference on punts. Got to get all of that fixed.

> For those of you still steaming over Clemson's muffed punt turned 15-yard penalty on Streeter, Shannon told WQAM after the game Saturday the rule on a fair catch is that the ball must hit the ground before an opposing team can recover it. That's why officials were apparently able to enforce the penalty on Streeter.

UM-Clemson postgame video

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Here are the video interviews from after the Canes' 30-21 win at Clemson.

Gameday blog: No. 16 UM at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. -- The 16th-ranked Canes open ACC play looking for revenge against Clemson in a high noon kickoff here in Death Valley. Watch it on ESPN2 or listen to it on WQAM.com. Feel free to participate in our discussion below as you tune in.

LAST MINUTE NEWS (Updated at 10:05 a.m.): Canes RB Graig Cooper -- no surprise here -- didn't make the trip. Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel has a small broken bone in his hand, but will play. 

REWIND: Each of the last three meetings have gone to overtime with the Tigers winning two of the three meetings -- including last year's 40-37 victory at Sun Life Stadium. The last time the Canes played at raucous Memorial Stadium (80,301 capacity), Kenny Phillips secured a 36-30 win in triple overtime with an interception. UM leads the all-time series 5-3.

ABOUT CLEMSON: Do-it-all running back C.J. Spiller (who torched UM last season) and receiver Jacoby Ford (who caught the game-winning TD pass last year) are gone for the Tigers. But there are still plenty of dangerous weapons including the bruising backfield tandem of Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper, who are anchoring an offense averaging 215 yards on the ground. Clemson is looking for help at the receiver position, but tight end Dwayne Allen is a dangerous target. He leads all Clemson receivers with eight catches for 156 yards and a score. Quarterback Kyle Parker is coming back from banged up ribs, but still has a solid offensive line in front of him that has only given up two sacks this season. Defensively, the Tigers rank seventh in turnover margin (+5) and fourth nationally in tackles for loss. Safety DeAndre McDaniel had two interceptions last year against Jacory Harris -- including one he took back for a touchdown -- and leads the Tigers defense with 20 tackles. Clemson has two beasts at defensive end in DeQuan Bowers and Andre Branch, who each have three sacks and can create a lot of pressure.

FOR THE CANES THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON...
> If Jacory Harris continues to throw interceptions. Whether you blame the receivers for not fighting for the ball enough or point the finger at the quarterback for throwing the ball up for grabs, the Hurricanes can ill-afford to continue turning throwing interceptions. After throwing two picks in the first half at Pittsburgh, Harris only attempted 10 passes in the second half against the Panthers. Most of them were safely executed passes on rollouts. With Clemson expected to dial up the pressure, Harris could end up doing more of the same. 

> How much playing time freshman Seantrel Henderson gets at right tackle. The Canes gave up two sacks last week at the right tackle position between senior Joel Figueroa and redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson. UM coach Randy Shannon said Henderson, who came in on goalline situations and third and short running situations a week ago at Pittsburgh for eight plays, will see more time this week in special packages. But if Johnson and Figueroa struggle, Henderson might be forced into more action. Either way, this was the No. 1 question on the offense coming into the season. It's important for the Hurricanes to sure up this position moving forward.

> The discipline of UM's swarming defense. Clemson's offense is predicated on keeping defenses off balance with mismatches and passes against the grain. Parker loves to scramble backwards and drawing the defense in before throwing the ball back across the field to his running backs and tight ends. The Canes, who lead the country in tackles for loss and rank second in sacks, have to do a good job not over pursuing, staying disciplined and making good, solid tackles in the open field.

MY PICK: Death Valley can be a really difficult place to play considering how loud it gets. But the Hurricanes aren't a young team anymore and their offense is not predicated on making too many adjustments at the line of scrimmage. That being said, Clemson has a tremendous amount of talent and I wouldn't be surprised if we see these two teams meet again in the ACC championship game. But this Saturday, I'm going with UM. I can't see Jacory Harris making the same mistakes he's made the past couple of weeks. If Harris wouldn't have turned the ball over three times last year UM wouldn't have lost to the Tigers a year ago. As long as he keeps the picks down, the Canes should win. Clemson's offense isn't as good as it was a year ago and the Canes defense is better than it was a year ago. I think the rematch will be a much better game. UM 35, Clemson 20.

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