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About Eye on the U


Manny Navarro
Herald Sportswriter
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Susan Miller Degnan
Herald Sportswriter
E-mail  | |  Bio


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    • Hot time in MIami: Gators at Canes in football: noon on Sept. 7 on ESPN.
    • B-Rad First-Team All-ACC; Football roster making space; McDermott on Rimington Watch List.
    • UM women's tennis finishes Sweet 16 round at close to 1 a.m. EST -- but beats Northwestern to advance to NCAA quarterfinals
    • Hurricanes' women's tennis continues to flourish as coaches, freshman win ITA awards
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    • Testaverde latest Hurricane headed to College Football Hall of Fame
    • Golden, Torretta win golf tournament, $125K scholarship
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    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 

    May 23, 2013 in Frank Haith | Permalink | Comments (81)

    Polls: Canes still aren't Top 25 worthy yet

    Both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 rankings were released just a little while ago and as expected the Hurricanes remained in the "others receiving votes" category.

    UM, coming off a wild 44-37 win over N.C.State Saturday, picked up more votes in both polls -- a total of four votes in the AP and 17 votes in the Coaches poll.

    The Hurricanes (4-1, 3-0) take on ninth-ranked Notre Dame (4-0) next Saturday night in Chicago. If UM beats the Irish there is little doubt the Canes will crack the Top 25 in both polls.

    September 30, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (85)

    Gameday blog: N.C. State at Miami

    MIAMI GARDENS -- The ACC Coastal Division-leading Miami Hurricanes (3-1, 2-0) are taking on the N.C. State Wolfppack (3-1, 0-0 ACC) today at noon at Sun Life Stadium on ESPNU.

    Feel free to participate in our CoverItLive.com chat below. All you need to do is sign in with your email address.

    STORYLINES
    > The Canes are coming off a thrilling 42-36 overtime win at Georgia Tech.
    > N.C. State has won three in a row since opening the season with a 35-21 loss to Tennessee. The Wolfpack beat UConn 10-7, South Alabama 31-7 and The Citadel 52-14.
    > This is the first meeting between UM and N.C. State since 2008.

    INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS: The Hurricanes come into the game without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle). Linebacker Raphael Kirby (knee) is back this week. N.C. State will be without OT Rob Crisp (lower back), OT Andrew Wallace (foot), HB James Washington (ankle).

    September 29, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (280)

    Official UM Canes injury report for NC State: There's a probable! And where's Dalton Botts?

     

    The official ACC UM Hurricanes injury report for North Carolina State has been released.

    OF NOTE:

    *Punter Dalton Botts is not on this report, which is curious. Keep in mind that last week, Vaughn Telemaque (knee) was not listed on the report and did not play. Vaughn really wasn't totally ready to go, per some UM people in the program. I don't expect Dalton to play, but as I've said before, we'll see.

    *Defensive back Andrew Swasey is also not listed on this report. But coach Al Golden said Tuesday that Andrew "is back.'' (Golden also said linebacker Gabe Terry is back)

    *We have a probable this week, and that's good news for Miami. Linebacker Raphael Kirby, who has yet to get in a game, worked more than coaches thought he would this week in practice. If he plays, it probably will be on a limited basis.

    *Middle linebacker Denzel Perryman is out, as expected.

    Probable:

    Raphael Kirby-Lower extremity

     

    Out:

    Denzel Perryman-Lower Extremity

     

    Surgery/Out for the season:

    Ramon Buchanan-Lower Extremity

    Malcolm Lewis-Lower Extremity

    Sean McNally-Lower Extremity

     

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

    September 27, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (99)

    UM live Q&A with Manny Navarro

    Chat with Herald Sports writer Manny Navarro from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m. today. Leave your questions below in the comments section and he will answer them there and during the live chat.

    September 26, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (52)

    UM's Wednesday practice report: Kirby continues to improve; no leaders emerging at offensive tackle

    Hurricanes coach Al Golden told reporters after Wednesday's practice his team’s energy “wasn’t good enough.”

    Asked if it might be a byproduct of the team relaxing coming off a big win at Georgia Tech, Golden said: “I don’t really care because all I’m worried about is today, so it’s really important that our guys just get better today, everybody check the boxes today, attention to detail, and the rest of it will take care of itself.”

    After spending all last week preparing for the Yellow Jackets’ spread option attack, UM is now focused facing a more conventional offense in NC State.

    “The transition’s hard,” he said. “We tried to wash that out, flush that out on Monday, and here we are on Wednesday and we got most of the game plan, if not all of it, in.”

    Freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby practiced more than expected on Tuesday and Golden said Wednesday that Kirby’s health continues to improve. Asked if he would play in Saturday's game Golden said: “We’ll look at it on tape, but he’s making progress and he’s moving in the right direction for sure.” 

    Golden would not indicate any leaders in the position battles at either offensive tackle spots. Ereck Flowers and Ben Jones are currently listed as co-starters at right tackle, and Malcolm Bunche and Seantrel Henderson are fighting for reps at left tackle.

    “They’ve got to keep fighting and be consistent,” Golden said. “All of them should play.”

    Golden did not specify either if a receiver would receive an increase in reps with Malcolm Lewis sidelined for the season after the gruesome ankle injury he suffered late in the first quarter in Atlanta this past Saturday. But he did mentioned freshman Herb Waters and fifth-year senior Kendal Thompkins as candidates for the job.

    Golden has a track record with Tom O’Brien, head coach at NC State, that dates back to the 90’s. He was linebackers coach at Boston College from 1997-1999 under O’Brien and a graduate assistant at Virginia for three years prior while O’Brien was offensive coordinator there.

    Golden says, however, familiarity with the opposing coach will not help him this week. What he’s seen from O’Brien thus far this year deviates from what he would expect.

    “On offense, it looks different,” Golden said. “Each team is different for him. He does things with [quarterback Mike] Glennon that he wouldn’t do with [Russell] Wilson… So, again, there’s not too much familiarity in terms of what they’re going to do.”

    -- DAVID FURONES

    September 26, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (42)

    Quick UM Canes recap from today's press conference with Golden: Not so good on Denzel, iffy on Dalton, good on some others.

    University of Miami coach Al Golden addressed the media today at his weekly news conference.

    Here are the points you need to know:

    *Middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, who suffered a high-ankle sprain against Bethune Cookman, is still in a boot and is not expected to play against North Carolina State. Golden said if he had to say now whether Denzel will play Saturday, the answer would be "No.''

    *Golden still has hopes that punter Dalton Botts, who also has an ankle sprain -- but not a high-ankle sprain -- will play Saturday. Golden expects Botts to try punting later this week. If I had to take an educated guess, I'd say he doesn't play, but maybe he's a fast healer. Either way, the coach said he is having usual kicker Jake Wieclaw and redshirt freshman Matt Goudis (I wrote about him today in The Miami Herald) compete with each other as if Botts is not playing Saturday. Keep in mind that Wieclaw has not punted since high school. Wieclaw is a fifth-year senior.

       When asked what his reaction was to Wieclaw missing the 22-yard field goal at Georgia Tech the other day, Golden said "shocked.'' He didn't want to elaborate on what, if anything, went wrong mechanically. It might have had to do with the complete operation. Backup quarterback Ryan Williams became the holder when Dalton Botts got hurt. Botts is the usual holder. Also, Paul Kelly is the new snapper since Sean McNally's season ended with an injury against Bethune-Cookman.

    * Golden said safety Vaughn Telemaque, linebacker Gabe Terry and defensive back Andrew Swasey will be back this week. But at safety, A.J. Highsmith is still expected to start opposite Deon Bush.

    * Golden said freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby, who has been injured and has yet to play, practiced a lot more Tuesday than Golden had expected he would.

    * Golden and Art Kehoe heaped praise on senior right tackle Ben Jones, who participated in more than 50 plays at Georgia Tech and graded out very high.

    Of note: Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson nicked himself in the ribs area, or side, during the Georgia Tech game. Offensive line coach Art Kehoe said he's fine now.

    Also: Right tackle Ereck Flowers also was nicked up in that game. He's supposed to be OK, too.

    Don't forget about tickets to NC State selling for $9 if you purchase them at the BankUnited Center ticket office BEFORE 9 a.m. There is a limit of those tickets available for that price, but as of right now, there are still tickets left.

    Step right up!

    SUSAN MILLER GAME

     

     

     

    September 25, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (83)

    New UM Canes Depth Chart with your Monday morning coffee: Seantrel Henderson now a co-first-team starter

    Good morning.

    Miami just released its newest depth chart on the heels of that impressive win over Georgia Tech and heading into North Carolina State week.

    * Seantrel Henderson is now listed as the co-first-team left tackle with Malcolm Bunche.

    * Ben Jones, who coach Al Golden said had a really good game and graded a 90 percent at right tackle against the Yellow Jackets, is now co-first-team right tackle with Ereck Flowers.

    * Rashawn Scott takes the place of starting wide receiver Malcolm Lewis, who is out for the season with the ankle injury he sustained Saturday.

    * Jake Wieclaw is still listed as a backup to injured punter Dalton Botts (sprained ankle, but not high-ankle sprain, according to Golden), though I doubt Botts plays Saturday. Again, we'll see. Also, Golden told us last evening that young kicker Matt Goudis has punted better than Jake in practice. He didn't do that well in his only punt Saturday, but it was his first shot.

    Here's the full depth chart, per UM:

     OFFENSE
    WR 80 Rashawn Scott 6-2 190 So.
      86 Herb Waters
    6-2 185 Fr.
    LT 79 Malcolm Bunche -OR-
    6-7 325 RSo.
      77 Seantrel Henderson
    6-8 340 Jr.
    LG
    70 Jon Feliciano
    6-5 314 RSo.

    68 Jeremy Lewis
    6-4 316 RSr.
    C
    62 Shane McDermott
    6-4 295 RSo.

    75 Jared Wheeler
    6-5 314 RJr.
    RG
    65 Brandon Linder
    6-6 308 Jr.
      78 Jermaine Johnson -OR- 6-6 316 RJr.
      63 Danny Isidora 6-4 320 Fr.
    RT 74 Ereck Flowers -OR-
    6-6 314 Fr.
      55 Ben Jones
    6-5 310
    Sr.
    TE 49 Dyron Dye
    6-5 255 RJr.
      46 Clive Walford 6-4 250 RSo.
      82 Asante Cleveland
    6-5 263 Jr.
    FB 33 Maurice Hagens
    5-11 240 Jr.
      43 Sean Harvey 6-4 262 RSo.
    QB 17 Stephen Morris
    6-2 214 Jr.
      11 Ryan Williams
    6-5 221 RSo.
    RB 5 Mike James
    5-11 220 Sr.
      8 Duke Johnson 5-9 188 Fr.
      23 Eduardo Clements
    5-9 195 Jr.
    WR 4 Phillip Dorsett
    5-10
    185
    So.

    83 Kendal Thompkins
    5-10 182 RSr.
    WR 1 Allen Hurns
    6-3
    192 Jr.
      24 Davon Johnson
    6-0 188 Sr.

     

      

     DEFENSE
    DE
    71 Anthony Chickillo
    6-4 262 So.
      99 Jelani Hamilton 6-5 271 Fr.
    DT 98 Darius Smith
    6-2 315 Sr.
      72 Earl Moore -OR- 6-1 300 Fr.
      92 Jalen Grimble
    6-2 295 So.
    DT 91 Olsen Pierre
    6-4 300 So.
      67 Corey King -OR- 6-1 295 RFr.
      93 Luther Robinson 6-3 288 RJr.
    DE
    51 Shayon Green
    6-3 260 RJr.
      94 Kelvin Cain -OR-  6-3 245 So.

    17 Tyriq McCord
    6-3 236 Fr.
    OLB
    44 Eddie Johnson 6-1 238 RFr.

    34 Thurston Armbrister
    6-3 222 So.
      58 Gabriel Terry 6-3 215 Fr.
    MLB
    59 Jimmy Gaines
    6-3 230 Jr.
      36 Gionni Paul 6-1 230 So.
    OLB 31 Tyrone Cornileus 6-2 210 Jr.
      59 Jimmy Gaines
    6-3 230 Jr.
      57 Nantambu Fentress 5-9 205 So.
    CB 20 Thomas Finnie
    5-10 183 So.
      3 Tracy Howard
    5-11 185 Fr.
    S 2 Deon Bush 6-1 190 Fr.
      22 Kacy Rodgers II
    6-2 210 Jr.
    S 30 A.J. Highsmith
    6-0 202 RJr.
      7 Vaughn Telemaque 6-2 204 RSr.
      29 Rayshawn Jenkins 6-1 203 Fr.
    CB 21 Brandon McGee
    6-0 194 Sr.
      39 Antonio Crawford -OR-
    5-11
    188 Fr.
      37 Ladarius Gunter 6-2 198 Jr.

     

      

     SPECIALISTS
    P
    13 Dalton Botts
    6-3 205 Sr.
      40 Jake Wieclaw
    6-2 193 RSr.
    FG 40 Jake Wieclaw
    6-2 193 RSr.
      18 Matt Goudis 6-0 170 RFr.
    KO 40 Jake Wieclaw
    6-2 193 RSr.
      18 Matt Goudis 
    6-0 170 RFr.
    H 13 Dalton Botts
    6-3 205 Sr.
     
    11 Ryan Williams
    6-5 221 RSo.
    LS
    61 Paul Kelly 6-1 262 RSr.
    SS
    61 Paul Kelly
    6-1 262 RSr.

    65 Brandon Linder 6-6 308 Jr.
    PR
    4 Phillip Dorsett 5-10 185 So.
      8 Duke Johnson 5-9 192 Fr.
    KR 4 Phillip Dorsett
    5-10 185 So.
      8 Duke Johnson
    5-9 188 Fr.

     

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

     

    September 24, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (110)

    UM Canes WR Malcolm Lewis "done'' for season; Punter Dalton Botts has sprained ankle

    Just got off the phone from teleconference with UM coach Al Golden:

    *Wide receiver Malcolm Lewis is "done'' for the season, but Golden said he believes Lewis will qualify for a medical hardship waiver. That would be great and it would mean this year would count as a redshirt year. Golden said he's leaving it up to compliance to make the final decision on whether Lewis qualifies. Miami would have to apply for the medical hardship waiver.

    Golden told us that in addition to the dislocation of Malcolm's ankle, "there's probably a fracture involved'' and that Malcolm will certainly have "some type of procedure done.'' I'm thinking he means surgery, so I asked the coach if that's what he meant. He said he feels uncomfortable discussing players' injuries, so he didn't expound.

    *Punter Dalton Botts sprained his right ankle, Golden said, but the coach said it's not a high-ankle sprain, which is good. He said he's hoping Botts can maybe start kicking Thursday. I have a strong feeling Dalton will not be kicking this week. But let's see.

    *Golden said he hopes fans will show up for this Saturday's noon game at Sun Life Stadium. The opponent: North Carolina State (3-1). This will be NC State's first ACC game. The Wolfpack's only loss came in the opener to Tennessee by a score of 35-21.

    *Freshman running back Duke Johnson is ranked No. 1 in the nation in all-purpose yards. He is averaging 209.5 per game. DUUUUKE!

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

     

     

    September 23, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (51)

    Come-from-behind win at Georgia Tech proves these Canes have heart

    It was one thing for the Hurricanes to rally back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter at Boston College in the season opener. What UM did against Georgia Tech Saturday was much different. It was on another level.

    How many teams blow a 19-zip lead, give up 36 unanswered points, and come back from 17 points down late in the third quarter to win in overtime on the road at a conference opponent? Not many.

    That's why UM coach Al Golden was running around Bobby Dodd Stadium Saturday night like the late Jim Valvano -- just looking for someone to embrace. How excited was Golden that his team pulled off a 42-36 come-from-behind victory? Canes mascot Sebastian the Ibis may end up on this week's injury report with an upper extremity because of the chest bump Golden gave him. "I hope that's not on YouTube," Golden quipped afterward, trying to dry himself from the ice bath he took.

    This Miami team still has a long way to go. Great teams don't blow 19-point leads and give up 36 straight points to anybody. But teams with real heart don't ever give up either. That's what Golden has established with this group -- a team with a real heartbeat. A team with no quit.

    Couldn't say that last year. It took Golden 16 games to weed out the bad apples, for guys to completely buy in. But that's what's finally happened. The result of that long process is what we saw Saturday.

    Are the Canes back? No. Until they start playing defense for four quarters they won't be a real BCS bowl contender. But is UM ready to contend for a Coastal Division title? Maybe. They're in first place.

    But we'll find out a lot more about them this coming Saturday when they host N.C. State at Sun Life Stadium. First place teams don't lose at home to conference foes that aren't ranked. Instead, they go on winning streaks. That's the next step. Three wins in a row? Never happened under Golden here. But opportunity knocks. When the Canes answer that bell then you can really start to feel good about this team.

    PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hard to go with one guy because so many had career days, but Anthony Chickillo gets it in my eyes. The sophomore defensive end finished with a career high seven tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack and pretty much helped UM's defense regain its footing in the fourth quarter. Without Chickillo's big stops, Georgia Tech doesn't end up in 2nd and 3rd and longs and UM's defense probably doesn't get off the field. Chick was huge.

    PLAY OF THE GAME: So many great ones to choose from. Rashawn Scott's leaping 25-yard catch on 3rd and 8 at the Georgia Tech 40 before UM scored to make it 36-29 stands out and deserves honorable mention. So does Phillip Dorsett's 65-yard touchdown catch. That set the tone for the day. But no play was bigger than Eddie Johnson's fourth and inches stop at the 1-yard line. Tech quarterback Tevin Washington was in perfect position to slip past the Canes' defense for a third touchdown. But Johnson, who finished with a team-high nine tackles, was right there to shut the door because he stuck with his assignment. As Golden pointed out, Georgia Tech probably converts that play 95 percent of the time.

    OFFENSE: The Canes churned out 609 yards of total offense -- the team's most since they crushed McNeese State back in 2000. This wasn't McNeese State. This was a pretty good Al Groh defense. Quarterback Stephen Morris wasn't perfect. He continued missing a few open receivers and got picked when he under threw Scott on a go route. But he still had a career day with 436 yards and two touchdowns (the last UM QB to throw for 400 was Ken Dorsey back in 2002). Morris engineered a gutsy 8 play, 91 yard scoring drive at the end of regulation and helped UM's offense finish 11 of 16 on third down conversions -- most of those of the 3rd and long variety. Mike James? Career day with 89 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Dorsett (9 catches, 184 yards, 1 TD and Davon Johnson (7-107) each had career days while Allen Hurns tried to battle back in his first game back from injury. The offense line? Didn't give up a sack. Ben Jones saw the most action he ever has in a Canes uniform and Seantrel Henderson once again manned both sides of the tackle spot. Except for two turnovers, you couldn't have asked for a better day. GRADE: A-

    DEFENSE: It was another up-and-down afternoon for Mark D'Onofrio's group. The first quarter and fourth quarter were spectacular. The second and third quarters were miserable. The bottomline: D'Onofrio's D got just enough stops not to be the reason why UM lost this game. The Canes didn't force any turnovers. But they got pressure on Washington the few times he dropped back to throw (he was 3 of 8 for 132 yards) and held Georgia Tech almost 90 yards below their season average in rushing with 287 yards. UM produced eight tackles for loss. Chickillo and Johnson had huge days. So did Jimmy Gaines, who did a stellar job filling in for Denzel Perryman at middle linebacker. Gaines had seven tackles and nearly came up with a huge interception. Brandon McGee and Kacy Rodgers each had six tackles and constantly came up from the secondary to make big stops. Saturday's effort wasn't a masterpiece. Georgia Tech had four plays go for more than 30 yards and two passes go for 50 yards plus. But it was good enough when it counted and much better than I thought it would be. GRADE: B.

    SPECIAL TEAMS: Except for a 46-yard kickoff return by Duke Johnson, this was definitely the one area the Canes struggled. Jake Wieclaw missed a chip shot field goal and booted a kickoff out of bounds. The coverage teams were dreadful. The Yellow Jackets' Jamal Golden twice returned punts much further than he should have and Orwin Smith made up for his bonehead safety with a couple nice returns. Now, the Canes have another problem on their hands. All-ACC punter Dalton Botts could be out awhile. He hurt his ankle and was on crutches Saturday. Matt Goudis got off an ugly 37-yard line drive punt filling in for Botts that led to a long a return. The Canes have work to do this week here. GRADE: D.

    STOCK RISING
    > WR Davon Johnson:
     With Malcolm Lewis going down, Johnson's opportunities figure to expand. So far, he's proven he's reliable, making big catches left and right. Johnson's development is another feather in the cap of Golden and his staff. Basically, he's another guy that did nothing under Randy Shannon's staff and suddenly has proven he can help.
    > OT Ben Jones: Another guy who can fall into that category if he starts contributing more. Jones played lot in the second half. Golden said it was due to guys being banged up. At least Jones didn't make any major mistakes Saturday.

    STOCK SLIPPING
    > CB Tracy Howard: He didn't make a tackle and I'm not sure I ever really saw him get into the game. Word has it Howard may have had some words with D'Onofrio a week ago. Golden said last week Howard had to freelance a little less. Needless to say it's a situation to keep an eye on.

    September 23, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (55)

    VIDEO: Mike James, Duke Johnson, Davon Johnson, Stephen Morris reaction to the Georgia Tech win

    ATLANTA -- Here is a little post-game video from a happy Canes team after their 42-36 come-from-behind win at Georgia Tech.

    September 22, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (28)

    Gameday blog: Miami at Georgia Tech

    ATLANTA -- The Miami Hurricanes (2-1, 1-0) are taking on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-1, 1-1 ACC) today at 3 p.m. The game can be seen on a variety of networks. Locally, it's on SunSports.

    Feel free to participate in our CoverItLive.com chat below. All you need to do is sign in with your email address.

    STORYLINES
    > The Canes are coming off a 38-10 win at home over Bethune-Cookman and have won three in a row in the series against Georgia Tech by at least 16 points in each game. But UM heads into this game 14-point underdogs because a lot of the guys who have shutdown the Yellow Jackets on defense are no longer around. UM has just 5 starters back on defense from last year's team that beat Georgia Tech 24-7 at Sun Life Stadium.
    > The Yellow Jackets are coming off back to back wins over Presbyterian and Virginia in which they've scored more than 50 points. The Ramblin' Wreck are averaging 374 yards per game on the ground and have a much bigger and aggressive offensive line than in year's past. They also rank in the Top 25 in all major defensive categories and run a unique 3-4 defense UM doesn't face often. Georgia Tech's only loss was a 20-17 defeat in overtime at Virginia Tech.

    INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS: The Hurricanes come into the game without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle). Safety Vaughn Telemaque (knee) and receiver Allen Hurns (concussion) are back for UM this week.

    CANES TO WATCH
    > Seantrel Henderson may get his first start of the season today at tackle. Junior Jimmy Gaines and sophomore Gionni Paul will try to fill in for Perryman at middle linebacker.

    QUICK NOTES
    > Georgia Tech has not allowed a point in the second or third quarters this season. The Yellow Jackets are outscoring opponents 52-0 in those two quarters.
    > Tech opponents have scored a combined 43 points this season, with 15 of those points coming on the game’s last play from scrimmage or in overtime.
    > Three of the ACC’s top 10 rushers are Yellow Jackets: Tevin Washington (t-2nd), Zach Laskey (6th) and Orwin Smith (10th).
    > Tech will be facing one of the ACC’s top offensive threats Saturday in Miami’s Duke Johnson, who leads the ACC in scoring, touchdowns and all-purpose yards, and is tied for second in rushing.

    September 22, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (319)

    Official #UM #Canes Injury Report for Georgia Tech Game is in...

    Here's the official injury report, per University of Miami, for Saturday's 3 p.m. Georgia Tech game:

    Out:

    LB Denzel Perryman-Lower Extremity

    DB Andrew Swasey-Lower Extremity

    LB Raphael Kirby-Lower Extremity

    DT Curtis Porter-Upper Extremity

     

    Surgery/Out for the season:

    LB Ramon Buchanan-Lower Extremity

    Snapper Sean McNally-Lower Extremity

     

    Next injury report will be Monday after the Georgia Tech game.

     

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

     


    September 20, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (46)

    VERY QUICK HITS FROM PRACTICE: INJURY NEWS

    Just got my 15 minutes in at University of Miami practice.

    Here's what I saw:

    *Defensive end Shayon Green (right knee) came out in a yellow (limited) jersey and did seem to be practicing. Green, who leads the Hurricanes in tackles with 23, was examined on a sideline table during the Bethune-Cookman game. He previously tore the ACL of that right knee twice while at Miami.

       When we asked him why trainers wrapped that knee in thick bandages during the Bethune game, he said that his regular brace wasn't fitting right. ...?

        However, even if Shayon bruised the knee and it's not really a bad injury, keep in mind that coaches, to be prudent, could be taking precautionary measures by limiting his contact. Makes sense.

    * Safety Vaughn Telemaque (left knee) was sidelined for the first part of practice, with the bad knee in what appeared to be an elasticized brace. He did join the others afterward. He was in the usual green jersey for the defensive players.

    *Wide receiver Allen Hurns (concussion or previous concussion?) was practicing in a yellow (noncontact) jersey, as was fellow wideout Kendal Thompkins. If you recall, Thompkins was examined on the sideline during the Bethune-Cookman game.

    *Defensive back Andrew Swasey and linebacker Raphael Kirby were in red (no contact) jerseys today. Swasey was also injured in the Bethune game.

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

    September 19, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (35)

    Eye On The U live Q&A: With Susan Miller Degnan

    Come talk with Miami Herald Hurricanes beat writer Susan Miller Degnan this afternoon at 2 p.m. in our first live chat of the year.

    Susan will be fielding Canes questions from to 2-3 p.m. in the comments section below.

    Feel free to leave them now before lunch and she will get them as soon as the chat begins.

    This will become a regular feature on the blog moving forward every Wednesday at 2 p.m.

    September 19, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (46)

    Hurns, Telemaque expected back for Georgia Tech

    Good news from today's press conference with Al Golden.

    It looks like receiver Allen Hurns and safety Vaughn Telemaque will both be back for Saturday's game at Goergia Tech.

    The bad news: middle linebacker Denzel Perryman is definitely out this week, Golden said.

    But the return of Hurns, UM's leading receiver before he sustained another concussion at Kansas State two weeks ago, and Telemaque, a three-year starter at safety has to help UM heading into a tough, tough game.

    "Hurns is back," Golden said when recapping the changes to the team's depth chart. "There's a good chance you can write in Vaughn depending on how it goes tomorrow. Gionni Paul has been playing inside with Jimmy Gaines [with Perryman out]. They're competing right now.

    "[Telemaque] did a lot today. He did more than I thought he would do. So, there's a good chance, hopefully we'll see how he responds and hopefully there is a good chance we'll have him."

    Golden spoke for a little more than 20 minutes about the Yellow Jackets in all and Saturday's game 'a big test."

    "After studying them the last 48 hours, this is a complete team," Golden said. "Very experienced, very mature team. Obviously 50 points back-to-back on offense, averaging 365 yards rushing. Veteran leader in [Tevin] Washington at quarterback. Explosive players on the perimeter.Right now, I think the biggest difference with Georgia Tech is how physical they are and how rugged they are on both sides of the line and how mature they are. On defense, [they] haven't allowed a rushing touchdown. Personnel, they look like [defensive coordinator Al] Groh would want them. They're long, they're physical. They're linebackers are 235 pounds plus. They're 6-6 at the ends and the nose is about 345 pounds. So big and physical group. They give you multiple fronts. Very aggressive linebacker core. They give your playmakers trouble. The biggest change is how aggressive they are in the back end and how they're challenging receivers on the perimeter. Again, it's going to be a great test. We're excited about the opportunity."

    MORE NOTES

    > Golden said fourth-string running back Dallas Crawford has a done a good job this week as the scout team quarterback to prepare the Hurricanes for what they'll see. Defensively -- as usual with the spread option -- the key is assignment football.

    "We just have to worry about everybody doing their job," Golden said. "You're going to have to really execute and find a way to take the ball away. They're excellent at the time of possession game. I think the biggest change right now is how explosive they are. They're scoring quickly and they're making teams play from behind. But clearly for us on defense, it has to be assignment football. We have to be able to keep our poise. There's some nuances that will show up in our game that will not show up in the previous three and we have to be able to adjust to it.

    "With Denzel [Perryman] down, we're going to need guys some guys to step up. Jimmy Gaines and Gionni Paul are going to have to step up. And some of those guys that have been on that field versus this look in the past -- Tyrone Cornelius, [Kelvin] Cain, Darius Smith, Shayon [Green], [Anthony] Chickillo, [Brandon] McGee -- those guys are going to have to step up for us and do really well."

    > Golden said quarterback Stephen Morris has to do a better job completing passes downfield in games like he does in practice. "There's nothing in practice that says it shouldn't translate to the game," Golden said. "We just have not connected on as many as I would like. Certainly, Saturday we didn't connect on some we should have hit."

    Golden said Morris is going to have to do a good job recognizing Georgia Tech's fronts this week. "We're going to have to do a better job of protecting Stephen. They really got to the young man from man from Virginia a lot and got him rattled in the pocket," Golden said. "It's going to be important we protect him and get in the right play for Stephen."

    > Golden said the number of times Duke Johnson has been touching the ball has been fine. He wants more out of his other playmakers.

    "There's a number of guys I'd like to see us get the ball too more. Phillip Dorsett more. Hurns. Malcolm Lewis. Rashawn [Scott]. Mike James. Again, I keep challenging Clive to take that next step. Clive didn't factor into that game as much I wanted even though he played hard. We got to start making him available," Golden said. "I don't want us to be a one dimensional team on offense. We had a lot of guys touch the ball the other day. We need more explosive plays when guys touch the ball."

    > Golden said using Duke Johnson in punt return situations isn't something he foresees right now.

    "I like Phillip [Dorsett]," Golden said. "I think Phillip does a good job. Again, you got a glimpse of Malcolm [Lewis] the other day. If he would have trusted it, he probably would have had another one. I don't want to use Randy as a punt returner right now. He can do it, [though]. He practices."

    > Golden said left guard Jonathan Feliciano continues to play like UM's best offensive lineman. Golden also said the battle for the starting jobs at offensive tackle could go into Thursday or Friday.

    "I think the biggest difference with Feliciano is his weight's down. His energy is up and he's finishing better than anybody in the offensive line," Golden said. "Again, that's a challenge right now. He's playing with a lot of energy down the field, pushing piles, finishing blocks. To be honest with you the guy right now on his heels is Seantrel [Henderson]. Seantrel when he's been in the game has played with a lot of energy. We need everybody on the offensive line to play with that type of energy. I think Jon's playing really well right now."

    > Golden said freshman safety Deon Bush played well against Bethune-Cookman.

    "The mistakes he made in the game weren't really mental errors, presnap protocol. It was more when he was [blitzing]," Golden said. "One time he came when he wasn't supposed to. Another time he came and he didn't leverage the quarterback. Things like that. But I think Deon has a good look. He's poised. His approach so far this week has been good."

    > Golden said freshman cornerback Tracy Howard has to "play within the system" more.

    "Just execute the defense. Don't freelance so to speak. Don't do more than you have to do. Just do your job and stay within defense," Golden said. "He's played a lot of football for us already. He's over 100 plays for us in three games -- not including special teams. So, he's played a lot of football."

    > With Sean McNally out for the year, safety A.J. Highsmith is now the team's backup long-snapper.

    September 18, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (32)

    Perryman expected to be out for Georgia Tech; Duke named ACC Rookie of Week again; Seantrel could win a starting job this week

    Barring a huge surprise, the Miami Hurricanes will be without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman when they play at Georgia Tech Saturday.

    Perryman has a deeply bruised high ankle sprain -- according to someone close to him -- that will keep him out at least a week if not longer. He has a protective boot on his ankle and will be reevaluated later this week when the swelling goes down.

    All coach Al Golden told the media Monday morning was that Perryman didn't practice and that he didn't know his condition.

    UM will likely turn to junior Jimmy Gaines in the middle this week. He and sophomore Gionni Paul took the majority of the snaps at middle linebacker Monday.

    Georgia Tech has scored more than 50 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1936. Against on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets ran for 461 yards and passed for another 133.

    > Freshman running back Duke Johnson was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season on Monday. Johnson scored four touchdowns in Saturday's 38-10 win over Bethune-Cookman and ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards.

    Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post and I spoke to offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch at length today about how he plans to balance his desire to use Duke often in his offense versus protecting him and making sure he's around for the duration of the season. So far, Fisch said he hasn't had to overuse Johnson because Mike James (5.2 yards per carry) and Eduardo Clements are doing a good job. He estimated Johnson got in for about 35 snaps Saturday. I'll have more on Fisch later.

    > Golden said offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson is in the mix for a starting job this week -- at left or right tackle -- after having his best game for UM since Golden has been around. Fisch said Henderson continues taking most of his reps at right tackle in practice, but he could start at left tackle. Coaches don't see it as a big deal that Henderson isn't taking reps on the left side. Henderson got in on 52 snaps and graded "very high" according to Fisch.

    > While safety Vaughn Telemaque remained out of practice in a big, bulky knee brace Monday, there was some positive news. Freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby and receiver Allen Hurns were out there participating in practice. The real test, though, will be Tuesday.

    UM didn't do any hitting Monday. Players wore shorts, jerseys and hats during Monday's practice. Golden said he wanted their bodies to take a break.

    September 17, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (80)

    Noon Kickoff reflects a sad state of affairs for UM attendance, but coaches like that it gives them extra time to prepare for Georgia Tech

       Except for the true-blue diehards, and there are some great ones out there, noon kickoffs don't bring University of Miami fans.

       Yesterday's crowd was announced at 39,435, seemingly at least twice the amount of people who were actually there, and we all kind of looked at each other in bewilderment. Sun Life Stadium seats 75,540 for football, according to the Miami Dolphins media guide. I understand the "announced'' crowd reflects paid tickets (and probably includes the band, etc., but not sure about the people working in the stadium), but this crowd was so small on a nice day.

       I've been in South Florida many, many years, so I know the situation (super hot, humid, people have conflicts if their kids are in youth sports, too much other stuff going on in this area, too early, etc.). But I'm just wondering your take on it. Kudos to the people who show up, especially on a day in which the game wasn't televised (it was shown only on ESPN3). And it was the home opener, if that means anything. I know it was against Bethune-Cookman, but still...

       Last year's "announced" average attendance, according to UM, was 56,207. What the...?

      Coach Al Golden was asked after the game if he would have liked to see “a bigger crowd out there.’’ I believe that coaches wanted this game at noon to give them more time to prepare for Georgia Tech.

          “I don’t worry about the crowd,’’ Golden said. “I understand. I understand the market we’re in, and there’s going to be a day when we’re delivering. There’s going to be a day when we’re delivering and they’re going to come out and see guys like Duke Johnson and Malcolm Lewis, and those guys. And we’re going to grow up together. I promise you this team is going to grow up together.

       “They’re working hard and they’re staying humble and staying together. I understand that.’’

        That said, Golden was then asked if the noon kickoff helped the team better prepare for its next opponent, Georgia Tech, because of the padding it gives in terms of extra time.

        “It does, tremendously,’’ Golden answered. “You know we were on the road the first two weeks and got back at 10 p.m. last week and 1 a.m. the week before. That’s tough on a team.

        “This is huge for our team in general, and really for us to regroup, because we have to go back on the road again. I don’t know how many teams are doing that, but we are. And so this was important for our guys to regroup, get some rest and allow the coaches to get in and get going on Georgia Tech.’’

        Anyway, just wondering your thoughts on the situation, or if you think it really matters one way or the other, regarding attendance. Or do you think the importance of the team having more time to prepare for the next game supersedes the inconvenience of a noon game?

        SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

    September 16, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (117)

    Grading the Canes: Bethune-Cookman

    Since Bethune-Cookman is a Football Championship Subdivision team, I'm treating this week's report card more like a quarterly progress report. No grades. Just notes/observations.

    > Quarterback: Stephen Morris had an unusually inaccurate day, overthrowing open receivers and looking generally uncomfortable and indecisive with where to go with the ball. So far, through 3 games, Morris has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for just over 600 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Those are hardly impressive numbers. Now, we all can see Morris has a strong arm. But does offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch know something about Morris we don't? He hasn't asked Morris to go deep often. And when he did Saturday, Morris was way off with his touch. I'm not putting this all on Stephen. His receivers haven't always created a lot of separation or held onto the balls he's put right in their hands. But I think it's fair to question if Morris might have limitations. UM's offense simply hasn't been able to spread the field through three games. And I thought coming into the season, the strong-armed Morris would do that for sure. The passing game has to improve.

    > Running back: I said before the season it would only be a matter of time before Duke Johnson became the featured ball carrier in UM's offense. I honestly didn't think it would be this quickly. Saturday, though, we saw Johnson take on a much bigger role -- even though his touches (18) were not that much more than in previous games. Still, whenever UM needed a big play Fisch went to Duke. His 253 rushing yards on 27 attempts give him a 9.4 average. Yes, 9.4. He's also third on the team in receiving with eight catches. As special as Duke is, coach Al Golden realizes he can't over work him. It will be interesting to see just how Fisch balances it. With two long kickoff returns already, UM really can't afford to take Johnson off special teams. Fewer carries and more catches might work better because that allows Johnson to work in open space rather than take jarring hits at the line. But in order to cut back on Duke's carries, UM needs Mike James to be as productive as he was Saturday. He's averaging 5.2 yards a carry. Eduardo Clements, who we did not see until the second half Saturday, is averaging just 3.5 yards a carry.

    > Receivers/tight ends: Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott (who made a brilliant, leaping 1-handed catch Saturday) have shown flashes, but it's clear Allen Hurns (who did not play vs. Bethune) is UM's best receiver because of his physicality and toughness. He also appears to have the best chemistry with Morris. The fact Dorsett (UM's fastest receiver) is averaging just 7.4 yards a catch is troubling. Something has to be done to fix that. After 3 games, it's also pretty clear Malcolm Lewis is the only freshman receiver Fisch has any faith in. I thought for sure we might have seen Robert Lockhart by now. We haven't. As for tight ends Clive Walford and Asante Cleveland, they've combined for 9 catches, 91 yards and a touchdown so far. That means they're on pace to finish with 36 catches for 364 yards and four touchdowns this season -- that's quite a bit less than the 50 catches Fisch projected. Rather ordinary, too.

    > Offensive line: Raise your hand if you wanted Seantrel Henderson off the team just a few weeks ago. Liars! Henderson felt the wrath of a quite a few fans for missing training camp. But he's made a nice recovery in three weeks time. I'm not a betting man (prefer fantasy football), but my guess is it won't be long before Seantrel is back in the starting lineup. The question is which side. I haven't broken down film like Art Kehoe, but seems to me Malcolm Bunche has been beaten more often on the left side than Ereck Flowers on the right. Either way, all will and should continue to share time. So far, UM's line looks like a six-man rotation. Jeremy Lewis (flagged for holding Saturday) has not emerged. On a side note, UM was flagged four times for false starts Saturday. They need to fix it. UM didn't give up any sacks Saturday, but have given up six total. That means they're on pace for 24. UM gave up 19 total last year.

    > Defensive line: Shayon Green continues to lead the team in tackles. He's got 23 now. Imagine how many more he would have if he actually was able to wrap up on sacks? Miami by the way has four of those now, three came against Bethune-Cookman. The Hurricanes certainly created more pressure Saturday than they had all season. But you have to put an asterisk next to that because of the level of competition. The good news is we saw more blitzes -- including a few from safety Deon Bush. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio wasn't calling for that in Week 1 and Week 2. As for the run defense, Bethune averaged 4.4 yards a carry Saturday. Opponents are now averaging 205 yards a game on the ground against UM. Yes, that's appalling.

    > Linebackers: Miami fans will be holding their breath to see just how banged up Denzel Perryman's right ankle is after he is reevaluated Sunday morning. With Georgia Tech on deck, UM could I'll-afford to be without Perryman. Jimmy Gaines said he's ready to fill in if need be, but it's a daunting task either way next Saturday. If there is a positive for Miami after Saturday is that UM looked better playing assignment football against the option than they did last week. Except for a handful of explosive runs, it seems like there were fewer blown assignments and missed gaps. Georgia Tech will be the third straight option team UM faces. Unfortunately, they're the best in the country at it. Eddie Johnson continues to be the team's most pleasant surprise at linebacker.

    > Secondary: The Canes still got beat a couple times downfield Saturday, but it felt like players did a better job batting balls and being around in coverage. Granted, it's Bethune. But it was still progress. Deon Bush only had 3 tackles Saturday, but it felt like he was around the ball a lot. It's pretty clear he's UM's fastest and most athletic safety. A.J. Highsmith had just one tackle in his first start. Cornerback Brandon McGee had his first two pass deflections of the season versus Bethune, a week after collecting an INT. That's continued improvement.

    > Special teams: Outside of Phillip Dorsett's fumble on a punt return Saturday and some shoddy kick coverage at K-State, UM's special teams has been pretty good. Jake Wieclaw hasn't missed a kick and Dalton Botts is averaging 41 yards a punt including five inside the 20.

    Grading the Canes: Bethune-Cookman

    September 16, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (25)

    Perryman has high ankle sprain; UM should know more Sunday morning

    After getting steamrolled on defense for two straight weeks to open the season, Hurricanes coaches and players insisted there was no way they could afford to look past Bethune-Cookman and start game-planning for Georgia Tech's spread-option offense last week.

    Denzel PerrymanNow, it appears UM (2-1) could have to get ready for the Yellow Jackets -- who ran for 461 yards in a 56-20 win over Virginia Saturday -- without starting middle linebacker Denzel Perryman.

    The sophomore from Coral Gables sustained a high right ankle sprain in the second quarter Saturday, according to a source. Although the degree of the sprain remains unknown, Perryman told family and friends he could put weight on the injured ankle after the game.

    Perryman was wearing a black boot to protect the ankle while standing on crutches on the UM sideline in the second half. He had x-rays performed at halftime. Results were negative, the source said. But he will be reevaluated Sunday morning.

    Losing Perryman would obviously be a huge blow for UM, which already came in ranked 89th in run defense and gave up 233 yards on 53 attempts (4.4 per carry) to the FCS-level Wildcats in a 38-10 win Saturday.

    Junior Jimmy Gaines, who is returning from an ankle injury himself, replaced Perryman at middle linebacker for most of the second half. Perryman had four tackles Saturday including one for loss.

    UM had a handful of other players go down with injuries. Backup safety Andrew Swasey, who was also seen on crutches, and long-snapper Sean McNally were injured in the first quarter and never returned. Backup linebacker Thurston Ambrister injured his right shoulder late in the game.

    Despite the injuries and the yardage the Wildcats put up, UM coach Al Golden thought progress was made on defense.

    "Is it perfect yet? No. It's not perfect. But kids were fighting, flying around," Golden said. "We didn't get the takeaways we wanted to get. Again, that's hard to do. We had a veteran team a year ago and didn't keep [Bethune-Cookman] out of the end zone like we did [Saturday]. We improved. Clearly, we have to go back to work [Sunday]."

    UM produced three sacks -- two by freshman defensive end Tyriq McCord. But Golden was disappointed with how many other sacks the Canes let slip through their fingers Saturday.

    "I just didn't wrap up," said defensive end Shayon Green, who had eight tackles to lead UM again. "They just slipped through my hands, I don't even know. It happens. I'll look at the film. That's easy to fix."

    September 15, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (29)

    Gameday blog: Bethune-Cookman vs. UM

    MIAMI GARDENS -- The Miami Hurricanes (1-1) are hosting Bethune-Cookman (2-0) today at noon. The game can be seen on ESPN3.

    Feel free to participate in our CoverItLive.com chat below. All you need to do is sign in with your email address.

    STORYLINES

    > The Canes are coming off a 52-13 loss at Kansas State and looking for serious answers on defense.

    > Bethune-Cookman has won eight games in a row. The Wildcats don't just have 11 players on their rosters who were at FBS schools (3 from Rutgers, 2 from Mississippi, 1 from Marshall, Iowa State, UCF, Minnesota and Louisiana Tech) they also maul people up front. Their offensive line from left to right: 6-6, 310; 6-5, 380; 6-4, 270; 6-7, 325; 6-5, 305. Four of those five are upperclassmen.

    That same offensive line paved the way for Bethune-Cookman to become the first FCS school since Georgia Southern in the 1999 national championship game to produce three ball carriers with over 100 yards.

    The Wildcats have also shown they won't just go away when they fall behind. In its opener versus Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman rallied from 21-0 down to win 38-28. Last week at South Carolina State, they scored 27 unanswered points after being down 14-0 after the first quarter.

    INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS: The Hurricanes come into the game without starting safety Vaughn Telemaque (knee) and linebacker Ramon Buchanan (knee). DT Curtis Porter (appendectomy) is still out along with LB Raphael Kirby (knee).

    September 15, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (128)

    Dorsett, receivers eager to get vertical passing game going; say they will step up with Hurns out

    Ah, the deep ball. The nine route. The play every receiver can't wait to have called for them.

    Hurricanes sophomore wide out Phillip Dorsett is patiently waiting for it. But he wouldn't mind if Jedd Fisch decides this Saturday against Bethune-Cookman is a good time to finally go back to it.

    "I'm not really itching for it," Dorsett said of the deep route with a smile. "Whatever coach Fisch calls -- he's a good offensive coordinator -- whatever he calls we just try to take advantage of it. [Long pause] But hey, I like the deep ball."

    Through two weeks, UM's passing offense has done a pretty good job being efficient. Running primarily short and intermediate routes, quarterback Stephen Morris has completed 47 of 71 attempts (66.2 percent) for 422 yards and a touchdown and one interception. Even backup Ryan Williams came in and went 2 for 2 with a pair of short passes before tossing a touchdown.

    But lethal? That's a word you couldn't use to describe the Hurricanes' pass offense, which went deep quite a bit last year when Tommy Streeter was around, but has yet to do so this year.

    Outside of a 56-yard catch and run by tight end Clive Walford, only two other UM receivers have caught a pass of 20 yards or more. Leading receiver Allen Hurns, who will miss this week's game recovering from a concussion, hauled in a 22-yarder at Boston College to convert a 3rd and 16. Sophomore Rashawn Scott, who hauled in a 25-yard pass shortly before halftime while UM was in a two-minute offense at Kansas State, is the other.

    "We have to do a better job vertically," coach Al Golden said Tuesday. "We're getting the ball to a variety of players and we're catching in-cuts better than we did a year ago. We're catching the ball across the middle better than we did a year ago. But have we put it all together yet? No we have not."

    Whenever Fisch has called a pass on 3rd and long, Hurns has usually been UM's go-to-man. But with Hurns out this week, Fisch said he's counting on others like Scott to step up and make tough cathches. Dorsett made one last week -- a leaping catch over the middle on third down to convert. This week, Dorsett expects Scott to be able to deliver, too -- now that the jitters are out of his system.

    "Just being able to get that nervousness out of him from his first game is a big thing," Dorsett said. "I know how that feels. He's going to step his game up."

    Dorsett, who injured his groin on the opening series of the game last year against Bethune-Cookman, said whether its him, Scott, freshman Malcolm Lewis or seniors Davon Johnson or Kendall Thompkins, or the tight ends, he's confident Morris will get the ball where it needs to be on Saturday for the receivers to make plays.

    "Stephen has the arm to be able to make any throw," Dorsett said. "He fits them into tight windows and can get it over the top, which we haven't done yet, but we're hoping we get to this Saturday."

    Morris said on a teleconference the week that the key for UM's offense is "not to force anything."

    "Our biggest thing is to play within the system and when the deep opportunity presents itself, we'll definitely take it," he said. "We have a lot of speed and a lot of athleticism at the receiver position, the running back position and the tight end position.

    "I'm never concerned about the deep shot. I think teams are more concerned about it than we are because the defenses that they play against us sort of allow us to do both."

    MORE NEWS AND NOTES

    > As expected, there were no surprises on Thursday's injury report. Linebacker Raphael Kirby (knee), defensive tackle Curtis Porter (appendectomy), receiver Allen Hurns (concussion) and Vaughn Telemaque (knee) will all miss Saturday's game against Bethune-Cookman.

    > Is freshman Deon Bush ready to make his first start? "I feel like I'm ready, I'm prepared. I don't really feel that pressure because I've got guys by my side," Bush said. "I can just lay my brick."

    > Senior Kendal Thompkins has two catches for three yards this season and at least two drops.

    Asked about his struggles, Thompkins said: "At this point, I just think it's all mental man. My preparation going into the games is there. But maybe I'm not going fully confident or I'm not fully prepared like I have to be... It's very frustrating because you're expecting to do well. But when the game time comes, you could drop a ball and it just really messes with you man. It's very frustrating."

    September 13, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (58)

    What do you think about the Irish coming to the ACC? Miami Hurricanes approve.

    The football Hurricanes are already playing Notre Dame Oct. 6 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

    Better get used to it -- at least on an irregular basis.

    The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents unanimously voted to accept Notre Dame as a new member. The Irish will compete as full members in all ACC-sponsored sports -- except for football.

    Once Notre Dame begins competing in the ACC, the Irish will play five ACC football teams a year. However, Notre Dame will not be counted as a conference team in football. So for Miami, for example, just like this year, the game will continue to be a nonconference game.

    Notre Dame football will continue to be independent and retain its TV contract, etc. It will just have to play those five ACC football teams yearly, probably on some rotating basis.

    Football coach Al Golden said he loves the idea, and hopes Notre Dame will one day become a full-fledged member in football as well.

    "It's a great day for the ACC,'' Golden said after practice today. "Just really excited about what our leadership is doing -- our presidents, our ADs and the conference office, really fortifying our league and making it stronger.

    "We just got back from Manhattan, Kansas. We've been playing these types of games. Obviously we're playing them this year. There will be a trend once we figure out -- once everybody figures out -- how the new rankings are going to be and how the strength of schedule is, then there's going to be a new paradigm. Everybody is going to have to make their schedules based on that, because nobody is going to want to be left out because their schedule is too weak out of conference and no one is going to want to knock themselves out. So, I don't know where that medium is right now. I know this: Our league is getting better top to bottom and it starts with quarterbacks.''

    Later, Golden said on the ACC Coaches' Teleconference: "I think it's great. First of all they represent what we all represent in the Atlantic Coast Conference. And when you think about it, now we're really talking about.. We have Boston, Pittsburgh and New York City now, with Pitt and Syracuse, we have all the Atlantic cities now -- D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Charlotte all the way down to Miami. And now we're adding Notre Dame, who's got national appeal -- even though they're not a full-time football member right now -- in all the sports. And obviously we'll have a scheduling, I guess, coaltion or whatever you want to call it. All those things will benefit our product here in the ACC.''

    Does Golden think Notre Dame will ultimately be a football-playing member?

    "I think I share the sentiment of everybody. We would love to have them. They represent all the things we represent in the Atlantic Coast Conference, in terms of the commitment to student-athletes and graduation rates and doing things the right way. I would hope that it would be that [way] at some point, but I just found out myself. Is the ink dry yet?''

    UM basketball coach Jim Larranaga was also pleased about the news.

    "The best league in the country just keeps on getting better," Larranaga said in a story released by UM. "Notre Dame is a great addition to our conference because the ACC has always been about striving for excellence in the classroom and on the court."

    Pittsburgh and Syracuse's addition next season will expand the league to 14 teams, and Notre Dame will make it 15. The league is not expected to add a 16th team. Notre Dame will join the ACC as soon as it can leave the Big East Conference. The Big East requires schools to pay a $5 million exit fee and give a 27-month notice before leaving.

       But Pittsburgh and Syracuse agreed to buyouts of $7.5 million in July to end their membership and join the ACC next year.

       Do you think it's a good idea? In football, Miami already will add a ninth conference opponent (Pitt will be in Miami's Coastal Division) next season. So in the years UM plays Notre Dame, the Canes would have two other nonconference opponents.

     SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

     

     

     

     

     

    September 12, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (42)

    Don't mark down Saturday's home opener against Bethune-Cookman as an 'automatic W' for UM yet

    It used to be a tradition.

    Hurricanes fans -- full of confidence and swagger -- would take joy marking down the automatic wins they saw on the schedule. 

    You remember those days back in the Big East? Rutgers. Temple. BC. Pitt. Even Syracuse (after Donovan McNabb left). All W's.

    Bethune-Cookman probably looked like one of those 'automatic W's' before this season. If Saturday's manhandling in Manhattan didn't rattle your cage, I'm here to warn you again: don't take this Saturday's home opener to the bank just yet. 

    After seeing just how young this Hurricanes team is and the scope of problems this defense is facing, nothing over the final 10 games is guaranteed. Not even Duke.

    Normally, Hurricanes coaches have tried to talk up FCS (I-AA) schools before their teams went out and dismantled them on Saturday. But Al Golden really doesn't have to do that this week.

    You've got last year's game versus the Wildcats as proof. The Canes led the Wildcats just 14-7 at halftime and were up just 21-14 with two minutes to play in the third quarter before finally pulling away, 45-14.

    That was with Sean Spence leading the team with eight tackles, Marcus Robinson producing three sacks and Micanor Regis getting to the quarterback for another. That was with Lamar Miller running for 102 yards and two touchdowns and receivers Travis Benjamin and Tommy Streeter combining for eight catches 149 yards and two touchdowns. None of those guys -- by the way -- will play for Miami Saturday.

    "They're very aggressive, very tough, came in here and gave us all we could handle a year ago. We expect much of the same," Golden said. "They outgained us and beat us in time of possession. They run the ball very well, got a trio of guys who rush the ball. Two running backs and a quarterback that do a great job and over 265 yards a game on the ground and over 33 points a game. It's going to be a challenge. They're very aggressive on defense and a very experienced group. But I know our guys are preparing hard."

    Before you just shake your head and dismiss Golden's talk as non-sense, ask Colorado about Sacramento State. The Buffaloes, a Pac-12 school, lost at home to the Hornets (1-1) last Saturday 30-28. Sacramento State was 4-7 last year. Bethune-Cookman? They've won eight in a row dating back to last season's 8-3 campaign.

    The Wildcats don't just have 11 players on their rosters who were at FBS schools (3 from Rutgers, 2 from Mississippi, 1 from Marshall, Iowa State, UCF, Minnesota and Louisiana Tech) they also maul people up front. Their offensive line from left to right: 6-6, 310; 6-5, 380; 6-4, 270; 6-7, 325; 6-5, 305. Four of those five are upperclassmen. 

    That same offensive line paved the way for Bethune-Cookman to become the first FCS school since Georgia Southern in the 1999 national championship game to produce three ball carriers with over 100 yards. 

    The Wildcats have also shown they won't just go away when they fall behind. In its opener versus Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman rallied from 21-0 down to win 38-28. Last week at South Carolina State, they scored 27 unanswered points after being down 14-0 after the first quarter.

    "If we don't have their attention after last week," Golden said of his team. "... but the reality is they understand that [Bethune-Cookman could beat them]. We can talk about Sacramento State going into Colorado and winning, but the reality of it is we had our own experience with this team a year ago. They'll have our attention."

    Truth is, it might take more than just attention to beat the Wildcats.  

    MORE NEWS AND NOTES FROM TUESDAY

    > UM offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said of the five sacks UM allowed last week to Kansas State, three were the responsibility of quarterback Stephen Morris. To drive the point home to his offense that sacks are everyone's responsibility, Fisch said he put an article in the lockers of his players from the NFL preseason where Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was sacked five times and said the sacks 'were on all 11 of us."

    "You can't scramble around backwards and you not make a decision," Fisch said of Morris. "Two sack fumbles never should have happened, both of which were in the quarterback's control. Then, you have to get open. One of [the sacks] happened when we couldn't get open down the field. The offensive line didn't play winning football; no one did when you lose the way we did. But those sacks were mostly on us."

    > Fisch said he's counting on Rashawn Scott to take his game up a notch this week with receiver Allen Hurns out with a concussion. "He's going to have to have a good game for us -- I don't know how long. But a good game for sure," Fisch said. 

    > Fisch said he will continue to monitor the number of touches freshman tailback Duke Johnson gets. "We'll monitor him kind of like you would a rookie in the NFL so in Week 11 or 12 they're season isn't over and you have another eight games," Fisch said. "We'll get him the appropriate amount of touches and will continue to use him in a lot of ways."

    > Although UM is averaging 124 yards a game (90th out of 120 NCAA teams), Fisch said "it's hard to evaluate the running game when you break two 60 yarders" at Boston College. In other words, UM might not even be that good. Fisch said UM "has to have a physical presence." The Hurricanes pretty much abandoned the run when they got down big at Kansas State.

    > Unlike defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, Fisch hasn't had to scale back his offense. "The key is formations for us," he said. "The concepts are the concepts. Now it's a matter of who do we want to run each concept. Whether we have Duke run an over route this past week rather than Phillip [Dorsett] might be more of a change than making necessarily a decision on `Wow, we found a new play somewhere in the annals.' That doesn't really happen." 

    > Golden had high praise for tight end Clive Walford: "The reality is he's doing everything better, is blocking better, practicing better. Knock on wood he'll continue to improve. The tight ends were one of the position groups that played really well Saturday, graded out well, finished and made some plays."

    > One might imagine with Bethune-Cookman on tap, Hurricanes coaches would maybe take a sneak peek ahead at the complicated offense Georgia Tech is running. Not so said Golden.

    "Honestly for us right now we're just trying to get better today and play well in this game," he said. "There is no preparing for next week right now."

    > Golden liked what he saw from freshman defensive tackle Earl Moore and said he's earned more reps. "He's tough," Golden said. "Earl didn't get pushed around, knocked it back."

    > Golden said freshman cornerback Tracy Howard, who was beaten one-on-one for a 30-yard gain at Kansas State, couldn't defend that play "any better."

    "That's a hard position to play," Golden offered. "It's really Thomas Finnie's first opportunity to play out there too. [Antonio] Crawford earned more reps in the game, will play more this week. I think Tracy, he's a competitor. He prepares. The throw and catch they made over him, I don't know how you can defend any better. The kid made a great catch right on the sideline. I think he learned a lot. We are investing in a lot of guys that are going to be around for a long time. What Deon [Bush] did in the game, he grew up in that game. Maybe Tracy will see it a little better this week. Eddie Johnson saw it really well in that game. That's his first start and then he saw it really well. That's the value they gain from that game because there really is no other value from that other than the experience of being in that environment, that competition."

    > Freshman right tackle Ereck Flowers said he graded out at 78 percent in his second straight start. Golden said Seantrel Henderson is closing the gap on him and left tackle Malcolm Bunche.

    September 11, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (79)

    Seantrel Henderson talks about his first action of the season

    Seantrel Henderson's transcript from Monday.

    How did it feel to be out there for your first game this season?
    “It felt good to be out there with my teammates. I was just ready to get out there on the field. I was just ready. I was ready whenever coaches were going to give me my opportunity. I hate that it had to be one of my teammates getting hurt, you know what I’m saying? Other than that I was prepared to get in there. I got in there and I did whatever I could do to help my team.”

    Was it tough to come in at the middle of the game rather than starting?
    “No, Sir. I don’t think it was tough. I mean, I prepared for the game. I got in enough practice, warmed up good, so whenever I got my opportunity I just took it.”

    How did you feel conditioning wise?
    “My conditioning was good. I wasn’t very tired during the game even though I only had 22 plays. Other than that, I wasn’t tired at all.”

    Is it easier to play on the right side rather than the left, because of kicking with your right side as opposed to left?
    “Yes, Ma’am. Ever since I had surgery, my left was a little bit weaker than my right, so I felt more comfortable kicking with my right. I’m still strengthening my left hip and left leg, so I’m getting back stronger. They’re getting back even now.”

    In a pinch, could you move to the left side?
    “Yes, Sir. Anywhere Coach needs me to go I’m going to play.”

    How tough was it to sit out the first game and not travel?
    “It was real tough. I wanted to be there with my team; I wanted to be there to have that morale with my team. I’m one of the guys on the team that keeps the team going, keeps the juice up. I wanted to be there, that meant a lot to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to travel so it was what it was.”

    How do you drown out all the noise, the outside, the people and the tweets and the social media talking about you?
    “I just don’t really pay attention to it. I just stay within the team. As long as we have everything going on in the Hecht Center and we’re moving on to the next team and we’re preparing for the next team so we can get a better outcome than we did last weekend, then I’m all good to go. I’m not really worried about any outsiders or any social network and websites that are only distractions.”

    What did you grade out against KSU?
    “Ninety-one percent. I felt real good about that. I didn’t feel good about the outcome so what I did didn’t really matter.”

    Was that the highest grade for a lineman against KSU?
    “No, Sir.’’

    Who graded highest?
    “I don’t remember.’’

    Has this been a turbulent year so far for you?
    “I mean I had a lot of things going on family and friends wise. I lost a couple of people this summer – car accident and just a couple minor setbacks. I’m just glad to still be here, still alive and still with my team. So I’m good to go.”

    Do you feel like it’s been Hurricanes all along, no matter what people say?
    “No matter what, I’m always going to be a Cane. In my heart, I bleed orange and green every day.”

    September 10, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (20)

    UM-Georgia Tech set for a 3 p.m. kickoff on Sunshine; other Canes notes

    Write it down.

    The Hurricanes’ Sept. 22 football game at Georgia Tech will be televised live at 3 p.m. on Sun Sports in Florida, the Atlantic Coast Conference office announced Monday.

    MORE NEWS AND NOTES FROM MONDAY

    > Golden said there's no timetable on Curtis Porter's return from an appendectomy.

    > As for receiver Allen Hurns, who sustained his second head injury since camp began Saturday, Golden was encouraged Monday but said he's not sure when Hurns will return.

    "He looked good today. I can't share too much of what the protocol all is. But he looks good. I'm happy he looks good. We're just going to be cautious," Golden said. "He's an inspirational leader and we've got to get him back."

    > As for the struggles of left tackle Malcolm Bunche, who was beaten for a sack and a forced fumble at Kansas State, Golden said: "I thought the snap got him in the beginning. I thought they jumped on him to be honest with you. Again, we can't have that no matter what the elements are. We face that in our conference. He has to work on his punch. But I thought he responded well. Overall, we didn't play our best game up front."

    > Why did Kacy Rodgers lose his starting spot at safety?  "Deon Bushwas more productive, Golden said. "We just try to communicate to the kids quickly and accurately. We try to tell them exactly what happened in the game and we presented the facts that Deon was more productive. That doesn't mean Deon is going to start this game. He's No. 1 today. We'll see how they practice today and evaluate that for the rest of the week. Certainly, Deon when he played with the ones with the same opportunity was more productive."

    > What can UM's defense do differently? "We have to keep working, some guys have to get better. Some guys we're really counting on have to step up," Golden said.

    "This is a challenge right now for our playmakers to be consistent. ... guys that made plays in BC, some of them didn't make plays in this game to be fair. Not only did we get outcoached but their playmakers played really well and ours didn't play as well as they did against BC. We need Eddie Johnson played like he played against Kansas State and Denzel Perryman playing like he played against BC. We need all those guys playing together on the same day, executing the same way.

    "Same thing on offense. With Duke Johnson or Stephen Morris or the offensive line. We just didn't put it together for two games now. Not one. The first one gets masked because we win. But we made a lot of mistakes in that first game. And I knew standing here a week ago if we didn't get fixed it, it was going to be trouble in Manhattan and it wasn't. They're a Sugar Bowl team with nine seniors starting on offense and six or seven starting on defense and we got licked."

    > Golden put more of the onus on Stephen Morris' failed touchdown run late in the third quarter when he took the wrong angle and Mike James missed a block.

    "I think Mike didn't realize he had crossed the line and he was looking for an outlet," Golden said. "Stephen has to trust his speed and just hit it. If you look at the T in the end zone, if he just ran for the T he's going to score. Instead, he went outside and Mike couldn't quite make the block. But if he trusted his speed and size he would have scored. He'll learn that."

    September 10, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (13)

    When it comes to fixing UM's defense D'Onofrio is thinking long term, not immediate

    Here is the longer version of my story set to run in Tuesday's paper.

    They rank 109th in pass defense and scoring defense, 89th against the run and 114th in total defense out of 120 teams in major college football.

    Hurricanes assistant head coach Mark D’Onofrio is well aware just how awful his unit has looked. UM has given up 1,000-plus yards and 84 points through its first two games. The Canes haven't been lit up like this since they were coming off probation in 1998.

    UM fans have roasted him on the radio and on internet message boards. Former Canes -- like Clinton Portis, Warren Sapp and Calais Campbell -- have taken to Twitter to express their embarrassment.

    "I can't worry about any of that right now,” D’Onofrio said Monday of the criticism he’s received since Saturday’s 52-13 loss at Kansas State. “The only fans I need to worry about are my wife and my kids. As long as they still like me, I am in good shape."

    Here’s something that might make UM fans like D'Onofrio a little less: he didn't offer any quick fix remedies Monday. Instead, he basically asked for more patience, and compared Miami's defensive mess to a reclamation project, like the ones he undertook as a linebackers coach at Rutgers and then as defensive corodinator at Temple with Al Golden.

    There, D’Onofrio mixed what little talent he inherited with a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Eventually, the garbage was weeded out, and the defenses improved. With 17 freshmen and sophomores on the Canes' two deep on defense, the plan here is essentially the same.

    "Go back and look at his statistics; His statistics say it all," Golden said of D'Onofrio. "We finished 17th against the score last year, 15th the year before at Temple. Again, is it what we want right now? No. But who is more upset than we are?

    "I appreciate everybody's passion, but there were too many players out of position and too many plays we didn't execute, and too many times where we just didn't have 11 guys doing their job [Saturday at Kansas State]. We always look at ourselves as coaches first so we know what we need to calm down and what we need to call more of and what we need to eliminate based on what we're seeing."

    "There's no panic button right now. We're in it for the long haul. We'll get this fixed. I've seen this before. I've seen this drill before, trust me."

    As for the immediate future – including this Saturday’s home opener against Bethune-Cookman – D'Onofrio said he's trimming the rotation. Golden said 26 players have gotten into games on defense.

    "It is not going to be like Pop Warner football where everybody gets in," D'Onofrio said.

    “We have a base line to go off of good, bad or indifferent,” D’Onofrio said. “We have some guys that are playing well. We have some guys that haven't rose to the occasion. And we have some guys that are playing like their youth. A few more guys came to battle this week. I though [freshman safety] Deon Bush played well. [Junior safety] A.J. Highsmith played well. [Redshirt freshman linebacker] Eddie Johnson played well. We’ll just keep trying to building our team.

    “I am sure Al has spoken about it, 17 of the two deep are freshmen or sophomores and the juniors are Shayon Green, Kacy Rodgers, and A.J. Highsmith. And you have seen how much they have played. That's where we're at. That's no excuse. But when we get this thing turned it is going to be turned for a while. We're working to get it turned. When we get it turned, there is going to be nobody leaving the team for a while and that is what we are working on what we are trying to do."

    As for practice, the focus has turned to the basics. Coaches are preaching: fill the right gap and wrap up. The playbook? D’Onofrio said he has simplified his defense and kept the plays he knows his unit can execute. The rest get thrown out.

    “My general rule of thumb is that if we aren't running it well by the end of Wednesday, I throw it out,” D’Onofrio said. “Just leave that burden off them. I try to keep it as tight as I can with this group.”

    Unfortunately, D’Onofrio can’t do the same to the offenses UM is facing. D’Onofrio admitted Kansas State, a veteran team loaded with juniors and seniors, baffled the Canes’ last Saturday with different formations and personnel packages.

    “I think the multitude of formations right now has guys seeing a lot,” D’Onofrio said. “The next time they see it, hopefully they play it better."

    If there were encouraging signs from Saturday's loss, D'Onofrio said, it's that his players didn't quit.

    "I have been in games like that where you get manhandled and guys lay down," D'Onofrio said. "We tried to put it on their fullback. We tried to put it on their quarterback. There were guys trying to be physical. I am encouraged by that."

    September 10, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (46)

    New Miami Hurricanes Depth Chart for Bethune-Cookman game just released -- and there are changes

     

    Coach Al Golden just released his newest depth chart for the Bethune-Cookman game.

    If you didn't know by now, starting receiver Allen Hurns (concussion) and starting safety Vaughn Telemaque (knee) are out for the game.

    Fifth-year senior Ramon Buchanan is done for the season, and possibly his career, with another bad knee injury on the right knee. Buchanan will undergo surgery this week, Golden said Sunday night. It is not known if he will apply for a sixth year of eligibility. Best wishes to Buchanan, who hopefully will persevere and overcome.

    So, the listed first-team receivers are freshman Malcolm Lewis, and sophomores Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott.

    The new first-team safeties are freshman Deon Bush and redshirt junior A.J. HIghsmith. If Highsmith retains his status through game week, it will be his first start at safety. Highsmith has definitely paid his dues for this team, with an amazing attitude, and I'm happy for him.

     I hope young Deon and veteran A.J. both excel in their new roles. Also hope Telemaque comes back soon, along with Allen Hurns. You could tell Hurns, obviously talented, was a go-to receiver -- and he already had a head injury through most of fall camp.

    Replacing Buchanan at weakside linebacker is NOT Jimmy Gaines, Golden said, although Gaines was listed there at first team on the distributed depth chart. Golden told us after practice this morning that the first-team weakside linebacker is Tyrone Cornileus.

    However, UM is waiting to officially change it, since what sports information officials were handed had Gaines on it.

    Of note: Defensive tackle Luther Robinson, who was reinstated to the team Sunday after being suspended for "conduct detrimental,'' is not on the depth chart.

    Also, freshman Earl Moore is now the backup to defensive tackle Darius Smith, with Jalen Grimble dropping to third-team. And redshirt freshman Corey King is backing up Olsen Pierre at the other side of D-tackle.

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

    FOLLOWING IS FULL DEPTH CHART, courtesy of UM (NOTE THAT GAINES IS STILL LISTED AS FIRST-TEAM OLB, AND IT WILL BE CHANGED WHEN UM CHANGES IT ON PAPER)

     

    OFFENSE

    WR

    80

    Rashawn
    Scott

    6-2

    190

    So.

     

    86

    Herb
    Waters

    6-2

    185

    Fr.

    LT

    79

    Malcolm Bunche

    6-7

    325

    RSo.

     

    55

    Ben
    Jones

    6-5

    310

    Sr.

    LG

    70

    Jon
    Feliciano

    6-5

    314

    RSo.

     

    68

    Jeremy
    Lewis

    6-4

    316

    RSr.

    C

    62

    Shane McDermott

    6-4

    295

    RSo.

     

    75

    Jared
    Wheeler

    6-5

    314

    RJr.

    RG

    65

    Brandon
    Linder

    6-6

    308

    Jr.

     

    78

    Jermaine Johnson
    -OR-

    6-6

    316

    RJr.

     

    63

    Danny
    Isidora

    6-4

    320

    Fr.

    RT

    74

    Ereck
    Flowers

    6-6

    314

    Fr.

     

    77

    Seantrel
    Henderson

    6-8

    340

    Jr.

    TE

    49

    Dyron
    Dye

    6-5

    255

    RJr.

     

    46

    Clive
    Walford

    6-4

    250

    RSo.

     

    82

    Asante
    Cleveland

    6-5

    263

    Jr.

    FB

    33

    Maurice
    Hagens

    5-11

    240

    Jr.

     

    43

    Sean
    Harvey

    6-4

    262

    RSo.

    QB

    17

    Stephen
    Morris

    6-2

    214

    Jr.

     

    11

    Ryan
    Williams

    6-5

    221

    RSo.

    RB

    5

    Mike
    James

    5-11

    220

    Sr.

     

    8

    Duke
    Johnson

    5-9

    188

    Fr.

     

    23

    Eduardo
    Clements

    5-9

    195

    Jr.

    WR

    9

    Malcolm
    Lewis

    6-0

    192

    Fr.

     

    83

    Kendal
    Thompkins

    5-10

    182

    RSr.

    WR

    4

    Phillip
    Dorsett

    5-10

    185

    So.

     

    24

    Davon
    Johnson

    6-8

    188

    Sr.

     

    DEFENSE

    DE

    71

    Anthony
    Chickillo

    6-4

    262

    So.

     

    99

    Jelani
    Hamilton

    6-5

    271

    Fr.

    DT

    98

    Darius
    Smith

    6-2

    315

    Sr.

     

    72

    Earl
    Moore

    6-1

    300

    Fr.

     

    92

    Jalen
    Grimble

    6-2

    295

    So.

    DT

    91

    Olsen
    Pierre

    6-4

    300

    So.

     

    67

    Corey
    King

    6-1

    295

    RFr.

    DE

    51

    Shayon
    Green

    6-3

    260

    RJr.

     

    94

    Kelvin
    Cain

    -OR-

    6-3

    245

    So.

     

    17

    Tyriq
    McCord

    6-3

    236

    Fr.

    OLB

    44

    Eddie
    Johnson

    6-1

    238

    RFr.

     

    34

    Thurston Armbrister

    6-3

    222

    So.

     

    58

    Gabriel
    Terry

    6-3

    215

    Fr.

    MLB

    52

    Denzel
    Perryman

    6-0

    229

    So.

     

    36

    Gionni
    Paul

    6-1

    230

    So.

    OLB

    59

    Jimmy
    Gaines

    6-3

    230

    Jr.

     

    31

    Tyrone
    Cornileus

    6-2

    210

    Jr.

    CB

    20

    Thomas
    Finnie

    5-10

    183

    So.

     

    3

    Tracy
    Howard

    5-11

    185

    Fr.

    S

    2

    Deon
    Bush

    6-1

    190

    Fr.

     

    22

    Kacy
    Rodgers II

    6-2

    210

    Jr.

    S

    30

    A.J.
    Highsmith

    6-0

    202

    RJr.

     

    29

    Rayshawn
    Jenkins

    6-1

    203

    Fr.

    CB

    21

    Brandon
    McGee

    6-0

    194

    Sr.

     

    39

    Antonio
    Crawford

    5-11

    188

    Fr.

     

    SPECIALISTS

    P

    13

    Dalton
    Botts

    6-3

    205

    Sr.

     

    40

    Jake
    Wieclaw

    6-2

    193

    RSr.

    FG

    40

    Jake
    Wieclaw

    6-2

    193

    RSr.

     

    18

    Matt
    Goudis

    6-0

    170

    RFr.

    KO

    40

    Jake
    Wieclaw

    6-2

    193

    RSr.

     

    18

    Matt
    Goudis

    6-0

    170

    RFr.

    H

    13

    Dalton
    Botts

    6-3

    205

    Sr.

     

    11

    Ryan
    Williams

    6-5

    221

    RSo.

    LS

    60

    Sean
    McNally

    5-10

    214

    RJr.

     

    61

    Paul
    Kelly

    6-1

    262

    RSr.

    SS

    60

    Sean
    McNally

    5-10

    214

    RJr.

     

    61

    Paul
    Kelly

    6-1

    262

    RSr.

    PR

    4

    Phillip
    Dorsett

    5-10

    185

    So.

     

    9

    Malcolm
    Lewis

    6-0

    192

    Fr.

    KR

    4

    Phillip
    Dorsett

    5-10

    185

    So.

     

    8

    Duke
    Johnson

    5-9

    188

    Fr.

     

     

    September 10, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (64)

    Al Golden's Sunday transcript following K-State loss

    Here is the complete transcript of Al Golden's Sunday press conference following the 52-13 loss at Kansas State

    > Where are you as a team after Saturday's loss... "I think we're 1-1. Obviously we didn't play well. I thought Kansas State -- give them credit -- played flawless. Their quarterback was exceptional. It was a tough place to play. We're sitting at 1-1. Now, we get a chance to come home. We're excited about kicking. At the end of the day we can't worry about if we lost by 1 point or many. We're 1-1 and home now for Bethune-Cookman."

    > Is it hard to convince a young team that this was just one loss... "We've just got to move forward. We have to execute and we have to create some value from that loss. I know it's hard to do. But we have to learn. We got beat by a better team who played better. As painful as that is to say, they executed better than we did. Their playmakers played better than ours. They coached better. I thought they were flawless in their execution on offense and beat us in all three phases. The bottomline is you lose in all three phases that's the coaches fault. That's on me."

    > Can you give us an update on injuries... "[Ereck] Flowers is going to be okay. [Allen] Hurns is still undergoing observation for a head injury. I'm sad to inform you [Ramon] Buchanan is done for the year. He'll undergo surgery this week. Terribly upset for the young man. He's put a lot into it. So, that's tough and Vaughn Telemaque will be out for the Bethune-Cookman game."

    > Were you able to identify specifics breakdowns on defense with scheme or personnel... "I think there's numerous things we can do better on and that we can fix certainly. That blame is shared by everybody from the coaches to the players. I didn't see a defense that quit. I didn't see a defense that was lazy or didn't run to the ball. Hidden in that game are some really outstanding performances. Eddie Johnson jumps off. Deon Bush grew up. AJ Highsmith. But just too many breakdowns. Too numerous. We get some turnovers on offense that put us in bad situaitons and then it snowballs and everybody is trying to do something more than they need to do. We just need to settle them down. We've played a lot of young guys yesterday on defense, settle them down, stay with the system, really improve in our fundamentals and techniques. Just take a deep breath, try to get better tomorrow and go from there."

    > Any personnel changes on defense this week... "We're going to lose Telemaque for this game and Buchan for the season. We're getting to the area where don't have much room to make changes as it is. I think clearly, we still have a lot of competition at some spots. I think AJ Highsmith and Deon Bush earned more reps as did Eddie Johnson. I thought [defensive tackle] Earl Moore played better in his first significant action against a veteran team. So, again, we didn't get any takeaways. We didn't stop them on third down. We only made them punt one time. I thought their QB was exceptional. I give Kansas State credit. We know the things we have to fix on our side."

    > What troubled you about the offense... "We lost all three phases. We're down 7-0 and we're on play eight of a drive and we fumbled the ball. Instead of it being 1st and 10 on the 38, we fumble and it's 14-0. Next time down, we're 1st and goal at the 9 after Clive Walfor's play and only get three there. Then we're down 17-3 and we throw a slant on first down it looks like is going to be a touchdown and we drop that. Just too many mistakes there in all three phases. You have to be careful. Now we're down 17-3. 24-3. Then offense is pressing and defense is trying to do too much. It got out of whack. Stephen held the ball there a little too long at times and other times the offensive line got beat. We have to improve there."

    > Your defense has given up 1,000 yards in two weeks. Do you simplify the scheme... "I think that's fair. But we're trying to be as simple as we can at this point. Again, I don't think it was a function of a lot of mental errors, it was really a function of our execution. There were some plays that we didn't really fit well. We didn't stop them going downhill. The times they took the ball to the perimeter it ended up getting more yards because we didn't play as well. Clearly when you play that operation, everybody has to execute and do their job. You can't really worry about anything else. Playing Georgia Tech in that respect. Clearly, they out-executed us. No excuses."

    > Some guys mentioned there was "freelancing" on defense... "One thing is you have to give Kansas State credit for the freelancing. They're creating illusions, running one play or faking one play and all of a sudden now you get behind and guys are trying to go and make plays as opposed to letting the game come to them or just doing their job and executing. I didn't talk to those guys. I'm sure that's what they're talking about. We didn't fit runs very well yesterday and when you do that it usually means one guy is out of whack and that creates a whole chain of problems. Again, give them credit, but we know what we need to fix after watching it here today and we'll start getting it fixed tomorrow."

    > Can you expand on the Buchanan injury... "I didn't know the extent of either injury until this morning. He's a redshirt senior. Didn't know extent of either injury. Allen Hurns needed assistance to come off the field."

    > Could Buchanan apply for a sixth year... "That's a good question. That's something we're looking into. I'd hate to comment without knowing. Very proud of the way he's fought back this year and leading. This is an unfortunate circumstance for him."

    > Can you expand on how you can create value out of a loss... "We're talking about a team that hasn't lost much there. We're talking about a tough environment. We're talking about a team that played in the Cotton Bowl, excuse me played in the Sugar Bowl a year ago and was a Top 10 team. So, we're not talking about some team that we all thought was going to roll over. We went on the road two weeks in a row. We didn't respond. I told the team as I said to the media following last week -- it wasn't going to be good enough to go to Kansas State with the Herculean task to go beat them out there and to spot them 14 points and then have errors on defense the way we did. To be honest with you, the special teams was part of the issue as well. We didn't punt particularly well. We didn't kickoff particularly well. And we got beat. So, we got beat in all three phases. At the end of the day that rests on my shoulders. It's my fault. I'm not making excuses, but I am here to work and we have a lot of great kids that are going to bounce back this week."

    > A lot of players took to Twitter and it seems flushing the loss and ready to move on... "Today is our day off. I asked them to leave that game in Manhattan. I hope they didn't say anything foolish on Twitter. At the same time, if that's how they expressed themselves, that's how they expressed themselves. We're not going to let this game beat us twice. It has no impact on the ACC, especially the Coastal. We just got to move forward. Our team got significantly younger today because of the loss of Telemaque, because of the long term loss of Buchanan and because the loss of Hurns, which looks to be the short term. But it's a loss nonetheless. We have to pick it up and move forward and one of the ways you do that is to leave that game in Mahnattan."

    > After a loss like Saturday's do you make any changes in process... "With all due respect, we're starting over. This whole team right now is not the same team as last year. We're starting from scratch. We have a multitude of players that are playing for us for the first time, that are experiencing college football for the first time, let alone playing on the road. So, we're going to teach them that process. We're not going to deviate from the plan. We have a lot of kids that are trying to do things the right way and we just to got make sure we settle them down and trust them and teach them how to go about this, have some poise in those situations and then move forward. We're disappointed, but we're not discouraged. We're not going to change the way we do things or go about things. I told the players that last night. These coaches are going to work their tails off. They're going to be the same. We're going to move forward."

    > Do you spend more time with individuals because this is a young team... "Absolutely. Without question. To teach the number of young kids that we have, it has to be hands on. Everything they're experiencing is for the first time. Not only did they go on the road once to start the season. They went on the road twice. They're managing study halls, everything and we've got to teach them to stay on schedule, stay on process and teach them how to do it and have the discipline to do so. It's no easy task. But embrace the challenge and we're excited about moving the team forward."

    > Do you worry about team morale in light of the injuries and the loss... "I think morale is always a concern. I don't think there's a coach that wakes up today and doesn't think morale isn't a concern or a focus. I woke up last week the same deal. We had some upperclassmen that didn't play as well as some of the younger classmen. So, there were some morale issues there. I was worried about guys losing their focus because we did win. But, I wasn't fooled. We had too many mistakes that if we played the same way in Manhattan, Kansas it wasn't going to be good. And to be honest we made more mistakes. All three phases made mistakes. So, again, that's what I said what I said. When all three phases fail, that's a reflection on the head coach."

    > Who replaces Ramon Buchanan... "Jimmy [Gaines] has made some progress. He's starting to play more snaps and feel healthier. Jimmy will certainly be in the mix there. Gionni Paul has to come through for us. Thurston Armbrister has to continue to make progress. Of course, Tyrone [Cornelius] has been playing over there with Buchanan. Tyorne will get a chance to be a starter. He'll probably get a chance to compete with Jimmy Gaines. But we need all those guys to step up for sure."

    > When exactly did the injury happen to Buchanan... "I really don't know. I wish I could tell you for sure. I mean I saw it this morning. I don't have the time code. It was earlier in the game for sure. I believe it was his right knee. He got his right knee underneath him and like a pile fell on him, fell backwards on him."

    > The offensive line took a step back this week... "I think we got beat off the ball a couple times for sure. I think we got beat at the tackle spot a couple times and we have to get that fixed. We had two uncharacteristic penalties. We convert a third down and get a hands to a facemask and then a holding. We can't have that for sure. The other thing is some of the sacks were Stephen holding onto the ball and not getting rid of it. Again, it's a combination of it. You can't be in third and long in Manhattan, Kansas and think you're going to convert. And once we got behind a lot of what your saying is a function of us being behind and the other team just teeing off. They don't care if you hit a run in there for 12 yards or not. They're just thinking sack, fumble, sack, fumble and they did. It was definitely a combination of all three units and we got beat."

    > This past week you couldn't stop the run or run the football... "Kansas State did a great job. We didn't fit the runs exceptionally well. It wasn't just one player or one play. It was a number of plays. So, I don't think there's any question we have to do a better job stopping the run. You know what's coming up [Georgia Tech in two weeks]. We're going to have to do better against the run. There's no question about it. In terms of the offense, we're sitting there at 24-6 at the half and I'm thinking we're going to get the ball and go down there and score and make this a game so they can't just go into a shell and run the ball and eat up the clock. And of course we didn't do it and it went the other way. Now you get to the point where you're abandoning the run. If I wanted to keep it respectable I could have just run it a bunch of times and just gotten out of there. But I wanted the guys to compete and try to finish and make some plays."

    > Any thought to going for it instead of kicking a field goal before halftime... "I thought about all that. What I would have done differently we didn't get lined up our second converted first down. We didn't get lined up accurately, so one of our receivers had to go from the field to the boundary and it took about 16 seconds. That's after a made first down. You should not have that problem in college football. You should be able to get lined up. So, that's where we had a breakdown. One of our young guys went to the field instead of the boundary. It's the first two minute drill of his lifetime in college. We got to do that better and I clearly could have used it up there had I known it was the case. And I don't think we operated with the sense of urgency that we needed to. To be fair, I think we made the right decision at the end to kick it. But ultimately we could have done a better job of managing it."

    > Shayon Green had eight tackles Saturday and leads the team overall... "I think he's playing hard. He plays physically and he's very responsible in terms of being accountable and doing his job. He's one of the guys who does his job everyday and understands that. He does a good job fitting the runs and plays with a great motor. We got to get more production from other guys, but Shayon has done a really nice job so far.".

    > What is Luther Robinson's status... "Luther was reinstated today. He was suspended last week for conduct detrimental and that's all I'm going to say about that. But he's reinstated today.".

    > Linebacker Eddie Johnson looked really good... "I think he's making a lot of progress. As I said last week, it's just developing consistency in his approach and preparation. He's got to continue to do that He's blessed. He's talented. We got to continue to get that out of him by teaching him how to approach this thing. It wasn't too big for him. Eddie played hard. For all the things he did well in the game, he was one of the guys -- although he was being aggressive -- that didn't fit the run well a couple times well. We still have some issues like that we're working out. But as a defense there were times he didn't fit it right and it created a seam. We got to work that out with him.".

    > Thoughts on tight end Clive Walford... "I just got to done talking to [offensive coordinator] Jedd [Fisch] I think on Thursday about Clive running a lot better. He looks 100 percent and looks healthy and is playing with more speed. Good to see him make that play.

    September 09, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (41)

    Canes lose LB Buchanan for the season, DT Robinson reinstated, plus news & notes from Sunday's talk with Golden

    The Miami Hurricanes defense took another big hit Sunday, a day after Kansas State ran all over them in a 52-13 loss in Manhattan.

    Starting weakside linebacker Ramon Buchanan, a fifth-year senior, has been lost for the season after re-injuring his right knee, which cost him the final eight games of last season -- UM coach Al Golden announced during his Sunday press conference.

    Buchanan suffered the injury according to Golden when his knee got caught underneath him "and then a pile fell backwards on him.” Golden said he isn't sure if Buchanan or UM will seek a medical redshirt and a sixth-year of eligibility.

    "That's something we're looking into. But I'd hate to comment without knowing," Golden said. "I’m terribly upset for the young man. He’s put in a lot into it. So that’s tough.”

    Buchanan recorded 10 tackles in two games in his fifth year. Golden said juniors Jimmy Gaines and Tyrone Cornileus are expected to compete for Buchanan's starting spot.

    “Jimmy has made some progress,” Golden said. “He’s starting to play more snaps and feel healthier. Jimmy will certainly be in the mix there. Gionni Paul has to come through for us and Thurston Armbrister continues to make progress for us and of course Tyrone has been playing over there with Buck. Obviously Tyrone’s going to get a chance to be a starter, he’ll probably compete with Jimmy Gaines, but we need all of these guys to step up for sure.”

    > On the positive side, defensive tackle Luther Robinson, suspended for the Kansas State game for what Golden said Sunday was "conduct detrimental" to the team, has been reinstated. Robinson (6-3, 288) should help an ailing defensive line.

    > As for receiver Allen Hurns, who sustained his second concussion since fall camp began on Saturday, Golden said he remains under observation. Golden said safety Vaughn Telemaque (left knee) will miss this coming Saturday's home opener against Bethune-Cookman.

    "Our team got significantly younger today because of the loss of Telemaque, the long-term loss of Buchanan, and because of the loss of Hurns, which looks to be in the short-term,” Golden said. “It’s a loss nonetheless and we have to pick it up and move forward. One of the ways you do that is you leave the game in Manhattan.”

    Check back for more notes shortly...

    September 09, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (24)

    Grading the Canes - Week 2: Are Canes' defensive woes personnel, D'Onofrio's scheme or both?

    Remember last week when Al Golden told his players to savor that win at Boston College? Hope you did, too.

    Saturday's 52-13 blowout loss at Kansas State was an eye-opener for Canes fans who didn't take the 500-plus yards BC rolled up as a huge warning that trouble could be on the horizon for defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio's unit. Because the Eagles decided it was easier for them to throw against Miami (441 yards on 51 attempts) than run (101 yards on 34 attempts) it temporarily masked what we all feared could be UM's biggest weakness heading into the season -- an inexperienced front seven. 

    Kansas State and quarterback Collin Klein quickly reminded us Saturday the entire Canes' defense could use an extreme makeover. He attempted only 11 passes, but still threw for 210 yards and completed nine passes to guys like Curry Sexton (Curry Sexton?) who were flying right past UM's defensive backs. When the Wildcats weren't throwing, they were running right through Miami to the tune of 288 yards on 60 attempts. How bad did it get? UM saw K-State's third string quarterback.

    Canes fans can hope for miracles. But I don't suspect Ty Pennington will be telling some driver in front of Greentree Practice Field Monday to "move that bus" -- suddenly revealing seven to eight studs we had no idea were on the team. As Randy Shannon used to joke, there is no college waiver wire either. 

    Now, the offense obviously had a few setbacks Saturday. They aren't totally off the hook. But Jedd Fisch's unit hardly makes you as queasy as D'Onofrio's looking ahead to the rest of the season.

    No, D'Onofrio doesn't deserve all the blame. He's obviously been put in a position to play a lot of young and inexperienced players. And let's face it, some of them obviously aren't ready or probably are not good enough to be thrown in the fire this quickly. Maybe not ever.

    But is this simply a personnel issue? Or, is D'Onofrio not doing a good enough job with his schemes to put his team in a position to succeed -- like having his defensive backs playing so far off in coverage and rarely bringing extra pressure to rush the quarterback? Could guys really be that lost?

    For those of you arguing that UM waved good-bye maybe to too many good players from last year's defense, first know that this unit returned five of the eight leading tacklers from a year ago: linebacker Denzel Perryman, safety Vaughn Telemaque, linebacker Jimmy Gaines, defensive end Anthony Chickillo and cornerback Brandon McGee, and also got back linebacker Ramon Buchanan from injury. Defensive tackle Darius Smith started seven games last season.

    So those are essentially seven players who played a big role on last year's defense, which finished 45th in total yardage (359.92 yards per game), produced just 23 sacks (59th out of 120 FBS schools) and was among the worst in the country at taking it away (15 turnovers), yet still managed to finish 17th nationally in scoring defense (20.08 points per game).

    Could losing Sean Spence (3rd round pick, Steelers), Olivier Vernon (3rd round pick, Dolphins), Ray-Ray Armstrong (booted off the team), Jojo Nicolas (not in the NFL), Marcus Robinson (not in the NFL), Mike Williams (not in the NFL), Andrew Smith (not in the NFL), and a couple of undrafted free agents to make NFL rosters -- Micanor Regis (Falcons practice squad), Adewale Ojomo (Giants), Marcus Forston (Patriots) -- make that big a difference?

    Sorry. I'm not buying that entirely. I didn't just mention Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Dan Morgan or Vince Wilfork did I? Except for Spence, most of the guys gone from last year's defense hardly did anything big when they were here. So, this defense isn't entirely devoid of contributors from a unit that hardly looked as bad in 2011 as they have in their first two games (84 points, 1,035 yards, 4.1 rushing, 325.5 a game passing, 14 of 25 on 3rd down).

    With that, we'll move onto the grades:

    > Play/Player of the Game: Since this will always be given to a UM player even in defeat, I'll give this week's award to the only guy who got in the end zone for the Canes -- tight end Clive Walford. He finished with three catches for 61 yards including a 56-yard catch and run to the Kansas State 10-yard line with UM down 14-0. I felt the turning point in the game happened moments later when UM had to settle for a field goal instead of getting in the end zone. Had UM scored six there, who knows if something changes.

    > Offense: D. Not a lot of positive this week when all the Canes mustered was six points before garbage time. The most disappointing offensive play of the game for me was when Stephen Morris scampered toward the end zone only to get pushed out of bounds at the three yard line late in the third quarter. Sure, UM was down 31-6 at the time, but Mike James has to make a block on that play when it's just him and a safety. He didn't. Showed me a lack of want to -- especially on 4th down. As for the rest, freshman Duke Johnson had six carries for 19 yards and couldn't generate the magic he had last week. Wasn't all his fault. UM ran for just 40 yards on 29 carries and couldn't generate a running game or protect Morris, who despite going 19 of 26 for 215 yards, was sacked five times. Some of those sacks were his fault for not getting rid of the ball. But after a stellar week 1 performance, the offensive line looked human and error prone. Right guard Brandon Linder was hit with flags twice. Left tackle Malcolm Bunche got beat on a sack that led to a fumble. Who looked better? The receivers. Only drops I saw were from Duke Johnson, who had three. That's a good sign especially since we don't know how long Allen Hurns could be out. He looked good early with two catches for 32 yards, but never returned with what FX reported as concussion like symptoms. Seantrel Henderson entered the game early in the third quarter when freshman Ereck Flowers limped off with an injury. Interested to see how Henderson graded out and how banged up Flowers really is. 

    > Defense: F. That's not for fantastic either. Instead of going over all the bad things that happened, we'll highlight the few good things. Brandon McGee made a wonderful leaping interception, showing us some life in coverage. Redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson once again was all over the field making tackles. He finished with seven. Anthony Chickillo produced the team's first sack (albeit a coverage sack). And Shayon Green led the team with eight tackles. Problem for UM is Green, who now leads the team with 15 tackles, makes most of his tackles downfield after the defense has already been gashed.

    > Special teams: C-. Took a step back this week. Outside of Duke Johnson's 77-yard kickoff return that led to UM's only score late in the fourth quarter, the Canes were pinned inside their own 20 three times and didn't get past the 25 otherwise on kick returns. Kansas State, meanwhile, had a couple nice returns on kickoffs and punts. Jake Wieclaw hit a pair of chip-shot field goals, but booted the opening kickoff out of bounds. Dalton Botts had four punts for an average of 40 yards, but his first one after the start of the second half went just 29 yards and gave Kansas State excellent field position at their own 29. UM could have used a boomer inside the 20.

    September 09, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (88)

    Golden said defensive system, tackling needs examination after blowout loss at K-State

    UM coach Al Golden defended his defensive coordinator after last week's season-opening win at Boston College, saying he had the utmost confidence in what Mark D'Onofrio was doing. 

    Golden sounded a little less emphatic about that after Saturday's 52-13 blowout loss at Kansas State. 

    "We're going to look at everything tomorrow and see where we're at from a system standpoint and from a tackling standpoint and get it fixed going into next week," Golden told WQAM color analyst Don Bailey Jr. when asked what he thought the defense could do after giving up 499 yards including 289 on the ground to the Wildcats.

    "This is just a tough one. We have to do a good job leaving this here and moving on. We can't let this game beat us twice."

    Except from a handful of plays, the Hurricanes were dominated in just about every phase Saturday. As usual, Golden opened his post-game interview with WQAM with the company line after an ugly loss -- by saying there is no excuses.

    "They beat us in all three phases, out played us, out coached us. We got to do a better job starting with me. That's it." Golden said. "No excuses."

    UM's offense, which produced 34 points in last week's win at BC, produced a total of 264 yards. Freshman tailback Duke Johnson -- except for a 77-yard kickoff return late to setup UM's only touchdown -- had a forgetful day. He finished with 22 yards on 7 carries and had more drops (3) than catches (2 for 20).

    "We didn't convert enough on offense. Clearly," Golden said."We didn't get the explosive plays we needed on offense and we didn't get off the field on defense. We had opportunities in the red zone on offense. We didn't score. We never put pressure on them. At the end of the day, we never put any pressure on them with the score. They played from the lead, which is tough to play them from the lead."

    Quarterback Stephen Morris finished 19 of 25 for 214 yards, but was sacked a handful of times and fumbled once. Morris also had a shot at the end zone in the second half, but didn't get the block he needed from Mike James and ran out of bounds at the 3-yard line. Kansas State drove the length of the field after that to put UM away.

    "Give them credit they did a better job then we did, they got pressure from a four man rush, had him running a little bit," Golden said of Kansas State. "We weren't very sharp in some areas."

    UM ran the ball 29 times for a total of 40 yards.

    "We never got the running game going for Mike, Duke and OT and got behind," Golden said. "It made it tougher, just compounded for us."

    UM turned the ball over three times and produced one turnover -- a leaping interception by cornerback Brandon McGee. But it was the first turnover -- a fumble by Eduardo Clements with UM down 7-0 in the first quarter -- that hurt the most.

    "Can't win like that -- especially the one of the first drive was tough. You're going down there to answer, get in a situation where you can compete. It ended up being a big play. We just got to protect the ball better than we did," Golden said.

    A number of true freshmen played again for UM including defensive tackle Earl Moore.

    "There were a number of guys that got a lot of reps," Golden said. "Again, we got to see how they responded and look at the tape. We can get better and see what changes we need to make and do that."

    So what kind of things can UM do to make sure they don't get beat twice as Golden put it after this dreadful loss? Golden didn't really seem to have answer for that really.

    "We're going to continue to be the same guys," he said. "We're trying to build a program. We're trying to get back to where we want to be and the way you do that with consistency. I know people want to wave a wand and I don't know if some people thought after 1 week we were right where we needed to be.

    "[Winning at Kansas State] is a tough task, a tough out for a lot of people. In the last decade or so I think there's only been three people who have beat them here in the last decade. This is a tough out. Obviously, we were weren't as focused as well as we needed to be. We didn't execute as well as we needed to. That's on me. Bottomline."

    September 08, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (154)

    Gameday blog: Canes at Kansas State

    The Miami Hurricanes will be taking on 21st-ranked Kansas State at noon this afternoon Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. The game can be seen on FX.

    Our Susan Miller Degnan is there to cover the game. I will be here at home watching the game on TV like most Canes fans. Feel free to participate in our CoverItLive.com chat below. All you need to do is sign in with your email address.

    STORYLINES

    LAST WEEK: The Canes are coming off a 41-32 win at Boston College in the opener where they played a dozen true freshmen and rotated a total of 25 players on defense. The freshmen hardly looked as bad as the defense. Duke Johnson earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors after dashing for 135 yards and 2 TDs on just seven carries. Right tackle Ereck Flowers graded out at 94 percent and receiver Malcolm Lewis hauled in four catches and scored a touchdown. Defensively, UM forced three turnovers including a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by middle linebacker Denzel Perryman. But UM gave up more than 500 yards on defense (including 441 through the air, 3rd most in school history) and blew coverage schemes several times

    K-State, which beat UM 28-24 at Sun Life Stadium a year ago, struggled for three quarters against FCS opponent Missouri State last weekend, leading just 9-6 before going on a 42-3 run over the final 22 minutes of the game. Junior running back John Hubert picked up 95 of his 152 yards on 12 carries on a long touchdown run. Tramaine Thompson returned a punt 89 yards for a score, giving K-State their 82nd non-offensive TD since the 1999 season, tied for most in the country with Virginia Tech. Quarterback Collin Klein, who lit up UM a year ago and whom Golden referred to as the best running QB in the country Tuesday, finished 19 of 28 for 169 yards, 2 TDs against Missouri State. The Wildcats gave up 323 yards through the air to Missouri State, but were pretty stingy on run defense (95 yards on 26 attempts).

    INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS: The Hurricanes come into the game relatively healthy (only DT Curtis Porter and LB Raphael Kirby are out among those listed on the two deep). Backup defensive tackle Luther Robinson (personal issues) did not make the trip. The Wildcats have three players listed as questionable: OL Nick Puetz (foot), OLB Boston Stiverson (foot), TE Andre McDonald (personal issues). Puetz is the starting left guard. McDonald and Stiverson aren't listed on the two-deep.

    > For more on K-State read up here.

    September 08, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (435)

    Confirmed: UM Canes DT Luther Robinson will not travel to Kansas State -- not good for a position that was already in need of help

    Way up in the sky en route to Manhattan, Kansas for Saturday's noon game at No. 21 Kansas State.

    Ah, airplane Internet connection -- the marvels of modern technology.

    The not so uplifting news: CaneSport.com reported this morning that defensive tackle Luther Robinson will not be traveling to Kansas State, and I just got it confirmed by a UM official who did not want to be identified. Suffice it to say that the UM official is well informed.

    The UM official said Robinson "wasn't out there all week, so I don't believe he'll be traveling. He's currently on the team, but his status is unclear.''

    I have a feeling Robinson's future with the team is shaky, but don't know what the resolution will be.

    CaneSport reported that "apparently, his dad went off on the coaches this week because he thought Robinson should have played more in Boston. ...Apparently, Luther got caught up in it and actually refused to practice at least one day this week. Details beyond that are still sketchy.''

    From what I've been told, this is pretty accuurate.

    If you recall, coaches wanted Robinson to switch to the offensive line in the offseason, but he emphatically did not want to do that. Then he got into great shape, Coach Al Golden said, and became part of the rotation at D-tackle.

    Robinson forced a fumble in UM's opener at Boston College.

    On the newest depth chart released Monday morning (two days after Boston College game), Robinson, a 6-3, 288-pound redshirt junior, is listed as a co-backup (along with redshirt freshman Corey King) behind starter Olsen Pierre.

    Golden told us Corey King would travel to Kansas State, but he didn't say anything about Robinson.

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

    September 07, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (113)

    Golden hopeful he can get Henderson, Lewis and Jones in offensive line rotation at Kansas State

    Rain and lightning got to the Hurricanes before they could finish up practice on Greentree Thursday, the last day of workouts before they fly out Friday for Saturday’s noon kickoff at 21st-ranked Kansas State (1-0). Coach Al Golden took his team indoors to UM’s nearby Wellness Center for a walkthrough.

    THURSDAY'S NOTES

    Right tackle Seantrel Henderson, who didn’t travel with the team to Boston College, has been practicing this week and Golden is hopeful he can get Henderson, along with Jeremy Lewis and Ben Jones, into the rotation on the offensive line Saturday. Lewis was the only backup who got into last week's game.

    “I hope he’s ready,” Golden said of Henderson. “He’s only had two full pads practice with the varsity, so he’s got a long way to go in terms of his conditioning and his technique and everything. Hopefully he’s staying on top of it mentally, and if he has an opportunity this Saturday, he’ll be ready to go.”

    Also looking to make a return this week is defensive tackle Corey King. “He rotated with the varsity all week,” Golden said. “So I think he has a chance.”

    There was no medical update on defensive tackle Curtis Porter, who is still recovering from his appendectomy and won't play this week along with freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby (knee). They were the only Hurricanes  listed on Thursday's injury report.

    > Golden is well aware that shortcomings the team had on defense from game one are sure to be attacked by the Wildcats on Saturday. Among those shortcomings are breakdowns in coverage and a lack of pass rush on passing downs.

    “What you screw up in one game, you’ll get tested on the next,” Golden said. “Hopefully we’ll have some poise and be able to communicate.”

    Although Kansas State doesn’t run the triple option, Golden compared the Wildcats offense to that of Georgia Tech because of their physicality, discipline, and how they strive to eat up time of possession.

    “[They] get you to man up against the run and get you with a shot over the top,” Golden added. “I think it’s just a different style of doing it, but that’s what they are.”

    Golden noted Thursday how much better his defense’s tackling appears to be based on film from the BC game. Tackling figures to be critical against Kansas State, especially with how prolific its running attack can be, led by quarterback Collin Klein and speedy running back John Hubert.

    -- DAVID FURONES

    September 06, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (52)

    Raising Canes video series: Boston College

    In case you aren't aware, UM has had a video crew (3 Penny Films) that shoots behind the scenes footage at camp and at games since last year.

    Here is their behind the scenes look at the Canes during their opener at BC last weekend.

    Courtesy Hurricanesports.com: "Set out to lay one brick every day. Soon, you will have a wall." A powerful metaphor by head coach Al Golden prior to Miami's 41-32 season-opening win at Boston College. The latest Raising Canes episode (Season 2, Episode 11) follows the Hurricanes from Friday night meetings through Saturday's post-game celebration.

    September 06, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (13)

    Flowers' emergence leaves Canes with a big question: What do you do with Seantrel?

    University of Miami offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch pretty much had a delightful time breaking down game film of Saturday's win at Boston College.

    Seantrel HendersonSure, his unit got off to a little bit of a slow start (early drops) and didn't score on their final two drives. But there was a whole lot of goodness in between. The Canes offense scored 34 points (seven came on Denzel Perryman's INT return), produced 415 yards of total offense and saw a lot of promising signs from a boatload of freshmen. 

    One would assume Fisch doesn't have much to concern himself with. But he does (at least a little). What should he do with Seantrel Henderson?  

    The high school All-American and USA Today Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 returned to work with the regular unit on Tuesday (he spent last week on the scout team after missing all of camp) and no longer has the starting spot at right tackle. Freshman Ereck Flowers, who graded out at 94 percent at right tackle Saturday, appears as though he's locked into that role now.

    Could Henderson slide over to the left side? Could the Canes line him up at guard? It certainly doesn't seem like a bad problem to have. But it's one Hurricanes coaches don't really seem to have an answer for yet -- other than Henderson and more backups need to play. Saturday at BC, the only backup who got into the game was guard Jeremy Lewis, and he was in for a total of two snaps. 

    "We're going to have to play more guys," UM coach Al Golden said. "Ben Jones, Jeremy Lewis, Jared Wheeler, Seantrel -- we're going to try to have a better rotation. I don't know what the heat will be like Saturday. But we're going to have to play more guys there."

    While Golden said the Canes will always go with their best five starters and said that "now it's up to Seantrel to chip away," Fisch didn't seem eager to get Henderson on the field or switch him to another spot on the line. Asked about how much playing time Henderson could get at Kansas State, Fisch was non-committal and said, "I need to see the film." As for where he will play, Fisch said: "He's a tackle."

    "We could probably give him some work on the other side. But I don't think we're going to do that right now," Fisch said. "We're going to continue to let him play in the position he's most comfortable with."

    At this point, the only thing you can feel pretty positive about is that Henderson will travel with the Canes to Kansas State. Playing time? That's another issue. If Flowers continues to perform like he has, it may be awhile before Henderson gets in.

    "I thought he played extremely well," Fisch said of Flowers. "Did not at all say that's a freshman. Did not at all say that was a mistake, it was his first time doing it. He was poised. He was tough. He was physical. He communicated well. He had a good day."

    MORE NEWS & NOTES FROM TUESDAY

    > Fisch said what he liked most about Stephen Morris' start Saturday (28 of 45, 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was that he never strayed from the game plan and took chances downfield. "That was really the most important thing we preached last week that we were going to be real patient. We didn't want to kind of put ourselves in difficult situations, force any throws downfield," Fisch said.

    "We felt like that was not a team you kind of good deep on. I think we threw three balls over 10 yards in the air and he executed that well. The three balls he did throw downfield they were all catchable balls. I was proud of him. That makes a huge difference when your quarterback does that."

    As for his freshmen, Fisch pretty much my sentiments from today's early morning blog that Saturday's opener "was just another game for them."

    "These guys are coming off state championship games, coming off playing on ESPN and some of these other All-Star Games and they were ready for that," Fisch said. "It didn't seem very big for Duke Johnson. It didn't seem very big for Malcolm Lewis. It didn't seem very big for Ereck Flowers for sure. Those guys, it just seemed like any other game. That was an awesome thing. That's what you need."

    > As I told you Sunday, Fisch said not to expect to see the hurry-up offense every week. Every game plan is different.

    "We went into that game against Boston College saying the best way to attack them was pushing the tempo and felt as if that was going to be something against that team and that defense. Coming off playing them the last game the year before you kind of have to show them some other wrinkles," Fisch said. "We'll continue each week to determine the best way to move the football and how we're going to do it. Whether it be running the ball. Whether it be stretching the field or hurrying up. That's what we'll go out and execute on game day."

    After failing to punch it into the end zone late in the game last season in a 28-24 loss to Kansas State, Fisch said the focus this week in practice will be on "finishing strong." Golden said that loss stuck with the Canes all season.

    "I don't think we finished the game real well last week," Fisch said. "So, we have to become a better finishing team. Obviously, it cost us a game against Kansas State and probably could have cost us against North Carolina and probably could have cost us on Saturday. We're going to finish strong and hopefully see what happens."

    > Left guard Jonathan Feliciano said the Hurricanes offensive line was so well conditioned Saturday "we could have gone another couple quarters." UM ran 79 offensive plays. 

    > What has elevated redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson to a starting role at strong side linebacker in the team's latest depth chart?

    "I see more consistency," Golden said ."It showed up on game day. If you can contrast the play where he caused the fumble - that was who we were the other day. We made a mistake, but finished the play. We weren't paralyzed by our mistakes, kept fighting, and Eddie's play personifies that. He gets beat, chases and knocks the ball out. It's hard to teach that aggressiveness and recklessness, and it's good to see he had that first time out."

    #### I'll have a story on UM's defense and what went wrong Saturday in tomorrow's paper along with quotes and insight from defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio.

    September 04, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (95)

    Duke Johnson named ACC Rookie of the Week

    Duke Johnson was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week Tuesday.

    Johnson was one of two true freshmen to start in Miami’s 41-32 win at Boston College. He had 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, posting the most yards on the ground by a UM true freshman since Javarris James ran for 148 against Houston in 2006.

    Johnson scored his career-first touchdown on a 54-yard run in the second quarter and added a 56-yard score in the third quarter. He tallied a team-high 214 all-purpose yards (135 rush, 10 receiving, 69 kick return).

    "He's a tremendous player. What else can you say? He had a good first outing," UM coach Al Golden said. "I think he's level headed. I think he prepared the same way today as he did last week.

    "I don't follow what the other teams are doing. But I thought Duke's effort should put him in the other realm -- above the rookies. To be able to do that on the road in your first game, he should be compared to anybody in the league, not just the rookies. And I thought Ereck Flowers clearly grading out at 94 percent in your first start, taking 75 snaps is exceptional."

    September 04, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (59)

    Size, speed, moment wasn't too big for UM freshmen

    You've heard it so much now, it's become cliche. 

    Freshmen all across the country are asked what the biggest difference is between high school and their first college game. The responses are usually something like: "The game is a lot faster," or, "The guys are bigger and more physical," or "I've never played in front of so many people before."

    But none of those responses came from the four freshmen I spoke to on Monday: running back Duke Johnson, cornerback Tracy Howard, safety Deon Bush and receiver Malcolm Lewis. About the only thing that really bothered them was the noise.

    "You can't really hear," said Lewis, who was elevated to a starting spot in the team's latest depth chart released Monday after hauling in all four passes thrown his way -- including an 18-yard touchdown catch and run on Saturday.

    "So, you have to know your hands signals. That was kind of a big adjustment. But I pretty much knew them. Since you can't hear the quarterback, you have to watch the ball for the snap. Yeah, everything is faster. But I was pretty much the same to me. I was kind of used to it."

    Howard, Lewis' best friend and former teammate at Miramar High, echoed those sentiments. "Some people told me like it's a different game 'Those boys are going to be big and strong, faster. I mean, not really," Howard said.

    "Sticking those guys were just like sticking guys in high school -- especially in terms of the size. What got me was the crowd noise. It was hard to communicate sometimes. In high school, you could talk, 'Hey watch this, watch that. Watch the slant route.' It's kind of hard to do that in college. A guy could be like 10 yards away from you, but he can't hear you. You have to see those checks with signals. You can't see motion sometimes either. You just got to signal it because it's kind of hard to hear."

    What blew Johnson away? Seeing his mom in the stands -- in Boston.

    "It was something that said 'This is college,'" Johnson said. "It was faster than high school, but really nothing that would blow me away."

    Miami will obviously play in louder stadiums (there were only 39,262 fans at Alumni Stadium last weekend), but at least it's encouraging to see the leaders of UM's 2012 recruiting class and backbone of the future pretty much felt comfortable in their first college game. The moment was overwhelming. But it didn't overwhelm them.

    MORE TIDBITS FROM MONDAY

    > So what did Duke Johnson think about LeBron James' tweeting about him on Saturday? "Surprised. Excited. Everybody kind of laughed," Johnson said. "We just appreciated he took the time out to watch us, tweet about me."

    > Johnson touched the ball 13 times on Saturday between kickoff returns, receptions and carries. Asked if he likes how he is being utilized in Jedd Fisch's offense -- especially in the open field, Johnson smiled. "I enjoyed that very much," he said. "I just like that he's using me in all the ways he can, all the possible ways the offense can. That's good. I like it."

    > While the rest of the world might be surprised at how Johnson exploded in his first game, his teammates aren't. "I was expecting it," Lewis said. "I just wasn't sure when it was going to happen. I didn't know if it would be the first game, but I knew it would be quick. He's too good."

    Said Howard: "Everybody knew it from practice really, but of course people are going to be surprised because that's his first game as a true freshmen. I really wasn't surprised. I already told people he would score two or three times [versus BC]. I've known him since we were young and I know what type of person and player he is. When you are always that humble, you're always going to have success."

    > Howard said he also isn't surprised 12 true freshmen played in the opener. "I knew the guys I was coming in with. I knew the talent we were coming in with. We came in with an urgency that we're not going to be denied, came in competing, ready to play," Howard said. "We talked about it amongst each other. I'm not really too surprised."

    As for the problems in UM's secondary, Howard said: "It could be fixed. It's not really major. It's not like we got beat in man-to-man. It's not like they outplayed us. It was just guys in the wrong spots. That's all it really was. You can't really like get mad at that. It's just the little things we have to fix and the things we know. But the game is going so fast and you got young guys playing, so you expect those things to happen."

    How much zone did UM play? "We ran zone a lot, but towards the end of the game in the fourth quarter we started running a lot man," Howard said.

    September 04, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (28)

    Eddie Johnson, Malcolm Lewis among new starters on Canes depth chart

    UM released a new depth chart this morning in preparation for the Kansas State game on Saturday.

    The biggest changes?

    > True freshman Malcolm Lewis, who scored a touchdown versus Boston College, is now listed among the starters at receiver alongside Phillip Dorsett and Allen Hurns.

    "Just have to keep working hard to maintain it," Lewis said Monday of moving onto the first team.

    > Redshirt freshman Eddie Johnson is now listed as the starter at strongside linebacker ahead of Thurston Armbrister. Miami's defense looked dreadful against BC, giving up more than 500 yards.

    > Junior Seantrel Henderson is now listed as the backup to Ereck Flowers at right tackle. That was obviously expected since he is no longer on the scout team. We'll see how much Henderson plays at Kansas State and if he gets in the rotation. Flowers graded out at 90 percent in his first college start.

    > We have a couple new names as backups at defensive tackle. Jalen Grimble and Earl Moore are now listed behind Darius Smith and Luther Robinson (he was there last week) is listed as the co-backup along with Corey King to Olsen Pierre.

    Click on the link  Download UM FB Depth_Chart 090312

    September 03, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (77)

    Golden: "I have the utmost confidence in how we're running our defense."

    A day after his team won their season opener at Boston College despite giving up 10 acres worth of yards to the Eagles, UM coach Al Golden defended defensive coordinator and close friend Mark D'Onofrio while addressing other issues.

    Ultimately, Golden said the reason Boston College was able to put 441 yards passing on Miami was because there were a lot of blown assignments and poor communication between players, not what D'Onofrio was calling.

    "We had some blown assignments that just led to wide open receivers. It's as simple as that," Golden said. "There are no excuses here. We have to do a better job coaching it. The kids have to do a better job executing it. Give Doug Martin and the BC offense credit. They really did a good job scheme wise and ran off the first 16 plays without us really distorting that all all.

    "But then at the same time I want to give our staff credit for responding. Between play 16 and play 61 they didn't score at all. Hopefully, we can settle down and eliminate some of those mental errors and some of the guys will do a better job with communication..."

    Golden was asked if he believes in the scheme D'Onofrio employed. It seemed to me -- and maybe the rest of the world -- the Hurricanes were sitting back in zone coverage while rushing just three or four linemen each play and not getting to BC quarterback Chris Rettig. D'Onofrio's scheme wasn't the problem, Golden said.

    "Do I believe in it?," Golden said almost miffed at the question. "I know where the question is going. I will just tell you all the explosive plays basically came on blown assignments in man-to-man coverage. Everybody wants us to do this and do that. The bottom line is we have to execute what's called. And clearly, I have the utmost confidence -- not just confidence -- the utmost confidence in how we're running our defense."

    MORE NEWS/NUGGETS FROM LIEUTENANT AL

    > Golden was pleased with how many young players gained experience in Saturday's game. He said 58 of the 65 players that traveled to Boston College got in the game -- including 14 freshmen, 12 of them true freshmen.

    "I'd like to continue make sure everybody has a role in the game and an opportunity to help us," said Golden, who said he played younger teams at Temple in 2007 and 2008. "They played with a lot of energy and a lot of spirit and were competitive. We have to get them a little more poised, a little more calmed down and hopefully get them settled in between Game 1 and Game 2. 

    > No play may have demonstrated the difference between the 2011 Hurricanes and the 2012 version than Duke Johnson's first touchdown run when there was blocking help up and down the field to help him get in the end zone. Golden won't bad mouth last year's team, but he did say this about that 54-yard TD run on Sunday.

    "It's all effort. Clive [Walford] was excellent on that play in terms of his blocking," Golden said. "If you don't care about your teammates and care about conditioning, you're not going to finish plays. Don't forget [Phillip] Dorsett was 45 yards away on the opposite numbers. He and long with Clive led [Johnson] to the end zone. I think [Jonathan] Feliciano -- even though he looked like he was in the HOV lane, he and those guys showed great hustle that they wanted to finish those plays."

    > Duke Johnson finished with 135 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and Golden noted that Johnson would have received more carries if he didn't break a pair of long touchdown runs. That being said, Golden doesn't appear to be eager to make Johnson the only guy who touches the ball in his backfield. The Canes will continue to share the wealth for now.

    "Clearly we want to make sure we get them all touches and we want to be a little more balanced this week in terms of our run/pass ratio as well," Golden said. 

    > As for quarterback Stephen Morris, Golden said the one sack UM allowed was his fault because "Stephen will tell you he should have found his outlet in the flat and he didn't." Golden said there were "other occasions [Morris] could have pulled it down and ran," and that Morris has "got to trust his speed." But overall, Golden said, "Stephen did a great job with the offense."

    > As good as UM looked in its hurry-up offense Saturday, don't start believing the Canes are married to it. "I was just trying to take our greatest advantage and widen that gap. I hope it helped. We stayed in it for quite some time because we felt it was helping, wearing down the defense," Golden said. "But every game plan is different."

    > Don't be surprised if you see more of redshirt freshman linebacker Eddie Johnson. He finished third on the team with five tackles and made a big play by forcing a fumble that was recovered by Ladarius Gunter."Eddie Johnson gets beat and then he hustles down the field and takes the ball away," Golden said. "That is type of the effort we are looking for."

    > True freshman Ereck Flowers impressed Golden in his first college start at right tackle. "Ereck Flowers graded out over 90 percent. I thought he played really well."

    > Safety Deon Bush led all true freshmen on defense with four tackles. Golden said Bush played 30 snaps on defense and 12 snaps on special teams. "I think Deon is making a lot of progress and playing well," Golden said. "So is Rayshawn Jenkins for that matter."

    > Golden counted seven drops by the receivers in the Boston College game and said that was what bothered him the most in his game review on offense. But he is confident that unit will bounce back this week. "I think Rashawn Scott will play better, I know Kendal Thompkins will play better, Malcolm Lewis answered the bell, we will get Dorsett more touches and Davon Johnson did his job," Golden said.

    > After participating mostly on the scout team last week, Golden said Seantrel Henderson will have a chance to compete "with the varsity" for playing time this week.

    > Golden is not anticipating a return for defensive tackle Curtis Porter (appendectomy) this week. That hurts against a good rushing team like Kansas State.

    > Golden reiterated that he is hoping freshman linebacker Raphael Kirby, who had a cast removed from his right leg last week, can return by the Georgia Tech game on Sept. 22.

    September 02, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (139)

    Grading the Canes - Week 1: UM has obvious work to do on defense after BC win

    Enjoy this one. Savor it. Al Golden definitely is and told his team to do the same. 

    His young Hurricanes battled back from a pair of quick upper cuts Saturday afternoon at Boston College and survived 542 yards of offense from a team that finished last in the ACC last year in that department and still won 41-32.

    Duke JohnsonNot bad, especially when you consider seven Canes -- LB Thurston Armbrister, S Kacy Rodgers, CB Thomas Finnie, DL Olsen Pierre, RB Duke Johnson, OT Ereck Flowers and C Shane McDermott -- were all making their first career starts and several others were getting their first real taste of action. Like youth movements? The Canes put eight players on the field who weren't here last year -- including seven true freshmen (Deon Bush, Tracy Howard, Tyriq McCord, Malcolm Lewis, JaWand Blue, Flowers and Johnson).

    Saturday was fun if you bleed orange and green. But the truth is, Golden knows much tougher challenges lie ahead. As talented as those freshmen are UM is going to have to solve major issues on defense moving forward if the good times are going to keep rolling.

    Now, to the first round of grades/observations for the Canes:

    > Play/Player of the Game: True freshman Duke Johnson had three huge plays -- including touchdown runs of 56 and 54 yards -- to spring UM to life and rally them to victory. But the biggest play in my opinion was the two yards he picked up on 4th and 1 and UM down 14-0 left in the 1st quarter. For all the talk about Duke's lack of size, Johnson barreled past three defenders to get the first down. BC was flagged an additional 10 yards for a facemask on the play. If Johnson doesn't stick his nose in there, the flag might not happen. Eduardo Clements scored three plays later to make it 14-7.

    > Offense: A. Hard to find much wrong with what the offense did other than the three big early drops that lead to UM falling behind 14-0 (and a couple of flags on the offensive line that hurt). Allen Hurns, Kendal Thompkins and Rashawn Scott all looked bad early, but Hurns recovered nicely and had a career day at receiver with eight catches for 81 yards. He scored big points with me when he raced over the middle of the field on 3rd and 16 and snagged a 21-yard pass from Stephen Morris on the drive that eventually put UM ahead for good when they were down 23-21. If Hurns doesn't make that catch, maybe game sways a different way. Stephen Morris, meanwhile, was truly fantastic. He scrambled for a couple of big first downs and put several tough balls on the money en route to a 28 of 45 for 207 yards, 1-INT, 1 TD performance. The pick wasn't his fault either. It was Scott's. The offensive line, meanwhile, was stellar. UM ran for 208 yards on the ground and gave Morris plenty of time when he needed it. Morris was sacked just once.

    > Defense: D. No pass rush. No pass defense. And not a lot of good other than three turnovers, Denzel Perryman's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown and a couple stops on 3rd-and-1. We can debate about UM's coverage woes. BC quarterback Chris Rettig threw for 441 yards and two touchdowns. But when nobody breathes on you and you have time to order pizza, bake a cake and plan the rest of your Saturday night before making a pass, how else is the pass defense you are going against supposed to look? UM obviously didn't produce a single sack and there were times when receivers (Alex Amidon 10 catches, 149 yards) had nobody around them. But I believe this all stemmed from the success BC had running the football early for big chunks. The Eagles only finished with 101 yards on 34 attempts (3.0 average), but they ran play action off their early success and kept UM's secondary off balance. Meanwhile, Rettig exposed horrendous coverage by the Canes' linebackers and safeties who always seemed out of position when the quarterback rolled out. Whatever defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio planned in terms of creating a pass rush failed miserably. He's got to devise something new. It's going to obviously take time. But Saturday was a day to forget.

    > Special teams: A. Now you know why punter Dalton Botts is so respected. He took a bad snap right before halftime that could have turned out badly and got it off. He finished with five punts for 40.6 yards including two inside the 20. Miami's return team of Johnson and Phillip Dorsett, meanwhile, put a good enough scare into BC after the first half the Eagles basically refused to kick it to them anymore. The Eagles, meanwhile, never took over possession outside of their 30-yard line following a kickoff or punt. That's good coverage.

    RISING STOCK
    - WR Allen Hurns. Emerged as the go-to-guy when times were tough at receiver.
    - QB Stephen Morris. Coaches were right. He is a lot better. Tremendous arm. Very few mistakes.
    - RT Ereck Flowers. Didn't hear his name for anything bad during the broadcast once. Seantrel Henderson is going to have trouble getting his job back.
    - WR Davon Johnson. Came in with six career catches. Had a huge third down catch down the sideline to pick up a first down. That wins you more chances.

    STOCK SLIPPING
    - S Vaughn Telemaque. He was already getting bushed by true freshman Deon Bush for playing time. He was out of position too often.
    - RB Mike James. He finished with 54 yards on 14 carries (3.9 a carry) and had a couple nice runs. But the Duke arrived Saturday. It's going to be hard for James to take on the lead role with him around.
    - WR Kendal Thompkins. He started after shining in practice all camp. But he dropped at least two balls in the game and finished without a catch. Just disappointing. 
    - Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio. He's a standup guy, a great quote and a good coach. But his defense can't go on like this. 

    September 01, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (127)

    Golden calls win over BC 'Herculean effort' by youngsters

    Coach Al Golden kicked off his second season at UM by playing a boatload of freshmen and pulling off a 41-32 come-from-behind win against Boston College.

    And by the sound of it, he didn't much care that the Eagles put up 541 yards of offense against his defense. He's happy he got out of Chestnut Hill against a team that beat the snot out of his last year with a victory. And you know what, Miami fans should probably be satisfied with that for right now, too. 

    Here is what Golden told WQAM shortly after the win. 

    "We knew it was going to be hard fought," Golden said. "We had a lot of guys playing for the first time -- not just the freshmen. [Phillip] Dorsett, [Rashawn] Scott, Shane McDermott. I can go on down the line, guys playing, shouldering the burden for the first time. [Tight end] Dyron Dye. [Defensive end] Kelvin Cain. [Linebackers] Eddie Johnson [and] Thurston Armbrister. Think about that in addition to the freshmen. Herculean effort to come in here and do that on the road."

    The Hurricanes went to an up tempo offense themselves to and produced 414 yards of offense against a team they could only muster 17 against last year. Golden was obviously pleased with how offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch was able to prepare a lot of new young players in a short amount of time. True freshmen Duke Johnson and Malcolm Lewis each scored for Miami, which saw new starting quarterback Stephen Morris shine as well (28-45, 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT).

    "We're getting there," Golden said. "There's a lot of things we got to clean up from this one. We know that. Just coming out of the media. They focus on the no sacks or the passing yards we're giving up and all that. Just to come him with a win with the way the odds were stacked against us -- it's just huge. So many guys were baptized today and came through for us.

    "Stephen Morris. He runs the show. First thing I came in and gave a lot of credit to the coaches for doing all the things they did in 29 practices with all these guys who have not played. And we basically played an opponent that had everybody coming back, that held us to 14 [points] a year ago. We lost everybody and put 41 up. That's big. Again, we thought we would have an advantage in conditioning against BC because it was 75 [degrees] and not 98 like we've been seeing [in South Florida], 50 percent humidity and not 80 percent humidity. So we just kept with the tempo and I'm glad that we did. I'm glad we had the ability to do that."

    Golden said he liked the fact the team didn't fold down 14-0.

    "We're in better condition. It's going to be tested now Saturday against this Kansas State team in the tempo and the heat and that turf. But we played a lot of guys today and we'll regroup and fix some of the things we didn't do so well," he said. "We opened with a really good opponent on the road in a meaningful game and we're down 14 and the guys didn't flinch.

    "It's one thing to be down 14-0. It's another thing to be down 14-0 when you have an offsides, drop a pass, you have a blown coverage. It looks like the wheels were coming off. They just settled in there. I give a lot of credit to the leadership on the team to hang in there. Was it perfect? No. But man we know where we are right now. It's not like we played somebody and could have won 50-0 and played everybody. We played a lot of guys anyway against a big, strong physical team. This is a big win to go on the road and win with the youngsters we did it with."

    Golden said there were a lot of true freshmen who shined for the Canes Saturday -- not just Johnson.

    "As well as Duke played, I can go on down the line. How many times did you call [right tackle] Ereck Flowers getting beat today? Didn't happen. He was steady," Golden said. "Duke is the same way. He finishes every rep. He's ready for that opportunity today because he's in such great condition, he finishes every rep in practice. You ask him to block, he blocks. You ask him to line up somewhere else, he studies it and prepares. He catches the ball in the backfield and obviously has breakaway speed and great lateral movement.

    "And then how about Malcolm Lewis I got news for the fans out there listening. Malcolm Lewis didn't really practice this week. He had a hamstring. We got a little bit on Wednesday and a little bit more on Thursday. He goes out and does that. Big time.

    UM's defense took the ball away three times despite giving up 30 points. Golden said the interception return for a touchdown by Denzel Perryman was "exactly what he was coached to do on that play."

    "He was in position and he executed," Golden said. "Again, there is going to be a lot that we'll fix and we have time to do that. I just want to enjoy. I want these guys to enjoy it. They worked hard. Since the day after this game a year ago, they went to work. Got stronger and better condition and went out and did that.

    UM performed very well on special teams, returning several kickoffs back for good field position. They also did a good job in coverage. The only hiccup was a bad snap on a punt, that Dalton Botts was still able to get away.

    "All the young guys on their coverage units right now. We don't really have any upperclassmen on those. So, the young guys did a great job there. I can't tell you what happened with the snap [that almost led to trouble on the punt]. That's never happened. That's something we work on every day and it never happens. It wasn't even remotely close to that. I thought it hit the middle guy, but it hit the left guy which I don't understand."

    September 01, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (48)

    Gameday blog: Canes at Boston College

    It's finally Game Day.

    The Miami Hurricanes will be taking on Boston College at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. The game can be seen on either ABC or ESPN2 depending on where you are.

    Our Susan Miller Degnan and Greg Cote are there to cover the game. I will be here at home watching the game on TV like most Hurricanes fans.

    Feel free to participate in our CoverItLive.com chat below. All you need to do is sign in with your email address.

    OPENING DAY STORYLINES

    > The Canes, coming off a 6-6 season and still under investigation by the NCAA, have a really young team coming back from last season. Coach Al Golden said he expected about 14 to 15 true freshmen to see action in this game. In all, UM has 15 freshmen or sophomores listed on the on the depth chart on offense and 18 listed on defense.

    > Right tackle Ereck Flowers and cornerback Tracy Howard could end up becoming the first true freshmen to start in their first college game at UM since 2008 when Jacory Harris and Aldarius Johnson did against Charleston Southern.

    > While the Hurricanes come into the game relatively healthy (only DT Curtis Porter and LB Raphael Kirby are out among those listed on the two deep) Boston College is a little more banged up. Tight end Chris Pantale, who lit UM up last season in BC's 24-17 win at Sun Life Stadium, is among a few Eagles that are out. Tailback Rolandan Finch (foot) is banged up.

    > For more on BC read up here. 

    September 01, 2012 in University of Miami Football | Permalink | Comments (192)

    Game Day! Finally. The Hurricanes are about to get this season rolling. Will it be a happy Saturday night for UM fans?

    Good morning Canes fans.

    Game Day -- love those two words.

    It is an absolutely gorgeous day here in Boston, and I'm sure the Hurricanes are incredibly excited, anxious, nervous -- whatever word fits for whichever player -- about starting the season.

    Last season ended so disappointingly against these same Boston College Eagles.

    I believe UM will take care of business today and win the opener IF:

    * Quarterback Stephen Morris protects the ball first and foremost, and does not throw interceptions. I'm not doing an over-under on picks, which had become a sad tradition among many when Jacory Harris was the quarterback. But how promising would it be if Stephen didn't throw any today and keeps his composure?

    * The UM defensive line can hold up to the physicality that is Boston College's MO.The Eagles rushed 50 times in last season's finale. UM has proven so porous in its run defense the past few seasons that you just know the Eagles will give it a shot. However, BC's top running back, Rolandan Finch (he rushed for 96 yards on 22 carries) has an injured foot and is not expected to see a lot of action today (we'll see about that, too).

    * The UM linebackers tackle the way they've been taught. Sometimes in the first couple of weeks we see a lot of missed tackles.

    * The Hurricanes' running game emerges. With no Lamar Miller, you just have to hope that Mike James is ready to get some yards. If not, we're going to see a lot of Eduardo Clements and Duke Johnson.

    * The offensive line does a decent job.

    Who are you, as fans, most eager to see play today?

    I can't wait to see Duke Johnson, and interested in seeing how Ereck Flowers does at right tackle.  Also looking to see how Deon Bush and Tracy Howard do, if they get in, which I suspect they will. I'm sure a lot of these guys will start out with special teams and then get integrated into the offense or defense.

    Boston College has a lot of injuries, which you never want to see, but helps the Hurricanes.

    Al Golden just wants to win, but a well-played victory would do wonders to start out the season.

    Our Manny Navarro will be blogging live during the game, so be sure to join him!

    Oh yes, people are asking me my prediction for the game. I know I had all those qualifying "ifs'' above, but I do predict a win for Miami today. Don't ask me the score. Who knows?

    SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    September 01, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (32)

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