Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya has the flu, which allowed backup Malik Rosier to take most of the snaps in Thursday's spring practice session.
According to coach Al Golden and offensive coordinator James Coley, Rosier and Vincent Testaverde rose to the challenge.
"Yeah, it was really great -- I mean they really responded,'' Golden said. "Malik I thought ran it today with a lot of poise and precision. We didn't miss a beat there. Great opportunity for him to do what he did... Brad had a little case of the flu Sunday, Monday. We're holding him out and hopefully he'll be back by Saturday.''
Coley of Kaaya: "I think it hit the baseball team, knocked a couple of those guys out and definitely got on a couple of our guys and Brad's one of them. So right now he's on Pedialyte, resting and all that stuff.
"I thought Malik went in there and really looked good. I mean, he really did and he made, you know, there's errors that go on in practice that everybody makes, but he bounced back. He took charge. He made some real big plays with his legs and a couple real good throws. He's [got] a strong arm. He's a gifted athlete. He cares about the game.''
Rosier didn't speak to the media Thursday but did let a couple of us know that instead of traveling with the baseball team today for the ACC weekend series at Wake Forest, he would instead stay back in Coral Gables to participate in the scrimmage -- a wise move. Rosier has been used sparingly as a freshman center fielder in baseball, but he has impressive statistics. He's hitting .600 -- 3 for 5 -- with a home run and 3 RBI in four games.
Coley was asked if having the No. 1 quarterback out can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.
"Of course,'' Coley said, "because you get reps in doing things that really tailors to the next guy. A lot of the stuff that we have in tailors to whoever's the starter or whoever's in that starting role, or a group of guys in that starting role. Brad and Malik are two different guys, so Malik can do a lot of things that Brad can do, but he also brings another element to the game that Brad doesn't bring and you get to work on that a little bit at practice.''
Coley described Rosier as being "not just mobile but being explosive while being mobile. There's a big difference.''
When asked about Testaverde, the soon-to-be-sophomore walk-on who transferred from Texas Tech, Coley said he "took a bunch'' of reps Thursday. "I thought he played well. I still think he's learning the system. There are a lot of things that go into our spring setup. I think sometimes it hurts him a little bit just because there's a lot of extra work going on with other stuff. But I thought he threw some real nice passes there today.''
*** Here's what Coley said he's looking for in Saturday's second scrimmage (again close to the media and the public): "I thought execution was good in the last one. I want to see great execution. I don't want to see self-inflicting penalties or plays. You drive 90 yards and the ball bounces off a guy's helmet that doesn't turn around and it's an interception in the end zone. Or the ball slightly thrown backwards on a receiver just because your'e protecting him from a safety and he kind of closes his eyes and the ball bounces off his shoulders and it's an interception in the end zone.
"We don't want that, right? We don't want turnovers in the red zone. That's kind of what I'm looking at. I'm looking at, 'Hey, now finish the drive.' You know, great job converting third downs along the way. Maybe it was a screen or a big play that got you down there. Now finish the drive. I'm looking for more finish.''
*** Quick Hits
***LB Tyriq McCord (knee) is getting closer to being cleared for practice, Golden said. "It's the bursa sac,'' Golden said. "It ruptured [and] put some fluid in the knee. Our guys have done a great job getting it out of there. They didn't want to put a needle in there, so they're working it out of there and icing it down. His mobility's coming back and his flexibility. So, hopefully, Monday.''
*** DE Al-Quadin Muhammad "is getting better,'' Golden said. "I think the biggest thing with him is he's really studying the game and he's not making the mental errors that he did as a freshman. He's playing faster because of it, so you're seeing that it's because he's got a quiet mind and he's playing with a lot of energy.''
*** Safety Deon Bush will continue to also practice at cornerback, Golden said. "I thought Deon practiced really well today,'' the coach said. "A lot more energy. Communicating well. Had a purpose about him. And he's mature enough to do both.''
*** Left tackle Jahair Jones, a 6-4, 335-pound junior-college transfer, was flattened in a one-on-one drill by defensive end Demetrius Jackson, a rising redshirt freshman who is a 6-5, 250-pounder out of Miami Booker T. Washington High.
Golden said Jackson has "gotta keep coming. Quan [Muhammad] is a guy who hasn't made many mental errors and Trent [Harris] has really not been a mental error guys since he got here. He's gotta challenge them off the field in terms of study, film study and learning the defense and then just keep coming on the field. He's going to be fine. I really like Demetrius.''
*** Former UM center Tyler Horn, whose last season was Golden's first in 2011, was among the former players who visited practice Thursday. Horn is a sales rep for Shadowman, a "moving tackling dummy so you can practice on the open field year round with or without pads,'' said Horn, who grew up in Memphis and now lives with his wife in Cape Coral.
Horn said 29 FBS schools, including Oregon, Oklahama, Notre Dame and Clemson, use the Shadowman dummies, which each weigh 40 pounds. The bottom, inner-tube-like portion is filled with air and attached to a harness that fits around the player. The tall, dummy portion fits inside the inner-tube device and moves upon getting smacked, preventing concussions and other injuries.
Cost: $950 for one and $2,400 for three.
*** Tailback Joe Yearby is still soft-spoken off the field, but he has become louder, "tougher,'' he said, and more aggressive on it. Yearby, who will be a sophomore in 2015, demonstrated his leadership Thursday by smacking an offensive guard "to get him going.
"Just to let him know that we've got to go. I don't remember who it was,'' Yearby said while laughing. "I think he missed a block or made a wrong block or something."
Yearby said he's "a little louder'' and "tougher'' because of former Hurricane Duke Johnson's absence. "I talk aggressive just to get everybody [going] so they can know what they're doing and what they've got to do.
"Duke was the voice of the offense. I feel like I have to be the voice of the offense now that he's gone.''
SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN
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