Eye on the U

Video, plus Al Golden's post-game comments after the FSU loss

UM coach Al Golden's post-game's comments after the Florida State loss.

On the decision to start Stephen Morris...
"I thought it looked better on Friday than clearly it did on Thursday. Until you see him go out there and run around and actually stress it like he did in pregame, we were uncertain. I don’t regret playing Stephen in this game. I thought he gives us the best chance to win the game, and we didn’t get it done."

On keeping the game close until the fourth quarter...
"I thought we played hard. I thought we coached hard, I thought we played hard, and we lost to a good team. That’s it. We lost to a team that is ahead of us right now. We have to develop our guys and recruit some more and keep working, and don’t make any excuses. They’re a better team right now. We had opportunities that we did not convert. They did - hats off to them. Clearly they have an excellent pass rush and got to our quarterback, and we’re not doing the same on the other end. We’re not getting to the quarterback in four, and obviously we let [EJ] Manuel out too many times.

"They wore us down a little bit because we weren’t converting on third down on offense. I think we were 25 percent for the day, had to keep giving the ball back and we just couldn’t hold up. Then it turned into a field position game. Just too many opportunities - too many catches down field we didn’t make, too many interceptions we didn’t finish, and obviously an onside kick that we couldn’t get a better look than we got, and to not convert it is a shame."

On the timeout situation at the end of the first half...
"There was a lot of confusion obviously. I knew they had one timeout left, so that was their answer for the 10-second run-off, and then they said it was the half so I lost half my team. Obviously I wasn’t worried about that, but if we’re in the situation where it’s the final kick of the half, we’d like to get Seantrel [Henderson] and Malcolm [Bunche] and our big people in there. Just so much confusion.

On the performance of the offense...
"We just have to keep getting better. We’re playing a lot of good teams. We certainly have to be more efficient - that’s fair. We have to do a better job on third down, I don’t think there’s any question about that. We have to make some plays on the ball. We had some chances downfield, where we have to make those catches. We just have to take a deep breath. It’s been a long 12 weeks against a really tough schedule playing a lot of young guys. We need to take a deep breath, get healed up and see where we’re at over the next couple days. See if we want to practice at all or if we won’t, we’ll see, and then get ready for Virginia Tech."

On Duke Johnson’s injury...
"I have no idea to be honest with you. I couldn’t even tell you what it is. I was told he was out. I think they x-rayed him, that’s all I know.

On the importance of the bye week...
"It’s critical. We’re hanging on by a thread. We need time off. Brutal schedule, eight weeks in a row, young team. We need time off."

On the defensive momentum during the game...
"I think we got worn out a little bit. You have to keep pace with them and you have to convert on third down. We weren’t making the plays. Clearly they’re rotating three backs in there and they wore us down a little bit in the fourth quarter. We probably needed another takeaway, we had opportunities. They’re throwing the ball into Cover 2 for 30- or 40- yard gain and it should be an interception. We have to come through and make a play there.

"As I said to the team, give Florida State a lot of credit. They’re a very good team right now. They’re deep, and that’s okay. We know what we need to do. They’re ahead of us right now. We need to buckle down and get better. We need to develop our current team and we need to add to it."

On the team’s fast start...
"I think it was a better feel - I think that’s fair. The last two times we’ve played at this level, we didn’t look the same – Kansas State and Notre Dame. It’s fair to say it was a different look, a different feel, a different focus. I can say honestly that’s what I told the staff last night and that’s what I told the team. It did feel different. Just disappointing we didn’t convert on a couple more opportunities to give ourselves a chance. I’m disappointed in that. We have to get back to work there. I’ve been saying it all year we have a long way to go as a team. Are we competing? Yes. Do we execute all the time? No. We had some costly penalties and we had some costly errors in the game and that’s on me. I have to get that fixed."

Gameday blog: Canes vs. Florida State

It's time for another edition of Florida State-Miami. The 12th-ranked Seminoles (6-1, 3-1 ACC) come in three touchdown favorites over the Canes (4-3, 3-1) here at Sun Life Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game can be seen on ABC.

No CoverItLive chat tonight since we are on tight deadlines. But feel free to follow Manny Navarro, Susan Miller Degnan and our FSU writer Patrik Nohe on Twitter for updates from the game.

Fans are encouraged to participate in discussion on the blog during the game.

Game Day! The crowd will be rockin' tonight at Sun Life Stadium for FSU Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes

Finally we'll have a game this season at Sun Life Stadium that feels like a big-time college football rivalry. 

And it is.

FSU Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes -- always a packed house and great time, even if the results of late have left UM fans reeling.

The Seminoles, last I checked, were three-touchdown favorites over the Canes. Wow. The pressure should be on FSU, though I really believe that UM has plenty of it, too, in defending its house and attempting to reverse the slide. Even if Miami loses this game, it can still go on to win the Coastal and qualify for the ACC championship game. 

But think how amazing a win would be for this program. 

Something to ponder: 

* FSU played its first four games at home in Tallahassee, and has only played two games on the road -- USF in Tampa and NC State in Raleigh, N.C. In those games, the 'Noles scored 20 points and 16 (in their only loss), respectively.

Here's some game information for fans:

*FREE POSTER FOR FIRST 10,000

The 1987 national champion Hurricanes will be honored during tonight's Homecoming game, and a free poster of that team will be available for free. There are 10,000 of those posters available. Fans can pick up poster throughout the Fan Zone at Sun Life Stadiu inside the Grand Plaza. Also, the posters will be available at the Miami Herald subscription tables inside the stadium.

* STUDENT BUS SCHEDULE

Buses will leave UM's campus from the BankUnited Center and will begin departing three hours prior to kickoff.

 *PARKING

Parking lots will open two hours earlier Saturday. All lots will open at 2 p.m. Preferred tailgate lots (3, 5A) will open at 1 p.m.

*GATES

All stadium gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Patrons will be wanded for security purposes as they enter the stadium.

*TICKETS

Tickets still remain for the game. Ticket offices at Sun Life Stadium will open at 4 p.m. at Gates B, D, F and H. Ticket/media will call will open at 4 p.m. at Gate H.

*HURRICANE WALK

Canes fans can partake in the walk by forming a human tunnel from Gate H (southwest corner of Sun LIfe Stadium) to Gate A. Make sure you're at Gate H by 6 p.m. if you want to watch the Canes players and coaches and band and spirit squads make their way through your tunnel.

 Have fun tonight and be safe.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Booker T. linebacker Matthew Thomas likes UM's depth chart situation, but FSU appears to have inside track

Booker T. Washington senior Matthew Thomas showed up to school Wednesday wearing a Hurricanes hat.

That shouldn't surprise anyone when you consider the 6-4, 210-pound outside linebacker grew up rooting for the Hurricanes and idolizing Ray Lewis.

"But just because you like a team doesn't mean you should go play for them," Thomas is quick to point out. "You got to average everything out, weigh your options and see what is best for you and your family."

Truth is, the Florida State Seminoles appear have the inside track on Miami-Dade's top 2013 recruit. Thomas has an older brother, Jonathan, who goes to school in Tallahassee. He also has grown extremely tight with FSU assistant coach James Coley (a Miami native). Coley is also close friends with Booker T. coach Tim "Ice" Harris, whom Al Golden has maintained a good relationship with even though he didn't ask Harris to stick around at UM when he took over for Randy Shannon.

Are the Hurricanes completely out of it for Thomas? "No. Not in the least," he says.

Thomas said Wednesday UM and FSU are his top two schools with Alabama a close third (he likes their depth chart situation). But a big win by Florida State Saturday night (the Seminoles are three touchdown favorites) could go a long way in further pushing Thomas towards Tallahassee. Same with a lot of other local 2013 and 2014 recruits, whom the Seminoles have been hot and heavy on for awhile, and will be at Sun Life Stadium to watch Saturday's game in person.

"To be honest, Miami is in good shape as far as recruiting me," Thomas said. "I got a good relationship with Coach Barrow. He keeps it straightforward, keeps it real. He talks about how things are going to benefit me and how he can help me because he's been through it himself and done it.

"I could see myself in their plans and stuff. Coach Barrow talks a lot about how he needs linebackers and how some of their linebackers have been injured and how they've got a walk-on playing. He said I can come in and compete for a job right away. I think honestly the best place for me to play early is Miami. FSU's got a couple guys that are leaving and they got a couple guys committed at my same position, so that's a little bit of a drawback. But this is also more than just about playing time. I want to win a national championship. Everybody does, and right now Alabama seems like the best place for that."

Thomas said his mother, who works as a housekeeper, wants him to stay close to home. His father, whom he doesn't live with, is also pushing the Hurricanes. But the fact Thomas has a brother living in Tallahassee makes him feel comfortable about leaving home, too.

"We talk about going to Florida State, doing stuff together," Thomas said. "They definitely got a lot of love for me up there."

Do the pending NCAA sanctions at Miami play a factor for Thomas at all?

"Yeah I think about it," Thomas said. "People talk about it. But the stuff that happened, it's going to fly by. They're still going to be the University of Miami. If they got some stuff taken away from them, they'll eventually come back. So I'm not too much worried about it."

Thomas, who says he doesn't plan to make his announcement until National Signing Day, said what he plans on paying attention to Saturday night is how both teams respond to adversity and how coaches really utilize their players in schemes.

"In the end, what's going to matter most is how comfortable I really am with the coaches," Thomas said. "I'd also like to play right away and get my full experience of college as much as I can. So those two things."

> Thomas' teammate Denver Kirkland, also a high priority for UM and FSU, said he also is excited about attending Saturday's game at Sun Life Stadium. Kirkland, a 6-4, 330-pound right tackle and excellent run blocker, said he and many of his 2014 Booker T. teammates -- QB Treon Harris, WR Lamar Parker -- will be at the game.

"FSU is a great program, great football team. They just catch my attention in different ways," Kirkland said. "Miami is just a regular school I grew up off of. I saw a lot of great players come out of there."

Kirkland, who said he has a 2.9 GPA and scored a 22 on the ACT, said his other finalists are Ole Miss, USC, West Virginia and South Florida.

"Matthew and I are trying to go to the same school, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen," he said.

FSU INFILTRATION

If you look at it, it's pretty remarkable what the Seminoles are doing in South Florida in terms of recruiting over the next two years. Not only are they in hard on Thomas and Kirkland, but they've already got the No. 1-ranked player in Dade in the Class of 2014 Miami Central running back Joseph Yearby all wrapped up.

FSU, which already has three Top 25 commitments from Dade and Broward as part of its 2013 class (Chaminade CB Adrian Baker, Booker T. CB Michael Johnson and Columbus WR Jesus Wilson -- UM didn't offer any), is also hot and heavy on at least three South Florida-area UM commitments according to Chris Nee, who covers FSU and statewide recruiting for 247sports.com.

Those players are: South Plantation star running back Alex Collins, Miami Northwestern safety Artie Burns and Delray Beach Atlantic defensive tackle Keith Bryant. FSU had Collins up on official visit last weekend according to Nee. They are working on getting Bryant up for an official visit as well, Nee said.

Of course there are also quite a few uncommitted seniors and underclassmen FSU is also trying to impress like Oakland Park Northeast receiver Stacy Coley. Coley and Collins are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 among the senior class in Broward by The Miami Herald. Kirkland is ranked fourth in Dade, teammate Michael Johnson (FSU commitment) is sixth and Burns is the seventh-ranked senior in Dade.

FSU's 2014 class also includes Coral Reef receiver Jacob McCrary (No. 4), Northwestern two-way star JoJo Robinson (No. 7) and South Dade receiver C.J. Warton (No. 8). The Semionles are also pushing hard for top juniors Ermon Lane (No. 3), a standout receiver at Homestead, Booker T. defensive end Chad Thomas (No. 6) and UM commitment Trevor Darling, a 6-5, 300-pound offensive tackle from Miami Central who is rated the 10th-best junior in Dade.

"FSU knows the importance of recruiting down here," said Charles Fishbein of South Florida-based Elite Scouting Services. "Just look at their roster now. Half their secondary -- Xavier Rhodes (Norland) and Lamarcus Joyner (Aquinas) -- are from down here. Their top two receivers -- Rashad Greene (Aquinas) and Rodney Smith (Archbishop Carroll) -- are too. If Miami were to lose out on some of those kids here in their backyard like Collins, Thomas, Kirkland it would definitely hurt them."

QB Stephen Morris listed as doubtful for FSU in latest Canes' injury report

UM's latest injury report is out and quarterback Stephen Morris is listed as doubtful.

The Canes starting quarterback was at practice Wednesday and threw "stationary" according to UM coach Al Golden. But Morris was also spotted and filmed by reporters dropping back and throwing passes. 

Golden said Wednesday Morris' ankle was still very swollen. Ryan Williams has practiced as the starter all week in preparation for FSU. His backup is expected to be freshman Preston Dewey.

There were no surprises or new players listed on the injury reported.

Listed as out for the season following surgery: LB Ramon Buchanan, WR Malcolm Lewis, LS Sean McNally and offensive tackle Ben Jones.

Last week, Jones was simply listed as out for the North Carolina game. Apparently, he had surgery this week and is now done for the season. Jones, a fifth-year senior, played in three games this season, starting against North Carolina State. He injured his knee against the Wolfpack and never returned.

UM Hall of Fame to add seven new members in 2013 including Ken Dorsey

Quarterback Ken Dorsey and center Brett Romberg -- key members of Miami’s 2001 national champion football team -- highlight the seven-member Class of 2013 that will be inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame next April.

Other inductees include: Ed Contreras (baseball, 1957-59), Bryan Gillooly (diving, 1994-98), Norm Parsons (administration / coaching, 1972-2012), Don Soldinger (coach, 1984-88 & 1995-2006) and Jay Tessmer (baseball, 1994-95).

With the addition of the seven newest members the Sports Hall of Fame will increase to 274 honorees. The newest class will be inducted April 11 at the 43rd annual UM Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which will be held at Jungle Island.

> Contreras led the Canes in home runs and RBI in each of his three seasons (19 HR, 67 RBI in 77 games) and also led the team in batting in 1958 (.316) and 1959 (.310). He left Miami as the school’s single-season and career home runs leader and he still holds the UM career slugging percentage record (.615) for under 300 at bats.

> Dorsey quarterbacked the Hurricanes to their fifth national championship in 2001 and was named MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl. He was a 2002 All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The 2001 and 2002 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, Dorsey set eight UM career records, including total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and attempts. He is the winningest quarterback in program history (38-2) and he won the 2001 Maxwell Award as the top player in college football.

> Gillooly was a two-time NCAA diving champion, winning the 10-meter platform title in 1996 and the 3-meter springboard in 1998. He was a 12-time All-American, garnering the honor in the 1- and 3-meter springboards, and the 10-meter platform in each of his four years at Miami (1995-98). He was also named the 1996 NCAA Diver of the Year and was a BIG EAST Academic All-Star in 1996-97. Gillooly was a finalist at the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials.

> Parsons, who served as the women’s golf coach from 1973-78 and men’s golf coach from 1980-88, coached the women’s golf team to the 1977 and 1978 AIAW national championships. He served UM as Director of the Herbert Wellness Center (1996-present), Director of Campus Sports and Recreation (1977-96), and Intramural Director (1972-73) among other positions. He coached current UMSHoF members Cathy Morse, Woody Austin and Nathaniel Crosby.

> Romberg was a consensus All-American and Rimington Award winner as the nation’s best center in 2002. He was a first-team All-BIG EAST selection in 2001 and 2002, while never allowing a sack in his time as the Hurricanes center. Miami went 35-2 in his 37 consecutive starts at center, helping lead the Canes to the 2001 national title and three BIG EAST titles.

> Soldinger was the linebackers and tight ends coach for Jimmy Johnson from 1984-88 and was the running backs and special teams coach under coaches Butch Davis and Larry Coker from 1995-2006. He was on the 1987 and 2001 national championship coaching staffs; he also coached six of the seven Miami running backs that rushed for 1,000 yards in a season (Willis McGahee, Edgerrin James – twice, Clinton Portis, Danyell Ferguson, Frank Gore and James Jackson). In his 16 seasons as a Hurricanes assistant coach, Miami won 158 games.

> Tessmer was a first-team Collegiate Baseball All-American in 1995 after collecting 20 saves – tied for second-most in school history – and posting a 1.31 ERA to lead Jim Morris’ squad to the College World Series. He finished second nationally in Division I with a 1.16 ERA in 1994, while his career 1.24 ERA ranks second in school history. He holds the UM record for fewest walks per 9 innings (1.42 average) and has the second-most appearances by a pitcher in a season (45 in 1995). Tessmer finished his career fifth with 23 saves and played professionally for the New York Yankees.

Re-focused freshman cornerback Tracy Howard confident his time to shine will come

When Tracy Howard announced on National Signing Day he wanted to be a Hurricane, the All-American cornerback didn't mention anything about coming in as a freshman and being content with sitting on the bench.

UM coach Al Golden shares a hug with freshman cornerback Tracy Howard after the Boston College game.

"I'm not really a guy who is going to talk and say I'm going to start. It's up to me to produce," Howard said moments after the ink dried on his signed national letter of intent back in February. "But do I feel like I'm going to produce and show out, compete and work hard? Yes, I do. And if I do that I'm going to start."

Despite earning a coveted black jersey (worn by starters) on the fifth day of training camp, Howard still hasn't won a starting job at Miami in his first season.

In fact, since getting in for 100 combined snaps in UM's first three games, Howard has seen his playing time dwindle. After not playing at all on defense in UM's fourth game of the season at Georgia Tech (defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said he didn't want his young players to get thrown off by an option offense), Howard has played just roughly 40 combined snaps over his last three games.

Why the reduction in playing time? UM coach Al Golden has never provided specifics, saying simply on Sunday that Howard "hit a wall" and has now started to respond in the past couple weeks.

Truth is, there were a couple layers to that wall.

First, between his disappointment of not being able to earn a starting job and the frustration of seeing his playing time get reduced, Howard admitted Wednesday he lost focus and confidence.

In the end, Howard also ended up exchanging words with his coordinator. "It was nothing disrespectful," Howard told The Miami Herald. "Just a coach and a player talking football."

Whatever that conversation turned out to be in the end, Howard has responded the way D'Onofrio has wanted him to over the last couple weeks. D'Onofrio said Monday Howard has "been dialed in" and has made a commitment to practicing better, particularly the last two weeks.

And that's ultimately why Howard got in for 20 snaps last Saturday against North Carolina (more than he had in his previous two games). Howard responded by making an impressive tackle on Tar Heels running back Gio Bernard near the Canes' sideline -- one of his five tackles on the season.

"I wasn't all the way locked in," Howard said when asked what Golden meant when he said he had 'run into a wall.'

"I was just coming out and playing with talent. Talent isn't really enough. You have to work on the little things - simple things like having your eyes on your luggage, keeping your eyes on keys, just real small things I had to pick up, things preventing me from being the starter off the bat. But I think I've picked it up. I think everything is going to get flowing."

At Miramar High, Howard earned a reputation for being a hard worker, who studied lots of film and prepared himself for every opportunity. He was tabbed by almost every recruiting outlet as the nation's No. 1 high school cornerback because of that -- and because of what he did during his career for the Patriots, finishing with 18 interceptions in three varsity seasons.

Howard said freshman safety Deon Bush, who has made four starts and is tied for eighth on the team with 24 tackles, has helped keep him centered through his struggles this season.

"Me and Deon are the best of friends," Howard said. "He's told me just put your head down, pray and keep chopping away."

Howard (5-11, 185) said although this season hasn't panned out exactly the way he's wanted it to for himself, he's going to continue to work to earn a starting job.

"I know in my heart one day my time is going to come and I'll make the best of my opportunity," Howard said. "Everything will be just like high school all over again."

Asked if he's considered leaving UM at all because he hasn't played as much as maybe he would like or thought he would, Howard responded: "No. No way."

"This is my hometown, my team, my city," Howard said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Live chat: Canes Q&A with Manny Navarro

Send your questions in now. You can post them below in the blog, the Cover It Live chat, or send them directly to me on Twitter @Manny_Navarro. I have an interview scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will end the live portion of the chat then. But I will be back later to answer any questions posted before 3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY P.M. QB UPDATE: UM Canes QB Stephen Morris already practicing for #FSU - #UM game -- limited, but making a lot of progress.

Morning has given way to afternoon.

And it's a good one for University of Miami football fans, who are awaiting the most fun game of the season: FSU.

Miami quarterback Stephen Morris, who sprained his left ankle during Saturday's North Carolina game, was out there this morning, practicing on Greentree Field -- though Coach Al Golden, who we just talked to, is definitely downplaying the situation.

Golden indicated Morris was very limited, and that all he did was throw the ball. He said he couldn't drop back -- but he did drop back-- repeatedly -- and fired the ball in the 15 minutes we watched.

He was wearing the exact same practice uniform that backup Ryan Williams wore. His left ankle was not visibly wrapped, but you can bet it was wrapped under his white sock. He stayed during the whole practice, I was told, helping Ryan Williams in the huddle and encouraging his teammates.

 So, what we saw was Stephen practicing his drop-back steps, then releasing the ball to receivers. When I saw him, he was alternating his throws to Kendal Thompkins and Rashawn Scott. And, as usual, he was zipping the ball with velocity.

When the horn sounded, Morris jogged to the rest of his teammates, who had gathered to start the more intense part of practice, and we left.

Golden: "He just threw stationary. It's not a situation where he can drop yet or plant,'' Golden said. "Ryan [Williams] took all the reps. [Third-team QB] Preston [Dewey] took some as well. Again, we're moving forward with Ryan and we'll see if Stephen can in these last 72 hours do something.

"I'm not surprised that he could just stand there and throw.''

Golden was asked, ''Encouraging that he's out here, vs. not even being out there at all?"

Golden: "Yes.'

The coach said he's still swollen, though I had heard they've made progress in that area and that the swelling had subsided quite a bit yesterday. "He's in a boot if he's not here,'' Golden said. "He's back inside getting some treatment and he'll continue to do that.''

One thing we know for sure is that those FSU defenders are going to be flocking to the quarterback Saturday. We also know that Stephen Morris is a warrior.

"He's always a guy who heals from injuries quick,'' said running back Eduardo Clements. "That's the type of quarterback and leader he is. He never wants us to see him down.''

That's all for now.

By the way, unfortunately, we don't have any access tomorrow or Friday.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

Will he play or won't he? Doubtful or Probable? The Stephen Morris mystery.

Will he play or won't he?

Doubtful or probable?

During his weekly press conference Tuesday, UM coach Al Golden wouldn't indicate one way or another whether Stephen Morris, who sprained his left ankle Saturday against UNC, would play against Florida State Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.

"Game-time'' decision, Golden said.

Morris again did not practice Tuesday, and is not expected to practice Wednesday, Golden said. The coach said the earliest he would even attempt to practice -- obviously, if he is able -- would be Thursday.

Here's what Golden said about Morris: "He didn't practice today. And he probably won't practice tomorrow. I think at the earliest we'll have a shot to do anything would be Thursday -- I mean at the earliest. And you're talking not pocket stuff, just 7-on-7 and things of that nature. We've got a long way to go.

"I would have to classify him as a game-time [decision] right now. So, I don't know what that would mean in terms of our ACC [injury] report. Doubtful maybe if it came out Thursday. We'll see. Probably, doubtful --one of those.

"Ryan did a great job today. He threw the ball well, practiced really well, made all the throws. We're excited about him. We don't have really two separate game plans going in. Ryan ran the whole thing and Preston Dewey backed him up today, because I knew that question was coming. So we're proceeding like that. If Stephen's healthy, we'll give it a shot.''

How do you make that final decision?

"Just how he feels. They both are preparing, they both have got to get ready. Stephen is more mental right now; Ryan is more physical, taking the reps with the ones. I'm not going to put Stephen out there if he is not healthy enough to execute. It wouldn't be fair to the team and it wouldn't be fair to Ryan. I want to make sure we're all preparing throughout the week and see how it shakes out.''

Golden's take on Ryan Williams: "He's got a great pocket presence. He's got vision in the pocket. He really has nice touch on the ball. The one thing that he does well [is] he's got a good mind; he's got good touch on second-level throws -- level two throws -- incuts, deep overs to corner routes, things of that nature. And he's long. He's not afraid to stay in the pocket and use his vision and his ability to release it high.

 If you read my story in today's paper you'll remember that Stephen sprained that same ankle THREE DAYS before the Sun Bowl in El Paso in late December, 2010. And it was a bad sprain, at that. Then, after Jacory Harris threw three interceptions in his first seven passes, Stephen came in as a freshman and was impressive, despite a hurt ankle in the bitter cold. Per my story: Morris’ numbers that day in UM’s 33-17 loss to Notre Dame: 22 of 33 for 282 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. He even rushed on the bad ankle four times for 22 yards.

Today, Golden elaborated on how UM's initial goal is to win the Coastal Division, because that's the "way out'' to get a 50-percent shot of making it to a BCS game. With that in mind, I asked Golden,

"Can you talk about the fine line between deciding to let Stephen start knowing he might not be 100-percent healthy and having him sit out Saturday which gives him another week or more before your Coastal game with Va Tech?"

Golden's response:  "I’m not going to have that conversation with Stephen in terms of ‘Stephen, should we sit you out this game?’ If you want to have that with him, go right ahead. I mean, that’s not going to go very well.

 "I [understand]. But we all only get so many shots at this. He deserves an opportunity if he’s healthy. I’m not going to ask him to sit out Florida State for any game, to be honest with you. If he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go. If you see Stephen out there it’s because he’s ready to go. It’s not because I’m making him go, or he wants to go. It’s because he’s ready to go, and he can execute at the level we need him to execute in that game. That’s it. If he’s not, then that question is answered."

 So, if Stephen is ready to go, someone asked Golden, then he starts the game if he hasn’t practiced this week?

 "I can’t say that right now. We’re so far away from that. We’re just trying to get Ryan and Preston ready. I’m just trying to project for you guys. We’re not having the same conversations here. In terms of us, we’re getting Ryan and Preston ready. If tomorrow he looks better and can do something we’ll let him do something. If he looks a little better on Thursday. But he couldn’t do anything today, and we’ll see. As I said, it’s not a high-ankle sprain, so we know it’s not going to be a long time like Denzel’s was. But it’s swollen. It’s significant. I know he’s tough. I know that."

 My gut is that Stephen will play. But honestly, I have NO idea how bad his ankle is and how painful it is. He was seen by a couple reporters walking into the weight room today, and apparently wasn't limping. Let's see tomorrow what happens, because I think this situation can change quickly. Maybe Ryan starts and Stephen comes in... Maybe Stephen starts and Ryan comes in...

Tomorrow is the last day we have access at UM, so we'll get back to you then.

Until then, please chime in. I know this isn't a Coastal game, but to me, FSU is a very important game -- for all kinds of reasons. I think the coaches will treat it that way.

One more thing: Golden confirmed today that Duke Johnson has turf toe, but said he seems to be getting better daily. Turf toe can be a long-term problem. Hopefully it's not with Duke. He's too valuable to this team, and too fun to watch.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/16/3051768/ryan-williams-ready-to-be-the.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UM Canes depth chart just released for FSU game: At QB, it says Stephen Morris OR Ryan Williams

Good morning,

   On my way out to practice, but before I go, here's the UM depth chart for Saturday's FSU game. As I'm sure you know by now, things can change -- and they sometimes do.

 

    But following the loss to North Carolina, here's what coaches came up with.

    Note that it says Stephen Morris OR Ryan Williams at quarterback. Last night Al Golden told us he was going into the game thinking Ryan was "the guy.''

    Some other changes:

   Defensively, Denzel Perryman has moved from the middle to the outside, where he played last season as a freshman. Eddie Johnson still has a firm hold on the other outside spot, which has been the strong side for him. The middle linebacker spot is now listed with a double OR: Gionni Paul OR Jimmy Gaines OR Raphael Kirby. Especially impressive for Kirby, a freshman who has nine tackles in only two games played.

    Also on defense, Deon Bush is now ahead of A.J. Highsmith at one safety spot, with Kacy Rodgers ahead of Vaughn Telemaque OR Rayshawn Jenkins at the other spot. I feel for Telemaque, a fifth-year senior who we thought would break out this season. He's had injury issues, but the youngsters have passed him for the time being.

     The starting D-line has stayed the same.

     On offense, Mike James is now alone in the top spot at running back, ahead of the injured Duke Johnson (toe). James had a career day Saturday, and is doing well this season.

     At right tackle, Seantrel Henderson and Ereck Flowers have an OR between their names.

   Check @smillerdegnan for news from practice later.

OFFENSE
WR	80	Rashawn Scott	6-2	190	So.
	86	Herb Waters	6-2	185	Fr.
LT	79	Malcolm Bunche	6-7	325	RSo.
	64	Hunter Wells	6-4	300	RFr.
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.
	63	Danny Isidora	6-4	320	Fr.
RT	77	Seantrel Henderson -OR-	6-8	340	Jr.
	74	Ereck Flowers	6-6	314	Fr.
TE	46	Clive Walford	6-4	250	RSo.
	49	Dyron Dye	6-5	255	RJr.
	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 -OR-	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 -OR-	5-10	182	RSr.
	6	Robert Lockhart Jr.	6-1	188	Fr.
WR	1	Allen Hurns	6-3	192	Jr.
	24	Davon Johnson	6-0	188	Sr.

 

 

 

  

DEFENSE
DE	71	Anthony Chickillo	6-4	262	So.
	90	Ricardo Williams  -OR-	6-5	240	RFr.
	99	Jelani Hamilton	6-5	271	Fr.
DT	67	Corey King	6-1	295	RFr.
	72	Earl Moore	6-1	300	Fr.
	66	Dequan Ivery	6-1	303	Fr.
DT	91	Olsen Pierre	6-4	300	So.
	93	Luther Robinson  -OR-	6-3	288	RJr.
	98	Darius Smith	6-2	315	Sr.
DE	51	Shayon Green	6-3	260	RJr.
	17	Tyriq McCord	6-3	236	Fr.
OLB	44	Eddie Johnson	6-1	238	RFr.
	34	Thurston Armbrister	6-3	222	So.
MLB	36	Gionni Paul -OR-	6-0	218	So.
	59	Jimmy Gaines -OR-	6-3	230	Jr.
	56	Raphael Kirby	6-0	218	Fr.
OLB	52	Denzel Perryman	6-0	229	So.
	34	Thurston Armbrister	6-3	222	So.
	31	Tyrone Cornileus	6-2	210	Jr.
CB	37	Ladarius Gunter	6-2	198	So.
	3	Tracy Howard -OR-	5-11	185	Fr.
	20	Thomas Finnie	5-10	183	So.
S	2	Deon Bush	6-1	190	Fr.
	30	AJ Highsmith	6-0	202	RJr.
S	22	Kacy Rodgers II	6-2	210	Jr.
	7	Vaughn Telemaque -OR-	6-2	204	RSr.
	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	61	Paul Kelly	6-1	262	RSr.
	59	Jimmy Gaines	6-3	230	Jr.
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

    

    

    

X-rays negative on Stephen Morris' left ankle, not ruled out vs. FSU yet; Williams expected to start

UM coach Al Golden told reporters moments ago x-rays performed on the left ankle of starting quarterback Stephen Morris were negative for a fracture and that he has a sprain.

"It's not a high ankle sprain -- that's the [bad] one," Golden said.

Golden said the team will go into this week preparing as if backup Ryan Williams will be the starter against Florida State, but wouldn't rule Morris out just yet. Golden said Williams' backup right now is unclear. He said freshmen Preston Dewey and Gray Crow have not separated themselves yet.

"I don't think I can imagine a scenario where we're not going to try to beat Florida State," Golden said when asked if the team would try to sit Morris this week since a loss to FSU wouldn't impede Miami's chances of winning the Coastal Divisin. "Our kids deserve everything we've got to win this next game."

Golden said having Williams make his first start for UM against the 10th-ranked Seminoles would obviously be a huge challenge. But Golden said it would be a huge task "no matter who is playing quarterback for us."

"We'll assess [Morris' health] as the week unfolds, but going we're going in with it thinking Ryan is going to be the guy," Golden said. "Ryan's very bright and took a lot of reps in the spring. He'll have to rely on that now.

As far as the backup quarterback position is concerned, Golden said: "Preston obviously was ahead of Gray earlier in the season. Gray has responded the last two weeks. We're really going to have to evaluate those two -- they're body of work over the course of the season and where they are at mentally and who would be ready for this opportunity should it arise."

MORE TIDBITS FROM SUNDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

> Golden on winning time of possession for the first time this season vs. UNC: "I would trade some of that time of possession for some explosive plays in the game in terms of a couple passes that would have helped us score."

> As far as the Hurricanes defense is concerned, Golden saw improvement and said the reason the Canes played better in the second half versus North Carolina (173 yards, 3 points) was because they got better play from their defensive tackles Earl Moore, Corey King and Olsen Pierre and corners Ladarius Gunter and Tracy Howard. He also praised the play of freshman safety Deon Bush. 

"We still left too many plays out there," Golden said. "We need to continue to work to improve that. We're still not exact in too many places, but we did a good job on third down. I think we held them to 50 percent in the red zone. We wanted to win those two areas. But we never got any deflected passes and batted balls. If they're going to sit there in shotgun and throw quickly, you got to get some batted balls and we didn't get the takeaways other than Eddie [Johnson's interception]."

> UM's defense had a better day, but getting pressure on the opposing quarterback continues to be a problem. The Canes didn't produce a sack for the second straight game and had no hurries either. The Canes have produced just seven sacks all season and are on pace to produce the fewest in a season ever. 

"We're not getting the pass rush we need. There's no question," Golden said. "That's an ongoing problem right now we have to continue to address. We need guys to not only improve there, but mature."

> Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel is the fourth-highest rated quarterback in the country in terms of passer efficiency. He's completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,804 yards, 14 TDs and just four interceptions. He's also run for 186 yards and a touchdown.

The next-highest rated quarterback the Canes have faced was Kansas State's Collin Klein. He ranks 17th nationally in passer efficiency with a 159.9 rating. He's the only opposing QB in the top 30 UM has either played already or is scheduled to play against later this year.

"He is really good at distributing the football," Golden said of Manuel. "He can move out of the pocket and create. He's got length so he can down the field and he has an arm that can make all the throws. And he's a dual threat. There's a number of issues that he presents that you obviously have to game plan for and resolve. This clearly one of the best players that we've seen so far this year."

> Golden said it was a game time decision Saturday whether or not freshman tailback Duke Johnson would play. Johnson has been battling a toe injury and told reporters Saturday he's at "95 to 90 percent" in terms of health. Golden said the team had to relieve Johnson from a lot of his duties. Johnson carried the ball 14 times for 47 yards Saturday against North Carolina, but didn't catch a pass or return a kickoff.

"He really fought through it and did a nice job for us," Golden said. "I think he played 25 plays. But we had to hold him out of kickoff returns and that nature. We just got to make sure we continue to monitor those reps like we do all those guys and keep them fresh."

Golden said Eduardo Clements (12 offensive snaps, 10 more on special teams) and Dallas Crawford (special teams only) have to be ready to share the load moving forward. Mike James carried the ball a career-high 22 times for 96 yards vs. UNC.

> Golden said linebacker Denzel Perryman, who re-aggravated his right ankle and left the field a couple times Saturday only to return, is battling through discomfort and will continue to wear a walking boot on it for precautionary reasons. Golden said he's been wearing a boot for almost a month now.

"Just trying to make sure we alleviate any stress or any pain," Golden said. "Right now he's not showing up on any report as far as going backwards."

> Golden said he's seen improvement over the last 10 days from three young corners -- Gunter, Howard and Antonio Crawford. Does that mean more playing time? Not necessarily.

"Tracy was physical in terms of the tackling he made on [UNC RB Gio] Bernard on the sideline and did a good job in coverage," Golden said. "He played about 20 plays for us and some more on special teams. But I think he's making progress right now. I think they've all hit the wall at some point. I think for Tracy it was a couple weeks ago and we're trying to push him through it. He's got a good attitude right now and I really see the light coming on in terms of him learning. We just to continue to keep pushing him forward. At the end of the day, they're young kids we got to continue to teach and out of a comfort zone."

VIDEO: UM coach Al Golden after UNC loss

Thanks to Carlos Pineda for the video.

Gameday blog: UM vs. North Carolina

After playing four of their first six on the road, the Canes (4-2, 3-0 ACC) are back home to kickoff the first of three straight games at Sun Life Stadium. First up: North Carolina (4-2, 1-1 ACC). Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPNU.

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

Youthful Canes defense at the midway point of a historically bad season

If you've been thinking this might be the worst Hurricanes defense of all time after just six games -- your eyes are not deceiving you. 

At the midway point of the 2012 campaign, the Canes are on pace to shatter the school record book for the worst statistical season ever on defense.

They've already given up more points (208) than Larry Coker's team did in his final season as head coach in 2006 (201 points) and they are on pace to give up 416 in total -- 102 more points than UM did in 1984 under Jimmy Johnson and 2008 under Randy Shannon (tied for the current worst all time).

Yards? Take your pick, rushing or receiving. Both records appear as though they will go down easily.

The 1,504 rushing yards given up already are nearly double of what the 1989 national championship team allowed (1,520, 2nd fewest all-time), and should easily surpass what the 1944 Canes allowed (2,492 yards, the current worst) by the time UM is on its way out of Virginia on Nov. 10.

The record for most passing yards allowed -- 2,695 in 2009 -- should end up going down around the same time at Virginia. These Canes are on pace to give up 3,112 yards through the air in all. That's 1.7 miles.

Total yards? Miami has already surrendered 3,060. These Canes should easily crush the record of 4,369 allowed during the 1997 season. Same with first downs. UM's given up 158 of those in six games. The current record is 238 set by the 1997 squad.

Sacks? This UM team is on pace to end up with the fewest in that category too. They've got seven and would finish with 14 -- two fewer than the 1984 team which has the current low of 16 sacks.

Now, before you run down to Coral Gables with pitch forks and ask Al Golden to hand over his best friend -- defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio -- take a deep breath. This is also one of the youngest defenses in the country. I know what you're thinking: No excuses (that's Miami's mantra right?)

Well, for all the armchair defensive coordinators out there complaining D'Onofrio doesn't blitz enough and there is too much cushion in pass coverage (I agree), ask yourself if anyone out there could honestly do a better job with 19 first or second-year players (that would be true freshmen, redshirt freshman or true freshman) on the Canes' two-deep.

Eight of those young guys -- Anthony Chickillo, Corey King, Olsen Pierre, Eddie Johnson, Denzel Perryman, Gionni Paul, Ladarius Gunter and Deon Bush -- are all slated to start against North Carolina Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.

I'm not saying there isn't some talent to work with here or that D'Onofrio deserves a free pass from criticism. But no Canes defensive coordinator in the last five seasons has had to work with so much youth (trust me, I looked it up).

That probably goes for any Canes defensive coordinator since UM started winning national titles.

I'm pretty sure you remember when UM was dominant prior to this sour stretch of football -- sophomores freshmen and redshirt freshmen weren't being counted on to play a high number of snaps. Right now, eight 1st or 2nd year players are starters and 19 of them total are among the 29 players in the two deep. Those are players who all arrived in 2011 or later.

 

Last year, D'Onofrio only had nine players in his two deep of 23 who were 1st or 2nd year players. Only three -- Perryman, Kelvin Cain and Chickillo -- started UM's final regular season game against Boston College.

In 2010, there were only six 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two-deep of 24. Defensive end Olivier Vernon was the only starter in that group.

In 2009, there were 12 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two deep rotation of 26. Four were starters in the bowl game: Vaughn Telemaque, Brandon Harris, Sean Spence and Marcus Robinson. That defense gave up the most passing yards ever in school history.

In 2008, there were also 12 1st or 2nd year players in UM's two deep rotation of 24. Five were starters in the bowl game: JoJo Nicolas, Brandon Harris, Spense, Robinson and Steven Welsey. That 2008 team gave up 314 points -- tied for the most points allowed in Canes history.

I took a look at every depth chart in the ACC as well to see how UM stacks up in terms of youth. Miami is pretty much in a league of its own.

The closest ACC teams with as much youth on defense as these Canes: 

> Clemson has nine players in their 24-man two-deep on defense who are 1st or 2nd year players. Five of them are starters -- all in the front seven. The Tigers by the way rank 71st in scoring defense (27.33 ppg), 96th in total defense (445 ypg) and 102 in rush defense (202.67 ypg) and sacks.

> Boston College has 12 players in their 22-man two-deep on defense who are 1st or 2nd year players. Four are starters. The Eagles rank 82nd in scoring defense (29.0 ppg), 52nd in total defense (416.6 ypg), 117th in rushing defense (259.0 ypg), 35th in pass efficiency defense (115.06), 110th in sacks and have forced 10 turnovers (t-7th in ACC).

> Florida State has 13 of its 26 players listed on the two deep who are 1st or 2nd year players. But only one of them is a starter -- cornerback Nick Waisome. Virginia has 13 1st or 2nd year players on its 26-man two-deep. Three are starters. North Carolina has 14 of 24 players in its two-deep that are 1st or 2nd year players. Only two are starters, both in the secondary.

Canes injury report: Duke Johnson probable for UNC

Duke Johnson has taken his fair share of hits throughout this season. But Thursday was the first time the freshman running back appeared on UM's injury report. 

The All-American out of Miami Norland is listed as having a lower extremity injury, but is probable to play in Saturday's 2:30 p.m. kickoff against North Carolina at Sun Life Stadium. Johnson leads the team in rushing with 381 yards and 5 TDs in six games.

Who else was listed on the injury report? Offensive tackle Ben Jones (lower extremity) and safety Rayshawn Jenkins (upper extremity) have been ruled out. 

VIDEO: Canes' report featuring a one-on-one with AJ Highsmith

In this week's episode correspondent Maribel Rivera catches up with AJ Highsmith and Manny Navarro interviews a couple Canes players after the Notre Dame loss to discuss that and Saturday's showdown with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Live chat: Canes Q&A begins at 1 p.m.

A couple quick news and notes from Wednesday's Miami Hurricanes practice before we get to the Q&A, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. today and will go until 3 p.m. -- we're making up for last week's lost hour:

> Defensive tackle Curtis Porter returned to practice on Tuesday and is working on the scout team. Porter had an appendectomy before the start of the season and has been recovering since. UM coach Al Golden said Wednesday Porter "is a ways away."

> Left guard Jonathan Feliciano has been limited in practice and is wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, but Golden said coaches are just protecting him. Right tackle Ben Jones remains out. Jones was injured against N.C. State and didn't play last week. 

Feel free to leave your questions in the blog below. I will answer them in the CoverItLive app later.

Al Golden defends D'Onofrio, Phillip Dorsett's Twitter "naysayers'' and Stephen Morris comments

GOLDEN DEFENDS D’ONOFRIO

    Fans have been highly critical of defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, whose Hurricanes are ranked near the bottom nationally of every defensive category. Golden was asked Tuesday if he sensed any frustration on D’Onofrio’s part.

   Golden: “Any frustration that he has on his part… because there’s no fan out there that can match his intensity or his dedication in trying to get his trade right. The last two years the same guy had two Top-20 defenses in terms of scoring defense. So, as angry as everybody is, they’re not watching it, they’re not living it everyday like he is.

    “As I say to him and the whole defensive staff, we’re moving the team forward. Just keep moving it forward. As I said to you guys before, it’s not like we’re hiding a bunch of fourth and fifth-year seniors on the scout-team field. Where are they? There are no fifth-year seniors, there are no fourth-year seniors – only a couple – and there are very few juniors.

    “The guys we’re playing with right now are fighting every day, they’re learning, but they’re learning under fire. I think you go to Parris Island before you go to war, right? They’re learning on the battle field. Just stay positive, man. Just keep moving forward. We’ll get there. I promise you we’ll get there.’’

    I checked the NCAA statistics again and D'Onofrio's and Golden's last season at Temple in 2010, the Owls finished 16th in scoring defense (19 points a game allowed) and 16th in total defense (317.6 ypg allowed). Last year, the Hurricanes, under D'Onofrio and Golden, finished 17th in scoring defense (20 ppg allowed) and 29th in pass defense (198 ypg allowed).

    D'Onofrio's rushing defense last year at UM was ranked 68th (161.9). His rushing defense at Temple in 2010 was ranked 47th (139.5).

DORSETT BRUSHES OFF “NAYSAYERS’’

   Receiver Phillip Dorsett spoke Tuesday about his critical drops Saturday at Notre Dame, saying he was “really excited to get back on the field’’ and catch balls again.

  “I’m still confident,’’ Dorsett said. “I had a bad game last week, I know. But I’m going out there and working hard everyday, and I know I should be able to have a great game this week.’’

   Dorsett later told reporters about “naysayers, people threatening’’ on Twitter, but didn’t elaborate on specifics.

   “I just look past it,’’ he said.

   When asked by The Miami Herald about the criticism he took from the public, Dorsett brushed it off, indicating that fans are fickle and that he didn’t pay much attention to it.

    Dorsett, known as @BrickByBrick_4 on Twitter, posted Sunday:  “I had a bad game, I didn’t play to my standard, but you better believe that will never happen again.. It’s going down next week #hungry.’’

    Another one of his Sunday Twitter posts: “Games like yesterday shows who really supports you through the ups and downs of this game.’’

STEPHEN MORRIS TELECONFERENCE

    This is Miami Herald intern R.J. Rico’s last week with us, but I’m sure you’ve noticed some of his stories the past few weeks. R.J. was on Stephen Morris’ teleconference today, and transcribed these comments:

   On North Carolina: “They’re a very fast defense. They’re very physical. They’re extremely well coached. They’ve done extremely well in the red zone, on third downs, and situational football. They’re a very well-coached team. They know their insides and outs. They play fast and get to the ball very fast. It will be a great challenge.’’

      On Notre Dame: “After a game like that you really just have to take the positives out of it. Obviously it wasn’t the type of game that we wanted to have. The biggest thing to do is to learn from the mistakes that we made and make sure that they don’t happen again. We had too many costly mistakes and that led to bad drives on offense that didn’t lead to points.”

     On Phillip Dorsett: “I just want him to have a great game. I want him to bounce back extremely strong. We’re just looking to get him started. I know that he’s going to be excited to go out there and be able to play again. That’s the best cure for a game like that – just going out there and letting loose and having fun. I think that’s what he needs. I’m going to be behind him no matter what. It’s a growing pain. He’s growing and he’s going to make his own mark.’’

 STEP RIGHT UP!

    Per UM: Due to President Barack Obama’s visit to the Miami campus, BankUnited Center ticket office will be closed to walk-up sales Thursday. Instead, fans interested in purchasing tickets that day can visit the Hecht Athletic Center. The Hecht’s ticket office will be open from 8:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday. If you’re interested in the $9 before 9 a.m. special, and it happens to be Thursday, visit the Hecht from 8:30-9 a.m. that day.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Fisch talks drops, Duke, Stephen Morris, Carolina D

Offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch discussed the Notre Dame game and looked ahead to this week's North Carolina matchup on Monday.

The Hurricanes (4-2, 3-0 in ACC) were plagued by drops against the Irish. Fisch agreed drops seem to be the only real negative that has affected his offense this season.

"It definitely has hampered us at times from really the Boston College game," Fisch said. "We kind of looked back and I think we had seven drops in that game and we had seven drops in this one. I think there are games where we are getting better at it. I don't think we were dropping it in the games that we had our bigger games in terms of production. We had less drops [in those]. This one got us. Against Kansas State we dropped a pretty good amount. It is one of those things that you have to work through and be able to find ways to catch the ball and execute the plan."

Fisch called Saturday's performance against the Irish "weird" because the offense performed well but only produced three points. "We look back on the game and we had two offensive penalties the whole game, we didn't turn the ball over, no interceptions, no fumbles," he said. "I thought Stephen Morris did have a good game, and we walked away with only three points. What do you tell them? How does that happen? Well it happens because we didn't execute. We didn't finish. You can throw a beautiful ball, but if you don't catch it then you don't finish."

> There weren't many changes on the Canes' depth chart on offense. But there was one notable new addition: freshman Robert Lockhart is now listed on the two-deep. Fisch said Monday he would "like to have a role for [Lockhart]" in Saturday's game against North Carolina.

"I'd like for him to have an opportunity," Fisch said. "He's done a great job competing each week and improving. He has a good understanding now. I think we can use him as one of our weapons. He has a better understanding now and I think we can use him as another one of our weapons."

> While freshman Duke Johnson continues to rank in the top five in the ACC in all-purpose yards (1st, 168.3), kick return average (3rd, 27.9), and rushing (5th, 63.5), his overall production rushing and receiving has begun to slow down a bit in the past three weeks. He's scored just one touchdown in the past three games and had 57 yards combined total offense versus the Irish. Fisch said Duke's drop in production Saturday was just a case of not being able to get things going on offense at all.

"Obviously, you would like to hit on some of those bigger plays because that would have given us more plays and not dropped the ball on the third down," Fisch said. "When you get more plays, you get more opportunities to run the football, you get more opportunities to get the ball in Duke's hands. I think in terms of our ratio to plays run and his touches, it was good, I just don't think he didn't have enough touches because we didn't run enough plays."

> Duke has had some drops during some games this year. Is that unlike him?

"It is certainly not like him in practice," Fisch said. "I don't even know if I could think of a play that Phillip dropped a ball in practice. It is not like him either. It's not like Duke. Duke didn't drop that slant against Kansas State all week long when we practiced it. It just happens to be sometimes that it happens. No, it is very unlike Duke to drop it and it is very unlike Phillip to drop it. I don't expect it to be an epidemic by any means."

> Fisch said the accuracy of quarterback Stephen Morris "has really improved."

"One of the things that we were talking about going into the season was that we all knew he had a very strong arm, but how was his accuracy going to be?," Fisch said. "That was an earlier knock maybe. I think it's A, hard work; and B, I think his ability to be accurate is due to how hard our wide receivers practice during the week. If you are always running full speed, then you are practicing that way and you become more accurate. When you have guys practicing at different tempos all the times -- and that is an issue we had until this season -- our guys practice full speed everyday. Phillip runs that route that fast Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Therefore were able to become more accurate throwing it on Saturdays.

"I think we have been able to convince Stephen to trust himself. Trusting yourself means that if you believe somebody is coming open, throw it then. You don't have to wait until you see them come open every time. That's part of it. Trusting yourself means that if we tell you that he is going to run by the safety 40 yards down the field, trust it and let your feet do the talking -- meaning throw it on one hitch, don't wait until three or four hitches and wait and wait and wait. That's a huge difference. I think that's why he is more accurate and more confident and our receivers are doing a great job running routes in practice."

> One player who continues to gain the trust of Morris and Fisch is fifth-year senior Davon Johnson, who is now fourth on the team with 16 catches for 262 yards.

"DJ's done a really great job," Fisch said. "He has made some of the tough catches and some of the easier catches that sometimes when you are wide open and thinking about it. You're thinking about 'I got to catch it.' He has been very mature. It think his age has shown up, his maturity. He has been around the program for a while and I think that's helped him and I think that's helped his consistency."

> North Carolina's defense isn't as highly touted as Notre Dame's, but they still present a good challenge, Fisch said. The Tar Heels rank 26th in scoring defense (17.83 ppg), 20th in total defense (312.33 ypg) and 11th against the run (86.33 ypg).

"They are very fast up front, their secondary is good," Fisch said. "Obviously, Butch [Davis] did a great job recruiting, so they are very talented players. They do a great job schematically -- really a great job. It is going to be a challenge for us. It's going to be an all day challenge for us.

"Their defensive line is excellent, they are very active. Their secondary does a great job of ball-hawking. I think they have a number of interceptions, a high number of takeaways and a high number of sacks. So our [offensive] line is going to have to do a great job. I think our line is giving up a sack once every 34 passes, which is double compared to last year when we're 1 for 17. It is going to be an all day event on Saturday. They're not a big man team. They play zone. They're very aggressive and their safeties are very good."

UM-FSU an 8 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 20

The Hurricanes Oct. 20 Homecoming showdown with Florida State will be televised live at 8 p.m. on ABC, the Atlantic Coast Conference office announced Monday.

Miami (4-2, 3-0 ACC) sits atop the ACC Coastal Division standings and hosts North Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU.

Al Golden releases newest depth chart after #UM #Canes game against Notre Dame

Good morning.

We got our newest depth chart this morning, two days after UM released another chart minutes before kickoff Saturday at Soldier Field.

 Olsen Pierre is back as one of the starting tackles, opposite redshirt freshman Corey King, who made his first start against Notre Dame. Pierre was injured but Al Golden said he will play against North Carolina.

Gionni Paul is starting again at weak-side.

At cornerback, Ladarius Gunter is now listed as the starter, with freshman Tracy Howard and sophomore Thomas Finnie co-backups.

Mike James and Duke Johnson still have an "AND" between their names as co-first-teamers at running  back -- as they did when UM released the depth chart before the game.

 Seantrel Henderson started at right tackle Saturday. The depth chart says: Ereck Flowers OR Henderson, as it did before the Notre Dame game.

Clive Walford, who had a nice 28-yard catch Saturday on that unforgettable opening drive, is now the starting TE.

  DEPTH CHART, courtesy UM

OFFENSE
WR	80	Rashawn Scott	6-2	190	So.
	86	Herb Waters	6-2	185	Fr.
LT	79	Malcolm Bunche	6-7	325	RSo.
	64	Hunter Wells	6-4	300	RFr.
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.
	63	Danny Isidora	6-4	320	Fr.
RT	74	Ereck Flowers -OR-	6-6	314	Fr.
	77	Seantrel Henderson	6-8	340	Jr.
TE	46	Clive Walford	6-4	250	RSo.
	49	Dyron Dye	6-5	255	RJr.
	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 -AND-	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 -OR-	5-10	182	RSr.
	6	Robert Lockhart Jr.	6-1	188	Fr.
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	67	Corey King	6-1	295	RFr.
	72	Earl Moore	6-1	300	Fr.
	66	Dequan Ivery	6-1	303	Fr.
DT	91	Olsen Pierre	6-4	300	So.
	93	Luther Robinson  -OR-	6-3	288	RJr.
	98	Darius Smith	6-2	315	Sr.
DE	51	Shayon Green	6-3	260	RJr.
	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.
	56	Raphael Kirby  -OR-	6-0	218	Fr.
	59	Jimmy Gaines	6-3	230	Jr.
OLB	36	Gionni Paul	6-1	230	So.
	31	Tyrone Cornileus -OR-	6-2	210	Jr.
	57	Nantambu-Akil Fentress	5-9	205	So.
CB	37	Ladarius Gunter	6-2	198	So.
	3	Tracy Howard -OR-	5-11	185	Fr.
	20	Thomas Finnie	5-10	183	So.
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	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	61	Paul Kelly	6-1	262	RSr.
	59	Jimmy Gaines	6-3	230	Jr.
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

Gameday blog: Canes vs. Notre Dame

No I'm not in Chicago. But I do have a comfy seat here at home and a big screen TV to watch tonight's big showdown between your Miami Hurricanes (4-1, 3-0 ACC) and the ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0). Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Soldier Field and the game can be seen everywhere on NBC.

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 another thrilling, heart-stopping win in the ACC. They knocked off N.C. State 44-37 when quarterback Stephen Morris connected with Phillip Dorsett on a 62-yard scoring strike with 19 seconds left. Morris is coming off the best single-game performance ever by a Canes quarterback with 566 yards and five touchdown passes. UM's defense gave up over 600 yards, but forced six turnovers in the win.

> The Irish had a bye week last week and of course will be playing this game a short drive over from South Bend. Notre Dame's defense is pretty sick. The Irish rank ninth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in both sacks (3.5/game) and pass efficiency defense (96.79) and are giving up an average of just nine points a game. The Irish defense has totaled eight interceptions -- equal to the number of interceptions the 2011 Notre Dame defense recorded. Senior middle linebacker Manti Te’o has played a role in seven of the 13 turnovers forced by Notre Dame’s defense. The All-America linebacker has recorded three interceptions, recovered two fumbles and hurried passers on two occasions that resulted in interceptions.

Here are this week's game notes for both teams: Hurricanes Irish

Game Day! The Irish are favored by 14 points over the Miami Hurricanes. What's your take?

CHIGACO -- So, here we are, another chapter in the Miami-Notre Dame history about to unfold, and at historic Soldier Field, no less.

Notre Dame and Miami will meet for the 25th time, with the Irish holding a 16-7-1 series lead.

At least as of last night, Notre Dame was favored by 14 points.

Notre Dame has had an extra week of preparation for this game, as the Irish had off last week. That also gave them extra time to heal.

The weather tonight will be in the low 40s, but the Canes can deal with that.

Judging by the past five games, the only way Miami wins this one is if the offensive line does its job today and opens some running holes as well as passing lanes. Duke is due, though the Notre Dame defense is very good. Linebacker Manti Te'o is scary good.

We've seen how prolific the UM offense can be, too. UM has to score and score and score some more. No one else has done it against the Irish.

I saw a lot of UM fans yesterday, which was a good sign. But the Canes' tickets were spread out among three separate portions of the stadium, according to Chris Freet, UM associate athletic director for communications and marketing. I don't see how the Canes fans aren't going to be drowned out by the Notre Dame crowd.

Of course, as the avid (and fairly plentiful) UM fans who attended the Georgia Tech game can tell you, there's nothing more gratifying than seeing your team silence the vaunted opponents at an away site (and let's face it, Soldier Field is not neutral).

Winning this game will catapult UM into the rankings and national spotlight.

If it's a UM loss, hopefully for the Canes it won't be a rout.

I can tell you for sure, as all of you know by now, this young team has tons of heart and does not quit. It needs to keep that personality no matter what happens.

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

 

UM Canes' (former ) AD Shawn Eichorst -- the invisible AD -- is officially gone and has taken the same job at Nebraska.

 

     University of Miami President Donna Shalala just confirmed what we already knew: UM athletic director Shawn Eichorst has resigned, effective immediately.

     Eichorst has taken the same job at Nebraska, and will replace Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne Jan. 1 -- though Eichorst will begin at Nebraska Oct. 9 as a special assistant to Chancellor Harvey Perlman. Eichorst accepted a five-year contract, reportedly worth $973,000 annually.

    "I am deeply disappointed in Shawn's departure to the University of Nebraska as I thoroughly enjoyed working with him,'' Shalala said in a written statement. "We wish Shawn and his wonderful family the very best at their new post.''

    Shalala has appointed Blake James, Senior Associate Athletic Director, as the acting UM athletic director. James served as the AD at Maine from 2005-2010 and returned to UM in 2010, having previously worked at UM from 1995-97 and from 1998-2001.

    Eichorst was hired by the Hurricanes in April, 2011.

    Hello? Anyone want to be the UM athletic director?    

     Osborne announced last month that he will retire at the end of this year.

    At UM -- bracing for NCAA sanctions in the case involving former UM booster and convicted felon Nevin Shapiro -- Eichorst has been one of the most low-profile athletic directors in school history. He was not at UM during Shapiro's wrongdoings, but except for once or twice, has declined to speak to the media since coming to Miami -- and has mostly kept his distance from UM fans and donors.

    Among the media, Eichorst was known as the invisible athletic director.

    He was supposed to accompany the Golden Canes boosters on the trip to Chicago. 

    "I think his timing is offensive,'' a long-time Miami booster told me. "It's a Golden Canes trip. It's a Notre Dame game. If he was that unhappy, he should have just left before this.

    "If someone can't even say hello to people he sees all the time, he's not at the right place and isn't part of the Hurricanes' family."

     Former UM great Alonzo Highsmith has been busy tweeting this morning:

     "Donna listen," Highsmith tweeted, referring to Shalala, "Find an AD with vision, passion, guts, decision maker, leader, knows and respects program , knows the culture, man of people!"   

    Alonzo also tweeted this: I wouldn't know Miami AD if he told me who he was and that's all u need to know!!

    Eichorst's predecessor, Kirby Hocutt, served only 2 1/2 years as the UM athletic director and now is the AD at Texas Tech.

    Eichorst was responsible for the hiring of basketball coach Jim Larranaga. Just before his hiring, the school agreed to reward women's basketball coach Katie Meier, the co-national Coach of the Year, with a five-year contract extension that would take her through 2016. The contract was negotiated by then-acting AD Tony Hernandez.

     Eichorst is a native of Lone Rock, Wis., and was an all-conference defensive back, three-time letterwinner and 1990 team captain for the UW-Whitewater football team, according to his Miami bio. He graduated magna cum laude in business from UW-Whitewater in 1990 and earned a law degree from Marquette in 1995.

 SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

ACC announces future scheduling formats for football, basketball, baseball (check out last paragraph)

Oct. 3, 2012

Needham, Mass. (theACC.com) - Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today future scheduling formats and conference policies as approved by the ACC's Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletics Directors. The announcement was made following the annual ACC Fall Business Meetings.

"The addition of Notre Dame gives us an opportunity to reinforce a number of conference rivalries in basketball and Olympic sports while also giving our schools greater flexibility in nonconference football scheduling," said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "With Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame joining us, it is an exciting time in our league and our schools have made decisions that position us extremely well for the future."

A breakdown of the action items are listed below:

Football
With the addition of Notre Dame playing five games annually against ACC teams, the league has determined it will play an eight-game conference schedule for 2013 and beyond. Divisions, primary crossover partners and rotating opponents from the opposite division will remain consistent to what was previously announced.

Men's and Women's Basketball
The ACC will continue to play an 18-game conference schedule with the addition of Notre Dame. The scheduling model will be based on a two-partner format.

Each year, teams will play every league opponent at least once with the two partners playing home and away annually. In addition to the four annual games against partners, the remaining 14 conference games will feature home and away games with two rotating opponents and five home-only games and five road-only games.

The two-primary-partner format preserves competitive balance and builds upon traditional rivalries while providing the opportunity to create new ones.

Boston College - Notre Dame and Syracuse
Clemson - Florida State and Georgia Tech
Duke - North Carolina and Wake Forest
Florida State - Clemson and Miami
Georgia Tech - Clemson and Notre Dame
Maryland - Pitt and Virginia
Miami - Florida State and Virginia Tech
North Carolina - Duke and NC State
NC State - North Carolina and Wake Forest
Notre Dame - Boston College and Georgia Tech
Pitt - Maryland and Syracuse
Syracuse - Boston College and Pitt
Virginia - Maryland and Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech - Miami and Virginia
Wake Forest - Duke and NC State

Following the regular season, the ACC Tournament format will continue to feature all league members. The Tournament will begin with three games on Wednesday, followed by four games on Thursday and Friday, two semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday. The top four seeds will continue to receive byes into Friday's quarterfinal round.

In the annual ACC/B1G Challenge, the decision was made to include the 12 teams with the best RPI from the previous year.

Baseball
Beginning with the 2014 season, the ACC Baseball Championship will feature 10 teams in a six-day event. A double-elimination format will be used Tuesday through Friday followed by two single-elimination games on Saturday and the Championship Game on Sunday.

Conference Policy and Procedures
The decision was made that should a member institution be ineligible for postseason competition due to NCAA sanctions, it will be ineligible for regular season or divisional recognition.

 

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

The nation notices Phillip, to heck with the cold and it looks as if Seantrel is the favorite to start against Notre Dame

We had our news conference with Al Golden today.

INJURY UPDATE

While the ailing UM defense has gotten back middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, as you know, it has likely lost starting defensive tackle Olsen Pierre for the Notre Dame game. Pierre did not practice Tuesday again. Golden said he was "doubtful'' for Saturday. The coach said Corey King will likely replace Pierre, and freshman Dequan Ivery will be included in the rotation. Ivery has not played yet.

Defensive end Shayon Green (knee) wore a yellow (limited) jersey in practice Tuesday, as did linebackers Jimmy Gaines (ankle) and Perryman (ankle). You've got to figure that UM coach Golden is being cautious and making sure these guys don't get hurt more, or again, leading up to the game. Shayon, I've noticed, has been limping at times on that same right knee on which he's had two reconstructive surgeries. And Jimmy was sidelined Monday with a boot over his left ankle.

AIR PHILLIP

UM sophomore Phillip Dorsett has had two breakout games in a row, and the nation has noticed. The Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Tuesday that Dorsett was one of 11 receivers added to the Biletnikof Award Watch List. Dorsett, who went to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High, leads UM with 28 receptions, 464 receiving yards and three touchdowns through five games. He had a career-high nine catches for 184 yards at Georgia Tech and then outdid that with seven catches for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina State last weekend.

 "I honestly didn't even know that,'' Dorsett told me Tuesday. "It's a great honor, obviously. Every receiver wants to be on that list, but I'm focusing on Notre Dame. We've got to go out there and get that W.''

Junior Allen Hurns was on the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.

ODDS AND ENDS

*Golden was asked what he thought of neutral site games.

"Well,'' he answered, "I'd prefer it to be neutral.''

*The game Saturday at Soldier Field is technically a neutral site (less than a two-hour drive from South Bend, Indiana), but everyone knows it's a home game for Notre Dame. The Irish will serve as the home team and will have basically the entire stadium rooting for them. (Or at least most of it! The Canes fans will do their best to be heard, I'm sure. They are a devoted bunch when we see them at away games.)

I was told by UM that Canes fans have three separate scattered sections at Soldier Field.

*When Golden was asked about the Canes' second- and third-quarter lulls (UM has scored 47 points in those quarters compared to 125 points in the first and fourth quarters), he said, "I wish I had the answer to that. We're constantly striving for consistency and yet we're inconsistent... Sometimes that just comes with experience.''

SEANTREL TAKING CHARGE

Seantrel Henderson has the edge to start at right tackle, judging by Tuesday's practice.

"If I had to tell you just by observing,'' Golden said, "I would tell you Seantrel was better than [Ereck] Flowers today.''

The Canes now don't have two offensive tackles for this game: Ben Jones, who has an injured foot; and Jermaine Johnson, who is not on the team right now, Golden told us Monday. That will put a lot more pressure on the UM line, which is going against a great defense. They'll need their conditioning to come through Saturday.

*Miami practices tomorrow morning, but Golden has cut off access to the players after today. We usually get them on Wednesdays.

BRRRRR...

Al Golden wants no excuses about the cold that is expected Saturday in Chicago. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, weather.com had Saturday's nighttime low for Chicago at 37 degrees and the high that day at 51 -- with 20 percent chance of rain and winds at 16 miles an hour.

Keep in mind that the game begins at 6:30 p.m. Chicago time, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

"I hope we're not to the point where we have to all huddle around the heater,'' Golden said. "I hope we're all tough enough to just go out and play.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morris among three Canes honored by ACC; plus notes on Jermaine Johnson, Olsen Pierre, UNC kickoff time

Canes quarterback Stephen Morris, linebacker Gionni Paul, and linebacker Eddie Johnson were named Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week on Monday.

Morris, named the Offensive Back of the Week, threw for a UM- and ACC-record 566 yards to lead the Hurricanes to a 44-37 win over NC State. The junior completed 26 of 49 passes for a 21.8 yards-per-completion average, and recorded five TDs, tying five other Miami quarterbacks for the most in a single game and the first since Kyle Wright at Wake Forest in 2005. In his last two games, he has thrown for 1,002 yards.

Paul, named Linebacker of the week, made his first career start and had a team-high 11 tackles, including eight solo stops. His 11 tackles matched his total in his first 11 career games.

Johnson, named Rookie of the Week, tallied seven tackles (six solo stops), one sack, one tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. The reigning ACC Linebacker of the Week recorded one of Miami’s two sacks and a tackle-for-loss. His six solo stops were second among Miami players and the seven tackles were third on the team.

UM has now had five players selected as ACC Player of the Week selections: Duke Johnson (twice), Eddie Johnson (twice), Morris, Paul and Phillip Dorsett.

MORE QUICK NOTES FROM MONDAY

> The ACC announced the UM-North Carolina game on Oct. 13 will be a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

> UM coach Al Golden told reporters Monday backup offensive tackle "Jermaine Johnson is not with us right now. That's personal reasons. But it's Jermaine's choice and he's not with us right now."

> Defensive tackle Olsen Pierre was held out of practice Monday for unspecified reasons. Freshman Dequan Ivery, scout team MVP last week, was practicing with the varsity Monday.

Depth Chart just released for UM Canes vs. Notre Dame -- Denzel man in the middle

Good morning.

The Hurricanes just released their depth chart for the Notre Dame game Saturday at Soldier Field, where Notre Dame will be the home team.

Some quick changes: Denzel Perryman (high-ankle sprain) is back and starting at middle linebacker.

With offensive tackle Ben Jones out, the co-starters at right tackle are now freshman Ereck Flowers and junior Seantrel Henderson -- with redshirt freshman Hunter Wells listed as the backup to Malcolm Bunche at left tackle.

Tyrone Cornileus and Gionni Paul are listed as co-starters at outside linebacker.

 Deon Bush is listed ahead of Kacy Rodgers at safety.

UM DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE (PRO)
 

WR 80 RASHAWN SCOTT 6-2, 190, So.
86 Herb Waters 6-2, 185, Fr.

 LT 79 MALCOLM BUNCHE 6-7, 325, RSo.
64 Hunter Wells 6-4, 300, RFr.

LG 70 JONATHAN 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.
63 Daniel Isidora 6-4, 320, Fr.

RT 74 ERECK FLOWERS –OR– 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 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.

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, 188, Fr.

KR 4 PHILLIP DORSETT 5-10, 185, So.
8 Duke Johnson 5-9, 188, Fr.

DEFENSE (4-3)

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.

66 Dequan Ivery 6-1, 303, Fr.

DT 91 OLSEN PIERRE 6-4, 300, So.
67 Corey King 6-1, 295, RFr.
93 Luther Robinson –OR– 6-3, 288, RJr.
92 Jalen Grimble 6-2, 295, So.

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.

MLB 52 DENZEL PERRYMAN 6-0, 229, So.
59 Jimmy Gaines 6-3, 230, Jr.
56 Raphael Kirby 6-0, 218, Fr.

OLB 31 TYRONE CORNILEUS –OR– 6-2, 210, Jr.
36 GIONNI PAUL 6-1, 230, So.
57 Nantambu-Akil Fentress 5-9, 205, So.

CB 20 THOMAS FINNIE –OR– 5-10, 183, So.
37 LADARIUS GUNTER 6-2, 198, Jr.

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.
3 Tracy Howard 5-11, 185, Fr

 

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.

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).

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

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.

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

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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

 

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Now, 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."

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.

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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).

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."