>>> Word is the Kyle Wright will not play against Maryland this weekend. Wright has a soft cast on his throwing hand and a sprained thumb. Other reports have stated a hairline fracture, which could sideline #3 the rest of the 2006 season. Kirby Freeman looks to be ‘the guy’ this Saturday against the Terrapins, arguably the hottest team in the ACC.
>>> Should a now 5-4 Miami falter down the stretch behind a back up quarterback, or should Freeman rally the Canes – either gives the administration ammo should they choose to keep Larry Coker on staff in 2007.
Aside from the, “this was a new set of assistant coaches – they need time to gel” excuse, you can now add quarterback controversy to the list. If Coker stays and Freeman falters, then Miami’s record isn’t as bad as it seems due to all the late season injuries. Should Freeman come in and provide a spark to a stagnant offense, well that gives you promise for next year and an excuse for how poorly the team looked when he wasn’t in the game.
Either way, pay attention to this sub plot and potential excuses if Paul Dee and Donna Shalala decide to stick with Coker next season.
>>> Add starting safety Kenny Phillips to the injured list. All signs are pointing towards Phillips electing for season-ending surgery this week. Phillips broke his right hand before the Georgia Tech game and played with some sort of a brace since.
>>> Javarris James (hip pointer), Greg Olsen (knee) and Reggie Youngblood (knee) were all injured in last week’s 17-10 loss to Virginia Tech. All three are expected to be ready for Maryland.
>>> File this one under “a little bird told me” and please, take it for what it’s worth.
I do what I can to not get caught up in the coaching rumor game here as other sites and radio shows do. A lot of folks have written in asking me the status with Greg Schiano and would he ever entertain coming back to The U. I’ve oft heard he wasn’t interested with rumblings of his wife preferring the northeast and Schiano quietly awaiting the Penn State gig to open up when Joe Paterno retires.
Regarding that little bird, I’ve heard that Schiano might be interested in a return. If that happened, I believe it’s a 2-3 year plan en route to the NFL. It wouldn’t be long-term, but based on the state of things in Coral Gables, it’d be absolutely welcomed.
If Schiano has NFL aspirations, Miami would be a nice stepping stone. He isn’t getting there direct from New Brunswick, NJ. If he plans on sticking around the NCAA, it seems Penn State is the better long-term gig. The only questions are regarding time table as no one sees ol’ Broken Leg Joe leaving Happy Valley anytime soon… unless it’s in a pine box.
Again, take it for what it’s worth.
.:Canes305:.