The Latest at The U (And More)

The first Saturday of college football is underway and if you’re a Miami Hurricanes enthusiast, you believe that the best is being saved for last as UM is on the shelf until a Monday night, Prime Time, under the lights showdown at Maryland. While others are battling it out this first Saturday in September, let’s discuss the latest at ‘The U’.

Regarding yesterday’s news about 2011 signee Kevin Grooms leaving Miami for Marshall, nothing seems to have been solidified as of yet. That said, the Canes have some new additions to the program. February pick-up, defensive tackle Corey King is finally on board, having arrived on Friday. Miami also added offensive tackle Hunter Wells and defensive lineman Junior Alexis.

Wells comes to Coral Gables from Canton, IL and Alexis, from Los Angeles – a name that defensive line coach Jethro Franklin and recruiting coordinator Brennan Carroll evaluated back during their Southern Cal days.

Alexis is a two-star prospect, but is one of those interesting cases as coaches label him as tough kid that UM thought about adding in January, but didn’t have the room. Miami has oft found success with under the radar kids. Could this be another? Time will tell.

Back to Grooms, while he hasn’t yet chosen Marshall over Miami, Al Golden has confirmed that he will not be part of the program this season. Whether he’ll go the JUCO route and return to ‘The U’, that remains to be seen. Hargrave Military Academy linebacker Antonio Kinard is another February signee that didn’t qualify in time.

Miami was hoping that Memphis quarterback transfer Ryan Williams would receive an eligibility waver for 2011 but was denied. Williams will have to sit out this season, making for a lack of depth at the position.

Stephen Morris is starter by default game one, but entering twelve-day stretch leading up to Ohio State, the quarterback competition between Morris and last year’s starter Jacory Harris will be wide open. Spencer Whipple is still listed as a back up and entering Monday night’s game at Maryland, quarterback-turned-safety A.J. Highsmith will be listed as third string with Harris suspended.

With the big man Seantrel Henderson out indefinitely due to back surgery, sixth-year senior Joel Figueroa and redshirt freshman Malcolm Bunche are battling it out for the start at Maryland on Monday night. Conventional wisdom has most believing Figueroa will get the start due to experience, but watch for Bunche who has turned heads all spring.

With former kicker, punter and all everything Matt Bosher in the NFL, it’s a free for all special teams-wise this season, though things are finally coming into focus. Jake Wieclaw looks like the man to beat, as he’s been given kickoff duty as well as being named starting place-kicker. Wieclaw is going for the Bosh-like trifecta, working to beat out Dalton Botts and Matt Goudis for kickoff duty as coaches are putting all three in “simulated pressure situations” in practice.

Running back Lamar Miller earned the start with Mike James listed as your number two back entering fall, but Coach Golden has made is clear that he who gains the most ground will remain in the game.

“If they get a hot hand, we’ll leave one in,” Golden said. “They kind of sub each other. So if someone gets a long run or has a considerable amount of reps successively, then they’ll rotate.”

Maurice Hagens and running back-to cornerback-back to running back Eduardo Clements are battling for the number three spot with Darion Hall currently at number four.

With wideout Travis Benjamin suspended for the opener, true freshman Phillip Dorsett will be Miami’s number one punt returner. Regarding starting a “rookie” under the lights for the season opener, Golden reminded reporters, “We’re playing a lot of freshmen under the lights in a big setting. …Ultimately, you’ve got to cut the cord and let them go do it.”

To the point about freshmen playing a big role for the 2011 Hurricanes, some good ink in Saturday’s Miami Herald about some first-year impact players. Aside from Dorsett, defensive end Anthony Chickillo is getting some rave reviews. From junior offensive lineman Brandon Washington being ‘wowed’ in practice, to senior linebacker Jordan Futch comparing Chickillo to ‘Superman’ in “Remember The Titans”, much is expected out of the third generation Hurricane.

Monday’s suspensions have also opened the door for freshman defensive tackles Olson Pierre and Jalen Grimble, defensive end David Perry, linebackers Gionni Paul and Denzel Perryman, as well as cornerback Thomas Finnie.

The lone upside for Miami, outside of recruiting some talented kids – the fact that the team has spent a lot of time in camp preparing for any situation where a starter or leader would be out. About to put that theory to the test on Labor Day.

One final thought as week one gets underway; a little lesson in perspective. TCU and their highly-vaulted defense gave up fifty points in a loss to unranked Baylor on Friday night while defending national champions Auburn needed a late onside kick miracle to come back against lowly Utah State.

This is worth mention as Miami fans spent much of last season clamoring for a coach like Gary Patterson to leave Texas for South Florida, while also praising the job Gene Chizik did in leading the Tigers to an undefeated season and a title.

A reminder that all coaches are fallible, that you can’t be successful every season and in Auburn’s case, you’ll only go as far as your highly-touted (and possibly overpaid) quarterback will take you.

One good, ranked teams has started the season 0-1 and another is 1-0, with a Murderer’s Row SEC schedule in the next few weeks. In both cases you can bet that their short-minded fans have already put successful 2010 seasons in the rearview and will spend the majority of this week calling for heads to roll and blowing up sports talk radio phone lines.

Same to be said for Oregon, LSU, Boise State and Georgia fans depending on how tonight’s prime time games wrap up.

Miami rolls into College Park with a new coaching and down seven key players.  Fans expect a win regardless, which is understandable – but regardless, a season cannot be defined by one game. It’s not over for TCU or Auburn, in the same way that both Baylor and Utah State still have a lot of ground to cover between now and late November.

One game at a time. Keep some perspective, people and remember that on any given Saturday anything can happen.

Comments

comments