 |
|
Friday, August 3
Miami football preview
By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
Even though Miami won 10 straight games to close out the 2000 season, including a 27-24 victory over Florida State in early October, the Hurricanes were not provided an opportunity to win the national championship. Even with the alterations to the BCS formula, this is why a playoff format down the road is so necessary.
|
Hurricanes at a glance
|
|
2001 schedule
Sept. 1 at Penn State
Sept. 8 vs. Rutgers
Sept. 15 vs. Washington
Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh
Oct. 6 vs. Troy State
Oct. 13 at Florida State
Oct. 25 vs. West Virginia
Nov. 3 vs. Temple
Nov. 10 at Boston College
Nov. 17 vs. Syracuse
Dec. 1 at Virginia Tech
2000 results
(11-1, 7-0 Big East)
McNeese State W 61-14
at Washington L 34-29
at West Virginia W 47-10
at Rutgers W 64-6
Florida State W 27-24
at Temple W 45-17
Louisiana Tech W 42-31
Virginia Tech W 41-21
Pittsburgh W 35-7
at Syracuse W 26-0
Boston College W 52-6
Florida W 37-20
|
How is this for dominance: Not only did the Hurricanes score over 40 points in seven regular-season games, but they also held the opposition to 21 or fewer points in nine games. Also keep in mind, the Hurricanes went on to defeat Florida 37-20 in the Sugar Bowl. On both sides of the ball, the Hurricanes played at a remarkably high level.
The man responsible for re-establishing Miami as a power in college football, Butch Davis, has moved on to the Cleveland Browns. In steps Larry Coker, who has spent the last six years coordinating the Miami offense. Coker's promotion has made for an incredibly smooth transition. By the way, Rob Chudzinski, who was the tight ends coach, is now coordinating the offense.
OFFENSE
While only five starters return for Coker and Chudzinski, the Hurricanes have plenty of proven performers stepping into front-line roles. And most importantly, they have an established, big-time signal caller in junior Ken Dorsey. Not only did the angular 6-foot-4, 200-pounder complete nearly 60 percent of his passes last season, but he also managed to stay away from the critical turnover. He finished with 25 TD passes and only five interceptions. For his career, Dorsey has a 35-to-7 TD-interception ratio.
In the backfield, dependable James Jackson (rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 11 TDs) has moved on, joining Davis with the Browns. However, the stable of remaining RBs figures to give the Hurricanes a solid rushing attack. Operating out of a two-back set, the starters are expected to be Clinton Portis and Najeh Davenport. However, based on a strong performance in the spring, redshirt freshman Willis McGahee must be factored into the equation. Considered the elite RB in the state of Florida as a prep senior, the 6-1, 225-pounder provides not only outside speed, but also the ability to run authoritatively between the tackles. In two of three scrimmages in the spring, McGahee rushed for over 100 yards. Junior Jarrett Payton is also in the mix, giving you an idea of the Hurricanes' superior backfield depth.
The major graduation losses were obviously at WR, with Santana Moss (NY Jets), Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis), and Andre King (Cleveland) now in the NFL. Not only was Moss a superior playmaker at WR, but he also excelled as a punt returner, averaging 18.2 yards per return last season. Moss and Wayne together accounted for 20 TDs. King hauled in just 11 receptions, but was a top-flight special teams performer as well, both as a kick returner and on the kick coverage units.
This season the pressure will be on senior Daryl Jones to step up as the No. 1 option. He's shown flashes of top-flight ability, hauling in 12 receptions for 181 yards last season. The 5-9½, 189-pound speedster also excelled in the Sugar Bowl against Florida. He caught two passes for 26 yards, had a 44-yard punt return, and averaged 25.0 yards on three kickoff returns. For the year, Jones was one of the top kickoff returners in the country, averaging 27 yards on 13 returns.
In third-year sophomore Andre Johnson, the Hurricanes have a physically imposing 6-3. 218-pounder who is regarded as one of the fastest (4.39) players on the team. He'll be counted on to produce opposite Jones, with converted signal caller Ethenic Sands the No. 3 option. The 6-foot, 177-pound junior, who threw one TD pass last year against McNeese State, wass switched to WR in the spring. I'm told he showed very good hands and natural pass-receiving skills, able to go up and make the tough catch in traffic. Depth will be provided by a pair of young second-year performers, Kevin Beard and Jason Geathers.
While Jones is adjusting to his new role as the featured wide-out, Dorsey will look to heavily incorporate sure-handed junior tight end Jeremy Shockey into the pass offense. The 6-5, 236-pounder finished last season as the Hurricanes' third-leading receiver with 21 catches for a 14.1 yard average and 3 TDs. The one we'll most remember came against Florida State when his last-minute TD grab allowed the Hurricanes to pull out a 27-24 victory.
One of the strengths of the 2001 Hurricanes should definitely be the offensive line. Four starters return, including a pair of bookend OTs who rival any in the country. In fact, LT Bryant McKinnie (6-8, 335) ranks as one of the elite overall senior prospects in the country. On the right side, Joaquin Gonzalez brings a ton of experience and ability to the position. He's been a rock since his redshirt freshman season in '98. The same is true of veteran RG Martin Bibla. The other returning starter is junior pivot man Brett Romberg. In line for the LG job are a pair of juniors, Sherko Haji-Rasouli and Ed Wilkins.
DEFENSE
With Greg Schiano leaving Miami to take over as the head coach at Rutgers, Coker brought in former Hurricane LB Randy Shannon to coordinate the defense. Shannon, who played under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, spent the last three years as the LB coach with the Miami Dolphins. While eight starters return, they did sustain a few major losses with DT Damione Lewis (12th pick overall to St. Louis) and MLB Dan Morgan (11th pick overall to Carolina) moving on to the NFL. They also have to replace FS Al Blades (signed as undrafted free agent by San Francisco) and CB Leonard Myers (sixth-round pick by New England).
As always, the defensive front four figures to be a strong suit, with the destructive force expected to be 6-5, 297-pound junior William Joseph. The Hurricanes have a rich history of producing exceptional DTs, with notables such as Eddie Edwards, Don Latimer, Lester Williams, Jerome Brown, Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland, Warren Sapp, and the aforementioned Lewis starting at that spot. Joseph definitely has a chance to continue the tradition. By the way, all the former standout Hurricane DTs I mentioned went in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Steady, reliable junior Matt Walters will work alongside Joseph. Operating at DE will be Jamaal Green and Cornelius Green, but also keep an eye on Jerome McDougle (younger brother of the Detroit Lions Stockar McDougle) and JUCO transfer Andrew Williams. In the spring, Williams reportedly turned some heads at right DE with his powerful charge and ability to wreak havoc.
At LB, the Hurricanes must hope there isn't a major dropoff at the MLB spot. Morgan is definitely tough to replace, not only in terms of production but also with the approach and attitude he brought to the defense. Sophomore Jonathan Vilma worked in the middle in the spring until he was sidelined for the final two weeks with a knee injury. When the injury occurred, they shifted junior Howard Clark from the weak side to fill the void. With Vilma figuring to be back at full strength for fall practice, they'll have some options. That's because D.J. Williams was moved from fullback to outside linebacker in the spring. While the former prize recruit needs time to shake off the rust, he shows unlimited potential on defense. Heralded true freshman Leon Williams could also figure in the mix at OLB if he develops quickly. On the strong side, senior Chris Campbell sat out spring practice with a minor knee injury, but is reportedly back at 100 percent. While he's been a very capable performer, Campbell has the speed and athleticism to take his game up a few notches and become more of a difference-maker.
Despite the graduation loss of FS Blades and CB Myers, expect a strong performance overall from the Hurricanes' deep patrol. In fact, they could field one of the top secondaries in college football. This is due in large part to the presence of super blue-chip senior SS Edward Reed. The rugged veteran finished third on the team last year with 80 tackles, while also picking off eight passes and breaking up 23 others. Senior James Lewis, who has seen plenty of action as an extra DB, moves in as the starter at FS. The Hurricanes have both talent and depth on the corner, with senior Mike Rumph, junior Phillip Buchanon, senior Markese Fitzgerald, and third-year sophomore Maurice Sikes.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior PK Todd Sievers was three of four on field-goal attempts against Florida in the Sugar Bowl, including a career-long 44-yarder. However, he was just one of six beyond 40 yards for the year, needing to improve his accuracy from this distance. Junior Freddie Capshaw earned all-Big East honors after averaging 43.2 yards per punt last season. Buchanon takes over as the primary punt returner, with wide-outs Johnson and Jones handling the kickoff return duties.
OVERVIEW
In addition to being the popular choice among the players, Coker's elevation to head coach also allows the Hurricanes to maintain the necessary continuity. Dorsey's TD-to-interception ratio has been remarkable, but he now has to adjust to a new-look receiving corps. Moss and Wayne were exceptional, with Moss' punt-return skills also allowing for huge gains in terms of field position. Jones has flashed big-play ability, while Johnson has the physical skills to create some nice matchup advantages. Sands also took well to the position change from QB to WR. And remember, Shockey is one of the top pass-catching TEs in the country. While Jackson's loss hurts, the running game should be solid, especially with the potential displayed by McGahee in the spring. The Hurricanes also field what should be a dominating offensive line. McKinnie is a major-league talent, while Gonzalez and Bibla also have NFL futures.
Defensively, Joseph has to become a dominator up front, effectively making up for the loss of Lewis. It will also be interesting to see if Williams can build on the performance level he showcased in the spring at right DE. Adequately replacing Morgan at MLB is critical. In addition, Campbell needs to create more game-changing plays at OLB. We'll also have to see how quickly D.J. Williams becomes a major factor on the outside. The secondary, with a star like Reed at SS and so much quality and depth at CB, figures to be a team strength. In tight battles, they'll need improved accuracy from PK Sievers from over 40 yards.
In order to contend for the national championship, the Hurricanes will have to overcome a tricky schedule that presents challenges both at home and on the road. In addition to their opener at Happy Valley against Penn State and a home game against Washington in mid-September, the Hurricanes will have to deal with road battles against Pittsburgh, Florida State and Virginia Tech.
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
|
