Football Prepares For Regular-Season Finale
Dec. 2, 1999
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami football team (7-4, 5-1 BIG EAST)held a 90-minute workout in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets on Thursdayafternoon at the Greentree Practice Facility. With the practice, theHurricanes concluded the majority of its game-week preparations for theirregular-season finale this Saturday vs. Temple (2-8, 2-4 BIG EAST) at theOrange Bowl.
Following the practice, Head Coach Butch Davis commented on the probablereturn of junior running back James Jackson. Jackson, who has missed thelast three games with a right knee sprain, has been spelled by truefreshmen Clinton Portis and Jarrett Payton.
“We’ve basically practiced all three of those guys this week,” saidDavis. “James (Jackson) hasn’t had much contact. But if he warms up andfeels good, we certainly are going to give him the opportunity to play onSaturday. Clinton Portis, along with Jarrett Payton, has done anoutstanding job the last couple weeks and has posted some big performances.Hopefully, we can re-create that three-headed monster (Jackson, EdgerrinJames, and Najeh Davenport) that we had last year.”
Sophomore running back Najeh Davenport and senior linebackerMichael Smith are both expected to be out for the year with right kneeinjuries. Sophomore quarterback Kenny Kelly (sprained MCL in left knee),senior offensive tackle Robert Hall (right ankle sprain), and sophomoreSheven Marshall (neck burner) are not expected to play vs. Temple. Juniorrunning back James Jackson (sprained right knee) is probable for Temple,after missing the last three games.
SPORTSCHANNEL FLORIDA TELEVISES HURRICANE DOUBLE-HEADER: TheMiami-Temple game will be televised live on SportsChannel Florida at noon onSaturday. Following the football action, SportsChannel Florida will jointhe Miami-Memphis men’s basketball game in progress. SportsChannelFlorida’s broadcast team for Saturday’s Miami-Temple game will consist ofplay-by-play announcer Frank Forte, color analyst John Congemi and sidelinereporter Todd Kalas.
FOOTBALL AWARDS BANQUET ON DEC. 13: The annual University of Miami FootballAwards Banquet will be held on Monday, December 13 at the Radisson MartPlaza Hotel Centre (711 NW 72nd Ave.). At the banquet, Head Coach ButchDavis and the football coaching staff will honor the University of Miamigraduating seniors while presenting team awards. WQAM’s Marc Vandermeer,”the Voice of the Hurricanes”, will MC the event. A cash bar opens at 6:15p.m. with a dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and $400for a table of eight. Call the Hurricane Club at (305) 284-6699 forreservations.
SONNY HIRSCH WAY: On December 4th, the day of the Miami-Temple game,Northwest 14th Avenue (from 3rd – 7th Street) will be re-named and dedicatedSonny Hirsch Way in memory of the late Sonny Hirsch, longtime “Voice of theHurricanes”. Hirsch served as the radio play-by-play voice of University ofMiami football for 28 seasons, while also calling Hurricane basketball andbaseball during that span. He handled UM football and basketball radioduties from 1958 through 1971 for WKAT, Miami. After a 12-year absence, hereturned to Hurricane broadcasts, to also include baseball, working for WIOD(originally WCKR) and WINZ from 1983 through 1997. During his career as”Voice of the Hurricanes”, Hirsch was part of five national championshipteams – four in football (1983, 87, 89, 91) and one in baseball (1985). Agraduate of Miami Beach High School, the career of the 65-year old includeda 10-year stint as general manager of the Miami Marlins minor leaguebaseball team and a period in television for Channel 7, WCKT. Hirsch passedaway suddenly on March 25, 1999 from coronary artery disease.
