Hurricanes Solid In Morning Scrimmage
Aug. 15, 2000
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – A 90-play scrimmage was the focal point of Tuesday morning’s two-hour practice as the University of Miami Hurricanes continued preparations for the 2000 football season at Greentree Practice Field on the UM campus.
The scrimmage featured extensive work for the entire roster and was deemed a success by head coach Butch Davis, largely because of the opportunities it afforded for reserves and newcomers to perform in a game-type environment.
“We tried to give everybody on the three-deep somewhere in the area of 20 to 25 snaps with a major emphasis on some of the areas in the kicking game that have to be reworked or revamped,” Davis said.
Davis was pleased with the performance of his field goal unit and felt the return units also made some progress. The first-team offense, led by quarterback Ken Dorsey, also earned Davis’s praise. “Kenny’s huddle presence was good and I was pleased with the way the first team came out and executed,” Davis said.
Dorsey completed 8-of-16 passes for 73 yards on the day including a 10-yard touchdown toss to receiver Daryl Jones. Reserve quarterback Ethenic Sands enjoyed an excellent scrimmage, completing 7-of-8 passes for 107 yards, highlighted by a 41-yard connection with reserve tight end David Williams. Another tight end, sophomore Jeremy Shockey, led all receivers with four receptions for 49 yards. Receiver Santana Moss and reserve running back Clinton Portis sat out the scrimmage with slightly strained hamstrings. Both players are expected back for limited practice this afternoon.
Freshman runningback Willis McGahee led all rushers with 71 yards on 14 carries with the third-team unit while veterans James Jackson and Najeh Davenport rotated three plays at a time with the first team. Jackson rushed seven times for 20 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards, including one 22-yard reception. Davenport rushed twice for 58 yards, but his spinning 46-yard run (during which he broke four tackles) was the highlight of the day. Davenport suffered a slight concussion at the conclusion of the run and sat out the remainder of the scrimmage.
The defense was led by defensive end William Joseph’s two quarterback sacks, along with interceptions by linebacker Chris Campbell and defensive back Markese Fitzgerald. Middle linebacker Dan Morgan (five tackles, four solos) and safety Al Blades (five tackles) also produced solid outings.
Practice resumes this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. with the final workout that will be open to the public. Two-a-days will continue in private Wednesday with sessions slated for 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
For ticket information for Hurricanes football, contact the UM Ticket Office at (305) 284-2263 or 1-800-GO-CANES. Tickets may also be ordered online at www.hurricanesports.com.
