Hurricanes Wrap Up Spring Practice
April 11, 2001
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The Miami Hurricanes football team wrapped up their first spring practice under new head coach Larry Coker with a 90-minute workout in shorts and pads Wednesday afternoon in hot weather at the Greentree Practice Fields.
Coker, who took over the reins of the Miami program after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for six seasons, deemed it “a productive spring in that we reached virtually all of the goals we set out to tackle.”
“I felt like we had a really good day to wrap up spring,” Coker said. “The team came out with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. While I don’t feel we’re ready to play Penn State today, I do feel like we are on the right track. We had some concerns to address and I felt we made progress at both wide receiver and linebacker, which were our main areas of focus entering the spring.”
Coker said he was pleased with the progress the team made during the three weeks of practice, but said that there are still some questions that remain unanswered heading into the offseason program and fall workouts. The Hurricanes will enter the 2001 campaign coming off an 11-1 season in which Miami won the BIG EAST Conference title, defeated Florida in the Sugar Bowl and finished ranked second in both major rankings.
“We’ve really targeted becoming a tough football team and I think we’re on the way there,” Coker said. “That’s not to say we weren’t a tough team last year. We didn’t win the Florida game by playing finesse football. A lot of observers looked at us last year with the frame of mind that stopping the run was a priority, but that opened up the passing game for us and we were able to capitalize.
“But what really made us an exceptional team offensively was our ability to run the ball decisively when we needed to. I think we are on the way to becoming that kind of offense again. Our offensive line could be even better than last year and we have plenty of talent and depth in the backfield. I’m very encouraged by that facet of our team.”
“Defensively, we had some injuries at linebacker that clouded things a bit but I really was encouraged by the way guys like Howard Clark (middle linebacker) and D.J. Williams (weakside linebacker) stepped up and performed. And our defensive line could have up to nine guys who could rotate for us. That’s a tremendous asset for us. Plus, our defensive backs had an excellent spring. The kicking game is something we will continue to work on, particularly the placements. But I have great confidence in those guys and we’ll be solid there before we get the season going.”
The Hurricanes were able to come out of the spring in relatively good health. Despite losing linebackers Chris Campbell and Jonathan Vilma to knee injuries, the overall health picture is excellent. Tight end Jeremy Shockey struggled through an ankle sprain that failed to hinder his development. A high ankle sprain slowed backup defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, but he continued to work through that ailment.
The Hurricanes are tentatively slated to welcome newcomers for fall practice on Sunday, August 5, with the veterans scheduled to return to campus on Wednesday, August 8. Miami opens the 2001 season on the road at Penn State on Saturday, September 1.
For ticket information concerning Hurricanes football, contact the UM Ticket Office at (305) 284-2263 or 1-800-GO-CANES. Ticket information also may also be obtained online at www.hurricanesports.com.
