Miami's Secondary Is Better Than Before
Jan 2, 2003
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) – Miami cornerback Kelly Jennings owes his teammates a fewpush-ups.
Jennings broke his left wrist just before the season, played 11 games with acast and has been unable to take part in the secondary’s ritual of doingpush-ups for each dropped interception during practices and games.
He hopes the Hurricanes will forget about it. After all, Jennings is the topcornerback on a team that leads the nation in pass defense and will go for asecond consecutive national title in Friday’s Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.He also has helped the secondary do something few ever expected: Replace threefirst-round NFL draft picks and play better than its predecessors.
The defensive backs turned No. 1 Miami’s biggest question mark before theseason into an exclamation point.
“We knew we were going to be a good secondary,” Jennings said. “We havelots of talent, and we learned a lot from those guys last year. All we neededwas a chance to prove it.”
Jennings, fellow cornerback Antrel Rolle, free safety Sean Taylor and strongsafety Maurice Sikes got their opportunity after Miami lost its entiresecondary to the NFL last April. Ed Reed, Phillip Buchanon and Mike Rumph weredrafted in the first round, and James Lewis was a sixth-round pick.
The Hurricanes led the nation in pass efficiency defense and interceptionslast season. Even the coaching staff expected some drop-off this season, butthe four newcomers have been even better under second-year defensive backscoach Mark Stoops, one of four Stoops brothers coaching around the country.
The unit has allowed a nation-best 119.50 yards passing a game, 25 fewerthan anyone else. They also have given up just eight touchdown passes and lessthan 10 yards per completion.
“The difference between last year’s secondary and this year’s secondary is… these guys had a year to learn it,” defensive coordinator Randy Shannonsaid. “They can snap off things and correct things just like that. Last year,Ed Reed and them would have to see it two or three times. These guys don’t,because they have been in the system longer. That’s the difference.”
Though the current corps lacks Reed’s leadership and intensity, andBuchanon’s big-play ability, the group might have better athletes.
Jennings, a freshman with 25 tackles, is the smallest and fastest of thebunch. He usually lines up in one-on-one coverage against the opponent’s bestreceiver, and he could be instrumental in covering the Buckeyes’ MichaelJenkins.
Rolle, a sophomore with 62 tackles, has improved the most since last season,adding size, strength and speed. He is much more physical than Jennings,crowding the line of scrimmage often to press receivers and help stop the run.
Taylor, a sophomore with 74 tackles and a team-high 14 passes broken up, isthe team’s hardest hitter and best tackler. He forces fumbles, helps stuff therun and leaves receivers wary about crossing over the middle. He also has greatrange, especially for a 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety.
“He brings the thump,” Jennings said.
Sikes, a junior with 68 tackles and a team-high three interceptions, is theexperienced leader of the group, having played 30 games in three seasons.
“He’s very smart,” Rolle said. “He knows where everyone needs to be, andhe gets us in the right positions for every play.”
The secondary gets plenty of help from Miami’s vaunted front seven, whichwhen playing well, shuts down running backs and pressures quarterbacksconsistently. That allows the defensive backs to concentrate on keeping tightcoverage for just a few seconds.
The defensive backs’ only weakness has been making interceptions. They havea combined seven of Miami’s 10 INTs this season but could have had many morehad it not been for drops that led to push-ups for each of them – except acast-wearing Jennings.
“We cut him some slack because of his cast, but sooner or later, he has toget it off,” Sikes said.
