Football Practice Report - Friday, August 15, 2003
Aug. 15, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami football team continued fall practice with two workouts on Friday at the Greentree Practice Fields. The Hurricanes went through a full contact session in the morning and returned in the afternoon in full pads again.
Head Coach Larry Coker felt the Hurricanes pushed themselves in the two-a-day practice.
“The guys were really into it today,” Coach Coker said. “Practice was much better this afternoon, and we are more pleased with today’s workout.”
The Hurricanes’ coaching staff continued to install the team’s offensive and defensive playbook in the two-a-day workout.
“We are still trying to put everything in and then we are going to cut back to what we need for a game plan,” Coach Coker said. “We are not quite into the game plan things right now, so it is still a ‘Miami vs. Miami’ mindset. We hope to start preparing for Louisiana Tech next week.”
Coach Coker assessed the progress of the team in relation to expectations of the coaching staff.
“We still have a lot of stuff to work on, but I hope everyone else is as far away as we are right now,” Coach Coker said. “We are covering a lot of ground and getting a lot done in our meetings and walk-throughs. I think we are making good progress, and our team seems to be getting better.”
The Hurricanes will have to rely on a number of different players in the receiving corps due to injuries and lack of experience, according to Coker.
“The younger guys need to step up,” Coach Coker said. “We need guys like Devin Hester and Darnell Jenkins to be ready to play. Ryan Moore and Kevin Beard have really stepped up for us. We had to hold them (Moore and Beard) out this morning, but they got a lot of work in the afternoon. There is a huge difference when those two guys are in. We don’t have a guy like Andre Johnson anymore so it’s going to be a team effort. Both of the tight ends, Kellen Winslow and Kevin Everett, are going to have to play a bigger role. It’s going to be a collective unit, it is not going to be a one man show this year.”
The play of senior linebacker Jarrell Weaver also caught the coaching staff’s eye at today’s practice.
“He (Weaver) told me his knee was bothering him in the spring and he turned around and ran a 4.27 (40-yard dash),” Coker said. “I told him I couldn’t wait to what he can do when he gets healthy. He is extremely athletic and very fast. He made an interception today and it was clear nobody was going to run him down.”
The Hurricanes will return to the practice fields for a scheduled 8:30 a.m. workout on Saturday.
For UM football ticket information, please call 1-800-GO-CANES. The Hurricanes are set to open the season on Aug. 28 against Louisiana Tech in Shreveport. La. UM then returns home to face the Florida Gators on Sept. 6.
McIntosh Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Sophomore linebacker Roger McIntosh underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday morning to reduce some minor swelling in his knee.
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