Intensity And Noise Level Raised At Hurricanes' Practice

Aug. 31, 2005

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – In five days, the 2005 season will be upon the University of Miami football team. The practice jerseys and unmarked helmets will be gone, so too the tackling dummies and practice officials. They will be replaced by fresh uniforms, ACC officials, a very real Florida State Seminoles team and more than 80,000 loud fans at Doak Campbell Stadium next Monday night in a nationally televised game on ABC.

The Hurricanes did their best to simulate the noise level they anticipate in the season opener with eight loudspeakers surrounding the field in a Wednesday afternoon session at the Greentree Practice Fields. The FSU war chant and pre-recorded crowd noise pumped through the loud speakers throughout practice.

“I’ve been around this crowd noise for a long time,” head coach Larry Coker said. “Today was about as intense as I’ve ever been around.”

It was Miami’s first practice with the crowd noise and the team responded well. “Even in the two-minute drill we didn’t have any false starts,” Coker said. “That’s why you have (the noise) and that’s what you like to see.”

UM returned to the practice field after lightning interrupted Tuesday’s practice twice, eventually ending the practice. It was a minor speed bump in Miami’s preparation, as the team used a scheduled off day on Wednesday to make up for the lost practice.

“It was good to be back out here,” Coker said. “We missed yesterday and we really needed to get this practice in. The guys were running around and looked fast. I like what I’ve seen.”

Miami will practice at 3:20 Thursday afternoon at the Greentree Practice Fields.