Weather Turns Day Off Into Practice

Sept. 19, 2005

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 12th-ranked University of Miami football team usually takes Mondays off. But there usually isn’t a hurricane threatening to strike South Florida like it is on Tuesday. That being the case, the Hurricanes took to the Greentree Practice Fields Monday afternoon in preparation for the home opener against Colorado on Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC.

The unexpected practice on a scheduled day off did not affect the Hurricanes’ approach.

“This was a great day today,” head coach Larry Coker said. “I was worried about how we would approach it, but we approached it really well. We ran around well and looked pretty fresh and rested, even though we were out late (the team returned from Clemson at 2:00 a.m. Sunday).”

Coker stressed, in particular, the running game during Monday’s practice. The Hurricanes are coming off a season-best 195-yard team effort on the ground, and they have potential to be better.

“I really made the backs run a lot today,” Coker said. “We’re making six-yard runs. We need to make 60-yard runs.”

Junior running back Tyrone Moss led the rushing attack against Clemson and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Offensive Back of the Week. Moss, a junior from Pompano Beach, Fla. rushed for 139 yards on a career-high 31 carriers and scored a personal-best three touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ 36-30 triple-overtime win. Two of those touchdowns were in overtime, including the game-winner on a 25-yard run in the third extra session.

Joining Moss in earning ACC accolades Monday was freshman safety Kenny Phillips, who made 13 tackles and had the game-sealing interception in overtime for the Hurricanes against the Tigers.

“We had two players of the week, and that’s great,” Coker said. “That is well-deserved. They were kind of our players of the week, too.”

UM will practice at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday at the Greentree Practice Fields. The University of Miami is closed due to weather conditions on Tuesday.