Hurricanes Open Virginia Tech Week Practice

Oct. 31, 2006

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami will have plenty to worry about against the No. 23 Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday night in the Orange Bowl. The Hokies’ vaunted special teams play, the momentum carried over from a win against Clemson and the ACC’s leading running back, Brandon Ore.

All that is old news to head coach Larry Coker. The focus of Tuesday’s afternoon practice at the Greentree Practice Fields was on Miami. “I think the big thing that we’ve got to be concerned about is our team before we get too concerned about Virginia Tech’s team,” Coker said.

“We’ve got to make sure we get back on track, work to correct the things that are keeping us from playing the football game last week,” Coker said. “You know our negative plays, our red zone offense, things that we need to correct to have a chance to beat a good football team, obviously, and the turnovers.”

Miami (2-2 ACC Coastal, 5-3 overall) will be looking to rebound and as a team, has resolved to push on through its most-recent adversity. The team still has goals and is determined to achieve them. “We want to be in the best bowl game we possibly can,” Coker said. “To do that you’ve got to win games. Again, I think if we are 9-3 we will have an outstanding bowl game. We could maybe be in Jacksonville.”

Miami returns to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon.