HURRICANES HOLD FINAL PRACTICE BEFORE NO. 6 OKLAHOMA

Sept. 6, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – – The Miami Hurricanes football team held its final practice on Thursday at the Greentree Practice Fields before its game at No. 6 Oklahoma. The Hurricanes will depart for Norman, Okla. Friday afternoon.

“Today was just a tune-up day,” UM head caoch Randy Shannon said. “We got a lot accomplished. We had some good two-minute drills. The guys flew around and had fun.”

The Hurricanes worked for one hour and 45 minutes in shells for the second straight day. Shannon was asked about the confidence level of his team going into Oklahoma, where more than 84,000 fans are expected at Memorial Stadium.

“I’m always confident in the football team,” Shannon said. “I think we have a great bunch of guys and a great coaching staff. We can’t go into a game without confidence. I’m always going to have confidence in what we can do.”

The Sooners are the first ranked team Miami will face this season, as the Hurricanes and Sooners renew a rivalry that was last played in the New Year’s Day Orange Bowl in 1988. Miami is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches’ polls and entered the week No. 28.

“This game is not a measuring stick for us,” Shannon said. “Every game that you play is going to be important, no matter if it’s Oklahoma or Florida A&M. Every game that you play, guys are going to have to step up. We always tell them to compete, play the best that you can, play at a high level and never settle for less.”