HURRICANES GET THROUGH PRACTICE AFTER LIGHTNING DELAY

Oct. 17, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – – The Miami Hurricanes football team held a full practice Wednesday afternoon after being delayed for more than an hour because of rain and lightning.

“The lightning kept us inside early, but guys came back out focused and had a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of good hits and there were a bunch of tempo setters,” UM head coach Randy Shannon said. “We’re trying to set the tempo for game time.”

Shannon said that injured defensive tackle Josh Holmes has about a 20 percent chance of playing. “It’s just like last week with Colin McCarthy,” Shannon said. “He was cleared to play (last week), but he hadn’t practiced and we’re not going to take that chance. If Josh doesn’t practice, we won’t play him in the game.”

The Hurricanes will face Florida State for the 52nd time on Saturday in Tallahassee. Wide receiver Ryan Hill came out of Tallahassee’s Rickards High School and is anxious to go back home and play in front of his family and friends. “That’s home for him. He made the commitment to come down to Miami and he’ll be juiced up for this game,” Shannon said. “Ryan is doing a lot of good things right now. It’s kind of fun to watch him practice.”

Miami will practice again at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the Greentree Practice Fields.