Hurricanes Hold Shorter Practice Tuesday Morning

Hurricanes Hold Shorter Practice Tuesday Morning

Aug. 12, 2008

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football team completed its 11th practice of fall camp Tuesday, working out in full pads for just over two hours at the Greentree Practice Fields.

With Tuesday’s practice falling between a pair of two-a-days on Monday and Wednesday, the team spent less time out on the field and some more time in the weight room.

“Today wasn’t a very good day of practice,” head coach Randy Shannon said. “I think we kind of went backwards a little bit. I didn’t think the intensity was as high as the last couple of practices. We’ve got to bounce back tomorrow and get it done.

“It’s normal for this time of the year, but if we’re going to get better as a team, we can’t take a step backwards, we’ve got to go forwards,” Shannon added. “This team understands that.”

The team worked through another hot morning, with temperatures in the mid 80’s and a heat index that reached 95 by the end of the session.

For the second straight day, Miami focused on blitz packages on the defensive side of the ball while the offense worked on passing drills and 9-on-9 red zone packages. The team also focused on third down scenarios before closing it out with more special teams work.

“The young [receivers] are doing well,” Shannon said. “They are picking it up. Everybody is making their plays, they are learning the offense. They make some mistakes here and there, but they don’t make the same mistake twice, which is really good.”

Fans can order tickets for the 2008 season, including season tickets starting at $99, by visiting www.hurricanesports.com or by calling the UM ticket office at (800) GO-CANES or (305) 284-CANE. The UM ticket office, located at the Hecht Athletic Center on UM’s campus, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

UM’s season-opener is slated for Thursday, Aug. 28 against Charleston Southern at Dolphin Stadium. Kick-off for the opener is slated for 7:30 p.m. and all fans are encouraged to wear orange to the game against the Buccaneers.

Post-practice notes
• Tuesday’s session lasted just over two hours.
• Shannon noted Eric Moncur will continue to work on more individual drills as the week progresses.
• UM will work through its second two-a-day of the week on Wednesday, with practices at 7:50 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.
• The Hurricanes’ season-opener against Charleston Southern is 16 days away.