Miami Football: Right Between the Numbers
Oct. 7, 2010
Below are some random notes about the Miami football program heading into Saturday’s game against Florida State at Sun Life Stadium:
– Miami leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in total defense and scoring defense, holding its opposition to an average of 266.8 yards per game and 15.0 points per game.
– The `Canes are averaging 32.5 points per game, 370.2 yards per game and 20.3 first downs per game.
– Damien Berry is averaging 4.9 yards per carry through four games this season while totaling 327 yards on 67 carrries, which ranks fourth in the ACC. Lamar Miller has 157 yards on 29 carries (5.4 ypc), while Mike James has 77 yards on 15 carries (5.1 ypc).
– Junior wide receiver Travis Benjamin has 414 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in two career games against FSU.
– Miami leads the nation in tackles for loss (10.50 pg) and ranks second in sacks (4.25). Ironically, FSU is first in sacks (5.00) and second in tackles for loss (9.40).
– Ray-Ray Armstrong leads all UM defensive backs with 22 total tackles (11-11), while Oliver Vernon (19; 13-6) leads all defensive linemen.
– Head coach Randy Shannon’s 977 lifetime Academic Progress Report average leads all head coaches in Bowl Championship Series conferences and trails only Troy Calhoun of Air Force (983) and Ken Niumatalolo of Navy (978) on the national stage.
– Miami’s defense has only allowed one passing touchdown this season.
– Orlando Franklin (31 starts) and Colin McCarthy (28 starts) have the most starting experience on the 2010 roster.
– Sean Spence is averaging 11.3 tackles over Miami’s last three games.
– 53,674 excited Hurricanes fans showed up for the home opener against Florida A&M. It was the the third-highest attendance for the Hurricanes since their move to Sun Life Stadium. The following week 105,454 fans attended the Miami-Ohio State game in Columbus, marking the fifth-largest crowd ever at Ohio Stadium.
– Graig Cooper needs 934 yards to become Miami’s all-time leader in all-purpose yardage. Cooper, who has 3,461 yards after picking up 24 yards against Florida A&M, is currently fifth in UM history behind Eddie Dunn (3,476), Edgerrin James (3,590), Ottis Anderson (4,265) and leader Santana Moss (4,394).
– Thirty-two former `Canes playing in the NFL last season have earned their degree from the University of Miami.
– Six Hurricanes are ranked among the Top 150 NFL prospects according to Scouts Inc.’s Todd McShay on ESPN.com. Allen Bailey, Orlando Franklin, Brandon Harris, Graig Cooper, Colin McCarthy and Leonard Hankerson are listed, while Matt Bosher and DeMarcus Van Dyke were also rated but outside of the Top 150.
– Eleven former Hurricanes were selected to the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl earlier this year, easily the most of any school in the country. Antrel Rolle, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jon Beason, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Bryant McKinnie, Vince Wilfork, Brandon Meriweather, Jonathan Vilma and Frank Gore all represented the U at the sports’ all-star game.
– Miami has had 11 more first round draft picks than any other school in the country all-time. The `Canes have had 46 first-rounders, while Ohio State is second with 35 and Florida is third with 32.
– The `Canes return their top four performers in terms of all-purpose yards in 2009: Graig Cooper (1,417), Leonard Hankerson (801), Damien Berry (684) and Travis Benjamin (597). Through the first four games this year, Damien Berry leads the team with 401 all-purpose yards. He is followed by Hankerson (388), Lamar Miller (356) and Benjamin (264).
