Miami Holds Last Saturday Practice Before Scrimmages Start
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes held their sixth practice of the spring early Saturday morning on the Greentree Practice Fields.
Despite a scheduled start time of 9 a.m., the entire defense and all of the tight ends were walking through drills well before 8:30 a.m.
Here’s what else happened on the practice field….
Ojomo Stands Out
Watching the defensive line Saturday morning, it was evident that junior defensive end Adewale Ojomo was having the best day of the bunch. Ojomo consistently worked through drills with speed and technique. When it was time for the one-on-one drill with an offensive lineman, Ojomo had a quick burst off the line and was giving everyone he went up against fits, earning some cheers from his fellow linemen. When Ojomo wasn’t in action, he could be heard over the rest rooting on his guys to do the same.
The Little Things Matter
There was an extended amount of time spent on individual position work in practice today. Defensive line coach Jethro Franklin put his defensive lineman through a series of drills which focused on hand placement and quick feet.
Offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, who re-affirmed his commitment to Miami in interviews before practice, was earning high praise from coach Kehoe for the majority of individual work.
Despite the early practice, temperatures still reached into the lower 80’s on Greentree. Coaches and trainers continue to make it a point that everyone out there needs to stay hydrated.
Olsen Attends Practice
Former UM tight and current Chicago Bear Greg Olsen watched most of practice today, especially keeping a close eye on the receivers and tight ends. Olsen, who had 404 receiving yards and a team-high tying five receiving touchdowns for Chicago in 2010, was also in attendance at the Miami-Georgia Tech baseball game Friday night at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Coaches Get in to It
Wide Receivers coach George McDonald was on his game today on Greentree. His best moments definitely came in the Spider Drill. In this drill, an offensive lineman blocks a defensive lineman, a tight end blocks and linebacker and a receiver blocks a defensive back in a straight line. When the ball is snapped the quarterback hands off to a running back who tries to cut through the holes made by his offensive teammates. After several successful runs by the offense, McDonald was seen running to congratulate his receivers and playfully taunting the defensive backs.
After what was definitely a tough practice, coach Golden commended the players on their effort and said, “We’re working now… I’m excited guys.”
Practice highlights
– Linebacker Erik Lichter made the first big play of 11-on-11 drills with an interception on a tipped pass
– Travis Benjamin caught two long touchdown passes in 11-on-11 action
– Lamar Miller had a touchdown run and another run for 30 yards
– Alonzo Highsmith had the final big play of practice with an interception off a tipped pass
– Defense dominated in 11-on-11 work with lots of pressure and tight coverage on the wide receivers
UM Students, Employees Invited to Practice
In appreciation for their support of University of Miami athletics, Al Golden would like to invite UM students and employees to attend one of the team’s spring practices on Tuesday, March 29. Click here for more information.
Practice No. 7
The Hurricanes will return to practice on Tuesday for an afternoon session beginning at 2:15 p.m. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-to-upper 80’s next week.
Seantrel Henderson before practice….
Aldarius Johnson before practice….
