Hurricanes Run Wild in First Spring Scrimmage
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The play of Mike James, Jordan Futch and Adewale Ojomo highlighted Miami’s first spring scrimmage held Saturday morning at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton.
Approximately 3,000 fans attended the two-hour session, which was held under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70’s.
Getting Going
The Hurricanes rose early Saturday morning before making the hour trip up I-95 with a police escort, arriving at Spanish River at 8:50 a.m. With the offense donned in orange, the defense in green and the three quarterbacks in white, the team went through their typical pre-practice routine with early work and stretching leading up to the 10 a.m. start to the scrimmage.
On Script
The scrimmage was a series of scripted scenarios with the `Canes starting at different points of the field in different types of scenarios. The action started with goal line work before moving into full field work the majority of the morning. In the end, the `Canes briefly worked under the two-minute drill before coach Al Golden whistled the group to come together for an end-of-practice huddle just before 11:45 a.m.
Running Wild
The running game was the offense’s biggest strength on Saturday, with five backs (Mike James, Lamar Miller, Storm Johnson, Maurice Hagens and John Calhoun) combining for 226 yards on 41 carries (5.5 yard per rush). James led all players with 124 total yards of offense, gaining 89 on the ground and 35 through the air) while Johnson and Miller finished with 94 and 67 total yards respectively.
Leaders on D
Senior linebacker Jordan Futch led the defense with nine total tackles, while fellow backer Sean Spence finished with eight. Each also had two sacks, while Spence added another tackle for a loss. Junior defensive end Adewale Ojomo had the best day of any of the linemen, tallying six tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. In the secondary, Vaughn Telemaque led the way with seven tackles and a pass deflection.
Offensive Standouts
Mike James – 14 carries, 89 yards (3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD)
Jacory Harris – 14-of-21, 120 yards, 1 TD
Stephen Morris – 7-for-13, 93 yards, 1 TD
Travis Benjamin – 4 catches, 49 yards (2 rushes, 26 yards)
Lamar Miller – 9 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD (1 catch, 9 yards)
Storm Johnson – 11 carries, 55 yards (4 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD)
Defensive Leaders
Jordan Futch – 9 tackles, 2 sacks
Sean Spence – 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Vaughn Telemaque – 7 tackles, 1 pass deflection
Adewale Ojomo – 6 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Travis Williams – 7 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack
Standing Room Only
Spanish River High was clearly the place to be in Palm Beach County on Saturday. Many fans came out hours before the start of the scrimmage to tailgate, but most arrived right round the 10 a.m. start. Eventually, the stands filled up on both sides of the field and as fans rolled in throughout the 10 o’clock hour, all that was left were a few spots here and there along the fence to stand and watch.
Native Sons Return Home
Six Hurricanes returned home to Palm Beach County for today’s scrimmage. Travis Benjamin (Belle Glade), Cameron Dean (Gulf Stream), Jeremy Lewis (West Palm Beach), Shane McDermott (Lake Worth), Micanor Regis (Pahokee) and Clive Walford (Belle Glade) all hail from the state’s largest county.
`Canes Busy in the Community
The rest of the weekend, the UM football team will split up and spend time at two different community service initiatives. Half of the team will take part in Relay for Life on Saturday, while the other half will visit with individuals at the Miami Rescue Mission on Sunday. For more information on all of UM’s upcoming events at the MRM, click HERE.
What’s Next
Following Saturday’s scrimmage, the Hurricanes’ remaining spring schedule features four more practices, another scrimmage next Saturday and the Spring Game to be held on April 16. Miami will next return to Greentree on Tuesday for an afternoon practice.
More Interviews
For more interviews following Saturday’s scrimmage, visit TheUFootball.com.
