FB Opens Spring Drills with Saturday Practice
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes opened their 2013 spring slate Saturday with the first of 15 scheduled practices. The Canes held their two-hour workout at the GreenTree Practice Fields with temperatures in the mid-50s.
Head coach Al Golden, along with the Canes’ three new assistant coaches and four players, met with reporters following practice. Among the players that spoke with the media after practice were 2012 Freshman All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year Duke Johnson and senior QB Stephen Morris, who threw for 3,345 passing yards and 21 touchdowns in 2012.
“We had good tempo, a good start today,” Golden said. “I told the team that I thought we were better today than we were when we got back from Durham (the last week of November), which is not easy to do with all the transition and having a lot of guys out there for the first time. We made a lot of progress today.”
Miami, which returns 10 starters on both offense and defense from its 2012 squad, finished 7-5 overall a year ago and tied for first in the ACC Coastal Division with a 5-3 league mark. The Canes’ offense returns all five starters along the offensive line – LT Malcolm Bunche, LG Jon Feliciano, C Shane McDermott, RG Brandon Linder and RT Seantrel Henderson. McDermott is one of seven injured players being held out of spring practice.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Canes return defensive linemen Anthony Chickillo, Olsen Pierre and Shayon Green, who made a combined 35 starts in 2012. Senior Curtis Porter, who started the final three games last season, also returns to bolster the D-line.
Miami’s spring practice schedule features four sessions prior to Spring Break (March 10-16). The Canes will return to GreenTree for a Sunday session at 9 a.m., followed by practices Tuesday and Thursday before the break. Miami’s first spring scrimmage will take place March 23 at Traz-Powell Stadium. Naples High School will be the site of Miami’s second spring scrimmage April 5, followed by its annual Spring Game on April 13 at Sun Life Stadium.
The Canes will have a three-game homestand to open the 2013 season, beginning Aug. 30 with Florida Atlantic. Florida (Sept. 7) and Savannah State (Sept. 21) follow the season opener.
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