Football Holds Successful Scrimmage in Naples
NAPLES, Fla. – After torrential rains paved the way for clear skies and a cool breeze, the Miami Hurricanes football team completed its second spring scrimmage Friday night in front of 3,000 fans at Naples High School.
Similar to last month’s scrimmage at Traz-Powell Stadium, Friday’s 90-minute scrimmage simulated different game situations, including goal-line, red-zone scenarios and two-minute drills.
“I thought our tempo was better [from the last scrimmage] and we didn’t have a lot of penalties except for the two during the goal-line situations at the beginning,” head coach Al Golden said. “I thought we were crisp, completed good passes and we did some good things on both sides of the ball. We kicked the ball fairly well, too.
“We had 60 plays on offense with the first team and 55 plays with the (second team),” Golden said. “Not a complete game, but on the cusp of it.
Miami quarterbacks Stephen Morris, Ryan Williams and Gray Crow combined to throw five TD passes to three different receivers. The Canes were without the services of WR Phillip Dorsett, who was in Gainesville with the track team at the Florida Relays.
“I thought the guys were in better condition tonight, not a lot of mental errors,” Golden said. “It was a physical game. When you come out in an atmosphere like this with a lot of energy, heads start popping and guys get excited.”
Fort Myers native Dallas Crawford had two receiving touchdowns, while Rashawn Scott and Allen Hurns combined for three scores.
Big plays on defense came in the form of sacks by Anthony Chickillo, Tyriq McCord and Kelvin Cain, while Alex Irastorza, Fort Myers native Nate Dortch and Cain.
“I want to thank Naples High school for helping make tonight’s scrimmage happen,” Golden said.
The Canes enter their final week of spring practices at the GreenTree Practice Fields with sessions on Tuesday, April 9 and Thursday, April 11. Miami will conclude spring drills with the annual BankUnited Spring Game on Saturday, April 13 at Sun Life Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN3.
For the latest information on Miami Hurricanes Football, follow @HurricaneSports on Twitter and the official blog for Hurricanes Football, www.theufootball.com.
