#CanesCamp Notebook (August 11)
FIRST PRACTICE
The Miami Hurricanes just completed the morning half of their first two-a-day session of #CanesCamp.
Highlights were as bright as the South Florida sunshine at the Greentree Practice Fields on Monday morning.
Running backs Duke Johnson and Gus Edwards displayed power and burst, breaking tackles to get to the second level and pick up first downs.
“I love it,” Johnson said. “Anything I can do to help my team win. Coach Golden and his staff do a great job of getting me the ball in different situations and in different ways. I’m ready for it.”
On a day filled with crisp passes by all of Miami’s quarterbacks, Jake Heaps had the throw of the day late in the morning session. The senior threw a textbook corner route, putting the ball between the right sideline and Phillip Dorsett for an over-the-shoulder catch that resulted in a 30-yard gain.
Brad Kaaya also got the Canes offense going, connecting with Dorsett, Malcolm Lewis and Stacy Coley for first downs.
Other offensive highlights included an aggressive catch in traffic by tight end Standish Dobard for a 15-yard gain and a key block downfield by offensive tackle Sunny Odogwu that sprung Duke Johnson loose for a 25-yard gain.
Miami’s defense also produced some notable performances. The front seven was aggressive at the line of scrimmage, pressuring the quarterbacks and stopping the run. Linebacker Jermaine Grace made a perfect read, stopping freshman running back Trayone Gray just as he thought he was hitting the gap.
“It’s a very, very smart scheme,” defensive back Ray Lewis III said. “I feel like one thing Coach D’Onofrio is very good at is that we have every area we need covered. From the checks down to our base defense down to everything, it’s really a smart defense. I feel like if everybody buys in and everybody learns it 100%, I feel like we’ll be really good on defense.”
Linebacker Thurston Armbrister had an athletic interception on an underneath route, taking away a reception from a Miami back and creating the turnover. Freshman Marques Gayot also had a takeaway, diving to snag an interception just before it hit the ground.
There were several competitive battles on Monday morning, including defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad and left tackle Ereck Flowers. Muhammad says facing the All-ACC caliber lineman has only helped he and his fellow defensive lineman improve.
“He’s definitely a tough guy to go against,” Muhammad said. “I like going against him. I can get him better, he can get me better. He’s a big guy. He has really strong hands, so it’s hard to rip off and get off the block. But it’s definitely a great competition when we go against each other. We talk on a regular basis to see where I can and improve and where he can improve. It’s good to go against him. If I can go against him, I definitely know I can go against anybody.”
The Hurricanes will be back on Greentree this afternoon for the second session of Monday’s two-a-day. A year ago the Canes would have a lighter afternoon practice during two-a-days, but Johnson says that is not guaranteed. Instead, the players have to earn that through hard work in the morning session.
“It depends on Coach Golden, but at the same time it depends on us,” Johnson said. “If we come out here and practice hard the first practice, show him what he’s looking for, show effort and intensity and we finish, I believe Coach Golden will take care of us the second practice. I’m not really sure exactly what we’d be [doing], but I’m sure he’d take care of us if he likes what he sees on film.”
SECOND PRACTICE
The Miami Hurricanes continued their momentum from the morning into the second session of the first two-a-day of #CanesCamp Monday afternoon, earning rave reviews from head coach Al Golden for their efforts and intensity.
“That practice right there, in helmets, is as good as any I’ve ever been around,” Golden said afterwards.
The practice was the last before the team’s first scrimmage of the fall.
Miami quarterbacks Jake Heaps and Brad Kaaya, two of four players vying for the starting job, were impressive once again Monday. Heaps had a 25-yard completion to junior wide receiver Herb Waters in the early going, while Kaaya and senior Phillip Dorsett connected for a large gain after a nice spin move from Dorsett.
The Hurricanes defense would respond, however, including a pass break-up from Deon Bush and a pick-six by sophomore Artie Burns.
“I think the defense has a little edge to them right now,” Golden said. “They have something they have to prove. They got a chip on their shoulder with respect to that.”
Despite the occasional miscue, the quarterback unit has impressed offensive coordinator James Coley.
“The guys are really focused in on being accurate and my biggest thing is you’re going to be extremely accurate when you’re consistent – when you do things a certain way every time versus certain looks every time,” he said.
In addition to the quarterback race, Golden said some of the most competitive battles are at SAM linebacker (Darrion Owens and Thurston Armbrister) and the offensive line two-deep, where a number of youngsters are rising to the challenge.
“Those guys are starting to make me stop talking about 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th [lineman] and all that,” Golden said. “They’re getting going on pretty good now. Trevor [Darling], Taylor [Gadbois], Hunter Wells had an excellent day, Alex Gall. We have a long way to go, but those guys are getting me fired up for the way they’re approaching and working and how smart they are.”
Golden said each night during training camp, the staff and players take part in “camp-etition,” where the day’s best and worst plays are reshown on a projector screen in a team meeting room.
“I love it. We go over it, starting at about 9:30 tonight…We just show the scores of the day then the plays of the day and then who the players of the day were,” Golden explained. “The guys get pretty jacked up about that. If you lose a couple of periods, it gets loud in there. You have to eat whatever is on the screen. It’s a lot of fun. It’s just fun to be around.”
For the latest information on Miami Hurricanes Football, follow @MiamiHurricanes on Twitter and the official blog for Hurricanes Football, www.theufootball.com.
