CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football team returned to the Greentree Practice Fields Thursday morning for the fifth day of spring practice under head coach Mark Richt.
The Hurricanes began practice at 9 a.m. on a cloudy day in South Florida. The fifth practice once again placed the team in full pads as the Hurricanes ran through another day of drills and play installation.
Following practice, Richt, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, cornerback Corn Elder, offensive lineman Alex Gall, quarterback Brad Kaaya, defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh, linebacker Charles Perry, quarterback Evan Shirreffs, and quarterback Vincent Testaverde spoke to members of the media.
Miami returns to the gridiron on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Greentree Practice Fields.
The spring schedule will conclude on April 16 with its spring game (2 p.m.) at Lockhart Stadium and will be aired live on ESPN3. The Hurricanes’ spring game also will be open to the public and will be free for all fans.
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Spring Camp – Day Five
Head coach Mark Richt
On his general evaluations from practice…
“There was some good and bad. We still a lot of learning going on. We’re not quite done installing, so there’s something new every day, both sides of the ball. Let’s say you put in a play on offense, and you run it against everything they’ve run so far, well you’re getting pretty good at it…well, guess what? They add something new. You have to be able to execute that.
“Not only is the defense putting in something new, but the offense is putting something new as well. Until we’re done installing our plays, it’s going to be awhile before we start really settling in. The good news is every so often, we do it right, and everybody says, ‘Wow, what’s pretty good when you do it right.’ You have film to teach. Sometimes it’s, ‘hey, if this one guy does this, we’re one guy away from executing.’ 10 doing it right, one not quite – if you got it right, look what happens. It also proves to them that everybody has to do their job. That’s true on defense as well.”
On sophomore RJ McIntosh, who said he has shed 10 pounds from last year and moved to tackle…
“I don’t know what the previous staff did. I do know we want our guys to be at a certain body fat, want them to be quick, want them to be strong. You can’t be too light, obviously. You have to be strong enough to take on the run game and all that. But we do want guys in shape, we do want guys to be quick, and like I said, we want them strong too. I got a lot of faith in Gus Felder, our strength coach. I think we’ll be in good shape.”
On depth charts changes, whether practice to practice or week to week…
“I let the coaches decide how to rotate their players. The goal right now is to get everybody reps. Like I told the players after practice, we’re repping 1’s [first-string], 2’s, 3’s…we’re repping a lot of people. The reason is to see everybody and give everybody a chance, get it on film and show me what you can do. Pretty soon it’s just going to be 1’s, and 2’s in the fall. And then it’s going to be 1’s and anybody else who proves to the coach that you deserve playing time.
“Just like I tell them, my goal is to rotate people. I’d love to keep people fresh. I’d love to play the first and the second team, even the third sometimes. But the second-teamers have to prove they deserve those reps, and that’s what everybody is trying to do. They’re all fighting for playing time right now. They’re really fighting to learn what to do, then they’re fighting for playing time.”
Thomas Brown, Offensive Coordinator
On his recruiting visit to Georgia with Mark Richt…
“It was a lot about life outside of football. It was about what happens when they take that ball from you. I tell the recruits all the time, ‘I don’t care how great of a football player you are, at some point you are going to be too old, not good enough, or you’re going to be injured, and they’re going to take that ball from you and can you survive and support your family.’ He was the one coach that I met with during the recruiting process, and he did not say a word about football when he met with my parents and I during the hour and a half that we met. It was all about his faith walk and about him becoming a man and that really struck home with me.”
On his recruiting approach…
“I tell guys that we are speaking because of football. I’m recruiting a prospect because I think he is going to be a good player for us here at Miami, but it’s not just about football. I want guys, who understand the importance of life outside of football. I want guys, who understand what it means to be a true student-athlete, and that means going to class on time every single day. I think football is a great teacher of life. It teaches you the highs, and it also teaches you the lows – being injured and overcoming adversity.”
Corn Elder, Senior, CB
On what it’s like working with Coach Mike Rumph…
“It’s great. He played here. He was able to do it on the college and the NFL level, so he brings a lot to the table. He’s showing us different techniques and giving us a different mindset, so he’s definitely helping us out a lot.”
On the advantages of having a cornerbacks coach…
“He can get more hands on during the drills, which allows us to work on our techniques, so it’s good.”
On how much time he has to take young corners under his wing…
“We have a lot of meeting time to where we can talk after practice, so it’s easy for all of us to get together because everybody is willing to learn.”
Brad Kaaya, Junior, QB
On the transition to the new offense…
“It’s been a good transition. Of course, there are some different things that you have to learn, and then there’s some different footwork that you have to smooth out. There’s some different ways of thinking compared to my last couple of offenses. So far, Coach Richt has made it easy, and he’s a good teacher and a good installer. It’s going pretty good.”
On the process of learning the new offense…
“I want to keep learning new stuff every day, honestly. I think we’ve probably installed maybe half of the offense. There’s still a lot of things to keep learning and keep going through, and I’m sure we’ll go through a couple of things in the summer time. I’m sure there will be a few more things to smooth out during camp, but we’ll see how the next couple of weeks go.”
On the play of WR Lawrence Cager…
“He’s a solid ‘X’ receiver. He’s a tall guy – you guys saw flashes of him last year. He’s a big, tall receiver, and he’s athletic.”
RJ McIntosh, Sophomore, DL
On switching back to a 4-3 defense…
“It’s a big difference. Last year was a little different, especially because [last year] I played defensive end and this year I’m playing tackle and nose. I think the defense is a lot better than last year, because it gives us a little bit more freedom. We’ll be attacking the quarterback faster, instead of just reacting to what’s coming at us.”
On the emphasis on being faster and getting to the ball, as opposed to size…
“It’s the same thing about being big. It’s college football – you have to be big. We concentrate on getting to the quarterback faster here…a lot faster.”
On switching to defensive tackle…
“I’m used to playing defensive end, so I’m used to being quick, to get off the ball around one person. But I’m taking along a lot of double teams, but when it’s one-on-one, it’s a little better because they’re slower inside. Guards and centers are slower than tackles, so I like that. I have to take advantage of that.”
Charles Perry, Sophomore, LB
On coming into his sophomore season…
“I just have to make it happen. I got to go in, I have to study my plays, and I have to be a playmaker on this defense.”
On what he learned from Raphael Kirby last season…
“Raphael worked hard, and he taught me that on days when you’re not meeting with coaches, that you have to go out there on your own, study film, and play the game in your head. He taught me how to practice, not just on the field, but in the film room as well.”