Hurricanes Hungry for Orange Bowl vs. Wisconsin

By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The holidays have come and gone and the Miami Hurricanes are back and focused on football.
 
The No. 10 Canes (10-2, 7-1 ACC) enjoyed spending a few days with their families, but they are excited to be back on the practice field and preparing for a matchup against No. 6 Wisconsin (12-1, 9-0 Big Ten).
 
“It means a lot to be able to go home and have that time for your family and everything and then to come back and be back with your brothers here working,” defensive lineman Kendrick Norton said.
 
Miami held its first practice of Orange Bowl week on Tuesday and head coach Mark Richt was happy to see his team come out with a purpose as they get ready to face a talented Badgers team.
 
“I thought it was a good day,” Richt said. “I thought the guys competed very hard. I think they had a lot of juice today.  Our scout teamers did their thing and gave us a good look, and definitely, we got a lot done.”
 
Richt sees “physical play, hustle, fundamentals, toughness” when he watches Wisconsin on tape. Those characteristics have stood out to several Hurricanes.
 
“They play really hard; you can see it on film,” offensive lineman Tyler Gauthier said. “They never stop hustling; always 11 men to the ball, they move well and they want you to come up and play physical football with them.”
 
Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst has studied Miami extensively in preparation for this week’s game and he sees a talented group of Hurricanes that can succeed in all three phases of the game.
 
“You look at them whether it’s their special teams, their offense, their defense; it’s obviously a very talented football team,” Chryst said. “It’s a really good football team. It’s certainly grabbed our players’ attention, and they know we’re facing a heck of a team, and we’ve got to be at our best to give ourselves a chance. It’s pretty simple to see when you watch the film why they’ve had the success they’ve had.”
 
Miami is aware of what Wisconsin has done this season and is ready for a big challenge when the Orange Bowl kicks off at 8 p.m. on Saturday. But Badgers linebacker Chris Orr does not seem very impressed with the Canes.
 
“Just another team,” Orr said of the Hurricanes. “Everybody has that little hype about themselves.  It’s almost every team has that: Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa.  Everybody has some type of hype surrounding them. Now, it’s just another team.”
 
While Orr may be downplaying Miami’s accomplishments, the Hurricanes know what a victory over a top-10 team in the Orange Bowl would do for their season.
 
“It means a lot coming into the bowl game and to be able to play a top-tier team,” Norton said. “It’s a good chance for us to go out there and prove how good we are.”
 
While the Hurricanes will hit the field looking to prove they are one of the top teams in the country, players like tight end Michael Irvin II are hungry for a chance to show what they can do against a top opponent.
 
“It’s very exciting, extremely exciting but it’s also a lot more responsibility on my end losing Chris [Herndon],” Irvin II said. “But having him here to help me is great. We watch film together, we study and everything, he’ll see something that I do and he’ll help me out and tell me ‘you need to do this better.’ Also, my coach has been real good with it always about staying in my head and everything…I love it, it’s work but I love it.”  
 
The Hurricanes, who will play in the Orange Bowl for the first time since the 2003 season, know that playing well in a major bowl game can serve as a springboard to bigger things in the next season.
 
“It’s just hope for next year,” linebacker Zach McCloud said. “We’ve seen a bigger stage now, and we know where we can aim and where we can go if we do the right things.”
 
While football is the primary focus this week, the Hurricanes are enjoying some perks, as well. Miami is staying at a beautiful beach resort and participating in an array of bowl activities that come as part of the Orange Bowl experience.
 
“It’s a blessing to be in a hotel like this with my teammates,” Gauthier said. “I walked out last night onto my balcony, and it’s on the twelfth floor overlooking the beach.  It’s beautiful, and we’re really happy to be here.”