Kirby Freeman

CAREER: Talented, mobile and athletic quarterback who is competing with Kyle Wright for the starting job in 2007…Started the final four games of 2006 and led the team to two victories…Took over in the 10th game when Wright was injured…In two seasons, has completed 74 of 139 passes (53.2 percent) for 1,055 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions…First showed his talents in a critical situation at Virginia Tech in 2005, when he replaced an injured Wright in the second quarter and led the team to its first touchdown of the game…Played in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2005…Competed with Wright for the starting role during the 2005 spring practice…Was the Hurricanes’ No. 4 quarterback as a true freshman in 2004…A coach’s son who is a student of the game…Accurate passer with a rifle arm, and an extremely fast runner was one of the nation’s most highly recruited quarterbacks…Can hurt a defense as a passer or as a runner…Improvises well…Graduated high school early and enrolled at UM for spring semester 2004…Graduated with a degree in sports administration.

2006 (SOPHOMORE): Team’s backup quarterback who took over in the 10th game when Kyle Wright was injured…Started the last four games and had a 2-2 record…Led the team to victories over 18th-ranked Boston College and Nevada in the MPC Computers Bowl…Played in eight games, completing 59 of 108 passes (54.6 percent) for 872 yards, seven TDs and eight interceptions…Also rushed 41 times for 109 yards and one score…Was sacked only six times in his four starts…Did not play in the season opener vs. Florida State, then played as the backup vs. Florida A&M on one series in the first half and most of the second half, leading the team to a touchdown. For the game, completed 6 of 9 passes for 55 yards, with one interception and a five-yard TD pass to Jerrell Mabry. Also rushed two times for minus-9 yards…Did not play vs. Louisville and Houston, then saw action on three plays in the first quarter vs. North Carolina when Kyle Wright was knocked out of the game, and also played the entire fourth quarter. Completed 1 of 4 passes for no yards and ran two times for nine yards…Played the entire fourth quarter of the FIU game, completing 3 of 4 passes for 72 yards and one TD. Hooked up with Sam Shields for a 54-yard pass to set up a touchdown, and threw a seven-yard TD pass to Lance Leggett. Also rushed four times for one yards…Did not play at Duke and Georgia Tech…Played one series in the second quarter vs. Virginia Tech. Ran 31 yards for a first down, but then threw an interception on his only pass attempt…Made the first start of his collegiate career at Maryland and nearly led UM to an upset, only four days after teammate Bryan Pata was murdered. Completed 14 of 27 passes for 140 yards, one TD and one interception. Also rushed for 51 yards on nine carries. Threw a 28-yard TD pass to Ryan Moore, but threw his only interception on the final drive with UM trailing by three. Sacked one time…Started at Virginia and completed 11 of 18 passes for 152 yards, one TD and one interception. Also ran six times for 10 yards. Avoided a shutout by hooking up with Lance Leggett on a 77-yard TD pass with 3:08 left in the game. Was not sacked…Led UM to a 17-14 come-from-behind victory over No. 18-ranked Boston College on Thanksgiving night, earning his first victory as a starter. Completed 13 of 26 passes for 181 yards, with one TD and three interceptions. Sacked only one time and gained 32 yards rushing on 10 carries. Threw a seven-yard TD pass to Lance Leggett only 10 seconds before halftime, after leading the team 74 yards in 1:26. Directed a 73-yard drive on the second series of the third quarter, capped off by Javarris James’ go-ahead score…Started the bowl game vs. Nevada and led the team to a 21-20 win. Completed 11 of 19 passes for a career-high 272 yards, with two TDs and one interception. Was sacked four times and rushed 10 times for minus-18 yards. Ran for a one-yard TD, the first of his career, to open the scoring. Threw TD passes of 52 yards to Ryan Moore and 78 yards to Sam Shields, for the team’s longest pass of the season. Named the Most Valuable Player of the game.

2005 (FRESHMAN): Backed up Kyle Wright all season as the No. 2 quarterback…Played in nine games, seeing considerable action in several of them, especially in the upset win at Virginia Tech…For the year, completed 15 of 31 passes (48.4 percent) for 183 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions…Showed his running ability with eight rushes for 38 yards…Named the team’s Offensive Rookie of the Year…Did not play in the opener at FSU, then played in his first game as a Hurricane at Clemson when Wright had to leave the game, playing one snap and rushing for two yards…Played the final two series of the home opener vs. Colorado, throwing one pass for a seven-yard completion to Ryan Moore…Played the final series vs. South Florida. Did not throw any passes, but scrambled for a 27-yard gain…Took over in the third quarter of the Duke game and completed four of nine passes for 47 yards. Threw two TD passes, 11 yards to Ryan Moore and nine yards to Chris Zellner, marking the first scores of his career. Also rushed three times for 22 yards…Took over late in the second quarter of the Temple game and threw a season-high 11 passes, completing seven for 121 yards. Completed a 55-yarder to Quadtrine Hill. Finished with three rushes for minus-13 yards (two sacks)…Played in the fourth quarter vs. North Carolina and was incomplete on his only pass attempt…Took over in the second quarter at Virginia Tech when Wright was injured, and played three series, leading the team to its first touchdown in a 27-7 upset. For the game, completed two of three passes for six yards…Played in the fourth quarter at Wake Forest, completing one of four passes for two yards…Did not play vs. Georgia Tech or Virginia…Played in the fourth quarter of the Peach Bowl loss to Louisiana State, with two pass attempts and one interception.

2004 (REDSHIRT): Served as the No. 4 quarterback and scout team quarterback all season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Option quarterback who developed into a star passer…Has been playing football since age four…Played on the varsity all four years of his high school career…SuperPrep All-American…Rated the No. 12 quarterback in the nation and the No. 13 overall prospect in Texas by SuperPrep…Nation’s No. 42 prospect and the nation’s No. 10 quarterback by Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report…Rated the No. 16 player in Texas on the Rivals.com/Dallas Morning News Texas Top 100…Rated the No. 26 player on Rivals.com’s Midlands Sweet 66…Rated the nation’s No. 6 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com…Rated the No. 19 player in Texas on the Austin American-Statesman’s Fab 55…Named the Class 4A-5A All-Big Country Defensive Player of the Year for his punting prowess in 2003 by the Amarillo Reporter-News…As a senior in 2003, passed for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions on 71 of 123 passing…Also ran for 956 yards and 14 touchdowns on 128 carries…As a punter, averaged 43.7 yards…Helped lead Brownwood to an 11-1 season in 2003, reaching the Class 4A Area round (missed four games with injuries)…As a junior in 2002, passed for 1,487 yards while completing 87 of 150 passes, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions, for a team that advanced to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals…Rushed for 1,135 yards on 173 carries, averaging 6.56 yards per carry, and scoring 18 TDs…Chose Miami over Purdue, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Arizona State, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA…Coached by his father, Steve Freeman.

KIRBY FREEMAN’S CAREER STATISTICS

KIRBY FREEMAN’S CAREER HIGHS
Attempts 27 (at Maryland 2006)
Completions 14 (at Maryland 2006)
Yards Passing 272 (vs. Nevada 2006)
Touchdown Passes 2 (vs. Nevada 2006)
Interceptions 3 (vs. Boston College 2006)
Rushes 10 (vs. Boston College 2006; vs. Nevada 2006)
Rushing Yards 51 (at Maryland 2006)

KIRBY FREEMAN’S 2006 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS