SB Nation - Javarris James

There's Still Football to Be Played: Miami

T.H. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:40:58 -0000

So while we've been obsessing over the play of the freshmen basketball players and the plans for next year's freshmen basketball players, there's still a football season going on. I know, it's a little strange for me, too. It doesn't help that the Senior Day game is so early in November and against a team UNC has never played this late in the conference season; it's all a little discombobulating. But Miami is coming into Chapel Hill tomorrow, with an outside chance to win the division. Also, I've heard rumors they have a history with the Carolina coach.

Miami has probably the most balanced offense UNC has faced this season. The Heels are familiar with half of it, the running tandem of Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The duo has totaled 214 yards in their last two meetings with the Heels. Actually, it was mostly Cooper, as James was injured last season (and is coming off another injury this season). They've added a few other backs as well, resulting in three 150+ rushers in last week's game UVa game. The running game is strong and even against the Heels' defense is usually good for at least one touchdown series.

The passing game is a surprise however. After losing three quarterbacks to transfer before the season, I was expecting weakness there, but Jacory Harris has come in and become the 4th best passer in the conference as well as leading two fourth quarter game-winning drives over FSU and Wake. (The opponents were more impressive at the time.) He is tied with T.J. Yates in interceptions thrown, however, and the team is second only to Virginia in allowing sacks.

The Hurricanes' defense has been plagued by injuries, but is the middle of the road in most defensive categories. They will be able to put more pressure on the offensive line than Duke or Virginia Tech did, but aren't prone to picking the ball off, which may be a bit of a consolation. To be honest, I don't know what to expect when UNC has the ball. The rushing game is now Draughn-less, most of the offensive line has returned to health, and their playing a team that's given up 30+ points three times this season. UNC has been good for roughly twenty points a game since the Virginia debacle, and that'll probably be enough to win here - but will the offense that faced GT or UVa come back for Senior Day as well?

Deacon Dump 10/30: Aminu a Naismith Candidate, Miami hit by the injury bug

MRickman84 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:35:04 -0000

So I have decided to have zero expectations for the game Saturday, which is a shame because that's how it started with the Indians for me. After a few heartbreaking losses, it is just easier to set the bar low. I don't want to do that. But for tomorrow, that's where the bar is going to stay. I am optimistic though. If the Deacs play their game, actually execute, minimize mistakes and limit the big play, they can beat this Miami team. But they have to do all of those things. Onto the links...

Slam and Freaknick's Euroleague Adventures " The Gray Area
Check out Justin Gray's sweet blog

Miami Hurricanes' Ray Ray Armstrong, Javarris James out vs. Wake Forest; Matt Bosher probable - Breaking News - MiamiHerald.com
Reserve safety Ray Ray Armstrong and running back Javarris James are out for Saturday's Wake Forest game with ``lower extremity'' injuries. But one situation that could prove even more detrimental: kicker Matt Bosher is listed as probable with an undisclosed illness.

Wake's Aminu Named Preseason Candidate for Naismith Trophy | digtriad.com | Triad, NC | Sports News Article
Wake Forest sophomore forward Al-Farouq Aminu has been named as a preseason candidates for the 2010 Naismith Trophy, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Thursday.

PGATOUR.COM - WGHOF Induction: Haas on favorite Wadkins memories

Skinny Deacon makes impact
That was enough for Grobe to put Malchow on scholarship. "I think sometimes as a coach you find a kid and you fall in love with him character-wise and attitude-wise," Grobe said. "You want to be nice to him, so you're thinking, ‘How can I find a way to give this guy something?' "But what we really do, and it's my commitment to Ron Wellman, is I'm not going to waste his money. We're not going to reward players with scholarships unless they can help us."

The Diamondback - Women's soccer can't keep up with Wake Forest, drops first game since September
The No. 12 Terrapin women’s soccer team continued its first-half woes last night, falling to No. 11 Wake Forest at Ludwig Field. The Terps played well in a fast-paced first half, but Wake Forest struck early when forward Jill Hutchinson chipped a shot in for a goal just 2:45 into the game, setting the tone in the Demon Deacons’ 3-1 victory.

Despite success Duke stays off television | duke, stays, align - ACC Football - Burlington Times News
When Wake Forest checked videotape to scout Miami for Saturday’s game, the Demon Deacons saw a familiar player. Two weeks ago, Miami played at Central Florida, which has Brett Hodges as a quarterback. "It was fun watching," Grobe said. "It’s nice to see it turn out that way."

STEIN ON THE SIDELINES: Play Highsmith!...And Other Assorted Non-Sense
Wake Forest is a tough, well coached team. This will not be a walkover for the ‘Canes, especially when you couple the discipline of the Deacons with their anger coming off two consecutive losses.

My Take on Wake - Frye Doing What Needs to Be Done | JournalNow.com
"He’s been fine,‘’ Grobe said. "He’s been a good practice guy. He’s bounced around. He’s had a good attitude. His energy level’s high. He’s been working hard. He had a great kickoff cover Saturday. He outran everybody and made the play. "I think Alex is earning his way back into the mix, but I think Josh and Cyhl have done some good things. I think we’re pleased with Alex right now because he’s doing a good job of special teams. He may end up getting some snaps and if he does well he’ll get more snaps. We’d love to play more than one guy at a position.‘’

If all the quotes are right, the Hawks definitely won last night. - Peachtree Hoops
Jeff Teague enjoys the game out there. After that steal and dunk, the kid was uncontrollably smiling. Wake Forrest fans might not agree or want to hear it, but the way he hustled around last night, maybe Jeff just has an NBA game or at least an attitude that the NBA game inspires. Don't know if the energy will last, but I plan to enjoy it while it is around.

Teague makes NBA debut | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
"It's exciting to be in the NBA, but to actually play against the Pacers, a team I watched growing up, makes it even more special," said Teague, whose parents were expected to attend the game.

there will none of this on saturday, either.

lt.winslow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:13:04 -0000

baby J is out for wake forest. expect

a whole lotta damien berry and mike james. which is not a bad thing.

update: there will be none of this either.

as ray ray is out with an injury to his "lower extremity". which is code for syphillis. or a leg injury. one of the two.

aaaaand last but not least, there will be none of this either:

as pat hill's ankle still resembles a male chick about 5 minutes after being sorted.

the rest of the injury report looks like this:

Probable
OL Joel Figueroa – Upper Extremity
K Matt Bosher - Illness

Out
DB Ray-Ray Armstrong – Lower Extremity
FB Patrick Hill – Lower Extremity
RB Javarris James – Lower Extremity
DL Eric Moncur – Lower Extremity
DB JoJo Nicolas – Lower Extremity
LB Sean Spence – Lower Extremity

Surgery and Out for the Season
DL Dyron Dye – Lower Extremity
DL Marcus Forston – Lower Extremity
LB Jordan Futch – Lower Extremity
TE Richard Gordon – Upper Extremity
LB Shayon Green – Lower Extremity
DE Gavin Hardin – Upper Extremity
DB Ryan Hill – Upper Extremity
DE Adewale Ojomo – Jaw

Meltdown In Miami – Sooners Play Familiar Tune In South Beach

ccmachine — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:04:10 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Thinking that they were just playing two hand touch the Oklahoma defense enjoyed being on the field with Miami running back Javarris James (5). (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Frustration levels are going through the roof as we are discovering that this OU football team isn't up to par to the Big 12 Championship teams from the past three seasons. Oklahoma once again leaves South Florida scarred, bruised and with a loss. We can't blame this loss on the absences of Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham and Ryan Broyles because none of them play for a defense that allowed Javarris James to run for 148 yards on 15 carries (9.9 yards per carry). In what has become typical fashion for the Sooners in a big game Oklahoma had their share of meltdown moments. They featured 7 penalties, a blown assignment in the defensive secondary, a missed block and a very crucial fumble.

The crux of the meltdown came in the first 10 minutes of the 3^rd quarter where OU saw their 10-7 halftime lead turn into a 21-10 deficit. From that point on the Sooners were playing from behind the rest of the way and couldn't make the offensive or defensive plays when they were needed most. We learned that this team still lacks leadership and big play ability on offense but more importantly we learned a few other things that are cause for concern heading into conference play.

The offensive line hasn't improved very much - In what was proof positive that the Idaho State and Tulsa games were nothing but smoke and mirrors for covering up the short comings of this line they were once again exposed. Landry Jones was sacked twice but spent a considerable amount of time running for his life and the line struggled to open holes for the running backs.
Regardless of what they say, Bob Stoops and Kevin Wilson can't call the same plays for Landry Jones as they do Sam Bradford - I've never seen more draw plays and delayed hand offs on 3^rd and long situations. Perhaps it was an issue with Broyles being out or maybe a protection issue with the line but the reality is that the plays being called for Bradford and the plays being called for Jones are not the same.
Landry Jones is no Sam Bradford - Come on, we really knew this already but maybe some needed this game to verify that. Jones is a good quarterback but he's still a ways away from a Bradford caliber quarterback. I can still see Brandon Caleb wide open along the sideline in what could have been a back breaker for Miami and a 17-0 lead for OU.
The defense isn't as good as advertised - In addition to James' insane rushing average there's the matter of Dominique Franks getting lost in the secondary. When OU needed a stop against BYU it didn't happen and when they needed one against Miami either.
This team appears to be mentally weak - The meltdown occurred immediately after Brody Eldridge missed a block allowing Landry Jones to get blindsided resulting in a fumble. Over the next four minutes and seven seconds OU surrendered 14 points and committed two personal fouls. At one point OU faced a 4^th and 40.

The race for the BCS Championship is over for Oklahoma but the race for another conference championship starts this Saturday. By having their weaknesses exposed and being undressed twice on national television the Sooners have moved from one of the frontrunners to a long shot. The bad news is that there is still plenty of work to be done for this team but the good news is that they've got 8 more games to get it worked out.

Bourbon Shots: Swagger Edition

furrer4heisman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

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Virginia Tech hosts Miami this weekend in a matchup that has everyone talking. Let's go around the blogosphere (and mainstream media) to find out what people are saying about this critical Coastal clash. We'll also here opinions on other ACC games and get a few random thoughts in.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami, 3:30, ABC/ESPN Reverse Mirror

Mainstream Media

Hokies' defense ready to tackle next challenge (Annette)
"The difference this year is that they’ve been giving up too many big plays -- distances like 31, 39, 61, 60 and 48 yards. Nebraska’s Roy Helu Jr. became the third running back this season to rush for over 100 yards on the Hokies. Virginia Tech hasn’t allowed that to happen since 2002. There’s a good possibility it can happen again this weekend, as Miami running back Graig Cooper is averaging 62 yards per game, and he’s got plenty of help from Javarris James. They’re just a fraction, though, of the Canes’ options."

Miami's offensive options seemingly endless (Annette)
"Twelve different players have caught at least one pass for the No. 9-ranked Hurricanes heading into Saturday’s showdown at No. 11 Virginia Tech. And six of them have at least five catches. Seven different players have scored touchdowns in wins over two ranked ACC opponents. Three different receivers have run a reverse. Miami returns nine of its top 10 leaders in all-purpose yards from 2008. Running backs Graig Cooper and Javarris James have helped the Canes to a 7-2 record when they combine for at least 25 carries. And, of course, they’ve finally got a quarterback to lead them all in Jacory Harris."

Miami brings bombs over Blacksburg (Dr Saturday/Smart Football)
"The most obvious -- and potent -- example of this has been the Canes' first down passing attack: A staggering 60 percent of Harris' passing yards have come on first down (for some comparison, 38 percent of Texas Tech's yards have come on first down). And on almost all of these -- almost all of which are downfield shots -- Whipple has put Harris in either a short roll-out (a "waggle") or used play-action. Their go-to play so far hasn't been anything complicated, as it involves one guy going deep with another on a fifteen yard square-in. In fact, the play is so common it is often referred to as "the NCAA route," because "everyone in the NCAA runs it.""

Miami's Man Defense edition (Kyle Tucker)
"Hello, hand-wringers. This is the part where we remind you of one very important detail about QB Tyrod Taylor. The kid likes man coverage. Why’s that important? Because Miami plays a lot of man coverage. So did Florida State when Taylor was a true freshman ... a game in which he completed 10 of 15 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns (and rushed for 92 more yards and a score). Miami played a lot of man-to-man last year, too, when Taylor was sharing reps with Sean Glennon. Playing mostly in the second half, he was 6 of 12 for 75 yards and ran for 43 yards and two touchdowns."

Hokies' D-line must turn up heat on Harris (Aaron McFarling)
Statistically, Tech's pass rush has been a disappointment so far this year. The Hokies tallied 35 sacks in 14 games last season, an average of 2.5 per game. They have just three so far this year, and only half of that total has come from the front four. That's worrisome, particularly when this matchup dictates that the grunts apply the majority of the pressure. Leave this Tech secondary one-on-one too often, and those tall, fleet Miami receivers will shred it like they did against Florida State. You can throw in occasional blitzes from linebackers and corners, but they must be well-timed."

Miami Presents Another Forceful Defensive Front (Mark Viera)
"Although it is only September, Virginia Tech has already faced some of the nation’s top defensive linemen. And on Saturday, the No. 11 Hokies will meet another difficult defensive front in No. 9 Miami. The Hurricanes (2-0, 2-0 ACC) have a deep rotation of speedy, athletic defensive linemen. Although its offensive under coordinator Mark Whipple has been a hot topic of this young college football season, Miami's aggressive defensive front has gained the attention of the Hokies (2-1, 0-0)."

Coastal contenders set to collide in Tech-Miami matchup (Randy King)
"Seconds after the Tech-Nebraska game ended, a swarm of Tech students burst from the Lane Stadium stands and raced onto the field in celebration. Holly Rowe, a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC, was attempting to solicit reaction from Beamer, but the interview was cut short after only one question when Beamer started hollering "no, no, no" to someone off-camera. When asked what set him off, Beamer said Tuesday: "What happened was Holly came out, and kids were gathering around and they were kinda pushing and shoving. We just needed to settle down; I wanted to celebrate, too. But I didn't want anybody to get hurt. So that's all I was trying to do, to get the kids to calm down a little bit."

Tech cornerback Stephan Virgil looks like he's getting healthy (Norm Wood)
"Virgil, a starter who missed No. 11 Tech's last two games with a sprained left knee, was apparently full speed in Tuesday's practice and showed no lingering effects from the knee injury he sustained late in the Alabama game, according to Tech cornerback Rashad Carmichael. Now, since Carmichael doesn't have "M.D." after his name and has no formal athletic training experience to my knowledge, it'd be a bit premature to go ahead and sign off on Virgil's health based on Carmichael's report...but it looks like Virgil's knee at least passes the eye test."

Six keys to Virginia Tech vs. Miami (Darryl Slater)
"OFFENSIVE CONSISTENCY: Tech’s offense came through just in time against Nebraska, as the Hokies saved themselves with a 5-play, 88-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the game. Other than that, the offense did precious little. The Hokies had 11 drives before that final possession. Nine ended in Tech territory. And before the last drive, Tech had gained 195 yards in the game."

Virginia Tech football announces fund raiser (HokieSports)
"Head coach Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech football team announced Thursday a fund raiser to support research for Ewing's Sarcoma, in honor of Mark Herzlich, a linebacker for Boston College. Team United wrist bands will be sold for $1 each this Saturday as the Hokies take on the Miami Hurricanes at 3:30 p.m., and will be sold through Oct. 9. Members of the Virginia Tech football scout team will be circulating throughout the parking lots in an effort to sell wrist bands."

Bloggers

OTB’s Thursday ACC Pick’em (On The B.Rink)
"I love what Miami has for backs in Cooper and James–these guys are big, but lean–physical, but fast and can be effective in the passing game too. The emphasis will be on pressuring Harris from the Hokies D and the running game will be stressed in the Miami camp this week."

Miami at Virginia Tech Prediction (The ACC & SEC Blog)
"Nobody is hotter than Harris and the Miami offense right now. If VT cannot solve their woes stopping the run then it could be a long day for Frank Beamer's team. For the Hokies to win this game, they have to win the turnover battle, keep Miami's offense off the field, and get some big plays on special teams."

Weekend Preview, Sept. 25 (ACCSports.com)
"Key for the Hokies: Keep track of the Miami’s deep threats. Harassing QB Jacory Harris isn’t necessarily a precursor to success; it must be supplemented with superior coverage."

It's About To Get Heavy (Fight for Old DC)
"I'm not going to give you any more Cane love, because we got enough of it from Tom on Tuesday. Yes, Miami has the athletes. Yes, they have confidence, and a legitimate offensive coordinator. No, their egos are not in check. This Hokie team, to put it into hockey terms, has a lot of sandpaper to them. They've got guts and grit, and that goes a long way toward winning. They might not come out on top on Saturday, but I certainly think they'll make a dogfight of it. That being said, I still like the boys in Maroon to prove everyone wrong as home underdogs. Remember Clemson in 2006? This will be a similar game (with a better showing from Miami), and I think it might be JO's coming out party. Let's do this thing."

College Football TV Viewing Guide (Beer Control Offense)
"First lets get this out there, VT can not win without 1, likely 2 td's scored or setup (inside the 15) by the defense or special teams. CAN NOT. The O is not there and won't be there against a defense with kind of athletes (even if the Hokies have that caliber as well.) Bud's D is shaky, DT Graves is likely out or ineffective with a bum ankle, so this does not look good. 0 sacks, o hurries is the stat line for Jacory Harris' OL. Incredible. VT has 1 sack or something small. Ruh-roh. Couple that with poor tackling and being out of place on D is really hampering this unit as well. The Hokies will tackle better and will get a mileage out of being a home dog, but in the end the poor O won't be able to get it done. If there were a nite game ... man, it would be a tougher pick. By the way if Miami wins they will be the Coastal champ with only UNC left on their sched of the contenders. A must win for VT. Confidence factor, high."

Game 4: Miami Preview (The North End Zone)
"This is the game when the defense needs to make some noise. We are currently ranked way lower than 1st in total defense (77th to be exact, a spot usually reserved for our offense). Our team is still built around defense, and a lot of the struggles have been because of the terrible offense."

Virginia Tech vs Miami Game Back in Spotlight (VT Fan)
"I personally think its a bit premature to declare Miami as officially "back". After all, they've only won 2 games, one due to a dropped last second FSU touchdown pass and the other a home win over Georgia Tech who is currently being re-evaluating by everyone who had them as one of the ACC's elite teams in 2009."

Five Reasons Why Miami Beats Virginia Tech (Canespace)
"Reason #2: Virginia Tech Is Over-rated - I am not saying this will be a huge blow out has some have suggested, although I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened, but Virginia Tech is once again over-rated. They lost to Alabama, beat up on powerhouse Marshall and then beat a "decent at best" Cornhusker team on the final play. I for one think VT is overrated every year. I know they are the defending ACC champs and they win 9 – 10 games a year and all, but they don’t win in the big games. Even when they start off the year 8-0 they find a way to self destruct. This year is no different. Tyrod Taylor is to VT what Chris Rix was to FSU, a QB that will never get any better, no matter how you hype him up. VT is predictable and lacks any real playmakers and have been exposed by Bama and Nebraska already. Now Miami gets to push them even further down the rankings."

A look around the ACC (StateFans Nation)
"Obviously a huge game as the national media has jumped back on the Miami bandwagon. VT and points in Blacksburg against an ACC opponent that we beat the last two years? On principle, I will take VT and the points."

ACC Football (All Time EDT)

North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Noon, Raycom

UNC Preview (From The Rumble Seat)
"Key to victory really falls on our defense. We've got to force turnovers. In 2008, the Heels had -2.2 turnover margin in losses. The Heels are at an even 0 turnover margin on the season and the Jackets HAVE to put it into the negatives if we're to have any success against a vaunted UNC defense. Field position will be key and big turnovers and special teams will be huge."

High Stakes In Atlanta On Saturday (Tar Heel Fan)
"For UNC, this game is all about opportunity. UNC’s 3-0 start this season is the best opening win streak since 1997 when the Heels started 8-0. With a hapless Virginia team the following week and FCS team Georgia Southern after that, UNC has a good shot at starting the season 6-0 should they beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Yes, the back half of the schedule is brutal but nothing builds confidence better than getting off to a hot start. In terms of the ACC race, UNC can kill multiple birds with one stone. For starters it is an ACC win and puts UNC in the mix with the winner of the Miami-Virgina Tech game being played later in the day. Secondly, a win against Georgia Tech all but knocks the Yellow Jackets out of contention and at minimum places them behind UNC in the pecking order going forward."

South Florida at Florida State, Noon, ESPNU

Can the Noles avoid the Bulls' horns? (Tomahawk Nation)
"I'm scared of this game. Not because I think USF is good, but because I think the Seminoles are in a bad spot. Riding high off their 54-28 win over #7 ranked BYU, FSU is banged up. Really banged up. They are without DT Moses McCray and DT Justin Mincey. Their only healthy defensive tackles are undersized senior Kendrick Stewart, promising freshman Jacobbi McDaniel- who has a bum MCL, and the high on energy but low on effectiveness Budd Thacker. Additionally, both rovers, senior Corey Mangum and freshman Nick Moody are banged up. Additionally, FSU's lame duck defensive ends coach, Jody Allen, continues to hold a grudge and insists on starting the worst starter in my lifetime (both '85)- walk on defensive end Craig Yarborough."

FSU vs. USF Gut Prediction (Scalp Em)
"USF has everything to gain in this match up. The Noles have nothing to gain. A win is expected, a loss throws the season back into a bit of turmoil and doubt. It’s a trap game for FSU, but I have to believe that the Noles are focused on the task at hand and will get the job done on Saturday. I’m confident in a Seminoles victory tomorrow, and I’ll stick with the preseason score prediction (with some help from the ABOUT TO FAIL BULL)."

Wake Forest at Boston College, 2:00, ESPN360

Boston College-Wake Forest Game and the Big Finish (BC Interruption)
"Brian: There was clearly nothing to be happy about when evaluating Shinskie on Saturday either. You could tell he was very unsure of himself under center. I'm not very happy with this decision, but hopefully two things happen on Saturday: one of these two guys will elevate his game and Spaz will feel comfortable in selecting one of the two as the starter. I fear if this goes on much longer, it will be a long, long season."

BC-Wake Forest preview (Eagle in Atlanta)
"As frustrated as we all were last week I don’t think hope is lost. Our defense validated our beliefs that they would be strong. If we can just manufacture some points I think we can win this. I think this will be another close BC-Wake classic with BC holding on for the win."

Pittsburgh at NC State, 3:30, ESPNU

Wannstache Week: Mixed Signals (Backing The Pack)
"None of Pittsburgh's opponents have been able to establish anything on the ground, and that includes those tricky Midshipmen, who were limited to 129 yards on 46 carries. They put Navy in a bunch of 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations, their talented defensive line was able to tee off, and the results for Navy were predictably disastrous."

TCU at Clemson, 3:30, ESPN360

TCU Preview (Block-C)
"The local media outlets and message boards have beat the hell out of the fact that we did very poorly in the red zone last week against Boston College. However, a very important fact is being overlooked: Boston College has the fourth ranked defense in the entire nation right now. Of course that’s just on paper only four weeks into the season. The Tigers played a great defense that stalled an offense with a potential Heisman candidate carrying the ball and still managed to score on seven separate occasions. A lot of noise has been made about TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes. He will get a sack or two but expect Clemson to employ a double team that will receive helpful down blocking from tight end Michael Palmer and backfield smash-mouthing from Rendrick Taylor."

Rutgers at Maryland, 3:30, ESPN360

A Look Ahead to Maryland-Rutgers (Testudo Times)
"Actually, this game is a must-win for both teams. Maryland needs something positive to cling to, a turning point that can right the season after an awful start. Rutgers needs the win to re-assert themselves against a major opponent after the ugly Cincy loss. Emotions should be running high for both teams on Saturday, and both should have a sense of urgency."

Virginia vs. Its Own Personal Demons

Which coaches? (From Old Virginia)
"All of which would be forgotten in two seconds if he were hired. He's done nothing but kick ass at every stop. Two Division II national championships. (Grand Valley State is a Division II powerhouse, thanks to Kelly who built that program from the ground up.) He took Central Michigan from a program that won three games every year to MAC champs in three years. They're still enjoying the fruits of that labor. He took Cincinnati to the Orange Bowl. In short, everywhere he's been, he's taken that team to heights they've never before achieved. The Brian Kelly years at three different schools, short though they may have been, have been the pinnacle, which they may have matched since but never topped. The man can coach."

Stuff Only I Care About

Good Colt, Bad Colt (Burnt Orange Nation)
"The Snap Shots series continues, this time with a look at Colt McCoy's execution on two iterations of a similar play, one ending with a 20 yard gain... the other with an interception. The video quality I used is pretty poor, but you should be able to get the ideas."

Tennessee vs. Ohio: game preview (Rocky Top Talk)
"If the Vols had any notion of using this game to boost Jonathan Crompton's confidence by giving him practice reps throwing the ball, they might want to reconsider against a defense that is surprisingly ball-hawkish for the MAC. On the other hand, Tennessee should be able to run the ball fairly well, especially if they're able to get past LBs Keller and Renfro."

Alabama vs Arkansas Overview (Roll 'Bama Roll)
"There are two majors reasons for that: One, Arkansas looks to be a much better team this year than they were a year ago, and two, last year's game was much closer than the scoreboard indicated. Lopsided score notwithstanding, last year's game was actually played pretty evenly by the two teams, and the massive disparity on the scoreboard resulted from four major players all going Alabama's way. Those four plays were Glen Coffee's long touchdown run, Casey Dick's two interceptions (while driving) that were returned for touchdowns, and Terrence Cody's goal line stand to end the first half, and all of them directly resulted in Alabama touchdowns. Don't expect all of the big plays to go the Tide's way this year, and thus a much closer game this time around."

Preview: Indiana (MGoBlog)
"So maybe it's more relevant that Indiana was 91st in rushing defense last year. They were 35th after three weeks against—hey!—Western Kentucky, Murray State, and about-to-be-rampant-through-the-MAC Ball State. How did that work out? In their never-ending quest to wear Javon Ringer's legs down to tiny nubs, Michigan State went for 236 yards on 52 carries. So… yeah. For the 15th-ranked rushing defense they are not exactly intimidating."

Buchholz is coldly efficient (Globe)
Amalie Benjamin, who I love and in a heartbeat would give up my hard-drinking, road-tripping bachelor ways for, says Clay Buchholz has the Red Sox riding high heading into their series with the Yankees. "That good roll got the Sox a win. As they head to New York playing far better than they were the last time they graced the Yankee Stadium turf, the Red Sox saved a split at Kauffman Stadium, taking last night’s game by a 10-3 score in front of 20,807. With a loss earlier in the day by the fading Rangers, the Sox cut two off their magic number, shrinking it to just three heading into the weekend’s series against the Yankees."

Predicting Sabres Opening Night Roster (Die By The Blade)
"In the last couple of days we have heard a lot of talk about the Sabres possible line combination's. We have also heard talk about the play of the rookies and who might be able to crack the Sabres lineup. Will Nathan Gerbe make the team? How about Tim Kennedy? Does Tyler Myers have a chance? Mike Weber, any chance he makes it?"

Kristin Chenoweth won an award; needs a job (The Lost Ogle)
"Yeah, this would probably be the appropriate time to mention that Clark Matthews and I have been writing our first ever TV pilot. The name of the show is "Kristen Chenoweth Nude!" The plot line is pretty simple. Basically, me and nude Kristin Chenoweth play lurid Oklahoma City police detectives who solve crimes and stuff. Every now and then, Clark Matthews will show up as an angel or something and help guide us with trivial clues. Our goal is that this show will appear on cable. You know, so it will win awards and stuff."

Deer Creek District Preview (Bob Przybylo)
"Feels like Deer Creek will be fighting an uphill battle in this district. El Reno and Lawton Mac haven’t given anyone any reason to believe they won’t be the top two teams. The Antlers have had trouble scoring this season, totaling 41 points in their three games. Injuries have plagued Grant Gower’s group, and there just isn’t enough depth this year to overcome that. Defense has been solid, except for second half against Shawnee. Michael Coleman has been a surprise, leading the team with 29 tackles. If junior Colten Sander can stay healthy, anchored by a strong offensive line, Deer Creek should still be in the mix of the playoff hunt. Teams that could surprise would be Duncan and Chickasha."

2009 Virginia Tech Football: Miami Game Guide

furrer4heisman — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:33 -0000

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Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1) vs. Miami Hurricanes (2-0)

Time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Place: Lane Stadium at Worsham Field, Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ABC/ESPN Reverse Mirror

Miami: The Hurricanes will have 10 days to prepare for the Hokies after dismantling Georgia Tech last week ... a lot has been made about the Hurricanes early slate, which starts with conference games against Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech and then has a non-conference game against Oklahoma ... so far, the Canes have been up to the test with wins at FSU and against Georgia Tech ... Miami has two new coordinators for 2009 ... OC Mark Whipple replaced the fired Patrick Nix ... DC John Lovett replaced Bill Young, who moved to Oklahoma State ... even though QB Jacory Harris has been the story early on, the Canes have 69 rushing attempts and 59 pass attempts through two games ... Harris has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes ... Graig Cooper and Javarris James share the carries for Miami ... Cooper has averaged over five yards per carry ... opponents are averaging under three yards per carry and 7.6 yards per pass attempt against Miami.

Trends: Miami had a five game winning streak before losing its last three games of 2008 ... it has started 2009 with two wins ... Miami's win over Virginia Tech last year was its first against the Hokies since 2005 ... four of the last seven games between Miami and Virginia Tech have been decided by more than seven points ... Virginia Tech has won 10 consecutive home games ... its last home loss was 14-10 against BC in 2007.

History Lesson: Virginia Tech is 9-17 all-time against the Hurricanes ... the Hokies lost their first 12 games against Miami ... Virginia Tech is 5-5 against Miami in Lane Stadium and 9-9 against it under Frank Beamer ... needless to say, it's been a very even series of late ... the last 11 games between these two teams have been on ESPN, ABC or CBS.

What to Expect

The Hokies could have trouble getting pressure on Jacory Harris. He's been sacked just once in his first two games.
Expect Harris to be confident in the pocket. He's only run the ball four times this year, including the sack.
Expect the Canes to be confident. Whipple has them playing at a high level in their first two games.
Expect big plays from both sides. The Canes can be beaten deep, but it will take keeping Tyrod Taylor upright for the Hokies to take advantage of them. Miami has nine pass plays of 25 yards or more this season.
Expect an improved Miami defense. It shut down Virginia Tech last year, but still struggled defensively. This year it's playing much better.

Hokies win if: They give Tyrod Taylor time to throw, force Jacory Harris into mistakes and make this an ugly game.

Hurricanes win if: They get their athletes into space, take advantage of Virginia Tech's struggles against the deep ball and don't turn the ball over.

Dot-dot-dots: This is the first time the Hokies and Hurricanes haven't met in November or December since they played on Sept. 19, 1998 at the Orange Bowl ... the Hokies won that game, 27-20 ... Saturday was the first time the Hokies took a lead in the final minute since 1999 when they won on a kick as time expired at West Virginia ... an opposing running back has gone for over 100 yards in each of the Hokies' first three games ... Saturday was the first time the Hokies won with less than 100 yards rushing since they beat Boston College in the 2007 ACCCG.

Miami Links

The 7th Floor
AllCanes
Anton Azucar
Canespace

Georgia Tech/Miami NFL Draft-related open thread

Mocking Dan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:21:32 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

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This is short notice, but stop by tonight as I'll be live blogging during the Georgia Tech/Miami game.

Anytime two ranked teams play each other, it's worth checking out. It also helps that Georgia Tech is fairly stacked with solid NFL Draft prospects.

The most exciting Yellow Jacket to most is junior running back Jonathan Dwyer. He's a big, fast back who has a lot of big runs. It's interesting, though, to see how many of Dwyer's yards come on option pitches and not straight up the gut.

The player I'm most interested to observe, however, is junior defensive end Derrick Morgan. Against Clemson last week, he was dominant registering 10 tackles and three sacks. He's really quick off the line and gets low. He might not have a lot of moves, but the one he has is a stellar.

It will be interesting to see if Miami moves its best offensive lineman, senior left tackle Jason Fox, around tonight to try and neutralize Morgan.

In addition to Dwyer and Morgan, keep an eye on Georgia Tech junior running back Anthony Allen. In only five carries, he was just as impressive as Dwyer last week. At 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds the Louisville transfer has NFL size.

7:50: One thing I forgot to mention: Key an eye on No. 57 on Miami. That's junior defensive tackle Allen Bailey. He's moved from linebacker to end to tackle. He's a good athlete who moves around well. Oh and, in his spare time, he kills alligators.

7:54: If I were an offensive lineman with future aspirations, I wouldn't go to Georgia Tech. On almost every play, you line up low and take out the legs of an opponent or you sweep. Option blockers are good against the run but really struggle versus the pass. That's why, for defenses, first downs are so important.

8:00: Football field with a baseball diamond = lame. Always hated that. We're talking important things here people.

8:03: Derrick Morgan is having some real problems with his foot work on this drive.

8:10: After adjusting for the first five or eight plays, Miami has looked good against the option. The have a lot more speed than to the outside than I expected.

8:17: Morgan is just having a bad game all together. He might be neutralized all night. If he wants to be a top prospect, he'll have to really work on his stamina. Miami's running backs are playing like they should have their whole career.

8:25: If Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was 30 pounds heavier, he'd be a good NFL Draft prospect. He throws and a catchable ball and has good timing. It seems like he can read a defense fairly well also.

8:34: Where is Jonathan Dwyer tonight? Four carries for five yards. He's been a non-factor. Last week he had 18 carries for 66 yards. Not good.

8:42: I like what I'm seeing from Miami wide receiver Laron Byrd (No. 47). He gets good separation down the middle. Great on crossing routes. He's big too. 6'4, 215.

8:47: Going into this game, who thought Javarris James would be having a better game than Dwyer? Not me. James might not be a No. 1 or even No. 2 back in the NFL, but he should make a roster if he can cover on special teams.

8:54: Miami definitely has Morgan figured out tonight. What do you do against a speed rusher who gets low on every play? Push him down into the ground. If Morgan wants to make his name solely as a speed rusher, he needs to watch Dwight Freeney. Throw some spins into the arsenal.

8:58: Bad first half for the top upperclassmen NFL Draft prospects so far. All flaws have been exposed for the Tech players. Miami's guys, as usual, have been quiet. I'm going to the store.

9:34: This game is over. Bad night for Georgia Tech. Option teams have a hard time coming from behind.

10:06: Tech just doesn't have the linemen yet to run the option perfectly. That's hurt their running backs tonight. It will be interesting to find out how injured Dwyer is. When a junior misses significant action, they typically return for their senior season.

10:40: Good call by Daniel Jeremiah of MoveTheSticks -- Jacory Harris reminds me of former Oregon QB Dennis Dixon... Flip throwing motion, nice ball, rail thin

'Nole Your Enemy: The Miami Hurricanes' Offense

FSUncensored — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:51:10 -0000

We continue our " 'Nole Your Enemy" Series with The Miami Hurricanes. Yesterday we looked at Miami's defense. Today, we'll discuss the offense. Previously we looked at South Florida (Offense, Defense) and continued with BYU's Offense and Defense. Last week we previewed BC's Offense and the Boston College Defense, and UNC's Offense, and Defense.

This year, the Hurricanes have a new offensive coordinator after firing Patrick Nix. The new man is Mark Whipple. Tomahawk Nation discussed him previously, here (HS Coach breaks down his film from his last stop at UMass.). Whipple is decidedly pro-style. We can now add to that report, as one cane player recently revealed that Miami has been running a lot of shotgun with 3 or 4 wide receivers. By all accounts,when Miami spreads, they will spread to throw, not spread to run, as their young quarterback isn't spectacularly fast, and he has no capable backup. I also expect to see a lot of Shotgun with 2 backs, as Miami showed in the spring game.

As usual, we will look at last year's team, discuss personnel changes, and then try to give you the best idea of what MIami will run Monday night. How good was Miami's offense last season? Let's use advanced measures which disregard performance after a game is already a blowout, and adjusts for opponent!

So Miami had an offense in the bottom half of the middle group of ACC offenses. But we can go much more in-depth than this- and we will.

Miami has about the 45th best offense in the country last year, in terms of efficiency on a drive-by-drive basis. That's not impressive, but it isn't anywhere near as horrible as their defense. For whatever reason, that isn't getting much press, but I digress. It is of course reputation, not performance, that carries the day.

Let's have a look at their play-by-play basis, using the Varsity Numbers S&P+ system, developed by Bill Connelley:

By this measure, Miami again had an offense in the middle of the conference, 58th nationally.

But what about in conference play? The ACC plays the best defense in the country (most defensive minded head coaches, most defenses in the top 10, 15, and 25, and most NFL 1st round defensive draft picks over the last 3 years).

So once they got into ACC play, the Canes were better. They went from the bottom of the middle group to the top of the middle group! Their overall numbers were dampened down by their UCF performance (20 points).

So we're looking at a group that rounded into form by the mid-season mark. But what were their strengths and weaknesses?

Again, Miami's passing offense was at the top of the middle group, in conference play. I try to use conference play because the opponent adjustments are less severe. If their passing offense was slightly above average, and their total offense was slightly above average, what do you think their rushing offense was?

Miami had the 4th best rushing game in conference, which is consistent with everything else we have seen.

I have to ask the question... if Miami wants to continually spew the "youth" moniker, why fire the guy who led that "youth" to an above average offense in a conference that sent 10 teams to bowl games?

So this year the Canes return most of their offense.

Quarterback

Under Center, the canes have Jacory Harris. He was a highly touted QB out of Miami Northwestern and played well at times last season. The 6'4" 188lb Sophomore is now the unquestioned leader of the team because Robert Marve and two other scholarship quarterbacks transferred this off-season. Miami has no depth at quarterback, which could lead to a more conservative scheme from Whipple than he'd prefer (as the linked article at the beginning of this story notes, Whipple wants to run 5 guys out in routes- now he might have to keep a back or a tight end in to block). Let's look at Harris' numbers from a season ago:

Opponent Result Att Comp Pct. Yards Yards/Att TD Int Rating Charleston So. W 52-7 26 16 62 190 7.3 1 0 136 @ 1 Florida L 3-26 4 2 50 10 2.5 0 0 71 @ Texas A&M W 41-23 7 4 57 27 3.9 0 0 90 North Carolina L 24-28 6 4 67 39 6.5 0 0 121 21 Florida St. L 39-41 7 3 43 32 4.6 0 1 53 UCF W 20-14 6 4 67 14 2.3 0 0 86 @ Duke W 49-31 28 18 64 185 6.6 4 2 153 Wake Forest W 16-10 8 4 50 41 5.1 0 0 93 @ Virginia W 24-17 21 12 57 160 7.6 2 0 153 15 Virginia Tech W 16-14 2 1 50 3 1.5 0 0 63 @ 22 Georgia Tech L 23-41 18 13 72 162 9 2 1 173 @ North Carolina St. L 28-38 20 12 60 138 6.9 1 2 114 + California L 17-24 41 25 61 194 4.7 2 1 112 Totals 194 118 61 1195 6.2 12 7 126

Okay, some of those look pretty good, but let's have a closer look. My conclusion is that we should call Jacory Harris the "garbage man."

Statically, Harris' most impressive game came against Georgia Tech. I was surprised by this because I didn't remember him having a great game against the Yellow-Jackets. So I dialed up that game on my DVR and watched. Guess what? All of Harris' rushing yards and 131 of his 162 passing yards came in the 4th quarter. Big deal? Well, the Canes were down 41-10 at the start of the 4th quarter. It was garbage time. Georgia Tech had shut it down. Stats are a great tool as a record of performance, but here again we see why you have to look at them in context, and remove garbage time possessions. Real-Time Jacory: 4-7, 31 yards, 0 Touchdowns, 1 Interception. Garbage Time Jacory: 9-11, 131 yards, 2 Touchdowns, No interceptions.
Against North Carolina State, he again pumped his stats when the game was already over. With 2:35 left in the game, the Wolfpack went up 38-21 and the game was over.. Then Jacory "Garbage Time" Harris took over. He rushed twice for 20 yards, and went 4-6 for 51 yards and his only touchdown. If only he could play that well in real time (8-14, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1, INT- far less impressive).
Not as big of a deal here, but against Duke, the game was over at 41-24, with 7:48 left, and Harris went 3-4 for 36 yards.
This isn't specifically garbage time, but Duke had by far the ACC's worst pass defense last year, and it wasn't even close. Still, I will not classify the entire Duke game as garbage time, though I am tempted.

While it is admirable and smart for Miami to get some work in for their young quarterback, a lot of Harris' good efforts came when the defense was no longer trying and the outcome of the game was no longer in question. This is pretty remarkable.

Jacory Harris in ACC Play	ATT	COMP	YARDS	%	YARDS/ ATTEMPT	TD	INT	Rating
Real Time	89	51	542	57%	6.1	6	6	117
Garbage Time	21	16	218	76%	10.4	3	0	210

So in his garbage time performances, Jacory Harris was the best quarterback in the history of college football. Literally. 210 is just insane.

In watching Harris' tapes, he seems to have average arm strength, but is pretty accurate. Harris is good at lofting balls over the head of opposing defenders, particularly over linebackers. It's important to take good drops against Harris.

Here are two you-tube clips if you are so inclined.

Jacory Harris (via pimpflex88)

Jacory Harris leads Miami to a game tying TD vs. UVA (via rusty98um11)

Harris is a decent runner, but he isn't great. He isn't afraid to scramble out of the pocket, if necessary, and throws well on the run, so maintaining contain will be paramount. But it's doubtful he will be utilized on any designed runs, due to the aforementioned lack of quarterback depth. He does have a really smooth delivery and a calm demeanor, however, which has to be encouraging for Canes fans.

The question of how much Harris has improved is yet to be answered. Has he grasped the new offense under Whipple? Does he have the arm to throw all the things Whipple wants to throw. Can he fit the ball into tight windows? Will he have the patience for some slower-developing routes to come open if Whipple decided to keep extra blockers in for pass protection? I'll speculate about this tomorrow in the official TomahawkNation preview, and we'll find out Monday Night.

Running Backs

Miami has a stable of talented backs. It starts with he electric 6'0" 200lb Greg Cooper. Cooper had a good game going against the 'Noles last year, before the Canes abandoned the run. He can take any run to the house, though needs to be more consistent on a down-to-down basis. He also has great hands, and Miami will throw him the ball a lot this year. It's not unreasonable to think he could average 4 catches per game. Complimenting Cooper is Javarris James. Like Cooper, the 6'0" 215lb Senior, gets hurt quite often. When healthy though, he is Miami's best back and excels at keeping the chains moving. James isn't the best home-run threat, but he is difficult for DB's to tackle when he runs with momentum. Also in the mix are 5'10" 180lb scatback Lee Chambers, who will catch some balls for the Canes this year. The Canes use a fullback he is 5'9" 255lb Patrick Hill. Hill is a very good blocker, but he doesn't run or catch the ball often. He's an excellent candidate to stay in and block when the Canes throw the ball. And there's one more name you should know- Mike James. The 5'10" 220lb Sophomore has dazzled Cane fans throughout practice and on some days he looks like Miami's best back. Not listed in the two-deep, it's uncertain how much playing time he will get.

Miami has preached staying true to the run and pounding the rock this year. With their full compliment of backs healthy (unlike last year), Miami will look to run the ball right at Florida State, and do it often, particularly if the weather is poor.

Wide Receivers

This is by far Miami's most impressive unit. They have 7 targets rated 4* or better. Almost every team in the country would trade their lot for Miami's. The most physically impressive is 6'2" 205lb Sophomore Aldarious Johnson. Physically, he reminds me of Andre Johnson (former Cane great now with the Houston Texans), though he is nowhere near as good yet. He went to high school with Harris, and they have a great rapport. Up next is 6'4" 215lb Sophomore Laron Byrd. He is a serious big-play threat and should remind FSU fans of Jarmon Fortson, or NFL fans of Braylon Edwards. Byrd is also a serious threat in the red-zone. He needs to work on his consistency, but the tools are there. 6'3" 215lb Junior Leonard Hankerson has been named a starter as well, and he's the elder statesman of this group. Not the freak athlete that Byrd is, he is a big body with good hands who can consistently move the chains. Profiled last week was 5'10" 165lb Sophomore Travis Benjamin. He killed FSU last year, running a reverse for a score, catching a pass for a score, and amassing an insane performance on kickoffs. At Tight End, the Canes feature 6'3" 250lb Senior Dedrick Epps. Epps isn't special, but he is solid and can hurt the Noles if they don't cover the tight end, like many Cane tight ends have not. Career underachiever Richard Gordon has been in and out of Shannon's doghouse, but the 6'4" 270lb Senior might be a threat in multiple tight end sets. With his size, he is a good blocker and an excellent red-zone threat. Don't sleep on 6'8" Tight End (and Cane basketball player) Jimmy Graham. He's impressed with his hands, and while not a blocker, is a very raw but very scary receiving threat.

I'll discuss this more tomorrow, but Miami's receiving corps looks to have a personnel advantage over the Noles.

Offensive Line

The most important group on the field gave Miami some trouble last year. On the whole, their linemen were big, but not particularly strong or flexible, and obviously out of shape. This year they return 3 starters and have 6 players who have game experience. This unit sould be considerably better. At Left Tackle is 6'7" 310lb former tight end Jason Fox. Fox is the rock of this group, an excellent pass protector and average run blocker. He allows the canes to focus their protections on blitzers and weaker areas of the line. At Right Tackle is 6'7" 305lb Matt Piphi, who can best be described as average. He could impress this season but isn't particularly talented and has shown nothing to warrant praise to this point. He is a new starter. At left guard will be 6'7" 334lb Orlando Franklin. Franklin is huge and was highly touted coming out of high school. He is a Junior and started 11 games last year. Very inconsistent, he also resembles an alien. If he can put it all together, he will be very good for the Canes. In a somewhat surprising move, 6'2" 320lb Sophomore Harland Gunn beat out Joel Figueroa for the starting right guard position. Gunn is the better athlete than Figueroa, though 30lbs smaller, and Cane fans look to have a good one in him. He's obviously going to be mistake prone in his first ever Canes game. Moving from Guard to Center 6'3" 310lb A.J. Trump. He's a smart Senior with good feet, and has over 15 starts at various line positions.

I'll discuss this more tomorrow, but Miami's offensive line was wildly inconsistent last season. They lacked effort and at times Cane fans had to be embarrassed with their performance. They are more experience dthis year, and under a new offensive staff, they almost have to be better.

I expect Miami's offense to make the jump from the Mid 40's to the high 20's or lower 30's this year. Everything points to them being better. Tomorrow, I'll discuss why they might not be better in the game 'Nole fans care about- the Labor Day Showdown.

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The Connect: Summer CanesFest Edition

The Great Barstoolio — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:36:58 -0000

ETA: hopefully last update: UM has pics

Let's just get this out of the way: Bryce Brown was there, in Tennessee shorts. Clearly, between having a UM hat at his signing for no reason and showing up to CanesFest, he has a giant boner for both Miami and attention. Speaking of hats, Randy Shannon said on QAM from the stadium that most of the time - not always, but most of the time - kids who pull hat tricks are basically assholes and not worth the trouble. Snap!

The Sun-Sentinel has pics, though no one has yet looked at Travis Benjamin directly and lived, so beware. The Palm Beach Post keeps an eye on the Freak. And Eye On the U is impressed with the fan-friendly affair:

Not once in the 14 years I've been working for The Miami Herald have I ever seen fans not only have two hours worth of access to players and coaches, but to be able to interact (take pictures, dunk players, even get some smooches) with them like family and friends. Hats off to athletic director Kirby Hocutt and coach Randy Shannon for taking a giant leap forward from the way these events used to be run.

Several players were game to spend time in the dunk tank at fans' mercy, including Graig Cooper, Laron Byrd, Sean Spence, and Javarris James. But none made the impression that Allen Bailey did: "He's like Shamu up there," said a UM assistant before Bailey was dunked and the splash was so large more water had to be added to the tank.

Dedrick Epps was roaming around reassuring everyone that he's functional after knee surgery, and will be ready to go when workouts start. "I'm fine," he said, though he noted he's not 100% yet and still feels sore after workouts. "I've been running on it for a long time. I don't know exactly how long, but it's been a little while. I'm feeling good. I plan to be ready."

Ray Ray is not, unfortunately, perfect in every way on arrival. "He's definitely big and strong," Chavez Grant said. "But everyday in practice we're working with him, trying to get his feet right and work with his hips. He's not bad. But at this level you have to be a lot quicker, a lot faster at what you do... at this level you get beat by a step and it's over."

Jimmy Graham is no male cheerleader: "I definitely didn't want to come back to look pretty on the sideline," he said. "I came back so I can help these guys win something. It means a lot for me to play for the U, especially football, my first love." We'll check back in with him in August when he realizes the contact happens without a/c, but in the meantime, he's getting help from Bernie Kosar and Ed Reed. (Hopefully not financial help.)

Allen Bailey power cleaned 400 pounds last Tuesday, which he says set a new UM team record. Holy hell. That is all.

The young guys are breaking down film with the ProCanes. Jacory's shoulder is okay. Randy Phillips is god. And Arthur Brown is coming out of his shell. Manny has it all.

Eric Moncur -- and his awesome muppet eyebrows -- are back. "I'm good to go," he said. "Words can't describe it - coming out, being around the guys, they're all like my little brothers. They're all younger than me. I'm so excited to get this season started... It's going to be nasty, man. We're going to be nasty up front. It's going to be crazy."

Said Bailey about getting Moncur back: "He's been here about eight years now. He knows a lot. He's been around, has seen a lot of things." LIKE THE EMPTINESS IN LARRY COKER'S EYES.

Colin McCarthy says Heather Dinich's no. 1 ranking for his unit sounds good. "That makes sense, that's accurate," McCarthy said. "We have a lot of depth, are two or three deep across the board. With Sean, he's one of the top linebackers. With all of us together and the way we work, way we chase the ball, No. 1 in the ACC, that sounds about right."

Of Lovett's defense, McCarthy reported, "It's more of the defense we ran my freshman year under Coach Shannon. It's not as many checks, just go out there, we'll get a call and play football. That's how it was back in the day when the athletes we had could just use their athleticism and make plays. The defense is more simplified."

CBS4 has video of Jacory being Jacory.

El Herald has audio from Vaughn Telemaque, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Sean Spence, Randy Shannon, Ray Ray Armstrong, Olivier Vernon, Colin McCarthy, Lamar Miller, Jimmy Graham, Jamal Reid ("Oh, I'm livin' right now!"), Jacory Harris, Dedrick Epps, Eric Moncur, Dyron Dye [spontaneous orgasm], Brandon Harris, Brandon McGee, and Chavez Grant, who reported that Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, and Jonathan Vilma are spending a lot of time at Greentree.

Rest assured we at The 7th Floor will never, ever work that hard.

ETA: MIKE JAMES (MIKE JAYYYMES!) SIGHTING!

Information Cupcakes From Shannon's Spring Practice Presser

The Great Barstoolio — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:09:45 -0000

an info-starved fanbase is a fanbase on edge

Sigh. I was hoping to never have to offer any actual information, ever, but I guess this had to happen at some point. No audio or video yet (come ON, legitimate news outlets!) so here's the dine 'n dash:

No pads/collisions until Saturday (single Allen Bailey tear). Today and tomorrow are more of a fast-paced walkthrough with receivers and DBs.

Whipple has had two meetings a week with the team and has installed "a lot" of the offense. He says they'll use spring to get the shifts and timing down.

Arthur Brown got a head start learning MLB during the extra 15 bowl game practices. He seems more comfortable in the middle and is quicker diagnosing plays. The hype and accolades may have put extra pressure on Arthur but he was happy in his role last year and was great on special teams, specifically the reverse on Virginia's first kickoff return when he saved a touchdown. Nothing is distracting Arthur right now; he is excited and ready to go.

Spring ball was pushed up so that more time could be spent in the weight room; starting later mean losing several weeks of strength training to finals. April will be all about getting stronger.

Shannon is most excited about Whipple's ability to develop young quarterbacks. Jacory Harris is handling himself like a leader and the team responds to this.

Now is the time for Richard Gordon to show up and prove himself. He has not produced for too long. Daryl Sharpton and Javarris James were also told to kick it up a notch:

"You go back to Javarris' first year, and I told Javarris this, he was hungry. He came in as a true freshman, wanted to play. He had 800 yards. Then the next two years null and void. Did he slack off his work habits, doing the little things? I told him if you want to be the great running back here this is what has to happen. Now if you don't, we always bring in guys to have competition. He knows I care for him, but he understands the big picture is if you want to be a great football player what did you do as a freshman and what do you need to be doing now? If you go back to those ways, we're going to be a great football team. Darryl, it's time for him to be the Jon Vilma, DJ, Ray Lewis. It's Darryl's time, and that's the reason we recruited him."

Taylor Cook's arm is as strong as advertised. His short passes are nice touch passes; he can move well and played free safety and tight end in high school as well as quarterback. He's an athlete. He could end up playing punter or tight end if needed but right now the staff is excited about him at quarterback and will be focusing on building depth at No. 2.

Jeremy Lewis and Micanor Regis look in better shape than ever.

Expect big things from Vaughn Telemaque coming off his redshirt. Likewise,Gavin Hardin is very explosive.

Shannon sees Kendall Thompkins at slot, wants Travis Benjamin to improve his technique so he doesn't just rely on his speed.

Daniel Adderly felt he was not good enough to play at Miami and put in to transfer.

"He felt he wasn't able to play at Miami. I was honest with him, said right at this point in time the things you're doing, you're putting yourself behind the eight ball. He came back maybe three weeks ago and said, 'Coach, I'm going to give it a shot, see if I can really play at Miami. I'm going to force myself to do the things you said I have to get done to be at Miami.' He said he appreciated me being honest with him, telling him those things. He's out there working out. We'll see how he's feeling. He told me, 'Coach, I'll find out this spring if I want to be at Miami or not. I'm working to be a Miami player, or I'm just going to leave because I'm not that type of player yet.'"

Eric Moncur will miss spring recovering from injuries and is working to loose 15 pounds.

Benjamin, Brandon Harris, and Davon Johnson are with the track team until next week. Whoops! I posted lies! Manny says they are with the team.

Benjamin is now #3, Sam Shields #9, Kendall Thompkins #83.

Jacory Harris will be available to media once a week through spring. !!!!!!