Miami Hurricanes Football: News, Notes, and Quotes 9/4

Yesterday’s 70-3 win over FAMU was an impressive and satisfying start to the Mark Richt era.

The ‘Canes used a stifling D, an explosive running game, timely special teams play, and an efficient game by QB Brad Kaaya to roll to the win.

Our very own Cam Underwood sums it all up for you HERE.

In case you missed what Coach Richt had to say post game, check out the presser below:

How did Kaaya feel about the performance?

“It was great, couldn’t ask for anything better. On all sides of the ball, just to make coach Richt’s first game a win like this and hopefully it just carries on and continues.”

Another big development in the opener, was that UM started 3 freshmen LB’s in Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney, and Zach McCloud.

Quarterman sums up the feelings of the three young players below:

“Well, we haven’t talked about it in a while. The last time we had a conversation about that was when we first stepped on campus. We were like, we want to work hard. We want to do everything we need to do so we can all be out there together. We have a tremendous chemistry together so we went out there today, it was nothing new to us. We had been planning on this and preparing for this. So, we were comfortable with each other.”

DC Manny Diaz has to be pleased with the play of his precocious backers.

But he seemed even more excited about senior CB Corn Elder,

“We’re proud of the effort of our players tonight. I thought it was important that we start the game and set the tempo early on, and to have a senior like Corn Elder make an interception on the first drive is what you want your older guys, your experienced guys, to do, and I think the other guys fed on that. I was very impressed with the way we played up front, and I think what we wanted to be as a defense in terms of the way we’re getting our feet across the line of scrimmage, being disruptive making plays in the backfield. It looked for most of the game they had a hard time getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage against our rush defense. I thought there was a time in the second period where we lost our focus. Our tackling started to slip. We challenged them at halftime to play to our standard and I thought in the second half, regardless of people we rolled in and out of the game, I thought they did a good job finishing the game. We played a ton of people tonight. We were on the field [for a long time]. It was a very unusual night with the rushing yard disparity and the time of possession disparity. So, we played most of the night was on defense, so our depth was tested very early on. I was very proud of the guys who weren’t out there the first play of the game who played like starters most of the night.”

In off the field notes, the ‘Canes reported attendance for the opener was 60,703.

And this number seems like a realistic one.

Looking up in the stands, Hard Rock (previously Sun Life) Stadium seemed as full as I can remember in recent memory for a non FSU type home game.

Coach Richt mentioned his appreciation in the presser above.

The players noticed too.

Hopefully it continues.....

Additional notes:

• Ahmmon Richards has a nice debut, recording with 2 catches for 31 yards and a score. He did drop a tough one on a deep ball though later in the game.
• Richards was listed as a starter, meaning Miami started 4 freshmen yesterday (McCloud, Quarterman, and Pinckney being the other 3). Nice debut by all the youngsters.
• Freshman Travis Homer also looked pretty good as the 4th tailback, finishing with 5 carries for 35 yards. However he fumbled on his way to the end zone in the 4th Q. The young man will certainly have ball protection stressed to him this week, one would imagine.
• The downfield blocking yesterday was at times sensational. Both Stacy Coley and Braxton Berrios each made key blocks on Richards 3rd Quarter score. Guys were hustling all over the place to help out teammates. Joe Yearby, Gus Edwards, and Mark Walton each were all benefactors of nice blocks by WR’s on long runs. Hopefully this becomes a staple of the offense.

That’s it for now ‘Canes fans.

We’ll have much more on the win yesterday, and get you started for next week’s contest Vs FAU, in the coming days.

Enjoy your Sunday!