Canes' Spring Scrimmage: Five Things to Watch
Pat Hill is back! Pat Hill is back! Pat Hill is back!
By JANIE CAMPBELL
Updated 11:45 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 11, 2010
It's been 72 days since we last saw our Miami Hurricanes in action.
That's two months and 11 days.
6,220,800 seconds.
103,680 minutes.
1,728 hours.
Um, not that we find this a reason for living, or anything.
Fortunately, the Hurricanes can't possibly lose to a Wisconsin running back this time, because they're playing themselves. Having wrapped up their 10th spring practice already, the 'Canes will take the field tonight to strut their stuff in a public scrimmage in Fort Lauderdale.
Here's five things to keep an eye on if you head out to Lockhart Stadium tonight:
Who'll be no. 2? With starting quarterback Jacory Harris out rehabbing a thumb ligament, Spencer Whipple might be giving A.J. Highsmith, the presumed favorite for backup, a run for his money as they and early enrollee Stephen Morris battle to get ripped to shreds if Harris goes down mid-season.
"He delivers a nice ball," Streeter reported. "A lot of times when it's coming it reminds me of the movie Little Giants, it's like a toilet roll just coming at you with a pretty spin on it. It deceives you sometimes because it's just so pretty - it's like 'Is it coming fast?' I like his release."
All three will get equal reps tonight, a nice chance for fans to form their best airmchair opinions on the matter.
The return of fullback Pat Hill Whether taking on all comers protecting Harris against Oklahoma, carving out space for Graig Cooper, or doing his best impersonation of that giant rolling stone that almost crushes Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones, glorious man-orca Hill was headed for team MVP last season before he was lost to injury. He's back -- and if you train one eye on him at the scrimmage, you'll see why he's so crucial to the Canes' success next season.
Take two for Tommy Streeter The former Northwestern Bulls star missed his freshman year after surgery and spent last season catching up on the sidelines, but he's fighting for time in what's easily the most talented receiving corps in the country. LaRon Byrd, Leonard Hankerson, Aldarious Johnson, Thearon Collier, Travis Benjamin, and Kendal Thompkins won't just step aside -- and the battle will be awfully fun to watch.
How much better are Brandon McGee and Demarcus Van Dyke? The 'Canes had a little trouble at corner last year, starting the season with converted wide receiver (and super-project) Sam Shields opposite All-American Brandon Harris. Van Dyke, a junior, got some burn along with true freshman McGee, but Miami will need both to make huge strides this fall.
"The more [Van Dyke] takes upon himself to get better," Randy Shannon said yesterday, "the better we will be as a defense."
When should we start lighting candles for the o-line? Finally, some of Shannon's recruits are big enough to start filling in that patchwork o-line, but they're also dinged up: Joel Figueroa is recovering from surgery, Orlando Franklin pulled back muscle last week, and Brandon Washington tweaked his MCL in practice. That leaves youngsters Ben Jones, Jermaine Johnson, and Jared Wheeler to grow up fast against Allen Bailey and Olivier Vernon. Fast enough, and we'll feel a lot better about the whole shebang.
Tonight's public scrimmage is held at Lockhart Stadium (5201 NW 12th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale) at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and players will take part in an autograph session from 6 - 6:45 p.m.
Janie Campbell is a Florida native who believes in the pro-set and ballpark hot dogs. Her work has appeared in irreverent sports sites around the internet.
First Published: Mar 11, 2010 11:28 AM EDT
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
