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All that money for lights. Al wants to make sure they practice at night so we are ready for all our noon games.
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I'm sure he'll still be there with his flashlight to watch them boys flying around.
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[MENTION=89]canes[/MENTION]port: Scrimmage 1 in books - big plays on both sides of ball: https://t.co/CSUGbHhZqL http://twitter.com/CaneSport/status/632021860859772928/photo/1
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Who stood out in Miami Hurricanes? first fall scrimmage of 2015? | Canes Watch
CORAL GABLES — Since camp opened last Thursday, Hurricanes coach Al Golden has been clear: at nearly every position, he’s a long way from naming starters.
He has split first-string carries between four running backs. He has 12 offensive linemen vying for the five starting spots. The defensive backfield and defensive line? More crowded than a subway car at rush hour. Don’t even ask who’s going to be the first wideouts on the field. Really, Golden might tell you, even Brad Kaaya doesn’t have a starting spot locked down.
So was there any separation after the scrimmage Miami held Thursday, its first real test of the fall?
“I think it’s too early,” Golden said.
How’d the defense do?
“What do you think I’m going to say?” said defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio. “We need to watch the film,” four veteran reporters repeated back, at least one of them playfully rolling their eyes.
Who won — offense or defense?
“They both made plays,” Golden said. “We weren’t trying to win the scrimmage. We were trying to learn a lot about our team.”
Sophomore tight end Chris Herndon went out on a limb: “He said it was “back and forth, but we” – meaning the offense – “won it.” (He might be biased.)
OK, this was a night for learning – it wasn’t a win-loss type of thing. But here’s what we were able to learn from talking with players and coaches and other #sources afterward …
… with apologies for any incomplete info, since only special VIPs (lots of recruits were there) were allowed to watch. The media was not allowed in …
“The main thing”
* According to Golden, “as much as we know” no players were injured in the scrimmage.
Three stars
The breakout player of the scrimmage was freshman nose tackle Kendrick Norton, who had at least one sack-forced fumble — one teammate said Norton had three sacks – working with the second and third units. “Really smart play. Tracked the ball from behind and ripped it out,” Golden said of his sack-forced fumble. “Obviously he’s well-coached to do that as young as he is, and the wherewithal to do that in the first scrimmage is a good sign for him.” Since coming in second summer session, D’Onofrio said, he’s dropped 15 pounds to get to his goal weight (6-3, 320). “He’s very strong. It’s not too big for him right now.” “He’s a beast,” linebacker Jermaine Grace said. “I love him at the nose.”
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who missed last year with a back injury, had an interception returned for a touchdown. He said he baited the X-receiver and shot into the flat to snatch the pick – he doesn’t remember who the receiver or quarterback was. He returned it “probably 60” yards for a touchdown. It was the first live tackling in a scrimmage Jenkins has faced in 18 months, D’Onofrio said. “It feels normal. I don’t even think about my injury,” Jenkins said.
Redshirt freshman H-back David Njoku caught a red-zone fade for a touchdown. “He’s got the highest vertical on the team,” tight end Stan Dobard said. “He’s got to use it.”
Brad Kaaya, after the Canes' first scrimmage of 2015. (instagram.com/mattyports)
Brad Kaaya, after the Canes’ first scrimmage of 2015. (instagram.com/mattyports)
Quarterbacks
* Brad Kaaya said he threw “two or three” touchdowns, Malik Rosier threw one in the red zone, and freshman Evan Shirreffs threw a touchdown to walk-on running back Collin Alford. The third quarterback, according to Golden, was Vincent Testaverde. Walk-on Isaac Hoza also got reps.
* Malik Rosier “had a lot of zone-read plays,” Kaaya said.
* Kaaya said he and Rosier ran the game-day meeting. He also said he and offensive coordinator James Coley spoke to the team before the game.
* Kaaya, on the offense: “We have three solid groups out there. We can throw the [No. 3] group in there and they can execute.”
* Golden’s assessment of Kaaya: “Good day. Good poise. Good command. We’ve got a long way to go, though. We’ve got to clean up a lot of the bad-ball stuff.”
Running backs
* Sophomore running back Trayone “Choc” Gray broke a long touchdown run of somewhere around 60 to 80 yards, but it was called back on a hold. “He had a couple big plays,” tight end Chris Herndon said.
* The four backs – Gus Edwards, Joe Yearby, Mark Walton and Gray – rotated with the first unit. “Good evaluation. Part of it is seeing what they do best,” Golden said.
* Golden: “Choc is so big and flat-out downhill strong. Gus can be shifty, but he’s 240 pounds. Joe is nifty, as you know, but he’s 200-pound Joe Yearby. He hasn’t lost a step. And Mark is obviously a strong runner, breakaway speed, good lateral movement. They all bring a lot to the table. It’s too early to tell [who’s going to get the ball most]. I just want to see them compete.”
* “A lot of (nice) runs,” Kaaya said. “All four running backs. … They all made really good plays. They all busted some good chunks of yardage.”
* Grace: “Gus did a really good job, but I can’t just single out Gus. All our running backs had a good game, cutting back, finding good holes, making good reads. Running back is one of the positions that’s standing out.”
Wide receivers
* Kaaya: “I think everyone caught a pass. David Njoku caught a fade ball down in the red zone. [Receiver] Braxton [Berrios] caught really nice passes over the middle. Herb Waters caught a touchdown. Rashawn Scott caught, I think it was a 60-yard post route I hit him on, fourth and 1.”
* Waters’ touchdown, Dobard estimated, was about 35 yards.
* Berrios, on the offense: “I think it took us a little while to get going … but we really got going.” He said he had “two or three” catches. On one of them, which came over the middle for a first down, he was nailed by safety Jamal Carter but held onto the ball.
Tight ends
* Dobard: “I did OK. I could have done better on a couple blocks here and there, but we’ll pick it up next scrimmage.”
* Chris Herndon, on the offense: “We started off slow, but once we got going it was hard to stop us.”
Offensive line
* The starting five: left tackle Trevor Darling, left guard Alex Gall, center Nick Linder, right guard Danny Isidora, right tackle Sunny Odogwu.
* Kaaya: “From last spring until now, it looks a lot smoother. … I think they’re a solid group. They love each other up. Each day, they’re getting better and better. … Tonight I think they did pretty good. They have up a couple of sacks, but it’s Scrimmage No. 1.”
* Linder: “We’ve all made improvements. Every day we put on pads is a day we get that much closer together. … We’ve come a long way since spring and there’s miles to go, and we can’t wait to get even better.”
* Grace: “Sunny, he got a good block on me. He’s a big guy. … The O-line had some chops. I got chopped.”
Defensive line
* Kaaya: “They got me a couple times. A lot of good loops and twists up front. They’re playing well up there. It’s a solid group. … They have good depth.”
* Linder, on what he saw from the D-line: “Just their typical high-motor [play]. Ufomba [Kamalu], Calvin [Heurtelou], Quan [Muhammad], Darrion [Owens], [Anthony] Moten, Courtel Jenkins … all those guys. When the 2s came in, there was no drop-off.”
* Linder on Norton: “He showed me he’s a good player. High motor. Strong kid. He’s going to help us.”
* Berrios on the defensive front: “They’re really fast. That’s a huge thing. They tackle well. There’s not many missed tackles. They come, and they come hard.”
Linebackers
* Weak-side linebacker Grace said he threw a hard hit on tight end Standish Dobard, who asked him “****, Grace, I thought we were homies!” But the biggest hit of the scrimmage, according to Grace, came from Raphael Kirby, when he hit Gus Edwards from the side and made him fumble a few yards after the line of scrimmage.
* “We’re homies, but when it’s time to get the work in, it’s time to get the work in,” Grace said of his hit on Dobard.
* Kirby and Grace had sacks on blitzes. The other linebacker was Darrion Owens, on the strong side. Grace said UM worked its 3-4, 4-3 and nickel packages – and he was working primarily in pass coverage, and was in the box in goal-line situations. Kaaya mentioned the linebackers playing well in the passing game.
* The second linebacker unit included Tyriq McCord (strong side) and Marques Gayot (weak side). Jamie Gordinier was the third-string Sam. (Apologies for the incomplete info … as you know, we didn’t actually get to see the scrimmage.)
Secondary
* D’Onofrio on Jenkins: “He’s had a good camp. Most important thing is he stays healthy and keeps getting better every week.”
Special teams
* Golden said the field goal unit hit a field goal in a two-minute situation – he didn’t say who booted it – but no kickoffs or punts occurred.
Elsewhere
* Golden said Thursday, which was the eighth practice of the preseason, was the “earliest we’ve ever had a scrimmage.” He credited players’ conditioning and film study – “knowing the system like they do” – for making that possible. He also said UM has more depth – “the first time we’ve had a [No. 3] unit since I’ve been here.”
* D’Onofrio said he played 45 defensive players over 20 series, with the first and second units getting seven series each, subbing players in and out to get plenty of players a look on film. “We’ll reset the depth based on how they performed tonight and we’ll keep chipping away and go from there, then repeat the process as we get closer to Bethune (Sept. 5) and keep whittling away,” he said.
* D’Onofrio said there was not a lot of instruction tonight. “They’ve got to go,” adding that he and Coley kept calling plays constantly.
* The scrimmage, which lasted nearly two hours and was held under the lights at UM’s Cobb Soccer Stadium. Golden said “tweaks” need to be made on the newly installed lights at Greentree. “Growing pains, if you will,” he said.
* The players wore the new Adidas jerseys they’ve been wearing in practice. Offensive players were in orange; defensive players in black.
Scenes from (after) the scrimmage:
Golden said it was mainly situational, "like a baseline test"…second scrimmage will tell more re: depth chart pic.twitter.com/aunbcVsHbF
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Rayshawn Jenkins, who last played in a game in 2013, had a pick-six. pic.twitter.com/hNDcy0TCwr
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Berrios said he had two or three catches. Kaaya said one of those was a catch over the middle for a first. pic.twitter.com/HSWm37vK69
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Jermaine Grace said Kendrick Norton had three touch sacks (vs. the 2s). "He's a beast." pic.twitter.com/g9SBYyyY8p
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
CORAL GABLES — Since camp opened last Thursday, Hurricanes coach Al Golden has been clear: at nearly every position, he’s a long way from naming starters.
He has split first-string carries between four running backs. He has 12 offensive linemen vying for the five starting spots. The defensive backfield and defensive line? More crowded than a subway car at rush hour. Don’t even ask who’s going to be the first wideouts on the field. Really, Golden might tell you, even Brad Kaaya doesn’t have a starting spot locked down.
So was there any separation after the scrimmage Miami held Thursday, its first real test of the fall?
“I think it’s too early,” Golden said.
How’d the defense do?
“What do you think I’m going to say?” said defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio. “We need to watch the film,” four veteran reporters repeated back, at least one of them playfully rolling their eyes.
Who won — offense or defense?
“They both made plays,” Golden said. “We weren’t trying to win the scrimmage. We were trying to learn a lot about our team.”
Sophomore tight end Chris Herndon went out on a limb: “He said it was “back and forth, but we” – meaning the offense – “won it.” (He might be biased.)
OK, this was a night for learning – it wasn’t a win-loss type of thing. But here’s what we were able to learn from talking with players and coaches and other #sources afterward …
… with apologies for any incomplete info, since only special VIPs (lots of recruits were there) were allowed to watch. The media was not allowed in …
“The main thing”
* According to Golden, “as much as we know” no players were injured in the scrimmage.
Three stars
The breakout player of the scrimmage was freshman nose tackle Kendrick Norton, who had at least one sack-forced fumble — one teammate said Norton had three sacks – working with the second and third units. “Really smart play. Tracked the ball from behind and ripped it out,” Golden said of his sack-forced fumble. “Obviously he’s well-coached to do that as young as he is, and the wherewithal to do that in the first scrimmage is a good sign for him.” Since coming in second summer session, D’Onofrio said, he’s dropped 15 pounds to get to his goal weight (6-3, 320). “He’s very strong. It’s not too big for him right now.” “He’s a beast,” linebacker Jermaine Grace said. “I love him at the nose.”
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who missed last year with a back injury, had an interception returned for a touchdown. He said he baited the X-receiver and shot into the flat to snatch the pick – he doesn’t remember who the receiver or quarterback was. He returned it “probably 60” yards for a touchdown. It was the first live tackling in a scrimmage Jenkins has faced in 18 months, D’Onofrio said. “It feels normal. I don’t even think about my injury,” Jenkins said.
Redshirt freshman H-back David Njoku caught a red-zone fade for a touchdown. “He’s got the highest vertical on the team,” tight end Stan Dobard said. “He’s got to use it.”
Brad Kaaya, after the Canes' first scrimmage of 2015. (instagram.com/mattyports)
Brad Kaaya, after the Canes’ first scrimmage of 2015. (instagram.com/mattyports)
Quarterbacks
* Brad Kaaya said he threw “two or three” touchdowns, Malik Rosier threw one in the red zone, and freshman Evan Shirreffs threw a touchdown to walk-on running back Collin Alford. The third quarterback, according to Golden, was Vincent Testaverde. Walk-on Isaac Hoza also got reps.
* Malik Rosier “had a lot of zone-read plays,” Kaaya said.
* Kaaya said he and Rosier ran the game-day meeting. He also said he and offensive coordinator James Coley spoke to the team before the game.
* Kaaya, on the offense: “We have three solid groups out there. We can throw the [No. 3] group in there and they can execute.”
* Golden’s assessment of Kaaya: “Good day. Good poise. Good command. We’ve got a long way to go, though. We’ve got to clean up a lot of the bad-ball stuff.”
Running backs
* Sophomore running back Trayone “Choc” Gray broke a long touchdown run of somewhere around 60 to 80 yards, but it was called back on a hold. “He had a couple big plays,” tight end Chris Herndon said.
* The four backs – Gus Edwards, Joe Yearby, Mark Walton and Gray – rotated with the first unit. “Good evaluation. Part of it is seeing what they do best,” Golden said.
* Golden: “Choc is so big and flat-out downhill strong. Gus can be shifty, but he’s 240 pounds. Joe is nifty, as you know, but he’s 200-pound Joe Yearby. He hasn’t lost a step. And Mark is obviously a strong runner, breakaway speed, good lateral movement. They all bring a lot to the table. It’s too early to tell [who’s going to get the ball most]. I just want to see them compete.”
* “A lot of (nice) runs,” Kaaya said. “All four running backs. … They all made really good plays. They all busted some good chunks of yardage.”
* Grace: “Gus did a really good job, but I can’t just single out Gus. All our running backs had a good game, cutting back, finding good holes, making good reads. Running back is one of the positions that’s standing out.”
Wide receivers
* Kaaya: “I think everyone caught a pass. David Njoku caught a fade ball down in the red zone. [Receiver] Braxton [Berrios] caught really nice passes over the middle. Herb Waters caught a touchdown. Rashawn Scott caught, I think it was a 60-yard post route I hit him on, fourth and 1.”
* Waters’ touchdown, Dobard estimated, was about 35 yards.
* Berrios, on the offense: “I think it took us a little while to get going … but we really got going.” He said he had “two or three” catches. On one of them, which came over the middle for a first down, he was nailed by safety Jamal Carter but held onto the ball.
Tight ends
* Dobard: “I did OK. I could have done better on a couple blocks here and there, but we’ll pick it up next scrimmage.”
* Chris Herndon, on the offense: “We started off slow, but once we got going it was hard to stop us.”
Offensive line
* The starting five: left tackle Trevor Darling, left guard Alex Gall, center Nick Linder, right guard Danny Isidora, right tackle Sunny Odogwu.
* Kaaya: “From last spring until now, it looks a lot smoother. … I think they’re a solid group. They love each other up. Each day, they’re getting better and better. … Tonight I think they did pretty good. They have up a couple of sacks, but it’s Scrimmage No. 1.”
* Linder: “We’ve all made improvements. Every day we put on pads is a day we get that much closer together. … We’ve come a long way since spring and there’s miles to go, and we can’t wait to get even better.”
* Grace: “Sunny, he got a good block on me. He’s a big guy. … The O-line had some chops. I got chopped.”
Defensive line
* Kaaya: “They got me a couple times. A lot of good loops and twists up front. They’re playing well up there. It’s a solid group. … They have good depth.”
* Linder, on what he saw from the D-line: “Just their typical high-motor [play]. Ufomba [Kamalu], Calvin [Heurtelou], Quan [Muhammad], Darrion [Owens], [Anthony] Moten, Courtel Jenkins … all those guys. When the 2s came in, there was no drop-off.”
* Linder on Norton: “He showed me he’s a good player. High motor. Strong kid. He’s going to help us.”
* Berrios on the defensive front: “They’re really fast. That’s a huge thing. They tackle well. There’s not many missed tackles. They come, and they come hard.”
Linebackers
* Weak-side linebacker Grace said he threw a hard hit on tight end Standish Dobard, who asked him “****, Grace, I thought we were homies!” But the biggest hit of the scrimmage, according to Grace, came from Raphael Kirby, when he hit Gus Edwards from the side and made him fumble a few yards after the line of scrimmage.
* “We’re homies, but when it’s time to get the work in, it’s time to get the work in,” Grace said of his hit on Dobard.
* Kirby and Grace had sacks on blitzes. The other linebacker was Darrion Owens, on the strong side. Grace said UM worked its 3-4, 4-3 and nickel packages – and he was working primarily in pass coverage, and was in the box in goal-line situations. Kaaya mentioned the linebackers playing well in the passing game.
* The second linebacker unit included Tyriq McCord (strong side) and Marques Gayot (weak side). Jamie Gordinier was the third-string Sam. (Apologies for the incomplete info … as you know, we didn’t actually get to see the scrimmage.)
Secondary
* D’Onofrio on Jenkins: “He’s had a good camp. Most important thing is he stays healthy and keeps getting better every week.”
Special teams
* Golden said the field goal unit hit a field goal in a two-minute situation – he didn’t say who booted it – but no kickoffs or punts occurred.
Elsewhere
* Golden said Thursday, which was the eighth practice of the preseason, was the “earliest we’ve ever had a scrimmage.” He credited players’ conditioning and film study – “knowing the system like they do” – for making that possible. He also said UM has more depth – “the first time we’ve had a [No. 3] unit since I’ve been here.”
* D’Onofrio said he played 45 defensive players over 20 series, with the first and second units getting seven series each, subbing players in and out to get plenty of players a look on film. “We’ll reset the depth based on how they performed tonight and we’ll keep chipping away and go from there, then repeat the process as we get closer to Bethune (Sept. 5) and keep whittling away,” he said.
* D’Onofrio said there was not a lot of instruction tonight. “They’ve got to go,” adding that he and Coley kept calling plays constantly.
* The scrimmage, which lasted nearly two hours and was held under the lights at UM’s Cobb Soccer Stadium. Golden said “tweaks” need to be made on the newly installed lights at Greentree. “Growing pains, if you will,” he said.
* The players wore the new Adidas jerseys they’ve been wearing in practice. Offensive players were in orange; defensive players in black.
Scenes from (after) the scrimmage:
Golden said it was mainly situational, "like a baseline test"…second scrimmage will tell more re: depth chart pic.twitter.com/aunbcVsHbF
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Rayshawn Jenkins, who last played in a game in 2013, had a pick-six. pic.twitter.com/hNDcy0TCwr
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Berrios said he had two or three catches. Kaaya said one of those was a catch over the middle for a first. pic.twitter.com/HSWm37vK69
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
Jermaine Grace said Kendrick Norton had three touch sacks (vs. the 2s). "He's a beast." pic.twitter.com/g9SBYyyY8p
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) August 14, 2015
'Canes get out of first scrimmage healthy, uninjured
Freshmen defensive tackle Kendrick Norton stars in first scrimmage of 2015
They didn’t necessarily share any of the details about a potential scorekeeping system, but one of the biggest wins for the Hurricanes in their first scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday night was that there were no major injuries according to Miami coach Al Golden.
For a team that not long ago lost Ryan Williams – a projected starting quarterback – to a serious knee injury in a spring scrimmage, that’s always a relief. As to whether the defense or offense had the better night, most of the Hurricanes were mum, praising instead a variety of their teammates.
One player that did shine according to several Miami players and coaches, though, was freshman defensive tackle Kendrick Norton, who according to defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio forced a fumble and who, according to linebacker Jermaine Grace had multiple sacks while playing with the second and third-string defensive unit.
“It was a really smart play,” Golden said of Norton’s forced fumble. “A really smart play. He tracked the ball from behind and ripped it out. Obviously, he’s well-coached to do that, as young as he is and the wherewithal to do it in the first scrimmage was a good sign for him.”
Added Grace of Norton, “He’s a beast. I love him at nose. … he’s one of the guys that had a lot of sacks.”
Thursday night’s scrimmage was closed to fans and the media, but here are a few details Miami players and coaches shared after their work was done:
*Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya noted he had three touchdown passes connecting with receivers Rashawn Scott and Herb Waters, along with tight end David Njoku, who caught a fade in the back of the end zone. Scott’s catch came on a post route and was in the 60-yard range.
*Golden indicated that all four running backs – Gus Edwards, Joe Yearby, Mark Walton and Trayone Gray – all saw time with both the first-team and second-team offense. And Thursday, he highlighted each of their strengths as Miami continues evaluating who will fill the void left by the departure of all-time leading rusher Duke Johnson.
“I’m pleased with all of them. They all bring a different quality. [Gray] is so big and just flat-out downhill strong,” Golden said. “Gus can be shifty, but he’s 240 pounds. Joe is nifty as you know, but he’s 200-pound Joe Yearby now and he hasn’t lost a step…and Mark is obviously a strong runner, just breakaway speed and really, good lateral cuts. They all bring something to the table. It’s too early to tell. I just want to see them compete.”
*Linebacker Jermaine Grace said he thought fellow linebacker Raphael Kirby had the hardest hit of the night when he forced made a tackle on Edwards, forcing the running back to fumble. Grace also said both he and Kirby had sacks in the scrimmage, both coming on blitzes. The former Miramar standout said he had two tackles, one of which came against tight end Standish Dobard and the other against Edwards.
“I didn’t bring Stan down as good as I wanted to, so I kind of got like a little shock in my arm,” Grace said.
*With the Hurricanes having to replace three starters from last year’s offensive line, that unit has been under plenty of scrutiny during the first week of camp. On Thursday, the starting line included Trevor Darling, Alex Gall, Nick Linder, Danny Isidora and Sunny Odogwu. Golden was non-committal when asked which line got more push up front, but said both units made plays.
“We weren’t trying to win the scrimmage. We were trying to learn a lot about our team,” Golden said. “I think the coaches were really unselfish in terms of getting everybody in and getting a two versus a one in a certain matchup and those types of things and seeing what they can do. I think you guys know by now the first scrimmage for me is just teach the situations: get them on the goal line, get them backed up, get them in short yardage. … I think it’s more about the situations the first one. The second one will be more about we’re ready to go, we’re ready to give you our best stuff on both sides of the ball.”
That said, Grace said he felt the offensive line played well, noting particularly that Odogwu had a nice block on him in particular at right tackle.
*Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who missed all of last season after undergoing back surgery, had an interception on Thursday night and returned it about 60 yards. But more than his pick, he said he felt relieved to get back on the field and get some live contact again.
“It felt really good. It showed me I can still do some stuff,” he said. “It just showed me I can execute the defense that we’re in.”
'Canes get out of first scrimmage healthy, Norton shines - Sun Sentinel
Freshmen defensive tackle Kendrick Norton stars in first scrimmage of 2015
They didn’t necessarily share any of the details about a potential scorekeeping system, but one of the biggest wins for the Hurricanes in their first scrimmage of fall camp on Thursday night was that there were no major injuries according to Miami coach Al Golden.
For a team that not long ago lost Ryan Williams – a projected starting quarterback – to a serious knee injury in a spring scrimmage, that’s always a relief. As to whether the defense or offense had the better night, most of the Hurricanes were mum, praising instead a variety of their teammates.
One player that did shine according to several Miami players and coaches, though, was freshman defensive tackle Kendrick Norton, who according to defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio forced a fumble and who, according to linebacker Jermaine Grace had multiple sacks while playing with the second and third-string defensive unit.
“It was a really smart play,” Golden said of Norton’s forced fumble. “A really smart play. He tracked the ball from behind and ripped it out. Obviously, he’s well-coached to do that, as young as he is and the wherewithal to do it in the first scrimmage was a good sign for him.”
Added Grace of Norton, “He’s a beast. I love him at nose. … he’s one of the guys that had a lot of sacks.”
Thursday night’s scrimmage was closed to fans and the media, but here are a few details Miami players and coaches shared after their work was done:
*Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya noted he had three touchdown passes connecting with receivers Rashawn Scott and Herb Waters, along with tight end David Njoku, who caught a fade in the back of the end zone. Scott’s catch came on a post route and was in the 60-yard range.
*Golden indicated that all four running backs – Gus Edwards, Joe Yearby, Mark Walton and Trayone Gray – all saw time with both the first-team and second-team offense. And Thursday, he highlighted each of their strengths as Miami continues evaluating who will fill the void left by the departure of all-time leading rusher Duke Johnson.
“I’m pleased with all of them. They all bring a different quality. [Gray] is so big and just flat-out downhill strong,” Golden said. “Gus can be shifty, but he’s 240 pounds. Joe is nifty as you know, but he’s 200-pound Joe Yearby now and he hasn’t lost a step…and Mark is obviously a strong runner, just breakaway speed and really, good lateral cuts. They all bring something to the table. It’s too early to tell. I just want to see them compete.”
*Linebacker Jermaine Grace said he thought fellow linebacker Raphael Kirby had the hardest hit of the night when he forced made a tackle on Edwards, forcing the running back to fumble. Grace also said both he and Kirby had sacks in the scrimmage, both coming on blitzes. The former Miramar standout said he had two tackles, one of which came against tight end Standish Dobard and the other against Edwards.
“I didn’t bring Stan down as good as I wanted to, so I kind of got like a little shock in my arm,” Grace said.
*With the Hurricanes having to replace three starters from last year’s offensive line, that unit has been under plenty of scrutiny during the first week of camp. On Thursday, the starting line included Trevor Darling, Alex Gall, Nick Linder, Danny Isidora and Sunny Odogwu. Golden was non-committal when asked which line got more push up front, but said both units made plays.
“We weren’t trying to win the scrimmage. We were trying to learn a lot about our team,” Golden said. “I think the coaches were really unselfish in terms of getting everybody in and getting a two versus a one in a certain matchup and those types of things and seeing what they can do. I think you guys know by now the first scrimmage for me is just teach the situations: get them on the goal line, get them backed up, get them in short yardage. … I think it’s more about the situations the first one. The second one will be more about we’re ready to go, we’re ready to give you our best stuff on both sides of the ball.”
That said, Grace said he felt the offensive line played well, noting particularly that Odogwu had a nice block on him in particular at right tackle.
*Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who missed all of last season after undergoing back surgery, had an interception on Thursday night and returned it about 60 yards. But more than his pick, he said he felt relieved to get back on the field and get some live contact again.
“It felt really good. It showed me I can still do some stuff,” he said. “It just showed me I can execute the defense that we’re in.”
'Canes get out of first scrimmage healthy, Norton shines - Sun Sentinel
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dycane
Senior
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2011
- Messages
- 7,287
-Looks like lots of squeezing up
-Fact Chad is not mentioned is further indication that he's well on his way to being sufficiently neutered by this band of clowns
-Looking forward to our best wide receiver, Herb Waters, making the most of his pre-season opportunities before inexplicably being buried on the bench come September
-Fact Chad is not mentioned is further indication that he's well on his way to being sufficiently neutered by this band of clowns
-Looking forward to our best wide receiver, Herb Waters, making the most of his pre-season opportunities before inexplicably being buried on the bench come September
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Messages
- 22,170
Chad made some nice plays tonight.
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Messages
- 22,170
Scrimmage Observations
- The big difference with Brad Kaaya is physical. He is leaner, quicker and more athletic in the pocket. He was on his game today, and landed beautiful downfield throws to Braxton Berrios and Herb Waters in between multiple defenders.
- All of the running backs had good days, but the star of the show was Trayone Gray. He had a gliding, 80-yard touchdown run that opened eyeballs. He also showed off his superior athleticism by reversing field on a long run. He has been the most spectacular back throughout camp.
- Waters, Berrios and Rashawn Scott all made big plays. Scott showed some of his run after the catch ability, as well.
- David Njoku has proven to be a redzone weapon flexed out wide, a la Jimmy Graham. He made a very athletic TD catch on a fade from Kaaya.
- With a couple exceptions, the offensive line did a decent job. Sonny Odogwu, Kc McDermott, Tyree St. Louis and Danny Isidora all saw reps at RT, with Darling, McDermott and St. Louis getting reps at LT.
- Kendrick Norton caught caught my eye early in camp and he continues to impress every practice. He gets off blocks much better than I expected, and he even showed athleticism in pursuit. He may not have gotten three sacks, but he was disrupting everything. Bottom-heavy, explosive, flexible, aware-- he's the best defensive tackle prospect UM has had in years.
- Rayshawn Jenkins is healthy and looks poised to start opposite Deon Bush. He jumped in front of a Vincent Testaverde pass and took it to the house.
- Evan Shireffs caught my eye with a TD drive. He is more athletic than people think at 6'6, and you can see his intelligence on the field. It will be interesting to watch his development.
- The big difference with Brad Kaaya is physical. He is leaner, quicker and more athletic in the pocket. He was on his game today, and landed beautiful downfield throws to Braxton Berrios and Herb Waters in between multiple defenders.
- All of the running backs had good days, but the star of the show was Trayone Gray. He had a gliding, 80-yard touchdown run that opened eyeballs. He also showed off his superior athleticism by reversing field on a long run. He has been the most spectacular back throughout camp.
- Waters, Berrios and Rashawn Scott all made big plays. Scott showed some of his run after the catch ability, as well.
- David Njoku has proven to be a redzone weapon flexed out wide, a la Jimmy Graham. He made a very athletic TD catch on a fade from Kaaya.
- With a couple exceptions, the offensive line did a decent job. Sonny Odogwu, Kc McDermott, Tyree St. Louis and Danny Isidora all saw reps at RT, with Darling, McDermott and St. Louis getting reps at LT.
- Kendrick Norton caught caught my eye early in camp and he continues to impress every practice. He gets off blocks much better than I expected, and he even showed athleticism in pursuit. He may not have gotten three sacks, but he was disrupting everything. Bottom-heavy, explosive, flexible, aware-- he's the best defensive tackle prospect UM has had in years.
- Rayshawn Jenkins is healthy and looks poised to start opposite Deon Bush. He jumped in front of a Vincent Testaverde pass and took it to the house.
- Evan Shireffs caught my eye with a TD drive. He is more athletic than people think at 6'6, and you can see his intelligence on the field. It will be interesting to watch his development.
TriStarCane
Letting It Rip To 8-4
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2012
- Messages
- 11,986
My quick thoughts after 8 practices.
Offense:
Our OL scares the **** out of me. We need Kc to lock down a tackle spot. Sunny sucks balls and it should terrify you he is first up
I think our depth at WR is underrated
If J Coley can get his head out of his ***, we have some pretty sick personnel groupings with our combo of size and speed at the TE and WR spots
Stacey Coley needs the rock DOWNFIELD- no mention of him, but it's a second hand scrimmage report. Still...
Hoping we can have a legit threat out of the backfield to catch the ball. Brad likes to check down. Hoping one of them can emerge
Defense
More twists and stunts that take forever to develop and are probably terribly disguised? **** yeah.
We can has a defensive tackle (!) make plays as a FR???
I think our "depth" at DE is overrated (in this scheme)
I think Kirby and Grace are going to have a break out year, but our LB depth sucks balls
Glad Jenkins is making plays again. We need him and Carter to step up
Would love to see McCord be utilized properly instead of wasting his last year of eligibility as the 2nd team SAM. For ****'s sake.
We need to find a way to get Burns, Howard and Corn on the field in nickel as much as we can handle it. That's our strongest group on defense IMO
We really need to not rotate our safeties so much. Whoever they want to pair with Bush needs to be THE guy. I hate this platoon **** back there
Offense:
Our OL scares the **** out of me. We need Kc to lock down a tackle spot. Sunny sucks balls and it should terrify you he is first up
I think our depth at WR is underrated
If J Coley can get his head out of his ***, we have some pretty sick personnel groupings with our combo of size and speed at the TE and WR spots
Stacey Coley needs the rock DOWNFIELD- no mention of him, but it's a second hand scrimmage report. Still...
Hoping we can have a legit threat out of the backfield to catch the ball. Brad likes to check down. Hoping one of them can emerge
Defense
More twists and stunts that take forever to develop and are probably terribly disguised? **** yeah.
We can has a defensive tackle (!) make plays as a FR???
I think our "depth" at DE is overrated (in this scheme)
I think Kirby and Grace are going to have a break out year, but our LB depth sucks balls
Glad Jenkins is making plays again. We need him and Carter to step up
Would love to see McCord be utilized properly instead of wasting his last year of eligibility as the 2nd team SAM. For ****'s sake.
We need to find a way to get Burns, Howard and Corn on the field in nickel as much as we can handle it. That's our strongest group on defense IMO
We really need to not rotate our safeties so much. Whoever they want to pair with Bush needs to be THE guy. I hate this platoon **** back there
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- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Messages
- 22,170
He hasn't been doing it against Linder.
Cane Dynasty
Thunderdome Survivor
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2013
- Messages
- 19,983
Redshirt freshman H-back David Njoku caught a red-zone fade for a touchdown. “He’s got the highest vertical on the team,” tight end Stan Dobard said. “He’s got to use it.”
Where you at Coach Macho?
Where you at Coach Macho?