According to the pundits, this should be the year the Miami finally breaks through the wall and appears in the ACC Championship game, as it is the ACC media’s pick to win the league’s coastal division.
Much of that assessment is based on the fact the Miami returns 14 starters from a year ago that went 7-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play. In addition, the Hurricanes played 21 freshman and returns senior quarterback Stephen Morris, a huge variable with his quietly successful season a year ago.
Morris ended 2012 with a streak of 139 consecutive pass attempts without an interception and threw for a career-best 3,345 passing yards while owning a 58.2 percent passing percentage. He went quietly through the 2012 season with 3,415 total yards, which broke Bernie Kosar’s school record of 3,412 total yards in 1984.
His name has started to cross NFL radar screens, especially after getting excellent reviews coming out of the Manning Passing Academy a couple of weeks ago.
“A year ago he didn’t participate in the spring and last year, he made a lot of progress and clearly this is his team,” Miami coach Al Golden said. “His football knowledge is excellent; he runs in the 4.6s and is up to 217 pounds. He worked really hard and has gone forward. Obviously, he knows the wide receivers, running backs, tight ends, and offensive line will have to do with how well he fares.”
With James Coley coming back to south Florida to take over as the Hurricanes offensive coordinator, Morris discussed how having three offensive coordinators in his UM career was not really a bad thing. He talked about learning the West Coast Offense, the power running attack, and spread sets and that experience game him an arsenal of knowledge.
“My biggest concern is getting ready,” noted Morris, “To play this position you gotta be confident in your skill set. It is what it is and you gotta take that and get better.”
Coley plans to ramp up the speed of the offense even more, as Morris is readily equipped to operate the Miami offense at a fast pace to put opponents on their heels.
“His offense is fun to play in,” said Morris, who noted that he would like to see the Hurricanes run about 75 plays per game, which would put defenses on their heels, “It has pop in it with the quick passes, so the receivers can catch the ball and go with it. I think it pleases the offensive line, running backs, and the wide receivers. I think it is a great fit for us.”
Coley was hired away from Florida State and has a deep knowledge of Miami, Dade County, and Palm Beach recruiting. Many think it is a signal that the depth of south Florida talent will stay with the Hurricanes now instead of looking elsewhere.
Even with the addition of Coley and the closeness of Morris and his new OC, Golden quickly noted that Morris responded well to last season’s coordinator Jedd Fisch, who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars as an offensive coordinator
“Jedd did a great job with Stephen,” said Golden, “He wanted to be an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Stephen and James have a great relationship and James has put Stephen first. He didn’t come in and say, ‘This is my offense.’ He said, ‘How do you guys call this play?’ In terms on transition, for him to play faster, this has worked well.”
Morris returns two wide outs in his arsenal in Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott. Both averaged 14.5 yards per catch a year ago. However neither is listed as a starter on the current depth chart as senior Allen Hurns and sophomore Herb Waters were atop after the spring.
“I think the way the receivers coach came in and changed things around showed a sense of urgency,” said Morris, “The biggest thing was to learn how to practice and learn his ways. I’m excited for it and, at the end of the day, I am interested in making it a very special season for me and Miami as well.”