For the first time this season, UM offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and defensive coordinator John Lovett spoke at length about their players Tuesday. Some highlights:

• Whipple said Jacory Harris has NFL potential and can be special: ``To me, it's about championships. With him, we have a chance.'' But Whipple said he's ``harder on Jacory than some other guys'' that Whipple coached, including Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb.

``He's younger. He can handle it. He can handle me,'' Whipple said. ``I've told him, `I'm going to get on you because you're the quarterback.' . . . Sometimes I probably get on him a little too much. I have to remind myself this is his fifth start in this offense.''

When Harris threw his first interception against Oklahoma, Whipple said it ``wasn't the time to get on him,'' and instead offered an encouraging ``You're fine'' and a ``soft massage'' on his neck.

``There have been other times I haven't been that nice. I just want the best for him.'' Whipple said Harris ``stays composed in crucial situations. The great ones have that. I had confidence I could throw against Oklahoma [late]. That's the confidence I have in him.''

• Whipple raved about freshman Mike James -- ``With Pat Hill down, he's taken his opportunity and run with it'' at fullback; said Javarris James ``was great'' vs. Oklahoma and likes his physical style; and said fans have seen only the ``tip of the iceberg'' from Jimmy Graham. . . . Running back Lamar Miller -- expected to redshirt -- ``worked harder after I got on him,'' Whipple said. ``He didn't think I was watching.''

• Lovett said Marcus Forston is ``banged up [but] I'd like him to be playing faster, harder, better . . . He's a really good player. You see flashes of what he can be, but one play does not make a player.'' . . . Lovett said he prefers to play Allen Bailey at tackle, but might need him again some at defensive end, where he was used against Oklahoma because of injuries.

• Of the young backup linebackers, Lovett said Jordan Futch is a bit ahead of Ramon Buchanan and Arthur Brown. For Brown to play more, he must ``consistently do what we ask him, make the calls like he needs to make, take charge out there.''

• Lovett said he plans to use freshman cornerback Brandon McGee more. Why hasn't he played more? ``It's a lot of things -- being a freshman more than anything.''

• Lovett loves his emerging defensive backs (Brandon Harris, Vaughn Telemaque, Ray Ray Armstrong): ``They're mature beyond their age. I was scared to death we wouldn't get lined up'' for Oklahoma's fast tempo. But Telemaque did a ``great job'' of doing that and of ``fixing some mistakes by adjusting the coverage.''

CHATTER

• UM lost out on two top local players this week when Booker T. Washington defensive end/tight end Lynden Trail and receiver Quinton Dunbar orally committed to Florida. UM's top receiving target -- Miramar's Ivan McCartney -- lists UM, UF, West Virginia and Oregon as finalists.

• Associates say Bobby Bowden wants to coach next season, but there's increasing resistance inside Florida State, which wants to make a decision soon. ``We are going to weigh all options and do what's best for Bobby but also for the university,'' said Miami attorney Andy Haggard, vice chairman of FSU's Board of Trustees. ``What he has done for us is immeasurable.''

• Two things the Dolphins want Chad Henne to improve: get the ball out quicker to avoid sacks and not fumble when hit (on Sunday, he had two recovered by Miami). Both are critical against the blitz-happy Jets. . . .

Good to see Henne continue Chad Pennington's tradition of holding separate weekly meetings with his linemen and receivers. ``The way he carries himself and commands the huddle, it's like he has been playing 10 years,'' Justin Smiley said. ``He was fired up in the fourth quarter, saying things you can't print.''

• Though Fredi Gonzalez will return as manager, a team official said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wasn't happy with some of Gonzalez's in-game decisions. Gonzalez consented to several front office requests, such as playing Emilio Bonifacio a lot before the Nick Johnson trade. Some Marlins baseball people believe Loria's expectations are unrealistic, considering the low payroll.

• Jamaal Tinsley is working out in Las Vegas, and the Heat might still add a veteran backup point guard (Tinsley, Bobby Jackson, Brevin Knight are possibilities) if Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn do not play better than they did Monday. Quinn said he always will be underestimated ``because of the way I look. I don't pass the look test.''

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