Here’s why UM-Notre Dame isn’t in prime time; UM football nuggets

A six-pack of UM notes on a Thursday:

• So why didn’t NBC book the UM-Notre Dame game for a prime time slot Saturday instead of 3:30 p.m.?

NBC’s contract allows it to move five Fighting Irish games to prime time over any two-year period, and the network moved three to prime time last season, leaving it with two this year. And this past offseason, NBC opted to use this season’s prime-time slots on Stanford and Michigan State – instead of UM – because the aforementioned teams were ranked in the top 12 in preseason polls…

Can’t recall Doug Flutie ever announcing a UM or Dolphins game but he will do one of each in the next two months --- Saturday’s UM game with Dan Hicks on NBC and the Saturday night, Dec. 17 Dolphins at Jets game on NFL Network (with Mike Tirico).

• Some of what we’re hearing inside the UM football program: There’s not great optimism about this offensive line improving dramatically because they’re not athletic enough against athletic defensive fronts that can run around them and not strong maulers against big teams that can wear them down… Even beyond the porous protection, receivers aren’t getting open enough and the skill position players aren’t breaking enough tackles… There’s concern that the freshmen linebackers, who have battled various ailments, might be wearing down…

• New Dolphins safety Bacarri Rambo, who played for Mark Richt at Georgia, couldn’t stop raving about Richt this week.

“Very faithful guy, man of God,” Rambo said in a conversation at Dolphins camp with me and two other reporters. “He changed a lot of our lives. He saw as a person, coached us up on how to deal with situations. He taught us to believe in God and faith.”

Rambo said Richt “walked me through” the death of his newborn son in 2011.

“A lot of guys talk about coaches being a father figure; he’s the true definition,” Rambo said.

Rambo said Georgia players were more prepared for the NFL because “you pick things up faster with coach Richt.”

• Richt made clear he feels no urgency to play Gus Edwards or Travis Homer more. He’s happy with Mark Walton and Joe Yearby. Edwards has 13 carries for 127 yards this season. Homer has five carries for 35 yards.

“I think we have the right backs in there,” Richt said. “I’m not saying Gus won’t get any work, because he has practiced well this week. So he might get some playing time. But I don’t think there’s an issue with the runners. We just have to create more space and block better downfield.”

• Steve Walsh, who quarterbacked UM in its 31-30 loss at Notre Dame in 1988, was at practice on Wednesday.

• UM was picked to finish 9th of 15 ACC teams in the annual pre-season men’s basketball media poll. But in recent years, UM consistently has finished higher than it was picked.

Miami's all-time preseason poll breakdowns (votes) and finishes are as follows:

2015-16 – picked 5th; finished tied for 2nd

2014-15 – picked 10th; finished 6th

2013-14 – picked 12th; finished 10th

2012-13 – picked fifth; finished first

2011-12 – picked fifth; finished tied for fourth.

And here is this year’s order of finish prediction:

1. Duke (85) - 1359

2. North Carolina (6) - 1239

3. Virginia - 1125

4. Louisville - 1034

5. Syracuse - 905

6. NC State - 772

7. Notre Dame - 716

8. Florida State - 705

9. Miami - 650

10. Virginia Tech - 645

11. Clemson - 623

12. Pitt - 511

13. Wake Forest - 309

14. Georgia Tech - 199

15. Boston College – 128

For a six pack of Dolphins nuggets today, please click here.... Twitter: @flasportsbuzz

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Here’s why UM-Notre Dame isn’t in prime time; UM football nuggets."