Miami running back Travis Homer implores angry fans to stop tagging players on Twitter

Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said Tuesday that players for the most part are dealing with adversity the way they should — they’re “pissed’’ and he’s “pissed” about the two-game losing streak and state of the offense, and trying to change it.

But others, Brown said, are not “on board.”

Hurricanes starting running back Travis Homer is definitely still on board, and on Tuesday the offensive leader requested that frustrated fans not tag players on social media because, frankly, they don’t like it.

“I don’t pay attention to that at all,’’ Homer, a junior, said of the livid fans who are venting ugly messages about coach Mark Richt and his play-calling and choice of quarterback in starter Malik Rosier. “But, I mean, I ain’t going to say this for most of the guys in here, but usually, when people see something negative about them and it’s supposed to be from people that are supposed to be loving them, they don’t really react too well. So, I’d just like to see less of that, not tagging people so they don’t have to see that.”

UM’s offensive coordinator spoke a few minutes after Homer and after gathering the offense for a long talk on Greentree Field following practice, which seemed unusually quiet and subdued during the 15 minutes of media viewing.

“I told our offense: ‘There should be two groups of guys on this team,’” Brown said. “’There should be the small group of guys that lead and the rest that follow.’

“And right now we have too many third-party guys who are not leaders and not following, and we’ve got to either get rid of those guys or get them on board to help this whole team.”

Brown was then asked, “If you’re not a leader and you’re not a follower, what are you?”

“You’re a cancer, is what you are. You’re a cancer, so it’s not a good thing, so that third category is not a good thing.”

Does he have many of those guys?

“Many of them? One is enough,’’ Brown said. “Cancer spreads... It takes over everything, so one is enough. I’m not trying to call out individual guys, but there are only two categories you fit in. You’re part of the guys who are leading this team or you’re part of the guys that are following this team to help this team be great. There’s no room for anybody else.”

When Richt was told later during his news conference that Brown said there were guys who weren’t on board, Richt said, “I don’t believe that. I think some guys are trying to get there, maybe trying to get there. They may not be mature enough to be there.”

How can coaches help them?

“You keep consistent. You keep banging away. You keep giving the same message. You don’t all of a sudden change everything, then everybody gets confused. There’s a standard to how we want things to get done. We just keep pushing toward that standard and when they figure it out, more guys on a consistent basis will get better.”

The Canes (5-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) meet Duke (5-3, 1-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. Richt’s news conference ended with a reporter asking him how he thought everyone was handling the adversity.

“I don’t know how y’all are handling it, but I know the team is together. The staff is. Everybody else seems to be in a tizzy. We’re pretty solid in believing in ourselves and believing in what we do, and the guys are pushing toward the next game and the next victory.’’

Homer said the team is “very much’’ still together in solidarity, but that it needed more energy in practice and more leadership overall.

“I know everyone is going to have their own motivation,’’ Homer said, “but I think the leaders need to lead a little bit more on this team...We definitely need to tighen up...lock in.’’

Asked whether the problem with the running game of late was execution or play-calling, Homer said, “I think it’s a lot of execution. We’re looking back at film and seeing missed assignments left and right.’’

Freshman tight end Brevin Jordan said with leadership from Homer, DeeJay Dallas and Malik Rosier, “the whole team is trying to stay positive. We’re trying to run the table.’’

Jordan defended Richt and his play-calling.

“You know what’s crazy is the fans make this game great, but at the end of the day there’s going to be a lot of hate with them, too. This team— we don’t care about none of that. We’re just trying to get better.”

▪ Freshman tight end Will Mallory missed practice with an eye infection, Richt said.

▪ Freshman receiver Brian Hightower, who missed two games with an ankle/foot injury, returned to practice.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 1:46 PM.