Cam Harris puts ‘next man up’ mentality on display. He’s ready for first start vs. Pitt.
It was impossible not to take a moment and scan Hard Rock Stadium for some yellow flags when Cam’Ron Harris flipped the field for the Miami Hurricanes with a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter Saturday against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Against the Florida Gators in August, a 50-yard run by the running back was wiped out by a holding penalty. Against the North Carolina Tar Heels in September, another one was called back for another holding penalty.
The longest run of his career technically had to wait until Saturday in Miami Gardens. When DeeJay Dallas went down with an apparent knee injury, Harris took over against one of the worst run defenses in the country and did all he could, even though the Hurricanes ultimately suffered a stunning 28-21, overtime loss to Georgia Tech.
“I’m just here to step up. I was the next man up and I’m here to take care of what I’m supposed to do,” Harris said Tuesday after practice in Coral Gables. “DeeJay went down, next man up and I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Harris finished with a career-high 136 yards on a career-high 18 carries. He added another 31 yards and a touchdown on three catches. He accounted for 167 yards of offense and no one else managed more than 54. Even quarterback N’Kosi Perry only accounted for 203 yards with 188 passing and 15 on the ground. Chances are high Miami will need something similar Saturday against the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Dallas, who has started each of the Hurricanes’ first seven games, is questionable for Miami’s trip up to Pittsburgh this weekend. Coach Manny Diaz said the running back will travel with the team to Pennsylvania, although there’s no assurance he will suit up. The junior wasn’t out at Greentree Practice Fields on Tuesday for a portion of practice open to reporters.
“He’ll be on the plane,” Diaz said, “and we’ll kind of continue to monitor him and see his availability on Saturday.”
If Dallas can’t go, Harris will almost certainly make his first career start a week removed from the best performance of his career.
It has been an inevitable moment since about the midpoint of last season. Harris came to Miami out of Carol City as only the second most-highly touted running back in the Hurricanes’ Class of 2018. He was ranked behind fellow running back Lorenzo Lingard, a consensus five-star prospect, and split the few carries available to a third-string running back early in the year.
Lingard, however, tore his anterior cruciate ligament less than two months into the 2018 season and Harris, then Davis, started to get expanded opportunities a few weeks later. In a two-week stretch against the Yellow Jackets and Virginia Tech Hokies, Harris logged 13 carries for 125 yards and scored three touchdowns — two on the ground and one through the air. When former running back Travis Homer left for the NFL after last season, it cleared a path for Harris to be the Hurricanes’ No. 2 tailback behind Dallas this year.
Dallas has mostly been too good to keep off the field this season, but Harris has still been excellent in his limited opportunities. The sophomore ranks second on the team with both 57 carries and 282 yards — an average of 4.9 yards per carry — and that’s with two carries longer than 50 yards wiped out by penalties.
The Panthers’ defense is far superior to Georgia Tech, which has the worst run defense in the ACC. Pittsburgh’s greatest strength, however, is its pass rush, tormenting quarterbacks in a blitz-happy scheme.
The obvious counter is connect on short passes, something the Hurricanes haven’t always done reliably this season, especially with Perry and fellow quarterback Jarren Williams, the two potential starters, both battling shoulder ailments.
Miami has been at its best this season when its running game is truly rolling. Dallas has probably been the most valuable offensive player because of this. If the flashes Harris has shown are any indication, the drop-off might not be crippling, though.
“DeeJay went down and I just knew I had to step up, I had to play my A game,” Harris said. “I had the team on my back, so I had to keep going.”
