Fight interrupts Hurricanes’ practice; here’s the good thing that happened next
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ A fight interrupted Hurricanes’ football practice Tuesday, but there was positive news to emerge from it, according to multiple sources:
Some members of the team immediately called a player’s only meeting; running back Cam’Ron Harris was among those who spoke. Coaches were not invited to that meeting.
Afterward, Manny Diaz addressed the team. According to one person in attendance, he noted that what the Canes are experiencing is akin to child birth where the pain comes before a miracle (the birth of a child).
According to two sources, this is what led to the fight:
When players commit penalties or other infractions, the entire team is ordered to run a bunch of sprints, in three different groups. If one player is loafing or doing something deemed unacceptable during those sprints, the players (not just that one player) must start over from the beginning, with no credit given to sprints already run.
For example, if players are on the eighth set of a dozen set of sprints, and one player doesn’t show maximum effort, then the players must start over at zero again.
That happened Tuesday and it angered several players, and punches were thrown. A player swinging his arms nearly decked an assistant defensive coach, which would have been an accident. That coach avoided the flailing arms of the defensive player, which were not intended toward the coach.
Among those involved in the fights, according to those present: a veteran starting defensive tackle, a veteran starting receiver, a veteran offensive lineman who has played multiple positions and a veteran starting safety.
I don’t view this as anything worrisome because fights happen all the time in sports when no media member is there to witness it, although this one was described by the sources as pretty intense.
Instead, I see a positive coming out of this: The players cared enough to hold a meeting to hash things out. That says to me that this group is still engaged and committed to getting the season back on track, despite the disappointing 2-3 start and the negativity swirling around the program.
The importance of UM’s next game — Oct. 16 at North Carolina — cannot be overstated. If the Canes are galvanized by all of this adversity (the two consecutive losses, the constant stream of criticism, Tuesday’s fight), and can win at Chapel Hill, a Coastal division title would be within reach and perhaps the ship can be righted.
But a loss would drop UM to 2-4 — with 23rd-ranked North Carolina State visiting the following Saturday — and could send the season spiraling out of control.
Remember, this UM team generally hasn’t responded well to losses in recent history. The 10-0 start in 2017 was torpedoed by a 10-point loss at Pittsburgh, and the Canes then promptly lost by 35 to Clemson and by 10 to Wisconsin to finish the season.
In 2018, a loss at Virginia was immediately followed by three more consecutive losses against Boston College, Duke and Georgia Tech.
The embarrassing 2019 loss to FIU was immediately followed by losses to Duke and then Louisiana Tech in the bowl game.
The 2020 humiliating 62-26 loss to North Carolina was followed by a poor start — and a loss — in the bowl game against Oklahoma State.
So this team, over several years, tends to get in a rut and have trouble coming out of it. The UNC game is the opportunity to change that trend.
▪ UM has lost nine of its last 11 games that it has played after having at least 13 days off, dating to 2017.
The Canes ended their bye week blues under Diaz with a Friday night win at North Carolina State early last November.
Last year, Diaz said there is no correlation with UM losing after bye weeks and that it was purely coincidental. The Canes lost their first four games after bye weeks under Diaz before that win against the Wolfpack.
The Oct. 16 game at North Carolina will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be televised by ESPN, ESPN2 or ACC Network.
▪ Per Pro Football Focus, Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope did not play a single snap against Virginia; both veteran receivers continue to be phased out after being surpassed by younger players. Pope is now working at cornerback.
Here’s how snaps were allocated at receiver against Virginia: Charleston Rambo (69), Mike Harley (38), Key’Shawn Smith (53), Romello Brinson (20), Breshard Smith (9), Xavier Restrepo (25), Jacolby George (4).
▪ Quick stuff: PFF said Jarrid Williams has been the Canes’ best offensive lineman this season… With regard to UM’s two five-star freshmen, safety James Williams (52 snaps) played more than defensive tackle Leonard Taylor (21) against Virginia, with Taylor getting his most playing time to date. Williams started his second game in a row. Taylor played more because Jared Harrison Hunte and Jordan Miller were out with injuries…
Among linebackers who have been here for awhile, it was notable that Waymon Steed (68 snaps) played a lot more than Bradley Jennings Jr. (16) and Sam Brooks (4) against Virginia.
▪ UM basketball coach Jim Larranaga likes what he has seen from new UM guards Charlie Moore (who transferred from DePaul) and Jordan Miller (George Mason).
“Charlie is clearly a point guard but also an excellent shooter,” Larranaga said. “I like his ability to stretch the defense and make threes. Jordan Miller can stretch the D and make some threes, and he’s perhaps our best offensive rebounder as well. He’s very good in and around the basket. Both will be in the rotation.”
▪ Larranaga, with Joe Zagacki on WQAM’s Hurricane Hotline, spoke this week of one dynamic lacking in the roster:
“We don’t have as much size as we like to have. I’m talking about physical bulk. Rodney Miller weighs the most, 238 now. He weighed 280 when he came in. He’s in much better shape. Sam Waardenburg only weighs 215, Anthony Walker about 215, Deng Gak just over 200. Those are not big bulky bruisers.
“We are adjusting our defensive style to adjust to what they do well. You will see them doing a lot more switching than we’ve done in the past. Their size and quickness will be their asset.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 1:30 PM.
