University of Miami tests entire baseball team for HGH due to strength coach
TALENT
A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Miami’s baseball team has been tested for performance-enhancing drug use, including human growth hormone.
Results have not arrived, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the university has not authorized the information’s release. Miami’s drug policy includes random steroid testing, but not HGH.
The team’s strength coach, Jimmy Goins, showed up in the records of the Miami-based Biogenesis clinic along with the names of many former University of Miami players who have since moved on to the major leagues.
Sign At Jonathan Vilma’s Restaurant Says Not To Serve Roger Goodell
No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service
If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ever is looking for some BBQ in Miami there is one place he isn’t welcomed at, Brother Jimmy’s BBQ. The restaurant is owned in part by New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma.
A photo of Goodell is tape to a window at Brother Jimmy’s and in all caps surrounding the commissioner’s mug, the message reads: “DO NOT SERVE THIS MAN.”
The signs are indeed posted on all of the restaurant’s front windows and inside the dining room.
Brother Jimmy’s is also owned by Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams, Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason all of whom are University of Miami alums.
Florida Assistant’s Resignation Could Be Linked To Miami Recruiting Scandal
The Name Teddy Bridgewater Ring A Bell
Florida announced assistant Aubrey Hill resigned Friday and that could mean something is brewing regarding the NCAA’s investigation of University of Miami as he was a recent assistant with the Hurricanes and was named in the Yahoo! Sports report that detailed his relationship with Sean Allen, a former equipment manager for the team that was also a friend of former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro.
Shapiro, who is in federal prison after pleading guilty to security fraud and money laudering, went public last year about how he provided impermissible benefits to Hurricanes players for several years. Multiple Miami players were suspended for games last season and the school self-imposed a postseason ban after the team finished 6-6.
In the Yahoo story from this July, phone records detailed Allen’s interaction with recruit Teddy Bridgewater in December of 2010. Allen also called Hill at the same time and he testified those calls preceded a meeting between Bridgewater and Miami coaches. That meeting occurred in the days after the school hired coach Al Golden.
Hill then left for Florida a few weeks later. Bridgewater eventually signed with Louisville.
Hill’s departure from Florida right before the start of practice lends credence to the notion that NCAA could finally be close to wrapping up its investigation almost one year after it started.
He will be replaced jointly by offensive coordinator Brent Pease and former graduate assistant Bush Hamdan.
“I have too much love and respect for this program to become a distraction as I deal with some personal issues,” Hill said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to have worked with Coach Muschamp, a tremendous staff and great group of players. The future is very bright here and the University of Florida will always have a special place in my heart. Go Gators.”
Amare Stoudemire To Spend Summer Enrolled At University Of Miami
Education Never Stops
New York Knicks big man Amare Stoudemire has had a rough year, some by his doing and like the death of his brother out of his hands, however this summer thinks appear to be heading in a positive direction.
That’s because Stoudemire, already making $20 million a season for the next three years, has decided to enroll into summer courses at the University of Miami. Last season Stoudemire took the offseason to connecting with his Jewish roots and this year he’s going back to school working toward a bachelor’s degree in general studies.
“Just enrolled at the University of Miami. Working on continuing my education,” he tweeted.
Stoudemire went to the NBA straight out of high school.
Warren Sapp Likely Out At NFL Network
Hey Now
Warren Sapp could be facing more financial hardship as itt appears the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle is likely done as a studio analyst for the NFL Network.
The Boston Globe reported Sapp’s next appearance on the network has not been determined and his contract is not expected to be renewed. Sapp reportedly is paid $540,000 annually with the NFL Network.
It was also reported over the weekend that Sapp owes more than $6.7 million to creditors and back child support and alimony, according to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in South Florida.
Sapp’s $6.45 million in assets includes 240 pairs of Jordan athletic shoes worth almost $6,500, a $2,250 watch and a lion skin rug worth $1,200. He also reported losing the 2002 Super Bowl ring he won with the Bucs and the 1991 NCAA national championship ring from Miami (Fla.).
Sapp’s average monthly income is $115,881, according to the filings, and includes $45,000 for a final contract payment with Showtime, $48,000 for an appearance with CCA Sports and $18,675 as an advance for a book deal.
His contract officially with the NFL Network ends in August.
WTF: University Of Miami Football
U Sorry
It’s come to this for the University of Miami football program that they have to put out fliers around campus asking “any student that is at least 6’1 and 230+ pounds” to contact the team about trying out to become an offensive lineman
Warren Sapp Says Jeremy Shockey Is Saints Bounty Snitch
Snitches Get Stitches
NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp says he’s “heard” who the whistle-blower in the Saints bounty case is. When a Twitter follower of the former NFL player guessed Jeremy Shockey, Sapp responded, “BINGO!”
Shockey, a former tight end in New Orleans from 2008-2010, would have witnessed the first two years of the bounty program under def. coordinator Gregg Williams which paid defensive players for harming opponents.
Shockey responded incredulously to Sapp’s tweet: “really?? Wow did I also have something to do with the um scandal?”
Sapp was originally critical of the unidentified Saints’ “snitch” when the NFL released its findings in early March. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White expressed a similar sentiment in a tweet Wednesday: “By the way y’all got a lot of snitches in your locker room and organization no loyalty”
Shockey is now a free agent after spending a season in Carolina Panthers. Both players attended the University of Miami, and Sapp spent 13 years in the league before retiring in 2007
Teen Blogger Beat National Media On Ryan Braun PED Story By 10 Days
Extra Credit
Turns out that Curt Hogg, a 16-year-old blogger, not only beat all the national media on the Milwaukee Brewers and NL MVP Ryan Braun PED story, but did so by more than a week.
Hogg reported on his Plushdamentals blog on the MLB.com network 10 days ago that he had been informed that the urine sample that led to Braun flunking a PED test had been mishandled.
Hogg wrote that the information came to him via “a source familiar with a former college teammate of Braun’s at the University of Miami and reportedly has knowledge of the situation.”
Hogg added that:
“According to sources, the results were not immediately sent to Major League Baseball as they should have been. Instead, the test samples were brought back to the collector’s residence in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There they remained, refrigerated, overnight until they were mailed in the next morning. While it is not assured that there is sufficient information to show that the test was mishandled, it supports Braun’s case.”
When Braun’s test result and suspension were overturned Hogg naturally posted the news and said the reports sounded “a lot like the news I broke last week.”
Alabama-LSU Draws Lowest Ever Rating For BCS Title
Snoozer
The game had number one versus number two plus one 50-50 kicker but all that couldn’t help ESPN’s BCS title game Monday drew a 13.8 overnight rating the lowest rating in the BCS system’s 14-year history.
That 13.8 translates to 13.8% of households in the 56 urban markets measured for overnights. The previous record low was a 14.3 for Miami-Nebraska at the 2002 Rose Bowl. Last night’s game was down 14% from last year’s Auburn-Oregon title game on ESPN and down 24% from Alabama-Texas on Fox in 2010.
The new low isn’t surprising. Alabama’s 21-0 win was less-than-suspenseful, both schools are from relatively sparsely-populated states and from the same conference. The schools had already played earlier this season in an overtime game where neither team scored a touchdown. CBS coverage of that game drew an 11.9 overnight
Maryland Uniforms Draws Lots Of Attention
Under Armour Wins
Last night the University of Maryland defeated the Miami Hurricanes 32-24 in new head coach Randy Edsall’s debut. However the game was not about Edsall or the Hurricanes new coach Al Golden or even the recent NCAA investigation surrounding the school thanks to convicted felon Nevin Shapiro but instead the uniforms donned by the Terrapins designed by Under Armour.
The University of Maryland’s new uniforms dominated Twitter and Google. The Terrapins emerged from the locker room with new white uniforms patterned after the state flag. They wore wild helmets spashed with red and white on the left side and black and yellow on the right, and the pattern continued to the shoulders. Unfortunately the new uniforms drew hate and laughter from athletes and media members throughout Monday night. LeBron James of the Miami Heat tweeted:
“OH GOSH. Maryland uniforms. #Ewwwwww!”
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas tweeted:
“The 1970′s Houston Astros have just released a statement that they would not be caught dead in the new Maryland football uniforms.”
What James, Bilas and most everyone fail to realize though is the uniforms really did create a national buzz for Maryland even if it was uncomplimentary.
To see the Terps 32 different uniform combinations they have planned for the rest of the season click HERE.
Donna Shalala Writes Open Letter & Says She’s Deeply Troubled
Give Me That Money
Miami President Donna Shalala said Sunday that she is “” in a letter published in The Miami Herald by the questions and allegations raised in recent weeks against the university’s athletic department. The NCAA and the university have been investigating if members of the athletic department including 15 current student-athletes broke rules in their dealings with convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro.
“These past two weeks have been very painful for me. Here’s my commitment: I will do, and we will do, everything possible to find the truth, learn from any mistakes and take measures to prevent any such behavior from happening again,” Shalala wrote.
Shalala also said that the NCAA is taking the lead in the joint investigation into the matter. Football coach Al Golden has said that the school asked the NCAA to begin a reinstatement process last week, and university officials expect to hear a decision in the coming days.
“It is way too early to know all of the details but the allegations alone cause serious concerns,” Shalala wrote.
The letter marks the third time Shalala has issued a statement about the scandal. Outside of one interview with student media at the university, she has not been available for questions.
“We have committed to the NCAA every possible resource to get to the bottom of all this,” Shalala wrote. “We promised the NCAA we would not comment on any specifics until the investigation runs its course. We continue to honor that commitment.”
“If we do all this right — and we will — we will take the necessary actions to make sure we have the most compliant program possible,” Shalala wrote. “If we do this right — and we will — we will move on stronger and be better prepared for the future.”
Miami opens its season at Maryland on Sept. 5.
Michael Irvin Calls Nevin Shapiro A Rapist
The U
As soon as Yahoo! published Charles Robinson’s expose on the rampant and flagrant rule breaking by the football program at the University of Miami, it was only a matter of time before one of the most noted players of “the U” stepped forward to give their two cents.
Michael Irvin, who went on to a NFL Hall of Fame career after leaving Miami in 1988, unloaded on Nevin Shapiro, when he joined Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley on ESPN Radio Los Angeles. Irvin questioned the credibility of the source of the allegations.
“I call him a snake and rapist because think about it this this way…he’s snaking people, but you are a rapist. How do you walk into someone’s home. Forget football. Forget the University of Miami. I don’t care about it. How do you walk into someone’s home and sit and eat dinner with them? Watch and look at their kids? Look at all the things in their home that they worked hard over the years to gather and then you take a check and then you go and blow away all of their savings? Man it doesn’t get any lower than this. You sit with people and you not only take money from these people and you go here and you rape these kids of their future.”
“I ain’t never met him. I said this too though and I’ll be honest with you, I would have fell to those aphrodisiacs that he was throwing around. I would have fallen into that. I would fall into it. Listen I wasn’t able to handle at 19,18, 20. I wasn’t even able to handle it at 30. Thirty-five? I just got here at forty-five! I just got here. If you would have offered me boats, women, and my hands are up in the air.”
LeBron James To Sponsor College Basketball Teams
Now Or Never
Miami Heat star LeBron James has struck sponsorship deals with the basketball programs of Ohio State, Kentucky and Miami to wear his Nike-branded gear. James will follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, whose Nike gear is associated with his alma mater, North Carolina, California and Cincinnati through sponsorship deals.
James has close ties to each of the programs he will sponsor as he is from the state of Ohio, openly roots for the school and frequently wears Buckeyes gear. He also maintains a close relationship with Kentucky coach John Calipari and has scrimmaged against players from the Miami Hurricanes program since joining the Heat in 2010.
Willis McGahee Wants His 2002 National Championship Ring
Get Off Punk
Former University of Miami Hurricanes and current Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee is the latest person chiming in on the Ohio State scandal. McGahee though doesn’t care what happens to the Buckeyes program going forward instead he just wants what he believes is rightfully his.
McGahee told CBSSports.com Dennis Dodd that he would “like to have my ring” if it’s found that Ohio State won the 2002 national championship with ineligible players. The Buckeyes beat McGahee’s Hurricanes, 32-24, in double overtime in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
“I feel we were cheated anyway. We beat them. The pass interference with the eligible, ineligible players. It wouldn’t have made any difference. I can’t get my money back that I missed out on a second ring. If they did cheat I’d like to have my ring.”
Ohio State Jim Tressel Asks His Suspension Be Bumped Up To 5 Games
That's What Leaders Of Young Men Are Suppose To Do
For once The Ohio State Buckeyes might actually be doing something right when head coach Jim Tressel has asked that his two game suspension be bumped up to five games, the same that was handed out to his five players right before the Sugar Bowl. On the same night that the NCAA announced that it upheld the five game suspension for the players for selling memorabilia and receiving improper benefits, Tressel requested to the university he do the same amount of time.
Ohio State had suspended him for the first two games and fined him $250,000 after he failed to inform the university of potential major violations and signed NCAA paperwork saying that he knew nothing about those violations.
“I spoke with Athletics Director Gene Smith, and our student-athletes involved, and told them that my mistakes need to share the same game sanctions,” Tressel said in a statement. “Like my players, I am very sorry for the mistakes I made. I request of the university that my sanctions now include five games so that the players and I can handle this adversity together.”
The first two games are projected as easy victories against University of Akron Zips and University of Toledo Rockets, but the Buckeyes then face University of Miami Hurricanes, and University of Colorado Buffaloes and Michigan State University Spartans at home. The five players suspended are quarterback Terrelle Pryor, tailback Dan Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, left tackle Mike Adams and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas are suspended.
University Of Oregon Basketball Court Spawns Other Court Redesigns
Back on November 7 2010, we posted the picture of the University of Oregon’s new basketball court and since then it has received nothing but criticism from everything on how gaudy it looks to the glare it gives off on television. However what if there had been no criticism and everyone took to a liking of the Ducks court would that spawn other to jump on board and copy their style? Well we take a look at eight Nike schools in Division I and what their courts would possibly look like if they did.
Primetime College Football: Hyundai Sun Bowl
TALENT
This game goes down on the CBS network and it features the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking on the University of Miami Hurricanes in the 76th annual Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Notre Dame, 7-5, 11 of the 12 games that Fighting Irish played this season came against bowl eligible teams. First year head coach Brian Kelly clearly has his squad playing with a wealth of confidence after being hit hard with the by injury bug during the season.
Notre Dame lost quarterback Dayne Crist in the ninth game and Kyle Rudolph to injuries. The offense looks quite different now then at the start of the season who are lead by Tommy Rees. Rees has completed 63 percent of his passes for 905 yards with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His favorite target as of late is Michael Floyd who has 916 yards and 10 touchdowns in the 11 games that he has played. The Fighting Irish are scoring 25 ppg behind 378.2 total ypg and the 36 touchdowns the team has scored 26 have been passing.
Definsively Manti Te’o is the man to watch, as the linebacker has 127 total tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss.
Miami, 7-5, 5-3 ACC, the Hurricanes fired head coach Randy Shannon before the conclusion of the season after the team once again fell short of expectations. Miami then decided that former Temple head coach Al Golden was the right man for the job. Golden becomes the 22nd head coach in the history of Hurricane football and has a proven track record of rebuilding programs. After taking over the Owls, who went 0-11 the season prior to his arrival, Golden led his team to a 17-5 record over the last 22 regular-season games.
Golden was an excellent hire by Miami however won’t be on the sidelines in the Sun Bowl, as that job will fall to holdover offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Jacory Harris is the teams quarterback who has thrown for 1,756 yards and 14 scores with 12 interceptions and missed the last three games of the season due to injury. Miami has one of the nations top wide reciever in Leonard Hankerson,who has accounted for 66 receptions 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns, that leads the in all three categories. Damien Berry does the bulk of the carries in the rushing game with his 865 yards and 5 touchdowns while second option Lamar Miller has 6ix touchdowns and 633 yards.
Sean Spence is a man to watch on defense as he has 17 tackles for loss and 101 tackles.
Miami owns an all-time bowl record of 19-16 while Notre Dame is 14-15 all-time in bowls. The Fighting Irish and Hurricanes are set to face off for the 24th time, with the two teams meeting for the first time since 1990. Notre Dame holds a 15-7-1 series lead.
PICK: University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish
University Of Miami & Notre Dame Bar Players From Entering Mexico
Aint A Party Unless It's A Juarez Party
Players from the University of Miami and Notre Dame have been told they will not be allowed to cross the border into one of Mexico’s most dangerous cities during their free time before the Hyundai Sun Bowl. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly took his team’s passports before the Fighting Irish flew to El Paso as a precaution. The Hurricanes didn’t bring passports, either, and met with both local law enforcement and the FBI on Monday shortly after arriving in Texas to further underscore the potential dangers of crossing the border.
Fans from both schools have also been urged to be cautious. El Paso borders the Mexican city of Cuidad Juarez, which is wrapped in a drug war. Officials say more than 3,000 people have been killed there this year alone, and the vast majority of crimes in the city are never investigated.
The Sun Bowl is Friday.
Donald Trump Wants University Of Miami To Hire Mike Leach
Who Would Have Thought A Pirate & A Psychopath Were Friends?
Three years ago Donald Trump made no mistake in suggestion former Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach for the the job at the University of Miami. He hasn’t let up his pursuit of his friend getting the job and has expressed his discontent with Miami University president Donna Shalala in Trump fashion:
Donna, you made a big mistake when you did not take my advice and hire Mike Leach of Texas Tech — look what’s happened to them since he left [something no one can seem to read] — Hire Coach Leach and you will be number one. Best wishes, Donald — And you can get him for the right price. Best wishes, Donald.”
Miami Hurricanes Jacory Harris Receives Primetime Hit
University of Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was on the wrongside of the word primetime as he took on this massive hit from Virginia’s defensive tackle John-Kevin Dolce. The hit was hard but clean and kinda impossible to pull off with all the rules that protect quarterbacks these days. Harris left the game and did not come back.
Primetime College Football: Tar Heels vs Hurricanes
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN2 network and it features University of North Carolina Tar Heels takes on the University of Miami Hurricanes at Sun Life Stadium.
Head coach Butch Davis takes his Tar Heels down to Miami where they are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. The Tar Heels continue to play solid football even though their program has been marred by allegations and suspensions from the start of the season due to players accepting improper benefits from agents. Davis has gotten his Tar Heels to win its last four games including last weekend’s 44-10 beating of Virginia. North Carolina is scoring 28 ppg while gaining 376.8 total ypg.
The Tar Heels have struggled in the running game this season as they are only generating just 125.3 ypg behind the legs of seniors Johnny White, 464 yards 4 touchdowns, and Shaun Draughn, 287 yards 4 touchdowns. As for the passing attack senior T.J. Yates, 1495 yards 11 touchdowns 1 INT, is completing 66.5 percent of throws. Senior wide receiver Zack Pianalto, 311 yards 1 touchdowns, was leading the team in the receiving department but was lost for the season last week with a broken fibula. They will now have to lean on junior wide receiver Dwight Jones, 302 yards 3 touchdowns, who exploded last week for 198 yards.
Defensively, UNC has been able to limit opponents to 19 ppg and 332.0 total ypg despite missing many key components for much of this season including Marvin Austin. The Tar Heels have excelled against the pass though this season as they have come up with 11 interceptions and just 6 passing scores allowed.
Head coach Randy Shannon also has his Hurricanes at a 4-2 overall record and 2-1 in ACC play after coming off a 28-13 victory over Duke last weekend. Miami is generating 32 ppg and 370.5 total ypg. Junior quarterback Jacory Harris, 1344 yards 11 touchdowns 9 INTs, has only completed 57.1 percent of his passes. Harris often looks to senior wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, 388 yards 6 touchdowns, when he goes to the air. The ground attack is lead by senior Damien Berry, 327 yards 3 touchdowns, and his 4.8 ypc.
Moving the ball and scoring points against the Miami defense has proven to be difficult, as the team is limiting opponents to 15 ppg and only 3.2 yards per rushing attempt. A total of 17 sacks is solid, and the Hurricanes have come up with 10 takeaways as well. Junior linebacker Sean Spence has recorded a team high 38 tackles including 8 tackles for loss is the star to watch on that side of the ball.
North Carolina owns an 8-5 series lead over Miami, which includes three straight wins over the Hurricanes.
PICK: University of North Carolina Tar Heels
Primetime College Football: Seminoles vs Hurricanes
TALENT
This game goes down on the ABC network and it features the Florida State University Seminoles taking on the University of Miami Hurricanes at Sun Life Stadium.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher takes his Seminoles into Miami for an ACC showdown, as he tries to continue to improve his teams 4-1 overall record and 2-0 in the conference. This is the first time that both schools have been ranked in four years when they have met up. The past nine meetings between these two schools have been decided by fewer than 10 points. Florida State has gotten back on track to win 3 straight since losing to Oklahoma by 30 on the road earlier in the season.
The Seminoles are generating 35 ppg this season to go along with 433.2 total ypg as they have tremendous balance on offense, posting 208.6 ypg on the ground and 224.6 ypg through the air. Senior quarterback Christian Ponder, 884 yards 8 touchdowns 3 INTs, is the man running the show. Ponder has completed 60.5 percent of his throws this season but yet hasn’t had to do it all by himself with junior Jermaine Thomas, 308 yards 4 touchdowns, in the backfield. Thomas is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. When Ponder airs it out he often looks for junior wide receiver Bert Reed, 251 yards one touchdown.
Defensively though opponents are just scoring 15 ppg while only totaling 293.4 total of offense. The Seminoles unit has been great against the run holding teams rushing attack to 74.8 ypg a mere 2 ypc and collecting a league-best 25 sacks.
Head coach Randy Shannon has his Hurricanes coming into today at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC which is fresh off a win against Clemson 30-21. The Hurricanes are only going as far as junior quarterback Jacory Harris, 895 yards 10 touchdowns 6 INTs, will lead them. It’s obvious that his favorite target has been senior wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, 388 yards 6 touchdowns.
So far this season, Miami is scoring 32 ppg while limiting opponents to only 15 ppg. The Hurricanes are only allowing 136 ypg through the air and teams quarterbacks are completing fewer than 50 percent of their passes.
Miami defeated Florida State last season in a 38-34 thriller, and hold a 31-23 lead in the all-time series.
PICK: Florida State University Seminoles
Primetime College Football: Hurricanes vs Panthers
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features former Big East rivals the University of Miami Hurricanes taking on the University of Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Head coach Randy Shannon is looking to rebound his Hurricanes against his former boss Dave Wannstedt after being thrashed by the Ohio State Buckeyes 36-24. Wannstedt was Miami’s defensive coordinator from 1986-88 when Shannon was a starting linebacker for a Hurricanes team that won the 1987 national championship. Wannstedt later drafted Shannon while he was a coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, then hired him as his linebackers coach in 2000 with the Miami Dolphins.
Junior quarterback Jacory Harris, 22-39 for 232 yards one touchdown 4 INTs, had probably his worst game of his college career has his 4 interceptions proved very costly and was a far cry from his 3 touchdown no interception performance against Florida A&M in the opener. Senior running back Damien Berry, 94 yards, was the one real bright spot in the loss to the Buckeyes as he racked up major yardage against a tough defense. Senior wide receiver Leonard Hankerson is another player to keep an eye out for as he is clearly Harris favorite target with 13 receptions and 205 yards.
Shannon’s defense wasn’t bad against the Buckeyes they just where put in bad spots by the offense in ability to produce. Ohio State gained 181 yards on the ground but was only really able to turn out 3.7 ypc. Junior linebacker Sean Spence lead the defense with 8.5 tackles, including two for a loss.
Wannstedt’s Panthers have their own problems, from off-the-field suspensions of freshman running back Jason Douglas and sophomore offensive lineman Keith Coleman to losing the Big East’s co-defensive player of the year last year senior defensive end Greg Romeus to injury.
The Panthers do have sophomore tailback Dion Lewis who has been held to just 102 yards in two games so far this season. Lewis was even held to a career low 27 yards against Division II against New Hampshire. Sophomore backup running back Ray Graham stepped up though and put up 115 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 9 carries in the same game. Sophomore quarterback Tino Sunseri, 40-62 for 459 yards 3 touchdowns 2 INTs, has been very impressive in his first year starting. Sunseri will depend on the running game heavily but when he has to go to the air he has a true threat in junior wide receiver Jon Baldwin, 171 yards 2 touchdowns.
The Panthers defense failed to register a single sack in the opener versus Utah, but came up with 6 against New Hampshire but will be going against Miami without Romeus. Junior defensive tackle Chas Alecxih had a career day in the last game with 3 sacks.
The Hurricanes own a 21-9-1 lead in the rivalry and they have won the last six encounters, including a 28-14 triumph in 2003. Pittsburgh is 1-10 against ranked non-conference opponents since 1996.
PICK: University of Miami Hurricanes
WTF: Jacory Harris
Haitian Refugee Look
Care to explain this early 1990′s gear Jacory Harris? I hope his focus on Ohio State is a lot better than his fashion sense.
