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DB
Kenny Phillips |
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2006
Statistics |
Coach:
Randy Shannon
1st
year |
2006
Record: 7-6 |
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FLORIDA
STATE |
LOST
10-13 |
FLORIDA
A&M |
WON
51-10 |
at
Louisville |
LOST
7-31 |
HOUSTON |
WON
14-13 |
NORTH
CAROLINA |
WON
27-7 |
FIU |
WON
35-0 |
at
Duke |
WON
20-15 |
at
Georgia Tech |
LOST
23-30 |
VIRGINIA
TECH |
LOST
10-17 |
at
Maryland |
LOST
13-14 |
at
Virginia |
LOST
7-17 |
BOSTON
COLLEGE |
WON
17-14 |
MPC
COMPUTERS BOWL |
Nevada |
WON
21-20 |
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2006
Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
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2007
Outlook |
Most
realize that new head man Randy Shannon
– an alum who has never coached
outside of the resort city at any
level - really is the best guy for
the job. Though never a head coach,
hiring from within (for a change)
was smart, minimizing both the time
it takes to make needed changes and
how many total changes are needed.
The defensive edge, never missing
during the last few mediocre years,
is already established with the former
coordinator taking over. The main
job in Coral Gables is to jump start
last year’s 87th-ranked total
offense. Patrick Nix was brought in
from Georgia Tech to focus the team’s
offensive vision, especially via his
knowledge at the QB position. Expect
former top prospect Kyle Wright –
so far a major disappointment –
to make his senior year his best yet.
Any success he has will be predicated
on how well Nix jump starts the running
game. The backs are in place –
if the offensive line can play up
to its potential, we will have Miami
back to its old feared self. The Canes
will know real quick if their new
look has worth; they go to Oklahoma
in week two and host a resurgent Texas
A&M squad on national TV Thursday
night of week four. The ACC slate
then starts off easy, but their last
six games brings on the cream of the
conference. With a first-time head
coach, an already struggling QB and
so many new faces/facets, these Canes
will have to prove they have taken
the corner of recovery before the
college football world believes it…their
reputation says they can do it, but
reason says to wait and see.
Projected
2007 record: 8-4
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MIAMI
FL
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 3.5 |
DL
- 4 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 3 |
DB
- 4 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Kyle Wright, 152-250-7, 1655 yds.,
8 TD
Rushing: Javarris James, 175
att., 802 yds., 4 TD
Receiving: Lance Leggett, 38
rec., 584 yds., 4 TD
Scoring: Javarris James, 5
TD, 30 pts.
Punting: Daren Daly, 4 punts,
41.5 avg.
Kicking: None
Tackles: Calais Campbell, 55
tot., 38 solo
Sacks: Calais Campbell, 10.5
sacks
Interceptions: Kenny Phillips,
4 for 5 yds.
Kickoff Returns: Bruce Johnson,
15 ret., 21.7 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Bruce Johnson,
23 ret., 8.1 avg., 0 TD
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QB
Kyle Wright |
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MIAMI
FL |
|
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OFFENSE
- 10 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 8 |
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KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Tyrone Moss-TB, Ryan Moore-WR, Anthony
Wollschlager-C, Jon Peattie-K, Greg
Olsen-TE (NFL) |
DEFENSE:
Baraka
Atkins-DE, Kareem Brown-DT, Bryan Pata-DT,
Brandon Meriweather-SS, Brian Monroe-P,
Jon Beason-SLB (NFL) |
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2007
OFFENSE |
New
coordinator Patrick Nix is the former Auburn
QB-turned-coaching assistant who is just
what the Canes need to improve the lackluster
results on this side of the ball, which
have really been the main reason Miami has
sunk so low. Until now, senior starter Kyle
Wright has not been fostered well after
being brought in as a top prospect. His
three struggling campaigns should easily
be an afterthought with Nix coaching him
up. Junior backup Kirby Freeman has better
feet and is more exciting, but has also
proven accident prone with seven INTs in
just 89 throws last year. Sorting out the
QB conundrum is priority one; getting the
highly talented line to play up to its potential
is next. Enter Jeff Stoutland. Given the
slate of four- and five-star returning starters
he has to work with, the Canes only need
to find a center for the line to get back
to form. A run blocking specialist (Stoutland),
something has to give on a team that has
so many great backs but could only sustain
a 3.7 ypc average and generate 13 ground
scores. Javarris James is the next great
back to come out of southeast Florida. His
stellar ’06 efforts as just a freshman
have many alums salivating at how good he
can get. Stacked with backs, look for UM
to use an effective running game to open
passing lanes so as to ease Wright’s
efforts. Given the time, Kyle can find senior
Lance Leggett and soph Sam Shields all day.
Though they have a decent two-deep cache
for their three- and four-receiver sets,
an injury rash amongst the snarlers would
impact this team’s ’07 finish.
Expect head coach Shannon to continue the
Cane tradition of featuring stellar TEs
with Chris Zellner, a senior who has many
behind him eager to prove their worth at
this oft-used position here. Miami gets
back on offensive track this season under
Nix, though it may take a few games to sort
out the QB play.
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OL
Derrick Morse
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MIAMI
FL 2007 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Kyle
Wright-Sr (6-4, 220) |
Kirby
Freeman-Jr (6-3, 215) |
FB |
James
Bryant-Sr (6-3, 250) |
Jerrell
Mabry-So (6-1, 266) |
TB |
Javarris
James-So (6-0, 210) |
Charlie
Jones-Sr (5-10, 218)
Graig Cooper-Fr (6-0, 195) |
WR |
Lance
Leggett-Sr (6-3, 188) |
Khalil
Jones-Jr (6-2, 218) |
WR |
Sam
Shields-So (6-0, 177) |
.. |
WR |
Darnell
Jenkins-Sr (5-10, 190) |
Ryan
Hill-So (5-11, 188) |
TE |
DajLeon
Farr-Jr (6-5, 248) |
Chris
Zellner-Jr (6-2, 238) |
OT |
Jason
Fox-So (6-6, 265) |
Cyrim
Wimbs-Sr (6-3, 335) |
OG |
Andrew
Bain-Sr (6-3, 330) |
.. |
C |
Derrick
Morse-Sr (6-4, 326) |
Matt
Pipho-So (6-7, 290) |
OG |
Chris
Rutledge-Jr (6-5, 325) |
A.J.
Trump-So (6-3, 294) |
OT |
Reggie
Youngblood-Jr (6-5, 305) |
Chris
Barney-So (6-5, 340) |
K |
Daren
Daly-Jr (6-1, 173) |
Matt
Bosher-Fr (6-0, 170) |
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2007
DEFENSE |
With
Randy Shannon now ‘large and in charge’,
the D is sure to stay as strong, quick and
vibrant as it was the last six years when
he was coordinator. The back seven will
pretty much stay the same, so the D’s
one marginal area last campaign –
its No.40 pass defense - will likely improve.
The entire starting back seven is 6’
or taller and super fast. The newest legends
to have passed through past Cane secondary
will soon be all-conference Kenny Phillips
and classmate Lovon Ponder, both safeties.
The two will be joined by a fully recovered
Anthony Reddick (torn ACL in 2005 limited
’06 campaign) to form one of college
football’s most feared deep units.
With too many quality cover guys to count,
Glenn Sharpe and Randy Phillips (no relation
to Kenny) rate pretty highly to be the chosen
lockdown corners. Even though Miami returns
three guys who were starters at linebacker,
none garnered all-ACC status, a rarity at
this football mecca. That is not to say
the Cane’s corps is weak or vulnerable
– they really are a big, tough, fast
bunch with just as many qualified candidates
stacked in the wings. Junior end Calais
Campbell will surely dot preseason all-American
lists – the 6’8” first-team
all-ACC’er had 20 TFLs, 10 sacks and
three forced fumbles, all team highs. Look
for fellow end and classmate Eric Moncur,
who is possibly quicker than Campbell, to
have a breakout year as foes double-team
the overachieving Campbell. Inside, there
have been losses, but enough broken-in talent
(hungry to pick up the mantle) is there
to clog the inside effectively for Shannon’s
schemes to continue working. UM returns
nine players with starting experience from
what was the nation’s seventh-ranked
total defense. This will again be a D that
succeeds through keen instinct and is able
to recover from play-action and misdirection
plays better than most any in the country.
Miami gang tackles and walks with a swagger
as they pummel opponents. After holding
all but three foes to under 20 points, you’ll
soon realize there never was much wrong
with the Cane’s defense.
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DE
Calais Campbell
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MIAMI
FL 2007 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Eric
Moncur-Jr (6-2, 260) |
Courtney
Harris-So (6-3, 260) |
DT |
Antonio
Dixon-Jr (6-3, 335) |
Josh
Holmes-Fr (6-2, 270) |
DT |
Teraz
McCray-Sr (6-1, 300) |
Dwayne
Hendricks-Jr (6-4, 280) |
DE |
Calais
Campbell-Jr (6-8, 282) |
Vegas
Franklin-Sr (6-3, 255) |
SLB |
Tavares
Gooden-Sr (6-2, 238) |
Spencer
Adkins-Jr (5-11, 233) |
MLB |
Darryl
Sharpton-So (5-11, 227) |
Romeo
Davis-Sr (6-3, 229) |
WLB |
Glenn
Cook-Sr (6-0, 215) |
Colin
McCarthy-So (6-3, 222) |
CB |
Glenn
Sharpe-Sr (6-0, 187) |
Bruce
Johnson-Jr (5-10, 177) |
CB |
Randy
Phillips-Jr (6-0, 195) |
Chavez
Grant-So (5-11, 175) |
SS |
Lovon
Ponder-Jr (6-0, 207) |
Anthony
Reddick-Jr (6-0, 205) (inj.) |
FS |
Kenny
Phillips-Jr (6-2, 202) |
Willie
Cooper-Sr (6-1, 211) |
P |
Matt
Bosher-Fr (6-0, 170) |
Daren
Daly-Jr (6-1, 173) |
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2007
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Big-legged
junior Daren Daley seems to have the inside track
for the punting slot due to experience. Matt Bosher
seems to be the only one on the Cane roster qualified
to truly be an I-A placekicker. Backup corner
Bruce Johnson has been solid as a dual return
guy, but without having any TDs to tally, you
can bet new faces will be tried out until a breakaway
threat is found.
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