Saturday, March 23, 2013

SCRIMMAGE AT TRAZ 3/23/13

        The Miami Hurricanes had their first scrimmage of the 2013 football season today at Traz Powell Stadium. I was in attendance and was able to get onto the field after the game for some quick time with Head Coach Al Golden, QB Stephen Morris and RB Duke Johnson. Here's my recap of what I saw today from the Canes.


  • LB Jermaine Grace was there to watch his future team today, saw him before the game with a big smile throwing the U. Also there was recruit DB Alex Jasmine from Melbourne, he was invited to come to the scrimmage by coaches.
  • Per CANEINSIDER.com a website I work for, DL Dyron Dye suffered an achilles injury today, he is scheduled to have an MRI tonight. 
  • Malcolm Lewis did participate in pregame drills but did not play in the scrimmage. He was still in a yellow jersey (injury reserve) doing sprints behind the field goal post while the game was going on. Also in a yellow jersey was OL Shane McDermott.
  • Phillip Dorsett had his "bell rung" today after getting hit pretty hard while going for a pass. I'm guessing possible concussion but I have no word on what the official diagnosis is. 
  • As earlier reported, Brandon Linder was on crutches today. Word is that it's not serious, but he hasn't participated in any practices this week, including today's scrimmage.
  • Tracy Howard definitely looks bigger compared to last year, he had a HUGE hit on RB Dallas Crawford today that got the crowd pumped. 
  • Herb Waters is a guy who made his name stand out today. Great catches with lightning speed. He is the real deal. 
  • Probably one of the most important announcements today (sarcasm) is the new starting kicker will be Matt Goudis from California.
  • DB Antonio Crawford had a interception today on QB Stephen Morris, I was happy to see that, it was a big play.
  • As for the offensive line they look BIG and ready to dominate. I got to see Sonny Odogwu in action for the first time, he's not an immediate stand out but he is getting there. From the stands I can here Coach Kehoe yelling "Sonny get in there and block somebody!". The offensive line is going to be a strong area for the 2013 Canes because of their veteran leadership, majority are seniors. 
  • The defensive line is where the improvements need to be made. They need to be able to put pressure on the quarterback and create some havoc. In my opinion the best player at doing that today was Olsen Pierre, the man is a stud. He is big but also quick with his feet so he can get around the offensive guard and to the QB. Before Dyron Dye got injured he was making plays at defensive end, I really hope he is alright this could be a great year for him. 
  • One thing I can say I am really excited about for the first time in a while is our tight ends! I had high expectations for freshman Standish Dobard and he met them, add him to the "real deal" list. Also JUCO TE Beau Sandland impressed me, he had the first touchdown of the day off of a tipped pass in the end zone. Great body frame, expecting him to make plays early in the season along with Clive Walford who was stepping up his game at the end of last year. 
  • DE Anthony Chickillo is still in that limbo area. Not really the fastest DE out there but not really big enough to be a defensive tackle. He did have a tip ball for an interception today, I really like him personally and I hope he can have a breakout year given these challenges. 
  • My freshman MVP award goes to LB Alex Figueroa, possibly the realist on the "real deal" list. Even though he is a freshman, I think he could be our 2nd best linebacker behind Perryman, making plays & giving big hits on players including Duke Johnson. Not so upset about losing Eddie Johnson anymore. 
The next scrimmage will be April 5th in Naples, FL. I will be there to keep supporting the Canes and will have another blog entry after that game. Next spring practice is Tuesday which I will also be attending as media and I'm really excited about that. My video's can be seen below, follow me on twitter @kyepuma for more updates and most importantly GO CANES! 

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