Miami, Fla. – Travis
Benjamin hauled in six catches for 171 yards and a touchdown and
quarterbacks Stephen
Morris and Spencer Whipple combined for 321 passing yards and three
TDs as the Hurricanes defeated Miami, 58-53, in the University of Miami
football team’s annual spring game Saturday at Traz Powell Stadium in
front of an estimated capacity crowd of 10,000.
"It was a good spring scrimmage, a lot of good things on both sides
of the ball," UM head coach Randy
Shannon said. "We had some turnovers the defense created, some big
runs. Travis (Benjamin) had a couple of big plays. The quarterbacks did a
nice job. It was what the spring game is supposed to be about, how much
fun you can go out and have."
Team Hurricanes were comprised of the second and third team offenses
and the first team, defense while Team Miami was comprised of the first
team offense and second and third team defenses. The offenses earned six
points for a touchdown, three points for a field goal, one point for an
extra point, one point for crossing the 50-yard line and one point for
every first down. The defenses earned one point for a three-and-out, two
points for an interception, two points for a fumble recovery and six
points for a touchdown.
Morris completed 12-of-21 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and
one interception. Whipple went 7-of-16 for 112 yards and one touchdown. A.J.
Highsmith quarterbacked Miami and went 11-of-20 for 131 yards with
three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Kendal
Thompkins caught a game-high eight passes for 84 yards and one
touchdown for the Hurricanes. Leonard
Hankerson had three receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
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Linebacker Sean Spence led the Hurricanes with eight tackles. Vaughn Telemaque added six tackles for the Hurricanes. Brandon McGee had seven tackles and two pass breakups for Miami while Safety Ray Ray Armstrong intercepted two passes. Highsmith led Miami on the first two touchdown scoring drives. He connected with Hankerson on a 16-yard touchdown. Highsmith hit Davon Johnson for a three-yard score as Miami led, 22-10. Morris guided the Hurricanes on its first scoring drive. He hooked up with Benjamin for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Lamar Miller scored on a two-yard touchdown run.
Highsmith and Hankerson hooked up again for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Whipple answered for the Hurricanes with a nine-yard strike to Davon Johnson. Morris and Thompkins connected for a five-yard TD. Damien Berry’s 26-yard touchdown run put Miami back ahead.
With Miami leading 52-50 late in the fourth quarter, Morris led the Hurricanes on a scoring drive which included picking up points with first downs and ended on Jake Wieclaw’s 33-yard field goal to end the game for the 58-53 final.
Linebacker Sean Spence
On play of offensive players:
Travis Benjamin, LaRon Byrd, Kendal Thompkins, I think all those guys had a big day for us.
On the progress of the quarterbacks with the absence of Jacory Harris:
Throughout the spring, AJ, Stephen, Spencer, they improved a lot and I’m really proud of those guys.
On progress throughout the spring and showing that at the Spring Game:
I think we improved every week. Effort wise, everyone was accountable, and knew their assignments on both sides of the ball.
Wide Receiver Travis Benjamin
On the performance of the receivers:
Everybody thinks that receivers are on the down side, but we came out and told them we’re gonna compete in this game. Then we had team A and team B, so everybody was competing and they were just challenging us to get more yards.
On 75-yard touchdown pass where Jamal Reid almost caught him:
Jamal Reid’s pretty fast. I didn’t see him from the angle he was coming at, so I kind of picked it up a little bit when I saw him.
Wide Receiver Leonard Hankerson
On improvements of wide receivers over the spring:
We improved a whole lot, from working together, getting in the film room, staying after practice, running routes, competing with each other. We stepped it up a level this year trying to take it to the next level.
On most improved receiver:
We all improved. We’ve all been working hard with each other. We’ve been doing what we have to do, coming before practice, staying after practice and just working with each other, communicating, everything.
Defensive Back Vaughn Telemaque
On trying to cover Travis Benjamin:
Travis Benjamin is really explosive out there, and he can make a move or a cut at any second, and it’s a big play out there. You get a nice little hit on him, let him know you’re there, that’s the way to wake him up, but Travis is out there competing just like the rest of the receivers.
On what impressed him the most from the scrimmage:
We had a lot of guys stepping up out there. My counterpart, Ray Ray Armstrong, he came up big with two interceptions, which really set the tone for us, and freshmen off the line just making big plays on offense and defense. We’ve got a lot to get excited for, and that’s the point of the spring, to get up that momentum to carry into the fall. That’s what we’re doing, looking for enough for us to go all the way, that’s the plan.
On chemistry with Ray Ray Armstrong:
We’re getting more comfortable with each other, complimenting each other, just having fun out there, and playing fast. That’s what I was trying to tell everyone out here, that as long as we’re having fun, big things will happen, and that’s what happened today.
Hurricanes 58, Miami 53
(Hurricanes – 1st Team Defense, 2nd & 3rd Team Offense; Miami – 1st Team Offense, 2nd & 3rd Team Defense)
Attendance: Estimated capacity crowd of 10,000 at Traz Powell Stadium
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