they still are a one dimesional passing team that lost its best WR
Total Offense
400 ypg v 320 ypg
Rushing
120 ypg v 145 ypg
Passing
279 ypg v 175 ypg
I'd gladly take that offensive production over what we had last year. They're not as bad of a running team as many think and I'd expect their production to become a little more balanced this year.
New Breed of Running Back to Headline Miami Ground Game in 2005
Miami running backs in recent years have been characterized as dependable, grind-it-out backs whose ground production was utilized to set up play-action in the passing game. While new running backs coach DeAndre Smith has no issues with the positive production of the past several seasons in the Miami ground game, he is certainly not satisfied.
"We want to get more and more production from our backs, and I think the guys we have here give us that ability," notes Smith. "We want our running game to be more explosive and these guys are hungry and ready to work."
Coach Smith's goal is to improve Miami's yards per carry for the team to over four and half yards, and although two key contributors have been lost to graduation, a group of talented and youthful reserves are ready for their time to perform.
Brandon Murphy, a speedy and explosive runner is the back with the most experience. By adding muscle and bulk, without sacrificing speed and quickness, Murphy showed flashes of brilliance in his 2004-05 campaign.
"Brandon is a player who gives us that big play ability, because he can bounce outside and break off a long run at any time," says Coach Smith. "He possesses great vision and quickness which allows him to see a crease and attack it."
Murphy enters the spring as Miami's starting tailback and already has shown flashes of his trademark explosiveness early in camp.
Three other players also look to take advantage of spring practice in improving and increasing their roles in the Miami running game.
Akim Lannaman has enjoyed a strong offseason and has dazzled the coaching staff with his strength and speed increases. A special teams contributor last season, Lannaman is using additional reps in the spring to help translate his physical abilities into success on the football field.
Austin Sykes is another player seeking to make an impact this spring. Sykes looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued career thus far, and has demonstrated a powerful running style when healthy. After a season on the scout team, redshirt freshman Jimmy Calhoun, who demonstrated great speed and vision as a true freshman, also aims to impress the coaching staff with a strong spring.
This new stable of Miami running backs looks to be much speedier than their predecessors, which could to add a whole new facet to the RedHawk offensive attack.
"This is a young group that has plenty to work on, but we think the future is bright," noted Coach Smith.
Pass protection is crucial to the offensive scheme and Coach Smith sees this as a definite area for improvement. Another area of focus is catching the ball out of the backfield. This improvement could offer another option for QB Josh Betts when he drops back, as a running back can be leaked out and often create big plays with yardage after the catch.
