2008 Miami Hurricanes football team

The 2008 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Hurricanes' 83rd season of football and 5th as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes were led by second-year head coach Randy Shannon and played their home games at Dolphin Stadium. They finished the season 7–6 overall and 4–4 in the ACC to finish in a tie for third place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Emerald Bowl where they lost to California, 24-17.

2008 Miami Hurricanes football
Emerald Bowl, L 17–24 vs. California
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Division(Coastal)
2008 record7–6 (4–4 ACC)
Head coachRandy Shannon (2nd season)
Offensive coordinatorPatrick Nix (2nd season)
Offensive schemePro-style, spread
Defensive coordinatorBill Young (1st season)
Base defense4–3, zone blitz
Home stadiumDolphin Stadium
(Capacity: 74,916)
2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
Atlantic Division
Boston College xy  5 3     9 5  
No. 21 Florida State x  5 3     9 4  
Maryland  4 4     8 5  
Wake Forest  4 4     8 5  
Clemson  4 4     7 6  
NC State  4 4     6 7  
Coastal Division
No. 15 Virginia Tech xy$  5 3     10 4  
No. 22 Georgia Tech x  5 3     9 4  
North Carolina  0 4     0 5  
Miami  4 4     7 6  
Virginia  3 5     5 7  
Duke  1 7     4 8  

Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 12
  • $ BCS representative as conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • North Carolina vacated 8 wins, including 4 ACC wins
Rankings from AP Poll

Before the season

Roster changes

University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips and defensive end Calais Campbell made the decision to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. Phillips was drafted in the first round, No. 31 overall by the New York Giants. Campbell was drafted in the second round, No. 50 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Linebacker Tavaris Gooden was also drafted in the third round, No. 79 overall to the Baltimore Ravens. Senior quarterback Kirby Freeman, who split time with now undrafted free-agent Kyle Wright in 2007, was informed by the University of Miami coaching staff that he would begin the year third on the depth chart, behind redshirt freshman Robert Marve and true freshman Jacory Harris. Shocked at this news, Freeman decided to transfer, going back to his native Texas at Baylor University.[1][2] Freshman Doug Wiggins, rated the nation's thirty-third best player coming out of high school by Rivals.com, transferred to Western Michigan. The reasons for the move were unclear but reports eventually surfaced that Wiggins had had trouble adjusting to his backup role.[3] Freshman Chris Perry transferred to Texas Tech University after redshirting his freshman year at UM.[4] Junior DajLeon Farr, previously a top tight end recruit out of high school, transferred to the University of Memphis.[5] Daren Daly, a former walk-on kicker who previously attended Florida State University, also decided to transfer and faced his former Hurricanes team as a member of the UCF Golden Knights. Other transfers included George Robinson, George Timmons, Jerrell Mabry, Charlie Jones, Demetri Stewart, and Luqman Abdallah. Junior defensive end Courtney Harris suffered an Achilles injury and was out for the season.[6]

Recruiting class of 2008

NamePosHtWtHometownHigh School/Prep School/Junior College
Travis BenjaminWR5-11160Belle Glades, FloridaGlades Central HS
Arthur BrownLB6-2210Wichita, KansasWichita East HS
Ramon BuchananLB6-1195Melbourne, FloridaPalm Bay HS
LaRon ByrdWR6-4205Boutte, LouisianaHahnville HS
John CalhounFB6-3235Micco, FloridaSebastian River HS
Thearon CollierWR5-9163Miami, FloridaBooker T. Washington HS
Taylor CookQB6-7230Eagle Lake, TexasRice Consolidated HS
Marcus ForstonDT6-2305Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Jordan FutchLB6-3202Hollywood, FloridaChaminade Madonna College Prep
Gavin HardinLB6-5240Jackson, TennesseeJackson Central-Merry High School
Antonio HarperLB6-4220Memphis, TennesseeMelrose HS
Brandon HarrisCB5-11185Miami, FloridaBooker T. Washington HS
Jacory HarrisQB6-4172Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Patrick HillFB5-11248Torrance, CaliforniaEl Camino Comm. College
C.J. HoltonS6-2195Crawfordville, FloridaWakulla HS
Chris JhonS6-0200Weston, FloridaCypress Bay HS
Aldarius JohnsonWR6-2200Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Davon JohnsonWR5-11170Miami, FloridaBooker T. Washington HS
Ben JonesOT6-6280Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Zach KaneFB/LB6-3220Toms River, New JerseyToms River North HS
Jeremy LewisDT6-3295West Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach Lakes HS
Brandon MartiLB6-0196Miami, FloridaGulliver Prep
C.J. OdomS6-0210Ft. Myers, FloridaFt. Myers HS
Micanor RegisDT6-3300Pahokee, FloridaPahokee HS
Marcus RobinsonLB6-2210Homestead, FloridaHomestead HS
Andrew SmithDE6-3240Coconut Creek, FloridaMonarch HS
Cannon SmithQB5-11200Chatham, VirginiaHargrave Military Academy
Sean SpenceLB6-1200Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Tommy StreeterWR6-6200Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Vaughn TelemaqueS6-2190Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach Poly HS
Kendall ThompkinsWR5-10165Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Brandon WashingtonG6-4315Miami, FloridaNorthwestern HS
Jake WieclawPK6-2180New Lenox, IllinoisLincoln Way Central HS
Joe WylieS6-2172Lauderdale Lakes, FloridaBoyd Anderson

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 287:30 PMCharleston Southern*ESPN360W 52–748,119
September 68:00 PMat No. 5 Florida*ESPNL 3–2690,833
September 203:30 PMat Texas A&M*ABCW 41–2384,165
September 2712:00 PMNorth Carolina
  • Dolphin Stadium
  • Miami Gardens, FL
ESPN2L 24–2835,830
October 43:30 PMFlorida State
  • Dolphin Stadium
  • Miami Gardens, FL (rivalry)
ABCL 39–4165,786
October 113:45 PMUCF*
  • Dolphin Stadium
  • Miami Gardens, FL
ESPNUW 20–1440,011
October 183:30 PMat DukeESPNUW 49–3132,011
October 2512:00 PMWake Forest
  • Dolphin Stadium
  • Miami Gardens, FL
ESPNUW 16–1041,208
November 112:00 PMat VirginiaRaycomW 24–17 OT53,308
November 137:30 PMVirginia Tech
  • Dolphin Stadium
  • Miami Gardens, FL (rivalry)
ESPNW 16–1446,838
November 207:30 PMat Georgia TechNo. 23ESPNL 23–4149,335
November 2912:00 PMat NC StateRaycomL 28–3856,329
December 278:00 PMvs. California*ESPNL 17–2442,268

Game summaries

Charleston Southern

1 2 3 4 Total
Charleston Southern 0 0 7 0 7
Miami 21 7 14 10 52

The game was the first time the Hurricanes played Charleston Southern. It was also the first home game for the Hurricanes in Dolphin Stadium with an attendance of 48,119.[7]

Florida

1 2 3 4 Total
Miami 0 3 0 0 3
#5 Florida 7 2 0 17 26

The Hurricanes had not lost to the Gators since 1985, owning six consecutive victories in the series. Overall, the Hurricanes leads the series 28–26. The game was the third-most watched game in ESPN history.[8]

Texas A&M

1 2 3 4 Total
Miami 14 10 17 0 41
Texas A&M 10 0 7 6 23

This game was played on September 20, 2008 at College Station, Texas, before a Kyle Field crowd of 84,165. The two schools had been against each other twice before: the Aggies won 70–14 in 1944, with Miami winning 34–17 in 2007.[9]

For the Hurricanes, Robert Marve completed 16 of his 22 passes, for a total of 212 yards; he threw two touchdown passes, and suffered one interception. Graig Cooper ran for a career-best 128 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Hurricanes compiled 398 yards of offense for the game. The 18-point margin was Texas A&M's worst in a non-conference home contest since losing 30–10 to Alabama in 1988.[10]

North Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total
North Carolina 0 7 7 14 28
Miami 14 3 0 7 24

The two schools played for the fifth straight year, and the Tar Heels owned a 6–5 lead in the series heading into the game. UNC now leads the series 7–5.

Florida State

1 2 3 4 Total
Florida State 7 17 10 7 41
Miami 0 3 19 17 39

The Hurricanes and Seminoles will meet for the 53rd time, last season, the Hurricanes defeated FSU 37–29 in Tallahassee and now holds a 30–22 lead in the series. The only time the two schools have met at Dolphin Stadium, UM won 16–14 in the 2004 Orange Bowl Classic.

UCF

1 2 3 4 Total
UCF 0 7 0 7 14
Miami 10 0 0 10 20

This game, played on October 11, 2008 in Miami, was the first between the two schools, with Central Florida having joined Division I-A in 1996. For the Hurricanes, Graig Cooper ran for 90 yards and the game-winning touchdown on a career-high 23 attempts. The Hurricanes forced the Knights into punting 12 times, and limited their offense to a total of 78 yards (74 yards gained via the pass, and 4 yards on the ground). Despite the Hurricanes' defensive effort, the game remained close as UCF scored on an interception return of 62 yards, and on a 91-yard kickoff return.[11]

Duke

1 2 3 4 Total
Miami 7 7 21 14 49
Duke 0 17 7 7 31

Miami had a 4–1 lead in the series and had won three straight games since joining the ACC and four in a row altogether.

Wake Forest

1 2 3 4 Total
Wake Forest 7 3 0 0 10
Miami 3 0 10 3 16

The only times the two teams have played in ACC action, the Hurricanes won both games by a combined score of 99–24, and UM held a 5–3 lead in the series.

Virginia

1 2 3 4OT Total
Miami 7 3 0 77 24
Virginia 10 7 0 00 17

This was the sixth game between the two schools, and the fifth straight year the two schools had met.

Virginia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total
Virginia Tech 0 7 0 7 14
Miami 7 0 6 3 16

Despite losing the last two games to VT, the Hurricanes still held a 16–9 lead in the series. Frank Beamer's Hokies were 11–3 the previous year and were the ACC champions. They lost the Orange Bowl to Kansas, where new Hurricanes defensive coordinator Bill Young held that position for the Jayhawks.

Georgia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total
#23 Miami 0 3 7 13 23
Georgia Tech 3 21 17 0 41

Georgia Tech's triple option offense ran for 472 yards against the Hurricanes. The Jackets scored three second-quarter touchdowns and reached a 24–3 halftime lead. After that, the Hurricanes got no closer than 27–10 as Georgia Tech were successful. Late in the game, Georgia Tech ran the ball half-heartedly on 4th down to avoid scoring and avoid insulting the Hurricanes by either kneeling, kicking a field goal, or scoring a touchdown. The score was 41–10 at one point.

North Carolina State

1 2 3 4 Total
Miami 7 7 7 7 28
North Carolina State 7 10 11 10 38

North Carolina State won 38–28.

Emerald Bowl

Hurricanes' quarterback looks to pass at the 2008 Emerald Bowl
1 2 3 4 Total
Miami 0 7 7 3 17
California 14 0 3 7 24

The Hurricanes accepted an invitation to the 2008 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco to face California in what was essentially a home game for the Bears. Freshman quarterback Jacory Harris started at quarterback after Marve was suspended for academic reasons. Four other players were suspended for violating team rules and not allowed on the trip.[12]

The Bears reached an early 14–0 lead, but Harris was able to lead the Hurricanes back with touchdown passes in the second and third quarter while the Hurricanes' defense was able to shut out the Cal offense in the second quarter and limited them to a field goal in the third. The go ahead score came late in the fourth quarter when Bears linebacker Zack Follett forced a fumble in the backfield by Harris that the Bears recovered and were able to convert into a touchdown. The game marked the third consecutive loss for the Hurricanes, while the bowl win was the end of Cal's season with three wins in a row.

Rankings

Ranking Movement
PollPreWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Final
AP UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR 23 UR UR UR
Coaches UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR 26 UR UR UR
Harris Not released UR UR UR UR UR UR UR 26 UR UR UR
BCS Not released UR UR UR UR UR 23 UR UR UR

Statistics

Team

TeamOpp
Scoring352314
  Points per Game27.124.2
First Downs220214
  Rushing89109
  Passing11982
  Penalty1223
Total Offense42384127
  Avg per Play5.15.0
  Avg per Game326.0317.5
Fumbles-Lost11-530-11
Penalties-Yards74-60563-537
  Avg per Game46.541.3
TeamOpp
Punts-Yards69-271472-2736
  Avg per Punt39.338.0
Time of Possession/Game29:2830:32
3rd Down Conversions64-18966-182
4th Down Conversions13-198-217
Touchdowns Scored4239
Field Goals-Attempts-Long18-20-5213-20-51
PAT-Attempts40-4037-37
Attendance277792365981
  Games/Avg per Game6/462996/60997
1/42268

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4OT Total
Miami 90 53 108 947 352
Opponents 65 98 69 820 314

Offense

Rushing

NameGP-GSAttGainLossNetAvgTDLongAvg/G
Graig Cooper13-11171888478414.945164.7
Javarris James9-168299132864.241331.8
Robert Marve11-11592361171192.024310.8
Lee Chambers5-01811931166.402523.2
Derron Thomas10-031130191113.613411.1
Jacory Harris13-2452181171012.22307.8
Shawnbrey McNeal7-013620624.82318.9
Travis Benjamin12-55420428.41183.5
Matt Bosher13-1319099.0090.7
Jason Fox12-1215055.0150.4
Davon Johnson11-113033.0030.3
Cannon Smith1-012022.0022.0
Thearon Collier12-310000.0000.0
Total13426201333316803.91751129.2
Opponents13493244447019744.02158151.8

Passing

NameGP-GSEfficAtt-Cmp-IntPctYdsTDLngAvg/G
Robert Marve11-11107.19213-116-1354.51293969117.5
Jacory Harris13-2125.76194-118-760.81195124191.9
Graig Cooper13-0858.401-1-0100.0511513.9
Travis Benjamin12-0242.801-1-0100.0170171.4
Cannon Smith1-0116.801-1-0100.02022.0
TEAM10-00.01-0-00.00000.0
Total13117.88411-237-2057.725582269196.8
Opponents13117.37336-172-451.221531574165.6

Receiving

NameGPRec.YdsAvgTDLongAvg/G
Aldarius Johnson123133210.732927.7  
Graig Cooper13291133.91118.7  
Thearon Collier122632412.524327.0  
Dedrick Epps122230413.826925.3  
Laron Byrd132122810.942617.5  
Travis Benjamin121829316.335124.4  
Kayne Farquharson121828015.633723.3  
Chris Zellner1314916.51127.0  
Leonard Hankerson81114012.724117.5  
Sam Shields131112411.30239.5  
Javarris James91111810.702013.1  
Davon Johnson1157114.21186.5  
Khalil Jones85397.80114.9  
Derron Thomas104358.80193.5  
Patrick Hill134174.20101.3  
Richard Gordon123248.00152.0  
Kendal Thompkins2242.0062.0  
Jacory Harris1311717.00171.3  
Lee Chambers5144.0040.8  
Total13237255810.82269196.8  
Opponents13172215312.51574165.6  

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
SoloAstTotalTFL-YdsNo-YdsBrUpQBHNo.-YdsAvgTDLongRcv-YdsFF
Total

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No.YdsAvgLongTBFCI20Blkd No.YdsAvgTBOB
Matt Bosher66265940.37632419269395657.362
TEAM35518.331000100000
Total69271439.37632419369395657.362
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No.YdsAvgTDLongNo.YdsAvgTDLong
Travis Benjamin1618111.30442249622.5057
Thearon Collier8354.4010000.000
Graig Cooper39030.016648922.2026
Richard Gordon11313.000000.000
Brandon Harris000.0001327421.1041
Ryan Hill000.00089111.4029
Darryl Sharpton000.0003186.009
Patrick Hill000.000199.009
Kylan Robinson000.000188.008
TEAM000.000100.000
Sam Shields000.0000350.0035
Total2831911.416653102019.2057

Coaching staff

Position Name Yrs. in Current Pos.
Head Coach Randy Shannon 2nd
Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix 2nd
Defensive Coordinator Bill Young 1st
Special Teams / TEs Joe Pannunzio 3rd
Quarterbacks Patrick Nix 2nd
Running Backs Tommie Robinson 2nd
Wide Receivers Aubrey Hill 1st
Offensive Line Jeff Stoutland 2nd
Defensive Line Clint Hurtt 3rd
Linebackers Michael Barrow 2nd
Defensive Backs Wesley McGriff 2nd
Strength & Conditioning Andreu Swasey 7th
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References

  1. Jackson, Barry (December 28, 2007). "QB Freeman Requests Release from Scholarship, Kirby Freeman Plans to Leave UM, Meaning the Canes Would Have No Experienced Quarterbacks Next Season". The Miami Herald. p. D1. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  2. Hill, Jerry (December 29, 2007). "Freeman Confirms Transfer Plans". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved December 29, 2007.
  3. Scout.com Article
  4. Scout.com Article
  5. Scout.com Article
  6. "UM's Hernandez Set to Start Friday". The Miami Herald. June 4, 2008. p. 7D. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  7. "Title Unknown". NCAA.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  8. Miller, Susan (September 11, 2008). "UM-Florida Game Draws Large Rating for ESPN". The Miami Herald. p. D7. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  9. University of Miami 2009 Football Media guide, past game results, pp. 190–195
  10. University of Miami 2009 Football Media Guide, game #3 summary, page 113
  11. University of Miami 2009 Football Media Guide, game #6 summary, page 114
  12. "Miami snapper is 5th Hurricane suspended for bowl". Yahoo! Sports. December 25, 2008. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
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