Eric Winston, a former UM player who now plays in the NFL, tweeted this:
"@ericwinston: Dear jacory, There is nothing wrong with dumping the ball in the flat. Even Babe Ruth didn't hit a homerun every at bat. Sincerely, Alumni."
At one point I told my brother I thought Jacory should be benched. The only problem with that is who would you play in his place? Then immediately after I say something like that Jacory makes a beautiful pass to Travis Benjamin. Moments like this frustrate me. I have seen Jacory Harris make big plays. I have seen him make gorgeous throws with such touch it looks like the ball floats into the receiver's hands. But then I am reminded of Ohio State and that four interception game. Then I remember that last year he threw 17 interceptions. I am not sure if Jacory Harris can lead this team to wins against big time teams.
Anyway, I'd like to talk about something positive I saw in this game. Damien Berry is a good running back. He kind of reminds me of Willis Mcgahee. He had 21 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. The numbers don't sound too shocking, but there was one play I was particularly impressed with. In the second half, Berry took a handoff for 27 yards around the corner. I have always thought of him as a physical, powerful runner, but on this play he showed some elusiveness and speed. If Berry has a breakout game at some point this year he could experience something similar to what happened with Edgerrin James before he was drafted. Edgerrin James climbed rapidly up the draft charts after he had a 299 yard rushing day against UCLA in 1998. Damien Berry was also a bright spot against Ohio State. In that game he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. If we had run the ball a bit more perhaps we would have had a better chance to win. With a little luck I can see Damien Berry getting drafted on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
I'll finish by completely contradicting myself. I wish the Hurricanes would watch the Miami Dolphins and use some of their philosophy. Run the ball. Control the clock. Play good, solid defense. Don't let Jacory lose the game for you by trying to do too much. These are the exact same things I criticize about the Miami Dolphins' offense, but right now I trust Damien Berry and the rest of the Hurricanes' stable of running backs in comparison to Jacory Harris' arm.
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| AP photo/ Wilfredo Lee |
