Standing in the huddle with a freshman quarterback, a freshman receiver and two sophomore lineman, Miami's veteran running backs were a stabilizing force.
When a call would come in from the sidelines, three-year junior starter Javarris James or sophomore backfield mate Graig Cooper would echo the call for the young players. When it was their turn to carry the ball, James and Cooper blew through holes and kept the offense moving, rushing for most of the team's 224 yards.
"Those young players are playmakers, so it was my responsibility just to keep them confident,"
Cooper said after the Hurricanes opened the season with a 52-7 defeat of Charleston Southern.
With 16 true freshman playing in the opener, Miami's rookies may well have rough days ahead. But that makes their talented and experienced backs all the more important this season.
James, the Immokalee grad who led UM in carries last season, led all Miami rushers with 12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown. Cooper, Miami's leading rusher last year who played sparingly because of leg cramps, carried only four times for 22 yards, but also returned a punt for a score. Together, they carried the responsibility for a nascent offense.
Their success opened up the passing game for true freshman quarterback Jacory Harris, who threw for a score and rushed for another. Harris looked poised throughout, but said the leadership of the running backs in the huddle was key. They kept order and repeated a call when a young player looked lost.
"They're the leaders of the backfield,"
Harris said. "That's why we have them back there."
That James and Cooper were so effective gave other young running backs opportunities. Shawnbrey McNeal carried five times for 45 yards and Derron Thomas rushed eight times for 35. But that has not made for competition, rather camaraderie among the runners. During Cooper's punt return, James was cheering and following Cooper along the sideline.
"One thing about our group, there's no hatin',"
James said. "Guys show love and that makes it special."
Coach Randy Shannon already has asserted that on a team with so many young players, "the young guys are going to play." But that is when he looks to a player like James to take responsibility for keeping the offense on track.
"He's been that way ever since he stepped on the field for us,"
Shannon said.
Harris merely was filling in for another freshman, redshirt quarterback Robert Marve, who will start next week in Gainesville after fulfilling a one-game suspension. If Mavre asks him, Harris said there is one lesson he can pass on: Trust the veterans.
"I learned if I give the ball to my teammates,"
Harris said, "everything would be OK."
