Miami Hurricanes Football: Al Golden Era, Spring Practice Off to a Stormy Start
The Miami Hurricanes have started spring practice and head coach Al Golden shook up the lineup as a form of motivation.
One of the moves Golden made was listing Spencer Whipple as the starting quarterback, which was no doubt a shot across the bow of Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris that they will have to earn the starting job.
Golden also had Thomas Finnie listed as a starting cornerback even though the kid just stepped on campus in January, so it seems that Golden is trying to let everyone know that there will be no sense of entitlement on this team.
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Golden made what some would feel is a controversial decision by only having three open practices this spring, and only allowing players to be interviewed before practice and not after.
It has reminded some of how Randy Shannon ran the program, and there are a lot of fans who are clamoring for more access to the team. Golden knows what he is doing and he has opened up the program more, but has not totally swung the doors wide open because eventually that leads to problems of who is around the players.
On that note, a total of six Miami Hurricanes football players are suspended for the season opener against Maryland: Seantrel Henderson, Keion Payne, Devont’a Davis, Storm Johnson, Dyron Dye and Kelvin Cain.
The initial report from insidetheu.com stated the players violated team rules, and there has been no other explanation for the suspensions from Coach Golden or anyone in the Hurricanes' program. It sure seems like Golden is running just as tight of a ship as Shannon did, and it’s needed because there are too many distractions in South Florida that can take players' minds off of school and football.
It seems for all the talk when the coaching change was made about how things are so much better, and how much they respect Coach Golden, it sure isn’t showing.
Aside from the six players who are going to be suspended for the first game, Hurricanes' starting linebacker Ramon Buchanan has been suspended indefinitely by Golden after a run-in with police.
He faces several charges, including felony resisting a police officer with violence, according to court documents. The incident occurred in Coconut Grove, minutes from campus, according to various reports. Buchanan, 21, was charged with resisting a police officer with violence and battery on a police officer, firefighter or emergency medical care provider, both of which are felonies.
Buchanan is the first UM football player to be arrested since Robert Marve, who eventually transferred to Purdue.
It seems that Golden has a problem on his hands.
Players are acting out and getting in trouble at the start of the Golden-era.
It seems all the positive energy that was generated when Shannon was replaced has stalled, and with Kirby Hocutt leaving as well it looks like things may be a little unstable in Coral Gables at the moment.
The good news is that this is only springtime and the time when fans should start to pay close attention is in August when the season is about to start. Golden does need to get some of these players back in line and fast, otherwise these distractions are going to prevent this team from winning much of anything next season.
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