Over the final four regular-season games of 2012, there may not have been a better quarterback in college football than the University of Miami’s Stephen Morris.
Over those four games — victories against Virginia Tech, USF and Duke with a one-point loss to Virginia — Morris completed 60 percent (66-110) of his passes with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, the ACC’s Player of the Year last season, had slightly better accuracy (64.1 percent) and threw for 14 touchdown passes but was intercepted seven times in his last four regular-season games.
Morris was playing the best football of his career when his junior season ended prematurely because of self-imposed sanctions that kept the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship game and a bowl.
“I would have loved to take him to Charlotte and saddle him up,” said UM coach Al Golden, referring to the sight of last year’s conference title game. “He was on fire at the end of the season and I don’t think he’s missed a beat. He’s picking up right where he left off.”
Golden praised Morris on Tuesday for having his “best practice” of spring drills, which conclude on April 13th with the annual spring game at Sun Life Stadium.
For the first time in his career, Morris isn’t battling for his place on the depth chart. Barring the unexpected, Morris is certain to be the starter when UM opens the 2013 season on August 30th against FAU. But his performance at Tuesday’s practice is evidence that Morris isn’t mindlessly punching the clock this spring, just waiting for August to get here.
“You can’t be complacent,” said Morris, who broke Bernie Kosar’s school record for total offense with 3,415 yards last season. “Thank god I’m here, it’s my senior year and I’m the starter, but I can’t rely on that. To really get myself out there, I really have to have a great year.”
By “out there”, Morris means getting into the national discussion with the nation’s other top quarterbacks like Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, Alabama’s A.J. McCarron and Boyd.
Morris will be aided by the return of virtually every offensive starter from last year’s team. The most important departure was that of tailback Mike James and he’ll be replaced by Duke Johnson, who may be Miami’s best player.
But for Morris, not everything is the same. For the third time in his four seasons, Morris is working with a new offensive coordinator. Morris was tutored by Mark Whipple as a freshman, Jedd Fisch as a sophomore and junior and will now run the offense for James Coley, who was hired away from Florida State after Fisch left to join the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Said Coley: “For him, it’s signficant because it means change, a different philosophy…You’re listening to a different guy.”
If that bothers Morris, he hasn’t shown it. Coley said that Morris approached him from his first day on the job asking questions and looking to get on the same page quickly.
“He’s a guy that’s all in,” Coley said.
This time last year, Morris was sidelined after undergoing back surgery. He bounced back quickly and beat out Ryan Williams for the starting job in fall practice before enjoying one of the finest seasons in UM’s quarterback history. Aside from setting a school record for total offense, Morris broke the ACC single-game mark with 566 passing yards against North Carolina State and became the first Miami quarterback to throw for 400 yards more than once in a season. He did it three times.
Morris finished with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. It marked the fewest interceptions by a UM starting quarterback since 2004.
That’s all good, Morris said. But not good enough.
“I got a lot of things I have to want to work on,” Morris said. “I can’t rely on my past laurels or victories or accomplishments from last year.”
