Stacy Coley couldn’t believe how alone he was.
“It just happened so fast,” he recalled. “The defense spread it open so fast. I was like, ‘Wow, where’s everybody at?’ I was all by myself.”
Quarterback Stephen Morris delivered the ball to the freshman wide receiver, who was streaking down the middle of the field toward the end zone. When the pass came, Coley let it slip through his hands.
He hadn’t dropped two passes of any kind in a game since his sophomore year of high school. Now he had dropped a pair of would-be touchdown passes in the first quarter of his first college game, Friday night against Florida Atlantic. He was crushed, until teammates like Phillip Dorsett told him to move on.
“The best person to hear something like that from is me,” Dorsett said. “Obviously, you all know what happened to me last year. You’ve just got to get over it. You can’t really think about that no more.”
Like Coley in Miami’s 34-6 win over FAU, Dorsett struggled with drops last season. He also had a forgettable season-opening game Friday. The junior didn’t record a catch until the third quarter.
Miami needs Coley and Dorsett to play well in one of the most anticipated games in recent Hurricanes history, against No. 10 Florida on Saturday (noon, ESPN). UM also needs Morris to overcome some shakiness of his own to have a chance to overcome UF’s stout defense, which includes two of the top cornerbacks in the nation, juniors Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson.
Against an FAU passing defense that ranked 56th in the country last season, Morris threw for 160 yards and a TD. He completed 58 percent of his passes and threw his first interception in 157 attempts, ending the longest streak in the ACC.
“We didn’t throw and catch very well,” coach Al Golden said. “We didn’t convert on third down, which killed us in time of possession again. It’s a challenge right now for everybody.”
The Hurricanes were a dismal 4-of-14 on third down and had the ball for 26:42 to FAU’s 33:18.
“I don’t think we were sharp,” offensive coordinator James Coley said. “There were a lot of plays we left out there.”
Miami’s receiving depth took a hit when junior Rashawn Scott was injured in the fourth quarter making a diving catch. According to Golden, Scott suffered a shoulder injury and will be out this week.
Golden, who now has six healthy receivers on scholarship, said redshirt freshman D’Mauri Jones and walk-on sophomore Garrett Kidd will see more action. UM also might use its tight ends more.
“We have enough there,” Golden said.
They’ll be needed against the Gators, who like to use their talented cornerbacks in man coverage. Miami senior Allen Hurns should receive plenty of attention. Against FAU, Hurns was targeted nine times, five in the first quarter alone. He finished with five catches for 34 yards. Sophomore Herb Waters had two catches for 49 yards, including a 33-yarder.
Dorsett, who had two catches (14 yards) on six targets, was the intended receiver on Morris’ interception. He appeared to stop short as Morris threw directly to FAU linebacker Andrae Kirk. Coley, meanwhile, ended up with two catches for 19 yards.
“He’s got a lot to learn, but he’ll be all right,” Dorsett said of the freshman. “He’s going to be a good one.”
Despite his struggles last year, Dorsett finished as UM’s leading receiver with 842 yards on 58 catches. Coley believes he’ll catch many more than he’ll drop in his career, just as Dorsett came to learn.
“Nervous, a little bit,” he said. “That’s why I had a few mistakes. But now I know the tempo of the college game. I’m ready.”
Noteworthy: UM sophomore Duke Johnson, who ran for a career-best 186 yards on 19 carries Friday, leads the nation in rushing yards one week into the season.
