After a week of waiting and wondering, University of Miami fans finally got the news they wanted to hear a few minutes before Saturday night’s kickoff against Florida State: Stephen Morris would start.
Morris’ availability had been in question since he sprained his left ankle during the fourth quarter of the Hurricanes’ 18-14 loss to North Carolina last Saturday. Unable to practice all week, Morris was listed as “doubtful” on an injury report released by UM on Thursday. Hurricanes’ coach Al Golden had said his team was proceeding as if sophomore Ryan Williams would open against the 12-ranked ‘Noles.
But making like a modern day Willis Reed, Morris stepped on the Sun Life Stadium field attempting to play the hero’s role.
It didn’t work.
Facing an FSU defense that ranks among the nation’s best, Morris had arguably his worst outing of the season in the Hurricanes’ 33-20 loss.
Morris completed 25 of 43 passes for 223 yards, turned the ball over twice and did not throw a completion to a wide receiver longer than 12 yards until Miami’s final drive as it scored a tack-on touchdown in the final seconds. Nearly 80 of Morris’ passing yards came on the final drive.
Miami’s offensive line, which had allowed only eight sacks in its first seven games, didn’t provide its quarterback with much help on Saturday. The Hurricanes allowed four sacks, including one that left Morris limping, if only for a few minutes.
FSU’s fourth and final sack of Morris, with 4:10 left in the game, came with UM facing a 4th-and-15 from its own territory and finished off whatever hope the Hurricanes, a 21-point underdog, had of pulling off the upset.
Morris didn’t show any signs of being hobbled early in the game. But after doing little more than throwing passes from a standing position during practice last week, rust seemed to be a factor.
Morris’ first pass of the game was a 10-yard completion to Rashawn Scott, but it would turn out to be only one of two passes he completed to somebody other than a running back in the first half.
After FSU tight end Nick O’Leary (Dwyer High) fumbled at his 27-yard line on the Seminoles’ first possession of the game, Mike James put the Hurricanes in front 7-0 on a 9-yard touchdown run. The touchdown was set up with a Morris’ 6-yard toss to James on third-and-3.
Morris completed another important third down pass to James — this time for 22 yards — on Miami’s next possession. The play led to a 19-yard field goal by Jake Wieclaw and a 10-0 Hurricanes’ lead.
But the first half wasn’t all about heroics for Morris, a junior. With 3:27 left in the first quarter, Morris was sacked then fumbled. FSU recovered and converted the turnover into a 33-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins.
Morris turned the ball over again in the second quarter, throwing his seventh interception of the season. The interception was returned 37 yards by Tyler Hunter but UM’s defense held and the miscue did not result in any points.
Still, it turned out be a relatively quiet first half for Morris, who complete 9-of-18 passes for 80 yards before intermission.
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