Willis determined to play in bowl game, if there is one

Willis’ friends already in the NFL have urged the 6-foot-4, 300-pound tackle to bypass the bowl Miami may potentially make, considering it won’t be a toplevel game.

Willis, for his part, doesn’t see things that way right now.

“I’ve been hearing that a lot. Even from some guys that I know in the NFL. ‘You shouldn’t play the bowl game. You shouldn’t do this or that.’ Man, I’m playing for my brothers,” Willis said. “I’m grateful. I’m going to chase every opportunity I have in a Miami uniform and I’m going to go hard.”

Homer limited in practice: Running back Travis Homer, who did not practice on Tuesday, was a limited participant during Wednesday’s practice.

According to Richt, Homer is dealing with a strained calf, but the hope is that he’ll be available Saturday, something the Hurricanes need, considering Miami’s offensive struggles of late.

“He was out there. He got a little bit of work, but not a lot. He got a lot of mental reps. … He’s a guy that’s had enough experience in his career that if he does feel great [Thursday], we’ll get him in there and we’ll let him play,” Richt said. “But right this minute, we felt like he’s made a lot of progress.”

Diaz honored: Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was on Wednesday named one of 53 nominees for the Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. It marked the third straight year at Miami that Diaz, who was a semifinalist for the award in 2017, has earned a spot on the list of nominees.

Under Diaz, the Hurricanes are ranked No. 2 in total defense (264.7 yards per game), No. 1 in thirddown conversion percentage (22.3 percent) and No. 1 in tackles for loss per game (10.4).