Hurricanes getting their legs back

LAKE BUENA VISTA – After his team went more than a week without practicing, Hurricanes coach Mark Richt wasn’t sure what to expect when his players gathered on a field at Disney’s Wide World of Sports on Friday night.

And so, Richt asked the Hurricanes to run, to get an idea of what kind of shape they were in after Hurricane Irma had disrupted Miami’s schedule and scattered players across the state and beyond.

What he found, to his surprise, was a group that more prepared to begin practice than he thought.

Two reasons his players had to explain their conditioning? Their offseason workouts and the fact many of them found ways to work out while displaced by the storm.

“It shows the maturity of this team,” Hurricanes offensive lineman Kc McDermott said of the way he and his teammates performed in their first post-Irma workouts. “In talking to guys and obviously seeing social media, guys went home and still worked out. They knew we had a goal and they weren’t going to let a little storm stop us. Whether it was an old-fashioned run around the block or going to a gym that had power and working out.”

The Hurricanes were without freshman All-American receiver Ahmmon Richards in their opener against Bethune-Cookman because of a nagging hamstring injury.

Though he returned to limited action ahead of Miami’s canceled game against Arkansas State, his status for this week’s game against Toledo is uncertain, Richt said.

Next game: No. 14 Miami vs. Toledo, Saturday, 3:30, Fox Sports Florida

Christy Cabrera Chirinos was