Linebackers eager to bolster defense
Veterans McCord, Perryman driven to help unit that struggled last year
CORAL GABLES — There was a moment Tuesday, ever so briefly, that Tyriq McCord let himself dance.
It was Miami’s third practice of the spring and the first day the Hurricanes donned pads and engaged in enough contact to remind McCord of the motivation pushing him and his teammates on defense.
For McCord, spring is a chance to continue improving a unit that had its struggles last season.
While Miami improved in some defensive categories — they more than doubled their sack production, for example — five of Miami’s last six opponents topped the 500-yard mark. The Hurricanes, who started the season with seven straight wins, lost four games dur- ing that stretch, tumbling out of the polls after rejoining the top 10 for the first time since 2009.
The ugly numbers haunt McCord and some of his teammates who say now is the time to push forward.
“It’s motivation,” said McCord, a linebacker/rush end who finished 2013 with a team-high four sacks and is now competing for a
bigger role on Miami’s first and second down packages. “We know what we have and we know what we’re capable of. It all falls down to leadership first and foremost. We came in here and said that we had to get better. Even though last year was better than the year before, there’s still more that needs to be accomplished.”
At least the Hurricanes, who finished 9-4 last season, will have their top defensive player back in the fold as they look to better last year’s performance. Linebacker Denzel Perryman, who finished with a team- high 108 tackles, opted to bypass the NFL Draft to return to Miami for his senior season. Since, he’s bulked up to 245 pounds and has moved from the weak side to the middle of the Hurricanes’ 4-3 scheme, a move Hurri- canes’ defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio said will make it harder for opponents to avoid the hardhitting All-ACC first team selection.
Perryman, for his part, says he welcomes the move to the middle where he’ll be called on to be an even bigger leader than he was last season.
“You need a guy who’s a veteran guy to kind of run the show. And then when you have a very good player like that, put him in the middle and that doesn’t allow teams to run the ball away from him,” D’Onofrio said. “And you’re not restricting him to playing really one side of the defense.”
Added Perryman, “In the middle, you’re the man in the middle. The defense is on you. You have to make all the calls, all the checks, stuff like that. It’s no pressure to me.”
Miami will also likely get a boost with the return of linebacker Alex Figueroa, who was injured last season and said Tuesday he’s ready to get back on the field after missing time with a torn labrum.
“I missed being on the field hitting,” he said. “It just felt great running around and making contact. … I love hitting, that’s my thing.”
Nicolas funeral set for Saturday
Funeral arrangements have been made for former Miami football player JoJo Nicolas, who died last week after a car accident.
The viewing will be Friday evening from 5-8 p.m. at Covenant Baptist Church, 1055 N.W. 6th Ave., Florida City, while the funeral is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Glendale Baptist Church, 14580 S.W. 117th Avenue, Miami.