RICHT APOLOGIZES
UM coach apologizes for sideline outburst during bowl defeat.
Miami coach uses Twitter to address his actions during bowl loss,
Mark Richt didn’t like what he saw on the replay, missed calls aside.
The Hurricanes coach took to Twitter on Monday to apologize for his behavior during UM’s 34-24 loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl, during which he vented frustration over an apparent lack of holding calls going Miami’s way.
“I want to apologize for my language and the putting of my hands on the official and my staff,” Richt wrote. “I did not show the proper respect for the authorities of our game.”
In a wildly uncharacteristic move, the normally serene Richt grabbed an official Saturday night as he protested a non-call late in the first half — a no-no that could have gotten him ejected. He was given a 5-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Wisconsin scored to go up 24-14 with 28 seconds left in the half in a game the Badgers won 34-24.
The play that sent Richt over the edge, apparently, was a no-call after defensive end Trent Harris was held back from sacking Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook.
Harris, UM’s sack leader (8.5), was interfered with as Hornibrook — later named the Orange Bowl MVP — completed a key throw on third-and-11 from the UM 31.
Richt, incensed, was shown on replay grabbing head linesman Gus Morris of the SEC-based officiating crew, screaming at Morris and referee Matt Loeffler, as UM strength coach Gus Felder grabbed him around the torso.
Richt was also shown pushing Ed Hudak, the Coral Gables chief of police who has long served as security for UM’s coach during games.
After Richt’s tweet Monday, his son, UM quarterbacks coach Jon Richt, added some levity: “Y’all think @MarkRicht was mad then... you should have seen him when I failed Latin back in middle school. #FierceCompetitor #LastingImpression”
Owens to transfer: Redshirt junior linebacker Darrion Owens will transfer from Miami, according to a report from CanesInsight.com. UM did not immediately confirm the report.
Owens, 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, played in 38 games for the Hurricanes after signing as a three-star recruit in 2014. The Orange Park-Oakleaf High graduate was expected to be a major part of the team in 2015, in which he earned his only career start, but he badly injured his right knee in Week 2 at Florida Atlantic.
The injury — a pair of torn menisci and a torn ACL — robbed him of some speed and agility, but Owens made a return and became a reliable backup behind starter Michael Pinckney the past two seasons. He played about 20 percent of the defensive snaps, according to numbers tracked by Post contributor Daniel Gould.
Owens, who recently graduated, would be eligible to play immediately for an FBS school. One option could be Houston, where the defensive coordinator who recruited him to UM, Mark D’Onofrio, now holds that title with the Cougars.
In other news, reserve defensive tackle Ryan Fines announced he will transfer. In a press release distributed by the school, Richt said he spoke with Fines, and “he feels his best opportunity to get the most playing time would be at another school,” Richt said. “Ryan has been a great representative of our program. We appreciate all the hard work he has put in and we wish him all the best in his future plans.”
UM said Fines, a 6-foot-2, 300pound redshirt sophomore from Bradenton, is on track to graduate in the spring.
He played in two games in 2017, recording a tackle and a fumble recovery, in a total of seven snaps.
Sunday, one of Fines’ classmates, linebacker Jamie Gordinier, announced he was stepping away from football.