Sean Spence and the Hurricanes will open their 2010 season at home against FAMU.

The University of Miami football team opens its 2010 season tonight against in-state foe Florida A&M at Sun Life Stadium. The Hurricanes enter the season ranked No. 13 in both the Associated Press and the USA Today Coaches polls.

Head Coach Randy Shannon has improved the ’Canes by two wins in each of his first three seasons, improving a 5-7 team in 2007 to 7-6 in 2008 and 9-4 a season ago.

Junior quarterback Jacory Harris is back for his second season as Miami’s full-time starting quarterback. Last year as a sophomore, Harris threw for 3,352 yards, the fourth-highest yardage total in school history. Harris threw for more than 200 yards in ten games last season, reaching the 300-yard mark against Florida State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Duke.

The offense as a whole is coming off one of its more impressive seasons in UM history, tallying 5,199 total yards. The 2009 Miami Hurricanes also recorded the most first downs by passing in school history (169), the second-most first downs overall in school history (275), and the fourth-most total plays (879).

Defensively, UM returns a number of key players from a unit that ranked 29th nationally in total defense a season ago. Junior All-America cornerback Brandon Harris is the top player in the secondary. Senior linebacker Colin McCarthy is the team’s leading returning tackler, while senior defensive end Allen Bailey anchors the defensive line.

Miami’s special teams are again expected to be one of the strengths of the team, with All-Atlantic Coast Conference punter/kicker Matt Bosher back for his senior season. He connected on 14 of 16 field goals in 2009 and ended the season making 12 in a row, which is the second-best streak in school history. He also has made 90 consecutive extra-point attempts, third best in Miami history. He enters the 2010 season as the most accurate kicker in the nation, having connected on 32 of 36 field goals attempts.

The majority of Miami’s offensive skill players return, including wide receivers Leonard Hankerson and Travis Benjamin, as well as running backs Graig Cooper and Damien Berry. Hankerson is back after a breakout year in 2009 when, as a junior, he recorded 801 receiving yards.

A number of newcomers are expected to contribute this year for Miami, with junior tight end Chase Ford, freshman linebacker Kelvin Cain, and freshman defensive back Kacy Rodgers among those who could see action early on.

Game 1 Information:
Date: Thursday, September 2
Location: Sun Life Stadium (natural grass, stadium capacity 74,916) in Miami Gardens, Florida
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Webcast: ESPN3.COM
Tape Delay Telecast: CSS
Local Radio: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN Deportes. Fans can also listen online at www.wqam.com.

Michael Irvin

WQAM, the Michael Irvin Show, and the Miami Hurricanes have created an exciting new ticket package for the home opener against Florida A&M.

The Michael Irvin 4-for-$47 Deal includes four tickets for the FAMU game this Thursday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Sun Life Stadium. Irvin, as all Hurricane fans know, wore jersey No. 47 during his UM career.

Tickets are available online only through HurricaneSports.com or TicketMaster.com. The exclusive offer is only available online through Wednesday, Sept. 1 and will not be available on gameday.

Fans will need to enter the code “Irvin47” when prompted to take advantage of this special deal.

The University of Miami Frost Band of the Hour and the Florida A&M Marching 100 will perform at halftime.

Season tickets and individual game tickets are still available through HurricaneSports.com or by calling 1-800-GO-CANES.

Nrithya Sundararaman led UM in assists in 2009.

The University of Miami volleyball team will open the 2010 season in the Midwest this weekend, taking part in the Nike Invitational hosted by the University of Oklahoma. The four-team tournament begins Friday, August 27, with all matches taking place at McCasland Fieldhouse in Norman, Oklahoma.

Joining the Hurricanes in this year’s field will be Wichita State, UT Arlington, and host Oklahoma. Wichita State, Oklahoma, and Miami each earned bids to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, with the Shockers of Wichita State advancing to the Round of 32.

As Hurricanes head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch begins her tenth year at the helm in Coral Gables, Miami will open the Nike Invitational against the University of Texas at Arlington on Friday, August 27, at 5 p.m. The following day’s matches for the Hurricanes will feature Wichita State (10 a.m.) and Oklahoma (7 p.m.), with all times set for Central Standard Time.

This is the first time since 2008 that UM will travel away from the East/Southeast to begin the season.

UM returns nine letter winners from a season ago, including five starters. Two of those starters returning are All-Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team members Lane Carico and Lici McGee.

McGee, a senior middle blocker from Warr Acres, Oklahoma, is making her first appearance to the Preseason All-ACC Team. She ended last season ranked seventh in the league in blocks (117), while finishing second on the UM squad for total points (312). In 2009, Carico led the ACC in kills (506), while leading UM in kills per set average (4.36).

Miami has been picked to finish fourth in the ACC by the league’s 12 head coaches. The ’Canes ended the 2009 season tied for fifth in the league, recording an 11-9 record (18-13 overall).

All Matches for the Nike Invitational will feature live scoring through Game Tracker. Log on to www.hurricanesports.com, navigate to the volleyball home page, and click on the schedule for links to all ’Canes matches. For more information on the Nike Invitational, visit the Oklahoma athletics website at www.soonersports.com.

Senior defensive lineman Allen Bailey leads six Miami Hurricanes who are among the top 150 NFL prospects.

The 2010 Miami Hurricanes football team has six NFL prospects rated among the top 150 in college football by Todd McShay (Scouts Inc.) on ESPN.com.

Senior defensive lineman Allen Bailey tops the list, followed by senior offensive lineman Orlando Franklin, defensive back Brandon Harris, running back Graig Cooper, linebacker Colin McCarthy and wide receiver Leonard Hankerson.
ESPN.com also has ratings for placekicker and punter Matt Bosher and defensive back Demarcus Van Dyke, who didn’t make the top 150.

Few programs have dominated the NFL Draft like the University of Miami. Former Hurricanes have been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft (or equivalent professional draft) 59 times dating back to 1952, when Jim Dooley was taken by the Chicago Bears. A Hurricane player was taken in the first round for 14 straight years, from 1995 to 2008.

At the start of training camps this season, there were 51 former UM players on NFL rosters.

For every goal that Brittney Steinbruch or any other Hurricane scores, $10 will be donated to Malaika for Life.

The University of Miami women’s soccer team will partner with the Malaika for Life charity to raise funds to battle malaria in Africa.

The not-for-profit organization, spearheaded by UM alumna Kristen Kenney, provides malaria relief and empowers vulnerable communities through the sale of African-produced bracelets. Each bracelet sold provides income for crucial malaria medication and helps sustain a viable income for the women who create the bracelets.

“So many of our soccer alumni are doing well in life since graduation, and Kristen is the most recent to share her passion with us,” said UM women’s soccer head coach Tricia Taliaferro. “The simple concept of her organization makes you stop and put things in perspective.”

With the help of the UM soccer team, Malaika for Life has created Scoring Goals to Save Lives, an initiative that will see the soccer program donate $10 for every goal scored by the ’Canes this season.

“I am extremely thankful to have the support of my alma mater, the University of Miami, and the women’s soccer team,” said Kenney. “This is an incredible opportunity for Malaika for Life as well as for the student athletes to play a role in creating positive change in the world.”

“Everyone involved in the soccer program, from players to coaches, trainers, and administrators, will be wearing a bracelet to remind us there is something greater than ourselves and to focus on giving to those in need,” Taliaferro said. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to bring awareness to Kristen’s organization.”