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SPORTS / THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Miami backup QB will start homecoming game
Stephen Morris will take the place of injured Jacory Harris
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
MIAMI — Miami guard Brandon Washington said he knew quarterback Stephen Morris would be just fine when he looked into the freshman's eyes the first time he entered the huddle last Saturday at Virginia.
at Virginia.
"He was calm." Washington said. "He was like, 'I've been here before.' And I knew he hadn't. So when I looked into his face and looked into his eyes I was, 'OK, he's ready, I'm ready, too.'"
Morris expected to redshirt this season. But instead, barring some crazy change of events, he will make his first college start
on homecoming Saturday against Maryland at Sun Life Stadium.
Maryland at this
usual starter Jacory Harris has a concussion. He did not practice Tuesday and likely will not play Saturday, said UM coach Randy Shannon. The coach came short of publicly naming Morris the starter, but he already was informed he's the guy.
nes the gay Like Harris, Morris has been made off-limits to the media.
"Three or four weeks ago, backup A.J. Highsmith got a little injured," Shannon said. "As a coach you've got to make decisions: 'OK, what if the game was today, what would you do?' So I made the decision to start getting him reps here and there with the ones and twos, and start having him throw the ball to guys, hand the ball off ... get in sync with the offensive line.
in sly way to win over the
"Three or four weeks down the
line, the guy really did a nice job
in the game. That was our fourth-
string quarterback. Now he's our first-string quarterback."
first-string quarter.
Morris, 18, is from Miami.
Shores and graduated from Miami-
Monsignor Pace High early so he
Montserrat Paul could begin UM classes last January and participate in spring practice. In his UVA debut, Morris played theentire second half after Spencer Whipple threw two interceptions in six attempts.
Morris was 9 of 22 for 162 yards and two touchdowns, with the two picks. He also ran for a 9 yard run. He
waning minutes, and the Cavaliers went on to win 24-19.
"He asked, 'What did you expect from me?' I said, 'I expected you to lead this team to victory, nothing less.'"
attempts.
UM trailed 24-0, and Morris, despite throwing two interceptions, led the Canes to 19 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to give UM a fighting chance. But the defense could not stop UVA on two crucial third-downs in the
ALVIN SLAUGHTER Miami coach
touchdown. His fourth quarter numbers: 7 of 13 for 150 yards and two TDs.
'Honestly? You looked nervous as hell.'
"He called me right after the game and asked me. 'How did I look, Coach?' said Pace coach Alvin Slaughter. "I was like,"
"He asked,'What did you expect from me?' I said, 'I expected you to lead this team to victory, nothing less.'
"I actually believe if they would
have had another possession he would have gotten it done ... I really believe they've got themselves the future with Stephen — and if not this year, they've finally got themselves a damn good backup."
Morris' parents, Bernadette and Colin Morris, run a Christian-based public relations, marketing and advertising agency called Sonshine Communications. Bernadette is the owner and Colin is the CEO. She got her master's degree in public administration from FIU and her bachelor's in communications from North Florida. He got his master's in public health from Michigan and his bachelor's in finance from Kalamazoo College, where he was a linebacker and safety.
Morris, 6-2 and 183 pounds also can hit the books. He had a 3.8 grade-point average in high school.
Saturday with Colin and Stephen's older sister, Rebecca. Mom still closes her eyes when Stephen has the ball. She doesn't want to see him hurt. "We're working on it", Colin said.
Bernadette will be at the game
Stephen's mom described him as "a very mild-mannered gentleman and very focus-driven."
Said his dad: "He's a real hard worker. He knows what he wants to accomplish and there's not much in his way to stop him. He's not the jokester, not the class clown. He's confident and it's contagious.
"That 9-yard touchdown, he was not going to be denied. He said, 'Dad, I saw the guy there and he wasn't going to stop me from getting in the end zone.' "
Morris told his folks the noise was a little shocking, but it didn't take him long to relax.
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