Coley speaks on day 2

Miami offensive coordinator James Coley met with the media before the second practice of fall camp on Sunday morning.

**On how the offense has grown in the offseason:
“Communication, consistency with regards to base stuff. You see these guys take this offseason and work hard and you see it by the way they talk to each other and the way they communicate. Sometimes it’s just a stare between two guys when they execute on that so I guess it’s cohesiveness.”

**On Stephen Morris’ progress:
“Great job. He’s gotta continue to work and get better, but he’s doing a great job so ‘far. He’s had a good summer.”

**Is Kevin Olsen in the battle for the number two spot?
“We’re working him into it. We’re not allowed to work with him in the offseason so yesterday was his first day. Very talented, very smart kid. He understands the position and his dad’s a football coach.”

**On if Ryan Williams has the upper hand in the race for the back-up spot:
“They’re all battling, but Ryan’s had some experience so that helps him out.”

**On the running back competition after Duke:
“That’s what we’re looking at right now and what we’re trying to find out is who’s going to step up. Dallas (Crawford) contributes a lot when he gets in there and he’s able to do so much. Yesterday was Gus’ first day and he’s a big, good looking kid who has lots to learn in our system, but it’s going to be some good competition. You also have Moe Hagens in the backfield and Danny Dillard and guys like that who are back.”

**Is Eduardo Clements in contention for the spot?
“He’s versatile and he gives you the stuff that Dallas gives you as well because he’s so smart and he understands football and he’s a good athlete. He instinctively takes over when he’s on the field because he knows what the other guys are doing on defense. He adds another degree of just another guy who you can do multiple things with.”

**What do you see in Stephen’s make-up that makes you believe he won’t be affected by what people are saying?
“We talk about it all the time. There’s two types of pressures in the world, those you feel and those you apply. I think he’s naturally not really a guy who’s feeling it, he’s applying it in what he does to the defense or to the receivers he’s working with. Even overall, he’s doing great in school. Sometimes you see these guys and something in their life, whether it’s school or relationships or ball itself, drops a little bit because of the pressure they’re feeling, but I haven’t see that (from him).”

**Is it tough to be his backup?
“Actually it’s great to be his backup because not only are you learning in meetings but you’re on the fielding watching him and learning from him so it’s really an advantage especially for me as a coach because there’s a lot of times where I’ll end a meeting and say ‘why don’t you explain to everybody what just happened ‘ and for some reason when players talk, other players listen.”

**There’s gotta be some frustration if you’re Ryan Williams, sitting behind him?
“I think there’s a mutual respect so I don’t think there’s a frustration. When you see a guy who’s really talented and can do the certain things he can do, I think Ryan appreciates that and that’s what I love about Ryan is he’s finding out ways that he can do things even better than others and his game is made up a little different than Stephen’s.”

**On what Williams can do better than others:
“He’s pretty sharp. He can really get into his audibles and change things very fast. Stephen can as well, but he’s very headsy with that and that’s part of his game.”
**On the wide receiver group:

“You’ve got guys who are threats on the perimeter so I’m excited about it. I always talk about the summer training and if you have a great summer training is it just builds up to the season, but now it’s the next step. All the one-on-ones, you’re throwing an offensive line in there and that ball may come out a little earlier when you are covered and you have to make a play so that’s where the next step has to happen. As far as speed, agility, burst, they have it. Now we have to gel and truly take the playmaker title. ‘I’ma make a play’.”

**As a coach, do you feel like you have all the tools you could possibly need?
“Yes. I think we have to be healthy and not lose some of those tools, but these guys have the make-up. They still have to develop into it.”

**You guys can throw it, run it, so what is the offensive coordinator worried about?
“The counter-punch. What are they going to do to take it away? In this game, you’re going to play good teams and other good teams have a good defensive line and they’re like ‘you can run it, but we can stop the run’ or they have great secondary players and they say ‘you better run it because you’re not gonna throw it’.”

**The receivers group is so deep, but how tempting is it going to be to get Stacy Coley on the field?
“Tempting. Very tempting. We really enjoyed watching him yesterday. He’s learning, got a ways to go , but as far as talent, it’s there. That’s our job, to get him ready.”

**Thoughts on the tight ends:
“Big, strong guys who are physical that can be either run-blockers or seam players so they give us the flexibility spread out or get big.”

**On if Stephen Morris will be involved in the running game:
“I think they (quarterbacks) always have to be in for that.”

**How much of you offense would you feel comfortable in using if there was a game tomorrow? Any of it?
“Some people may look at it and say ‘hey, that’s our whole offense’ what we’ve put in the last two days. We try to load them up and see what they can retain and then if something doesn’t stick then we go back and install it again until they get it, but these guys are a smart bunch.”

Transcribed from video at www.hurricanesports.com