Shields Will be Back for Oklahoma

Good news as WR Sam Shields will be reinstated for the game in Norman on Saturday. Shields was suspended for undisclosed reasons last week and given the poor performance yet again from Miami's WRs, Shields will be counted on right away. Khalil Jones started in Shields place, but once again Jones who is now in his fourth year in the program showed he doesn't run his routes well and when he does get open he cannot hang on to the ball. Darnell Jenkins, granted a fifth year by the NCAA dropped three passes, which prior to his injury last year was uncharacteristic for him. While Lance Leggett didn't drop a pass, his record of dropping big passes on the road, whether at UVA in 2004, in Tallahassee in 2005 or last season at Louisville is unmatched among starting receivers in the country.

Leonard Hankerson, the true freshman from Fort Lauderdale did provide a rare bright spot among the receivers, but Shields who caught 30 plus balls as a true frosh last year is badly needed. I'm a little amused by the criticism Kirby Freeman has been getting from Canes fans since Saturday. Those of us who have watched this program the past few years know Freeman is limited: consider he didn't play in a passing offense in High School and is basically an option oriented QB, which is something you notice even in his dropback and when he hands the ball off to the backs. But with a poor receiving corps and a failed big time recruit as his backup, Miami fans have to accept Freeman is what he is and trust Patrick Nix and the offensive staff to understand his limitations and work around it with good game planning the rest of the season.