Freshman RB Lamar Miller impresses during first UM football scrimmage

Redshirt freshman running back rushes for two touchdowns in the Hurricanes first scrimmage -Shandel Richardson, Sun Sentinel

When Miami running backs coach Mike Cassano was hired, one of the first things he wanted to do was see Lamar Miller.

"I can't wait," Cassano said.

That wait is over.

Miller, who missed the early portion of spring because of track, was one of the stars of Saturday's scrimmage at Greentree Practice Fields. Miller, a redshirt freshman, carried nine times for 32 yards and two touchdowns. The Hurricanes ran about 100 plays in a session that lasted nearly two hours.

"I did all right for my first week," Miller said. "I've got a lot of room for improvement. I'm just trying to get better."

Teammates have already begun calling him "Miller Time" because of his breakaway speed. Miller earned the nickname while impressing on the scout team last year. He is pushing Damien Berry and Mike James for playing time, and has become one of the Hurricanes' most discussed players.

"I don't too much pay attention," Miller said. "People tell me what they say on the message board about me. I'm just trying to stay focused and keep my composure."

UM coach Randy Shannon said he was impressed with the running backs as a whole. Berry, the expected starter, rushed for 48 yards on eight carries. James, who played fullback last year, had 46 yards on six carries.

"The best thing about it was the running backs really performed well," Shannon said. "Damien Berry performed unbelievable. Lamar Miller did some great things. [Freshman] Storm Johnson did some great things, and Mike James. Each one of them had the opportunity to carry the football and make somebody miss in space."