GREENSBORO, N.C. – Miami quarterback Stephen Morris swiveled his head toward each reporter who rifled a question in his direction.

Some asked about Miami’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach James Coley. Others asked about what Johnny Manziel is like off the field. The most common question Morris fielded, though, was about what Miami can do to finish better than 7-5 this season.

The Hurricanes haven’t won more than seven games since 2009, a relatively long drought for a program with such a storied history. This year, Miami has most of its key pieces back, so the expectations are higher than they were this time last year. After impressing at Manning Passing Academy, Morris is eager to lead the Hurricanes to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

“I’ve got to play smart, make better decisions,” Morris said. “I’ve got to know when to tuck the ball, when to throw it out of bounds.”

After only starting one game his sophomore season, Morris started all 12 last year, throwing for more 3,345 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 3,415 total yards marked the highest clip in school history.

But despite a strong showing last year, Morris knows he needs to focus on the little things to help Miami win the conference.

“All of that comes with game experience,” Morris said. “I thought I got a lot of that under my belt last year. Now it’s just time to show it off.”

Morris attended Manning camp in mid-July and said that experience helped prepare him for the upcoming season. He spent time with Peyton and Eli Manning and flaunted his arm and decision-making skills in front of NFL scouts and coaches.

Defensive lineman Shayon Green said he’s seen significant improvement from Morris in the past few months. When the two chatted after the Manning camp, Morris told Green he sharpened his communications skills, and Green said he’s seen strides from Morris since the end of last season.

“He’s a very hard worker,” Green said. “He has a great motor, he has a great voice, he learns from his mistakes and he has a short memory.”

The pressure’s on Morris. He’s the face of the team and some are giving him an outside chance at the Heisman Trophy. But Morris isn’t zeroing in on that.

Said Morris: “All the accolades are great, but at the end of the day I know what I have to focus on.”

Published on July 21, 2013 at 6:00 pm

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass