"...it will be a great time for both teams."

Excerpts from Miami Head Coach Randy Shannon's press conference:

Opening Statements:
"We have Florida State coming up, an intra-state rivalry game. It's going to be a great atmosphere for both teams. Even though the records are not like they've been in the past, it will always be a rivalry and a great game. Maybe only two or three times has it been a blow out since I have been here. The other times, the scores have been pretty close especially the last couple of years where it has been a field goal late in the game, goal line stand or overtime. Both staffs are excited about the game. It is an ACC game and a road game for us where we have to get better. We are excited about it. We have to start off the game quick and do those things early in the game to keep the crowd out of it. Then we will be fine. We will have Miami fans up there and it will be a great time for both teams."

On Running Back Javarris James:
"He is still the starter. We just have a rotation. We are not going to let one guy carry the ball 40 times. All of the guys get two or three series at a time. He did some good things last week. No matter what, don't take a negative play, that is what we tell the guys."

On The Struggles Of Both Teams:
"Both teams are trying to get a win and get back on track. Florida State is like Miami in that their standards are very high. The coaching staffs on both teams feel the same way. It will be a unique situation."

On Road Games:
"Every game, we will do something different. Practice is practice in that you can't do much different during that. The speed and the tempo of the game will always be the same. I really don't know why [we are struggling on the road]. There are things that have to be corrected. When I was with Jimmy [Johnson] my first year as a player we had those types of struggles. When I was with Butch [Davis] coming out of probation, we had these struggles. We need that one to start that snowball effect."

On FSU Defense:
"They are doing a good job. They have four guys up front that are doing a great job of putting on the pressure and stopping the run. They are physical up front. Their strength is their defensive line while ours is our offensive line."

On FSU Quarterback Xavier Lee:
"He can beat you with his arm, but he also has scrambling ability to make things happen. We have to rattle him early and make sure he doesn't get in a rhythm."

On Miami Receivers:
"They're doing a good job. They need to catch the ball more. If people come up with the big plays, we will have a better situation."