By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- A concussion may keep Miami quarterback Jacory Harris sidelined for Saturday's game against Maryland, and the Hurricanes are already getting Stephen Morris ready to take over as their starter.
Harris was knocked out of Miami's 24-19 loss to Virginia in the second quarter. Morris -- who came into that game as a fourth-string redshirt candidate -- played the second half and accounted for three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes as the Hurricanes nearly rallied from a 24-0 deficit.
"Jacory won't play until our medical staff sees fit that he's ready to go," Miami coach Randy Shannon said.
Harris has not been ruled out for this week, though Shannon has already said Morris is the starter-in-waiting. Miami resumes practice Tuesday, when Morris is expected to take the bulk of the snaps. And there's no guarantee that Harris -- if he is ruled out for the Maryland game -- would be ready to face Georgia Tech the following week, either.
Shannon said Harris "was doing fine" Sunday, and that doctors had no reservations about him flying with the team from Virginia.
Harris was driven to the turf in the second quarter of Saturday's loss by Virginia's John-Kevin Dolce, remaining down for four minutes after a blown pass-blocking assignment. Spencer Whipple filled in until halftime, when Miami made the decision to give Morris his first taste of the college game.
"We were trying to win the game," Shannon said.
Complicating matters is that backup A.J. Highsmith has been dealing with a hand injury. If Harris is ruled out for the Maryland game, Whipple would be Morris' backup, and Highsmith would likely be used only in emergencies.
Morris completed 9 of 22 passes for 162 yards, most of which came when Miami was trying to come back from the 24-point deficit. Shannon said there were some positive signs gleaned from the way Miami finished the game, but players were kicking themselves for wasting a chance against a two-touchdown underdog.
"You can't wait until the last minute to (start) playing," Miami center Tyler Horn said.
So by any measure, it was a lost weekend for Miami, which lost Harris and lost control of the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division race. The Hurricanes (5-3, 3-2) aren't out of the division picture, though they're almost certainly going to need three wins and some help to have a chance at finally winning their first ACC title.
Virginia Tech (6-2, 4-0) is comfortably atop the Coastal, though they still have to face Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Virginia. If Miami wins its last three ACC games, and if the Hokies slip up somewhere else along the way, the Hurricanes could still find their way into the conference title game.
"Now everybody's got to play each other. ... It all plays in a little circle and we have to make sure we take care of our part," Shannon said.
Received 10/31/10 04:50 pm ET
