CFB: Miami's Marve will not play in bowl game
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami quarterback Robert Marve's season began with a one-game suspension, and it'll end with another.
Marve will not play in the Emerald Bowl next week because of a violation of team academic rules, which he told The Associated Press was regarding "a miscommunication about absentees for a class."
Marve said he was late for a class on the final day of the semester, but that tardy arrival counted as an absence that ultimately made him ineligible.
"I was just talking to another teacher and got late for my next class," Marve told The AP late Thursday night. "Obviously, I am very disappointed that I can't play or go to San Francisco over a situation like this. It's already been kind of a rough season and it's a disappointing ending."
Miami coach Randy Shannon said he could not reveal any specific details about Marve's situation, other than it would be a one-game issue and not something to carry into 2009. Jacory Harris, who played in all 12 games and started the opener against Charleston Southern, will start when Miami (7-5) plays California (8-4) in San Francisco on Dec. 27.
"Violation of team rules," Shannon said. "That's all it was."
Marve was not at practice Thursday because "I didn't want to be a distraction to my team," he told The AP, adding that he will not be at any of the team's three remaining workouts in South Florida and will watch the bowl game from his family's home in Tampa.
"You're always disappointed when you have guys that violate team rules," Shannon said. "But you know what? Our job is to teach them and have them learn from it. He'll bounce back and we'll move on."
Marve redshirted last year because of injuries sustained in a car crash, then missed the 2008 opener because of a team sanction related to his arrest on a misdemeanor mischief charge on Oct. 31, 2007. The charge was dropped and Marve paid a $100 fine, but team policy said he still had to sit out the next game he was eligible for, which meant this year's opener.
He had his share of promising moments this season and was the Atlantic Coast Conference's rookie of the week after leading Miami past Wake Forest in October. But throughout the year, as he and Harris shared playing time, speculation grew that one would transfer before next season.
Marve insisted he's not looking elsewhere.
"I'm coming back to Miami," Marve said. "I'm playing as hard as I can, studying opponents as hard as I can and doing everything I can to help the 'Canes be the best they can be."
Even if that means sharing time with Harris again next season.
"I want to be part of the 'Canes," Marve said. "I like being part of the Miami Hurricanes tradition and I want to bring them back to what they used to be."
Marve completed 116 of 213 passes for 1,293 yards this season, with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Harris was 93-of-153 for 1,001 yards, with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Harris and Marve are good friends and have worked together quite a bit this year, earning high praise from teammates for the way they handled the delicate nature of a two-quarterback system. And Harris said he considers himself ready for the bowl challenge.
"It's just a regular game," Harris said. "If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. We'll go out there trying to win a game. Obviously, we're not trying to go and lose a game way out in Cali. But we want to have fun. It's a business trip and we want to take care of business."