MIAMI Struggling 'Canes now turn to Winslow

With an anemic running game, the standout tight end will need to do more.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Miami tends to turn to tight end Kellen Winslow when it needs help. That could happen now more than ever.
The second-ranked Hurricanes have lost running back Frank Gore for the season because of a knee injury and have moved Jason Geathers -- once considered their top receiver -- to tailback.
The losses seemingly weaken an already sputtering offense.
And they might mean more work for Winslow, the team's leading receiver with 25 catches for 242 yards and a touchdown.
"He's our go-to guy, maybe even more so now," center Joel Rodriguez said. "He's a quarterback's best friend. He's a security blanket. He gets open on every play and can make just about any catch we need him to make."
Miami is sixth in the Big East in rushing, ahead of only Rutgers and Temple, and has scored just nine touchdowns in 21 trips inside the 20-yard line. Getting Winslow the ball more often could solve the problems.
Nearly unstoppable
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound son of NFL Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow Sr. expects single coverage against No. 5 Florida State on Saturday, with speedy outside linebackers Michael Boulware and Kendyll Pope trying to slow him down.
He welcomes the matchup.
"I go versus safeties and corners, and I beat them," Winslow said Tuesday. "I don't think anybody can cover me one-on-one. Nobody."
Winslow proved that last week against West Virginia.
The Mountaineers played a three-deep zone that left Winslow with single coverage underneath. He caught 11 passes for 104 yards, a breakout performance in what had been a frustrating season.
His biggest catch came with Miami trailing 20-19 and facing a fourth-and-13 from the 25 with less than two minutes to play. Brock Berlin lofted the pass down the middle, and Winslow made a leaping catch that kept the eventual game-winning drive alive.
Shaky season
Winslow had similar numbers against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, catching 11 passes for 122 yards and scoring a touchdown that gave Miami its only lead in overtime.
That game had many calling him the best receiver -- maybe even the best player -- in the country. It also resulted in extra attention this season. He caught just 11 passes for 97 yards in the first three games, often slowed by chips, jams and double-coverage.
"It was a little frustrating, but I understood that I could also do other stuff," Winslow said. "As long as the team wins, that's what matters."