The Associated Press

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The plan called for the Miami Hurricanes to have a normal practice, two hours of working on third-down blitz packages and kickoff returns.

Normal wasn't possible Wednesday.

Less than 24 hours after Bryan Pata, one of the Hurricanes' most-respected players, was killed outside his apartment, his team was back on the football field, preparing for Saturday's game at No. 23 Maryland.

"They felt like Bryan would want to practice. They felt like Bryan would want to play," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "That's a decision that we respected, and I think it's the right decision. We've talked to a lot of teams that have had tragedies, and the thing that they've all said is 'You've got to get back."'

Pata, 22, was shot to death Tuesday night outside his off-campus apartment, less than two hours after practice and an informal team dinner ended. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman was found dead in the apartment complex's parking lot when police arrived, and detectives ruled it a homicide.

Det. Roy Rutland, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said police searched Pata's apartment after the shooting. He would not provide any details about what officers sought and what was found. No other details were released.

"The investigators are following all leads, and the release of any information at this time could compromise the investigation," Rutland said Wednesday.

Coker said two assistant coaches came into his office and told him the news shortly after the shooting.

"It's something you never anticipate, never," Coker said. "You expect maybe a sprained ankle but nothing more than that. Just total shock. We had practice, then we had dinner after practice with the players. ... Just total shock."

Players returned to the athletic complex shortly after learning of Pata's death and stayed for several hours. They met with team chaplains and grief counselors, and several teammates were interviewed by Miami-Dade police detectives.

The Hurricanes have dealt with plenty of problems this season, including a July shooting in which safety Willie Cooper was slightly injured and a sideline-clearing brawl last month in a game against Florida International.

"It's spiritual, but God's not going to give you more than you can handle," Coker said. "And I'm just disappointed that he trusts us so much, because we've been getting a lot to handle."