Miami Hurricanes face Wisconsin in Pinstripe Bowl without starting C Tyler Gauthier
The Miami Hurricanes will take on the Wisconsin Badgers at the Pinstripe Bowl without their starting center.
Tyler Gauthier will miss Miami’s postseason game because of “academic reasons,” the Hurricanes announced shortly before kickoff in the Bronx.
With Gauthier academically ineligible, offensive lineman Hayden Mahoney warmed up as the center with the starters before the game at Yankee Stadium.
Mahoney played in all 12 games this season, starting nine as a guard. Offensive lineman Jahair Jones will start at left guard, the position frequently occupied by Mahoney.
So Gauthier’s career in Coral Gables comes to an abrupt end after the offensive lineman was declared academically ineligible. The senior started all 13 games as a junior and the final four games of his sophomore campaign. Gauthier’s consecutive starts streak ends at 29 games.
Gauthier is the only Hurricane not to dress in uniform due to academic or disciplinary reasons.
There is no official announcement about the status of N’Kosi Perry, but the quarterback is dressed and participated in pregame warm-ups in New York.
Perry’s status has been in question since Friday, when The Miami Hurricane reported on the existence of a sexually-explicit video the redshirt freshman posted on Snapchat in September. Perry was then seen in an Instagram Live video posted by defensive back Gilbert Frierson saying, “I’m suspended, bro.”
On Wednesday, coach Mark Richt announced quarterback Malik Rosier would start the bowl game rather than Perry. The underclassman started six games for the Hurricanes (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) this season, guiding Miami to a 4-2 record, all against ACC opponents. He went 96 of 186 for 1,089 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, adding another 158 rushing yards and a touchdowns on 57 carries. The redshirt freshman also caught a negative-15 yard pass.
During his pregame press conference Wednesday Richt said, “as of right now” Perry was not suspended.
Perry did serve a one-game suspension at the start of the year, which caused him to miss the Hurricanes’ season-opening loss to the LSU Tigers.
Miami has a history of doling out significant suspensions for bowl games under Richt.
In the coach’s first year, Richt suspended seven players for the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl against the West Virginia Mountaineers, including tight end Michael Irvin II, and defensive linemen Gerald Willis and Tyreic Martin, all of whom were still on the team this season.
Three others suspended — tight end Jovani Haskins, and defensive backs Cedrick Wright and Jeff James — all left the program before the start of the 2017 season.
This story was originally published December 27, 2018 at 5:15 PM.
