Podcast: Searching for reasons to be excited for Independence Bowl. And recruiting talk.
The Miami Hurricanes are going bowling — specifically, to the Independence Bowl.
Miami will celebrate Christmas in Shreveport, Louisiana, as it prepares to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Dec. 26. Excited?
If the answer is no, we can’t blame you, but maybe we can convince you to be at least a little bit interested on the the newest episode of the Eye on the U podcast with David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald.
It starts with the story lines because Miami (6-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) has a surprising amount of ties to Louisiana Tech. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator last season. Coach Manny Diaz was the defensive coordinator in Ruston before him. Louisiana Tech might be the perfectly positioned underdog to solve Diaz’s defense.
What’s even more interesting, though, is the possibility of seeing some of the Hurricanes’ future stars get some real playing time on a high-profile stage. Jonathan Garvin and Trevon Hill are both sitting out the bowl, which means fellow defensive lineman Jahfari Harvey will have to play a big role. Could the same sort of thing happen at wide receiver or linebacker, where Miami has some other veterans who could opt to step out of the way for underclassmen?
Then there’s the quarterback competition, which is back just in time for the end of the season. Jarren Williams’ rough two-game stretch to close the season has him fighting for dear life to hang on to his job. Fellow quarterback N’Kosi Perry will get another chance to make his case he’s the future at the position, while WIlliams will try to recapture some of the magic from his six-touchdown game against the Louisville Cardinals last month.
We wrap things up with some recruiting talk to set the stage for the early signing period, which begins Dec. 18. It has been a good few weeks for Miami on the recruiting trail, and the Hurricanes are positioned for a potentially strong finish in the final days before players can sign early. No matter what, Miami has put together a strong class, much of which will be on campus next month.
