Miami quarterback D’Eriq King leads Hurricanes to victory in debut, extends FBS record
In a year as strange as any in modern history, the Miami Hurricanes went back to old-time normal: They won.
The University of Miami, led by tailback Cam’Ron Harris and nationally touted graduate transfer quarterback D’Eriq King, defeated Alabama-Birmingham on Thursday night to open the season with a 31-14 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
In front of a crowd announced at 8,153 but seemingly smaller — substantially smaller than the 13,000 permitted to attend in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic — the Hurricanes won their first game since November 9, and first opening-day game since 2017 against Bethune-Cookman.
“Couldn’t be more proud of our players,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said, acknowledging that it was a season opener and “there’s a ton of stuff to correct,’’ but how impressed he was with UM’s “demeanor and temperament and the way the guys supported each other and stayed after that UAB team.”
“Just everything they did to get us to this day — did everything we asked them to do in the summer, kept each other safe, gave us the opportunity to play today.”
Harris rushed for 134 yards on 17 carries (7.9-yard average) and had touchdown runs of 66 and 4 yards, leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent right-knee injury. But all eyes undoubtedly were glued to King, the former Houston star who transferred in January to Miami to finish out his already illustrious career.
The elusive King ran for a touchdown in the first half and threw for one to tight end Brevin Jordan in the second, extending his FBS record to 16 consecutive games with at least one rushing and one passing score. He finished 15 of 23 for 141 passing yards and rushed for 83 yards on 12 carries, a 6.9-yards-per-carry average.
UM ended with 492 yards, 337 of them rushing, and held the Blazers to 285 yards (only 80 rushing).
“It felt pretty good,’’ said King, who said nonetheless that he thought of the recent passing of his father the entire game. “I think we did some good things — and we’ve got to get better quick on a lot of stuff.’’
The game marked the first football played by an Atlantic Coast Conference team this season.
Up 17-14 in the third quarter, the Canes had a 7-play, 71-yard touchdown drive followed by a 7-play, 75-yard scoring drive to finally give them breathing room for the 31-14 lead. Harris scored the first of those touchdowns and Jordan (three catches for 51 yards) scored the last on a 4-yard reception.
UM’s defense held the Blazers to three third-down conversions in 15 attempts. Graduate transfer defensive end Quincy Roche had UM’s lone sack. Bradley Jennings, starting his first game at middle linebacker, had six tackles and two tackles for loss. Defensive tackle Nesta Silvera and safety Amari Carter each had five tackles.
Miami brought in backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry with 4:26 remaining.
But instead of getting off to the roaring offensive start of which Canes fans might have anticipated because of the new no-huddle spread, Miami sputtered early in the game — certainly not helped by Mark Pope’s first-quarter punt-return fumble that was recovered by Jarrion Street at the UM 17-yard line.
Keep in mind that last year’s UM punt returner K.J. Osborn led the Atlantic Coast Conference by averaging 15.9 yards per return.
The Blazers took over with 3:24 left in the first quarter, and two plays later scored on a 16-yard pass from Tyler Johnston to Austin Watkins in the left corner of the end zone.
UAB led 7-0 with 2:40 remaining.
On UM’s ensuing drive, the Canes found themselves at fourth-and-1 from their own 34. Coach Diaz said ‘’Go for it!’’ — or something like that. And on fourth down, junior Harris more than just went for it, emerging from the crowd all alone as he sprinted 66 yards down the center of the field into the end zone. It took the Canes a bit over a minute-and-a-half to go 75 yards and tie the score at 7 with 1:04 left.
“Shout out to the O-line’’ said Harris, who got to wear this year’s version of the Touchdown Rings that spell out “The” on one hand and “Crib’’ on the other. He said after the game that his knee was fine. “I just had to be patient. I saw the crease, I hit and I was gone. The mission was today we were going to put the ball on the ground. We were going to run the ball, as you can see.’’
UM went ahead for the first time in the second quarter on a 6-play, 64-yard drive culminated by King’s first Canes career touchdown, a 12-yard run that ended with a leaping dive past the goal line. King helped himself in that drive with a pretty scramble and equally adept 11-yard completion to Dee Wiggins on first down. Heralded freshman Jaylan “Rooster” Knighton (nine carries for 59 yards) made his UM debut during that drive, running 3 yards, 18 yards and then for no gain.
Fellow freshman Donald Chaney, Jr. added eight rushes for 52 yards.
King’s touchdown made it 14-7 came with 10:04 left in the first half. For King, it marked his 16th consecutive game in which he scored a rushing touchdown. The streak dates to the 2018 season opener against Rice, when he played for Houston.
UM took a 10-point lead with graduate transfer kicker Jose Borregales’ 25-yard goal that put the Canes up 17-7. But it still wasn’t enough to feel secure. UAB star running back Spencer Brown, with over 3,000 career rushing yards, answered with a 6-yard touchdown to cut the Canes’ lead to 17-14 with 6:19 left in the third quarter.
UM travels to face Louisville — the last team the Canes defeated before UAB (1-1) — a week from Saturday in the first of 10 consecutive games against ACC competition.
“I think you saw a glimpse of what it can be,’’ Diaz said.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 11:35 PM.
