Miami’s first scrimmage: QBs Garcia (78.9%, TD), Van Dyke (66.6, TD) and ‘X-Man’ on fire
The Miami Hurricanes football program got its initial on-field glimpse Saturday of what could transpire and who could make it happen during the 2021 college football season.
And it’s sure looking good in the quarterback department.
Judging by the first substantial competitive scenario in its initial spring scrimmage, UM, at least this early in the process, is in very good shape with its backup quarterback situation as starter D’Eriq King rehabilitates from reconstructive knee surgery.
Freshman Jake Garcia completed 15 of 19 (78.9 percent) passes for 188 yards and a touchdown.
Second-year freshman Tyler Van Dyke was 10 of 15 (66.6) for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Coaches said before spring practice began that Garcia has been dealing with a foot injury he sustained at the end of his high school season and thus was limited in practice. Quarterbacks were off limits as far as tackling.
“Both of them made really nice throws,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said in a Hurricanes-produced video. “It’ll be fun to watch those guys battle it out. They both moved the ball well when they were in there.’’
Keep in mind that UM gave the statistics they chose to give, so some things, such as who might have thrown interceptions or fumbled, likely would not be reported.
The Canes’ first scrimmage, traditionally a situational one, was closed to the public and media. But it gave coaches insight as to what the younger players can do. “We want to keep things simple in scrimmage one,’’ Diaz said of UM’s seventh of 15 spring sessions. “There wasn’t a lot of scheme... It’s about blocking, getting off blocks, tackling, breaking tackles, catching, disrupting.
“I thought the team played hard, I thought they played for each other. You want to see the identity of an offense and defense start to grow on these Saturdays, and I thought we did a good job of that.’’
Some other quick numbers Diaz reported:
▪ Second-year freshman receiver Xavier Restrepo, nicknamed the “X-Man,’’ had an eye-opening nine catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s willing himself into becoming a guy,’’ Diaz said, “and he has such great competitive spirit. Those are not easy yards. He made tough catches and run-after-catches and breaking tackles.’’
▪ Running back Donald Chaney had a long touchdown run — “52 yards total and a touchdown, most of that coming on one play.’’
▪ “More often than not,’’ Diaz said, “the defensive line did a nice job controlling the line of scrimmage.’’
▪ Leading receiver Mike Harley had two catches for 75 yards and a touchdown and “it looked like he was picking up right where he left off.’’
▪ Defensively, linebacker Corey Flagg “is continuing to make strides,’’ Diaz said, “and the guy that is slowly getting better and better is Avery Huff. Beyond that, Chase Smith had an interception today... and first-year safety (after sitting out last season because of health reasons) Avantae Williams had an interception as well. Good to see a couple of young guys make some plays with the ball in the air.’’
▪ Freshman kicker Andres Borregales, whose older brother Jose is headed to the NFL after winning the Lou Groza Award for UM this past season, closed out practice with a 42-yard field goal, Diaz said.
Diaz was asked how the secondary looked overall.
“For No. 1, leveraging the football and not giving up explosive plays, we were solid on that,’’ Diaz said in a diplomatic response — understandable considering how well the quarterbacks did on the other end of that subject. “You can see the addition that [cornerback transfer] Tyriq Stevenson has made, standing out not just in pass coverage but run support and making good tackles.
“There’s always going to be good and bad of every position group in a scrimmage, but I was pleased with how they played.’’
Schnellenberger tribute
Though it was a day of joy on the field for the Hurricanes, it was a somber day off it, as legendary Miami Hurricanes coach Howard Schnellenberger, who brought UM its first national title in 1983, died Saturday at age 87.
Diaz spoke about what Schnellenberger meant to the Hurricanes program before he discussed the scrimmage.
“I don’t know if there is Miami football without Howard Schnellenberger — not the way that we know it,’’ Diaz said. “It’s hard to imagine the state that this program was in when he came here. If you look historically throughout college football, there are the blue bloods, and it’s very, very hard to join that group.
“Howard Schnellenberger came to the University of Miami and he took down the establishment. And if you look at the way that they scheduled, who they played, ending with the national championship game against Nebraska, and winning that game, you could talk about the football program, [but] he elevated the entire University to a different status in the country. The entire Hurricane community will forever be in debt to him.’’
Miami, which finished 8-3 in 2020, opens its season Sept. 4 against defending national champion Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
More Schnellenberger
“The loss of Coach Schnellenberger is immeasurable in so many ways for the University of Miami family,’’ UM athletic director Blake James wrote on Twitter. “He helped our University grow during a critical period of time and established a foundation for future success, on the football field and off. He will be remembered as so much more than a coach. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, former colleagues and players. He will forever be a Hurricane.’’
UM president Julio Frenk posted on Twitter that “Howard Schnellenberger was more than a football coach. His vision, resiliency, and ability to bring people together continue to inspire us at @univmiami and always will. Our hearts go out to his wife, Beverlee, and all of his loved ones.’’
Said John Routh, executive director of the UM Sports Hall of Fame: “You feel like you lost a part of your family. Howard Schnellenberger has always been the godfather of Hurricanes football, and now he’s gone.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2021 at 3:17 PM.
