Miami’s mock game (and D’Eriq King show) is over. Next up: the real thing against Alabama
Next time the Miami Hurricanes hit a football field for a game, it will be against the defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sept. 4 season opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
And we all know who the starting Canes quarterback will be.
Quarterback D’Eriq King blew away the competition again, though it was not the top UM players defending him, in Friday’s annual mock game — a situational scrimmage on Greentree Field.
King, according to a UM-released video of coach Manny Diaz, completed 20 of 26 passes for 317 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Unlike the other two scrimmages, which were part of the formula to help coaches put together a soon-to-be-released depth chart, this one was more of a see-how-the starters-do-against-the-other-guys game. It was closed to the media and public.
“The format was we kind of take the 1s, put them on one side and everybody else goes on the other side and sort of tries to schematically give us what we think we’ll see next Saturday,’’ Diaz said in the video, “but the main thing is all of the substitutions, kicking game, all the game- day dynamics, we try to make all that as on-point as possible so we’re ready to go next weekend.”
Eventually, the second-team players joined the first team in some situations, acknowledged Diaz.
Other notables reported by UM:
▪ Starting tailback Cam’Ron Harris had eight carries for 47 yards.
▪ Backup running back Don Chaney Jr. had seven carries for 53 yards and also caught a touchdown.
Diaz gushed about top tight end Will Mallory, who “had an 88-yard touchdown that I can’t wait to see what the GPS miles-per-hour was when he was running. He was rolling. That was a sight to see.”
Defensively, Diaz said “it was hard” to evaluate.
“If we were really being serious on sacks, there would have been a truckload,’’ the coach said. “The most encouraging thing is the secondary.
“Tyrique Stevenson had an interception, DJ Ivey, Bubba Bolden, Te’Cory Couch, Al Blades had interceptions. Even Keshawn Washington late in the scrimmage had an interception, so a lot of guys making plays, which gives everyone confidence going into game week.”
Evidently it wasn’t King throwing the picks, so it had to be either projected backup Tyler Van Dyke or Jake Garcia or Peyton Matocha or walk-on Ryan Rizk.
The Hurricanes board their flight to Atlanta next Friday.
“Now what we do is, No. 1, we gotta be smart this weekend,’’ Diaz said. “It’s the last off weekend and guys have worked really, really hard and gotta make great decisions this weekend.
“We come back Sunday, we’ve really gone through a week of prep for the games. Now we go back through it, work all the situations on Sunday, come back [and it’s] normal downs, third down, Tuesday and Wednesday. Polish it up Thursday and get on a plane Friday.
“It’s going to be here fast.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 12:52 PM.
