The curious case of Miami QB Jake Garcia’s mouthguard and his thoughts on early playing time
Parents rarely miss a thing — especially devoted football parents.
University of Miami backup quarterback Jake Garcia’s father Randy certainly didn’t miss the photos of his son’s lime-green mouthguard dangling awkwardly from his mouth during No. 15 UM’s 70-13 victory over Bethune-Cookman.
When Garcia was asked about the mouthguard Wednesday during a Zoom videoconference, the redshirt freshman said, “My dad sent me a picture of that, too. He’s like, ‘You thought you got away with it!’
“I explained to him I had left my mouthguard in.... We had a walk through with our regular shorts on and our jerseys and I had a mouthpiece with me and ended up putting it in my pocket.’’
Then came the washer-dryer part that most of us have experienced in one way or another, but probably not with the culprit being a mouthguard left unexpectedly in the dryer.
“They washed our clothes for us,” Garcia said, noting that he got the clothes back from being laundered the next day. “My shorts... [I] felt my mouthpiece in there and my mouthpiece, I guess when it got dried it got really hot and it got molded funny. I just didn’t really feel like going and grabbing another one so I just left it out like that and kept pushing.”
We sense that Garcia’s mouthpiece will fit just perfectly this week when the Hurricanes (1-0) meet Southern Miss (0-1) at noon (ACC Network) at Hard Rock Stadium.
As for Garcia’s performance in the opener, the mouthguard obviously didn’t prove to be a distraction. He went a perfect 8 of 8 for 88 yards.
UM coach Mario Cristobal said Garcia played “great.’’
2022 debut
Garcia, who replaced starter Tyler Van Dyke (13 of 16 for 193 yards and two touchdowns) midway through the third quarter, said last week’s early playing time was invaluable — especially because it was his first real-game action since he sustained a high ankle sprain and torn ligaments last Sept. 25 against Central Connecticut State. The injury required season-ending surgery after he went 11 of 14 for 147 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut.
“That’s huge for me,’’ Garcia said of getting back into a rhythm. “You try to say that practices are very realistic to a game. We make practices harder than a game, which is what everybody around the country tries to do, but I can say confidently that we make practice harder than the games.
“From my first game experience, things I saw on the field slowed down for me. Practice got easier and easier throughout the week as far as knowing what I’m looking for game-plan wise, and coaches really did a good job of being aware of those things. These in-game reps are huge for me.”
Garcia, 6-3 and 194-pounds, was a nationally heralded star out of Grayson (Georgia) High via his former home in Whittier, California. He was rated the nation’s No. 2 pocket passer by ESPN and the No. 5 pro-style quarterback by recruiting sites Rivals and 247Sports.
Garcia said he has “definitely learned a lot” from Van Dyke, and that he knows when he’s called on to enter the game he has to deliver. “You have to make the most of the opportunity,’’ Garcia said. “I really have to prepare like I’m the starter.’’
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis praised Garcia’s performance in the opener, saying his “pocket movement was phenomenal.’’
“That’s definitely something I pride myself on greatly,’’ Garcia said, “being able to maneuver in the pocket and being able to feel things in the pocket, being aware, making quick movements and getting the ball out.
“I’ve put in a lot of work with my quarterback coach back home — Danny Hernandez — and that’s something that can separate me. Coming off injury I kind of lost a little bit for a second on the pocket movement stuff, but I feel like I found it back and I’m catching my stride again.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 3:25 PM.
