Leaders emerged, defense (mostly) rocked, but Miami still found way to make hearts pound
.JPG "Miami’s Avantae Williams (15) scoops up a fumble by Virginia Tech’s Dae’Quan Wright (13) in the first half during the first half during the first half of an NCAA football game, Saturday Oct. 15 2022, in Blacksburg Va. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP)")
It was a joyous start, down-in-the-dungeon middle and finally up again first half of the regular season for the University of Miami football program and new head coach Mario Cristobal.
But the Hurricanes still have a knack for making fans’ hearts pound in the process, even in a game like Saturday’s 20-14 victory over Virginia Tech. The Hokies scored 14 unanswered second-half points and kept Miami off the scoreboard after the Canes took their 20-0 lead into the final quarter.
Until the fourth quarter, it seemed as if Miami (3-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) would be the first team to shut out the Hokies (2-5, 1-3) since Cincinnati did it in 1995. Instead, it was the Hurricanes battling to prevent Virginia Tech from pulling off a monumental comeback. Miami succeeded, despite 17 penalties for 159 yards.
UM returns to Hard Rock Stadium at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to face Duke, which fell 38-35 to Coastal Division leader North Carolina on Saturday night.
“Look,” Cristobal said, when asked how much it meant to get the win and snap the three-game losing streak, “for us, it’s simple. You’re at a place because either things went really well and someone moved on [or] you’re at a place because things didn’t go so well and there’s change.
“When there’s change, there’s pains that comes with it,” Cristobal said. “No one likes to lose a game or two. But you also recognize: What are the steps that have to be taken? Where do we have to get better? And there’s progress in a lot of places and some we’ve got to keep developing talent. Some of it is talent acquisition.
“But this whole thing today, honestly, it’s about the players in that locker room. Everything has to be about the players, the way they prepared, the way they overcame injuries. Obviously, [top running back] Henry Parrish couldn’t play today, [top cornerback] Tyrique Stephenson couldn’t play today, [starting center] Jakai [Clark] couldn’t play today. You saw the people that went down there, and to be on the road, and to find a way to win, those guys in there deserve all the credit. They deserve praise for it.
“At one point of the game we were playing without our two starting tight ends, without three starting offensive linemen, without our three starting wide receivers and without two of our starting running backs, so tremendous credit to the players for fighting hard and doing what they did to find a way to win a football game in conference.”
Injury situation
The Hurricanes have already had their one bye week, so there’s no more extra time to recuperate from an excessive amount of injuries. Asked about the situation, Cristobal said that starting tight end Will Mallory, who had three catches for 62 yards before he was hit hard in his right shoulder early in the second quarter and left the game for good, “looks good in there.’’
“The rest of the guys that got nicked up, they look good in there as well. I don’t foresee any serious injuries. And then the guys that didn’t play this week, I think they’re on track to play next week. They just didn’t make the deadline. They didn’t make the cut in terms of you know their respective injuries.”
The “rest of the guys” included Parrish, Stephenson, Clark, wideout Mike Redding III, offensive tackle Zion Nelson, offensive guard Justice Oluwaseun, linebacker Waynmon Steed and receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George. Tight end Elijah Arroyo was already out the rest of the season with an injury, as well as freshman running back TreVonte’ Citizen, who sustained a major knee injury during fall camp, and tailback Don Chaney Jr.
Keep in mind that Cristobal also said Stephenson and Clark “look good’’ three days before the game, and the media has not had availability during practice for several weeks.
Penalties
The penalty situation Saturday, in one word: abysmal. The Canes were flagged 17 times for 159 yards — six of those for 65 yards in the final quarter. Be assured that UM will be working extra heavily on avoiding those this week.
New leaders emerge
The lack of depth, especially on the offense, has allowed new UM leaders to emerge.
Speedy sophomore slot receiver Brashard Smith, who has taken over for recuperating Restrepo (foot), had a career-high six catches in seven targets Saturday for a career-high 76 yards — 34 of those after catches. Clemson transfer Frank Ladson Jr., a fourth-year junior, had his third strong game in a row, with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. And 6-5, 215-pound second-year sophomore Lackawanna College transfer Colbie Young had his breaking out party with nine catches for 110 yards and a one-handed touchdown — one of two acrobatic one-handed grabs.
QB: Yes. RBs: Not so much
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said last week that UM shouldn’t be throwing the ball 50 times a game. But Tyler Van Dyke had another great performance by almost exceeding that — 29-of-46 for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He also had some key rushes, including the victory-preserving 9-yard keeper late in the fourth quarter.
UM runners combined for only 107 rushing yards (including two sacks on Van Dyke) on 28 attempts, a 3.8-yards-per carry average. That also includes two wildcat rushes for 22 yards by freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown, who gained a 19-yard first down on the latter one — a nice, surprise touch by Gattis.
Miami scored on all four of its trips to the red zone, twice with touchdowns.
Special teams
Canes punter Lou Hedley delivered big-time on his seven punts, putting four of them inside the 20, including four inside the 10-yard line. And Andy Borregales hit both of his field goals, from the 28 and 25-yard-line, obviously both ultimately crucial.
Defense
The Canes held the Hokies, whose offense was atrocious heading into the game, to 257 yards, only 78 of those rushing, though that includes the yardage lost by Miami’s six sacks (3 1/2 by end Akheem Mesidor). There was one breakdown in the secondary (compared to several the previous two games) in the second half, when Tech receiver Da’Wain Lofton dropped a deep pass that would have been a touchdown.
“They were dominant,’’ Cristobal said of his defense. “In the fourth quarter they got us. And they’re upset with themselves, which is in a way a good thing, without it letting them bad or letting them feel awful. They played really, really good football. At the end they worked their way to some things and we had some really unacceptable penalties.
“For us, we’ve got to learn not to get anxious. As the game gets tighter and things start getting a little bit closer, we’ve got to learn how to play with poise. We’ve got to start taking more pride and confidence and conviction and play that way. All of that is just more and more work.’’
This story was originally published October 16, 2022 at 10:37 AM.
