Hurricanes’ Mario Cristobal: ‘Great chance’ two starters back for Virginia Tech game
Two of the Miami Hurricanes’ top players in left tackle Jalen Rivers and defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. have not played since the team’s season opener against the Florida Gators.
After being sidelined for the past three weeks, could their return be on the horizon with Atlantic Coast Conference play beginning on 7:30 p.m. Friday when the No. 7 Hurricanes (4-0) host Virginia Tech (2-2)?
“They’re right there,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said Monday morning during his weekly appearance on WQAM’s “The Joe Rose Show. “Man, it’s really, really close. You know, everybody’s like, ‘Oh crap, here we go. Same stuff.’ No, it’s just, that’s the way it works. Man, we’re right there with them. I mean, they look great. They’re moving around great. They’re doing great things in practice. We’re just doing the right things medically by them. But I think there’s a great chance we’ll see them on Friday.”
Bain, the reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, played just one series in that 41-17 win against Florida on Aug. 30 before sustaining what Cristobal called a “soft tissue issue” and initially said would keep him out a couple weeks. Rivers, a fifth-year junior, played the whole game against UF but has not returned since while dealing with an undisclosed injury.
And while the Hurricanes will certainly welcome both back once they are cleared, Miami has done more than hold its own with the two sidelined.
Cristobal has primarily used Tyler Baron and Elijah Alston at defensive end without Bain. Baron has a team-leading seven-and-a-half tackles for loss, while Alston is tied for second on the team at three-and-a-half tackles for loss.
On the offensive line, junior Markel Bell has started each of the past three games at left tackle in place of Rivers. While there have been growing pains at times for Bell, the offensive line has still held its own. Through four games, Miami has conceded just 11 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Canes after dark
The Miami Hurricanes’ road game against the California Golden Bears on Oct. 5 is scheduled for a 10:30 p.m. kickoff, the ACC announced Monday.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
This will be Miami’s third consecutive ESPN night game, after last week’s 50-15 win over USF and Friday’s ACC opener against Virginia Tech.
Two honors for Cam Ward
Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward on Monday was named the ACC Quarterback of the Week and was named to the Davey O’Bren Award’s Great 8 for Week 4.
Ward threw for a season-high 404 yards and had three touchdowns in Miami’s win against USF on Saturday.
In the process, he became one of just 13 NCAA players — at any level — all time to surpass 15,000 career passing yards.
Through four games, Ward has completed 72.3 percent of his passes (89 for 123) for 1,439 yards and 14 touchdowns with two interceptions. He has thrown for at least 300 yards and at least three touchdowns in all four games.
This story was originally published September 23, 2024 at 6:56 AM.
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