Andres Borregales keeps climbing in Hurricanes record book. And Malik Bryant’s growth
Before he went out to attempt a career-long 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half Friday, Andres Borregales had something else clouding his focus.
“Funny enough, I had to pee, so I was more focused on that a little bit,” Borregales said, “but as soon as I got out on the field, I trusted my training, trusted the guys in front of me, [long snapper] Mason [Napper] and [punter and holder] Dylan [Joyce].”
The field goal kept Miami’s deficit against Virginia Tech to just seven points before the Hurricanes rallied in the second half for an eventual 38-34, come-from-behind victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes haven’t had to rely on Borregales for many big field goals this season. The senior is 6 for 7 on field goals this season and has only had to make multiple attempts twice this season — at Florida (2 for 3) and home against Ball State (2 for 2).
However, with those six makes and going a perfect 26 for 26 on extra-point attempts, Borregales now has 333 points in his Miami career on 62 field goals and 147 PATs. That’s fourth all time in UM history and four shy of tying Jon Peattie for third in the school record book. The Hurricanes’ career record is 403 points by Michael Badgley from 2014 to 2017.
“It’s great,” Borregales said of his standing in the record book. “I haven’t really been been focused on it. I’m just focused on the team right now and this season, but I’m sure if you ask my brother or my mom or anyone in my family, they’re definitely paying attention to that. It’s definitely surreal because you would never really imagine yourself getting so so high up in those like in those rankings, I guess, especially at this historic school. So it’s amazing.”
Malik Bryant’s rise
As the Hurricanes continue to explore their depth on the defensive line, one player who has been a pleasant surprise is Malik Bryant.
The sophomore moved from linebacker to defensive end this season and has immediately reaped the benefits. He ranks second on the team with five tackles for loss and has recorded at least 1.5 tackles for loss in three of the past four games.
On Friday against Virginia Tech, Bryant had a career-high four tackles, including one on a fake field goal that forced a turnover on downs midway through the third quarter. Miami went on to outscore Virginia Tech 21-7 after that play.
“He can rush the passer. He’s athletic. He did a good job the other night,” defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said. “It seemed like every time he gets more and more play opportunities, he’s playing better. We needed him because we were down some defensive linemen. ... He’s playing really well. So he’ll be, of course, playing a lot more this week.”
The Hurricanes have a pretty deep defensive end group, led by Rueben Bain, Tyler Baron and Elijah Alston. Bain hasn’t played since the first series of Miami’s season opener against Florida but coach Mario Cristobal said he is expected to return this week when No. 8 Miami travels to face Cal. Alston is day-to-day.
Now, Bryant is working his way into being a regular with that group.
“It’s competition all across the board,” Bryant said. “Not even just here. At any program across the country, it’s gonna be some type of competition regardless of where you are. I just feel like leaning on those guys and just us all leaning on each other to become better at the end of the day [helps] because we all want the same end goal: To win a national championship and potentially move on to that next level. So just being a supporter at the end of day, I’m learning what I can from those guys will help me move forward. Continue to move forward.”
This story was originally published October 1, 2024 at 2:45 PM.
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