Hurricanes lose defensive lineman for first half of Wake Forest game due to targeting
Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr. was ejected in the third quarter of the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes’ 28-23 loss to the Georgia Tech on Saturday when he was called for targeting on Yellow Jackets running back Trey Cooley.
Because the ejection occurred in the second half of the game, Moten will also have to miss the first half of Miami’s game against Wake Forest on Nov. 23.
Georgia Tech scored a touchdown five plays after the targeting call to go up 28-16.
It was the first time a UM player was ejected from a game this season.
Moten is a rotational player on the Hurricanes’ defensive line. He finished Saturday with three tackles, including one for loss. On the season, the redshirt sophomore has 15 tackles and two-and-a-half tackles for loss.
Secondary adjustments
The Hurricanes made a few adjustments to their secondary against Georgia Tech on Saturday as they navigate through injuries.
When the team has five defensive backs on the field, redshirt senior Mishael Powell, who has been one of UM’s starting safeties in each of the team’s first nine games, moved up to nickel corner against Georgia Tech with Miami’s cornerback unit thin due to injuries to Damari Brown and Jadais Richard.
When Powell is at nickel, true freshman Zaquan Patterson is at safety opposite redshirt sophomore Jaden Harris. Senior Daryl Porter Jr. and true freshman OJ Frederique were Miami’s starting outside corners.
Powell entered Saturday with a team-leading four interceptions to go along with 26 tackles, six defended passes and a tackle for loss.
Patterson, a four-star prospect out of Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, entered the Georgia Tech game having played just 97 snaps on defense. He has 11 tackles and three pass breakups.
In addition to being without Brown and Richard, Miami was also without defensive end Elijah Alston and linebacker Raul “Popo” Aguirre for a third consecutive week.
Another career record for Restrepo
With his first catch of the game, a 21-yard strike from Cam Ward in the first quarter, fifth-year senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo became the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in career receptions.
Restrepo finished the game with four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Restrepo last week set the school record for career receiving yards. With 20 touchdown catches, he needs six more to tie Michael Irvin’s school record of 26 for a Hurricanes player.
Fans on the road
Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal every week makes an emphasis to thank UM fans for their support on game day.
The emphasis is there even more when the team is on the road, with Canes fans coming out in full force in every game away from Hard Rock Stadium so far this season.
That was the case again on Saturday at Georgia Tech, with large portions of Bobby Dodd Stadium — particularly the upper deck on the east sideline and both corners of the south end zone — filled with Canes fans.
“Our players love that; they really do,” Cristobal said Monday. “We have a huge alumni base there, so it’s great. I know it’s homecoming for them... so we’re expecting a big crowd and a lot of noise and a rowdy environment — exactly what college football should be about. The pageantry of what’s being put together there for the weekend should be just a lot of juice, a lot of energy, but the focus is on us making sure to prepare for a really good football team.”
First of multiple trips to Atlanta?
Despite the loss, Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech could be the first of up to three potential games this season for the Hurricanes in Atlanta.
Should the Hurricanes advance to and win the ACC Championship Game to secure a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff, they will most likely be slotted to play their quarterfinal game in the Peach Bowl at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 1 (1 p.m. kickoff).
The other three quarterfinal sites are the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; Sugar Bowl in New Orleans; and Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
The national championship will also be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20.
Local ties
The Yellow Jackets have just one player on their roster who played at the high school level in either Miami-Dade or Broward County, but he’s an impactful one in wide receiver Malik Rutherford.
The redshirt junior, who was a two-time Miami Herald first-team All-Dade member while at Miami Champagnat, entered Saturday leading the Yellow Jackets with 50 catches and 594 receiving yards while being one of four players with multiple touchdown catches.
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