On the day Hurricanes celebrated their seniors, a freshman took control late vs Wake Forest
The Miami Hurricanes took the time to celebrate their seniors prior to their final regular-season home game on Saturday.
After several of those seniors made an impact early, it was a freshman in running back Jordan Lyle who stole the show late and helped the No. 8 Hurricanes run away with their 42-14 win over the Demon Deacons at Hard Rock Stadium.
Lyle ran for a career-high 115 yards on just seven carries in the win. That included an 18-yard touchdown with 6:24 left in regulation as part of a three-touchdown outburst in the final eight minutes that turned a one-score lead into a blowout. Lyle also had a 61-yard run on the following drive that paved the way for a 15-yard touchdown pass from Cam Ward to Jacolby George to cap scoring.
“It meant the world to me,” Lyle said. “Not just for me but the seniors. It’s their last time here. I’m just proud I made them happy and made the fans happy.”
Lyle has had to bide his time as of late to get back on the field.
The former St. Thomas Aquinas standout made an instant impression on the Hurricanes, rushing for 233 yards and three touchdowns on just 29 carries over four non-conference games.
However, once ACC play began and the one-two punch of Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher emerged, Lyle’s touches had diminished. He had just six carries for 13 yards through Miami’s first six conference games and did not see action against Georgia Tech.
But that wasn’t for a lack of trust in him. It’s just a matter of how the depth chart shook out.
“You’ve seen it since camp,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. “The guy is a really good football player. He’s explosive. We’ve been really healthy at [running] back all year, and may we stay that way. ... Sometimes you don’t get as many touches as we planned in the course of the game, but his work ethic, his performance in practice, it warranted him getting the ball today. When he got the opportunity, he made it happen in a big time way. Great job by him.”
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