Miami’s 35-14 win at Georgia Tech a late lift on a down year for Cristobal, Hurricanes | Opinion
There was bleeding, and not a little.
You do not lose by 42 points to Florida State -- the Miami Hurricanes’ worst home loss in seven decades of this rivalry -- without there being an ugly gush of that. Especially when the embarrassment left you 4-5 on the season, with even the prospect of a lousy second- or third-tier bowl game running away from you.
Then, as direct fallout, insult-to-injury type stuff, Miami’s top 2023 quarterback recruit, Jaden Rashada, ESPN’s No. 7-rated passer in the nation, announced he was backing out of his commitment to UM and picking the Florida Gators instead.
Miami didn’t need a win on Saturday as much as it needed a tourniquet. Something, anything good and hopeful. .Something to stabilize the patient. Get out of triage. Silence the sirens for a minute and take a deep breath.
The Canes got that. At least, the Canes got that.
A victory at this version of Georgia Tech is no great shakes, but this 35-14 result almost felt like that Saturday, because it has been that kind of first season for coach Mario Cristobal. A year when even the little wins feel big.
The day belonged to true-freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown, who threw three touchdown passses.
“This team, we battled a lot this year, been through a lot ,” he said. “It feels great.”
The season has been brutal for Cristobal. Let him enjoy the climb back up to .500. It does not make up for last week vs. FSU, or for the season. But it’s not nothing.
The game was broadcast in the netherworld of ESPN3, the online paid streaming arm of ESPN.
That the Yellow Jackets were slight home favorites owed more to Miami coming off that humiliation against FSU than anything Georgia Tech had done to inspire confidence.
But Miami did good. This season, that’s worth noting. Heck, celebrating!
Canes jumped to a fast 7-0 start, with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke sidelined after aggravating his shoulder injury last week and the freshman Brown getting the ball ahead of typical backup Jake Garcia. (This being college football in 2022, we immediately wonder if Brown’s first career start means Garcia might now be diving head-first into the transfer portal, so let’s see.)
Brown’s 22-yard scoring pass to tight end Will Mallory ended that first Saturday drive in Atlanta to begin the game in his becoming the first true freshman QB to start a game for UM since Brad Kaaya in 2014. It ended a skid of nine straight quarters without a TD for Miami.
Brown would throw three TD passes on the day. Hmm. Will he finish the season ahead of a healthy Van Dyke? Cristobal, postgame Saturday, declined to say.
Leave the quarterback controversy for another day.
After UM’s early lead an interception by The U aborting Tech’s first possession reiterated why the Jackets are last in the ACC in scoring. (And third-worst in most points allowed; no wonder they just changed coaches!)
Would the Canes enjoy a comfortable win contrary to its season struggles?
It was 14-0 in the second quarter on Brown’s 4-yard flip to Jaleel Skinner.
But then it was 14-7 as Tech plowed 84 yards and found the scoreboard in the last minute of the half.
The home team was driving toward what felt like 14-14 late the third quarter until Miami seized its second interception of the game, sighs of relief exhaling across South Florida.
Then the Miami defense’s third interception happened in the fourth quarter and froze the score at 14-7. (The Turnover Chain would have been smoking, had Cristobal not move on from the gaudy conceit.)
The Canes this season with a 7-point lead are about as safe as you holding an unpinned grenade., but, in this case, a stout UM defensive effort and a really lousy offense proved enough.
Brown’s third TD toss was an 8-yarder to Colbie Young and sealed the deal. Jaylan Knighton’s 2-yard scoring run added on. An interception-return TD for the Canes added on futher, with Tech’s last-minute TD not lessening the rout.
A thud is coming, of course.
The Canes face a near-certain loss at top-10 Clemson next week.
Then will come a regular season-ending home game vs. tough Pittsburgh that will almost certainly be winner-take-all for Miami for a bowl invitation, a consolation prize of sorts for this dispiriting season.
Saturday was that, too, though.
A consolation. Something to feel good about.
Mario Cristobal has paid a whole bunch of disappointment to feel that, at least.
This story was originally published November 12, 2022 at 6:49 PM.
