Canes Start Slow, Win Big 63-0!
It’s hard not to lead with the feel-good story of the night. When you struggle to find the words to describe what “The New Miami” means, look no further than 5 foot 7 inch, 185 pounds, redshirt senior running back Jimmy Murphy. The Avon, Connecticut native scored late after the game was well in hand and got himself a nice 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration by doing a crazy front flip. But as defensive lineman Pat Bethel said, he’ll gladly run a gasser for Jimmy’s penalty.
MVP Jimmy Murphy!!! @5Rings_Canes @5ReasonsSports @MIASportsMavenhttps://t.co/OSfRkku7T5
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 15, 2019
Dr. Murphy!
He is what every Miami Hurricane football player should strive to be. Guys like Bethel and Deejay Dallas and others mentioned how Murphy is the heartbeat of this team and a leader in the locker room. The touchdown was the first of Murphy’s career, but if you ask Manny Diaz, it may not be his last.
Pat Bethel livehttps://t.co/m9YiFupz84
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 14, 2019
With Mark Richt retiring after last season, Murphy was unsure about his future with the team. He didn’t know if knew head coach Manny Diaz would renew his scholarship. In the post-game conference, he mentions how he called Diaz and let him know that he wanted to continue to be a Hurricane and if he would renew his scholarship. Diaz did. Murphy plans on attending medical school once the season is over. That’s the guy I want as my doctor! Cane Maven wishes him well.
Manny Diaz at the podium @5ReasonsSports https://t.co/0wdUKu62LG
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 14, 2019
Oh yeah, there was also the rest of the game. I honestly don’t want to spend too much time on it, because let’s be honest, it was Bethune Cookman. No disrespect to them, but the Canes did exactly what they needed to do.
After a slow start in the first quarter, the Hurricanes finally put it together and completely dominated Bethune Cookman across the board. If you caught my pre-game preview with Larry Blustein, I mentioned that I wanted to see dominance in all 3 areas: offense, defense, and special teams.
Jarren Williams @5ReasonsSports @5Rings_Canes @MIASportsMavenhttps://t.co/rFYLRIwDnU
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 15, 2019
Oh Bubba, ST Struggles
The Canes completely dominated on offense, led by another solid performance by Jarren Williams. He finished the day 19/24 for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns. Deejay Dallas had another fantastic game rushing for 108 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Deejay Dallas @5ReasonsSportshttps://t.co/QV1kKHXMI3
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 14, 2019
The defense did exactly what they were supposed to do. They pitched a shutout. Robert Knowles played well along with Gurvan Hall and a few others. They held Bethune Cookman to 137 total yards – 76 passing and 61 on the ground.
Robert Knowles @5ReasonsSportshttps://t.co/P8O2pwIQIt
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 14, 2019
Then there are special teams. They didn’t look very special once again. Bubba Baxa misses another chip shot from 30 yards as the kicking woes continue with him. He is now 4/8 on field goals this year. Camden Price came in late in the game for a PAT. Will the Canes make a change or continue to ride with Baxa?
Pope Breaks Out
I also mentioned how we needed this game to be a confidence builder for the team. I wanted to see a few guys who have started the season off slow to build some momentum and confidence. The perfect example was wide receiver Mark Pope, who had his breakout game, catching 3 balls for 92 yards. He would later leave the game with an apparent leg injury. There is no further information on that just yet.
This game was also a great opportunity for players who don’t usually play much, to get some much-needed reps. you never know when you may need them. It was great to see kids like Robert Burns and Jeremiah Payton get some good playing time. Tight end Larry Hodges made the most of his extended playing tonight, catching both passes thrown his way for two touchdowns.
Larry Hodges @5ReasonsSports @MIASportsMaven https://t.co/uBc8w93U3s
— Jazz Santana (@jazzsantana) September 14, 2019
Next up are the Central Michigan Chippewas next Saturday, 4 p.m. at home.
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Go Canes!
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