Tag Archive for: Miami Hurricanes

2019 Miami Hurricanes Football: Season of Missed Opportunities

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To put it mildly, the 2019 Miami Hurricanes football team endured a tumultuous campaign.

Week after week a different uncertainty loomed.

Who will be quarterback?

Do we have a kicker?

Why does Dan Enos constantly throw to the short side of the field?

How can we beat Virginia but lose to FIU?

 

Many repetitive questions went unanswered and the doubt piled on.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 6-6 record.

A perfectly balanced mediocrity sandwich, with some hints of flavor but mostly stale.

So how did we get here?

And where do we go?

Bookends Tell the Story

The 2019 season ended as it started, with a two game losing streak.

In his first season as Head Coach, Manny Diaz could never quite turn the corner and build momentum.

A 24-20 loss to Florida to open the year lent false hope of being competitive with the upper tier in college football.

Yet also showed how far Miami had to go as the offensive line allowed ten sacks and looked completely overmatched.

Miami would follow that close game with an embarrassing effort at North Carolina, the first of many ACC tragedies that played out this year.

Bubba Baxa missed short, crucial kicks in both games which would haunt the Hurricanes.

 

Jarren Williams was one of the few bright spots for the offense early as they struggled under offensive coordinator Dan Enos, whose system did not exactly mesh well early on.

Williams opened the year with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his first four games before the wheels came off.

Miami would cruise to a no-contest win against Bethune Cookman for their first victory of the year, followed by a closer than it should be escape against Central Michigan.

ACC Hunt a Wild Goose Chase

Sitting at 2-2 and with the heart of the ACC slate on the horizon, the season still had plenty of promise and potential.

Which would evaporate like perspiration in the South Florida sun.

Williams was pulled from the Virginia Tech game even though none of his passes hit the ground.

Only problem was out of his seven attempts, his guys caught four while Virginia Tech intercepted three.

N’Kosi Perry would lead a near epic comeback which fell just short as Miami fell 42-35 in front of a shook Miami Gardens crowd.

Perry would tie a career high with four touchdowns and set a career mark with 422 yards through the air.

That game exemplified the struggles of the Hurricanes early in games. Virginia Tech jumped out to a 21 point lead in the first quarter which made Miami one dimensional.

Miami would only gain 94 yards on the ground and turned the ball over five times, themes which would continue as the year rolled on.

Somehow the Hurricanes would rally at home with Perry at the helm the next week, beating the eventual ACC Coastal champs Virginia 17-9.

The Hurricanes defense had an uneven year but the emergence of defensive end Gregory Rousseau is the main story.

Rousseau was mysteriously absent from the starting group early in the year but quickly became undeniable, finishing with 14 sacks and ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

 

While the defense was finding footing the offense was once again stagnant in a shocking 28-21 home loss against Georgia Tech.

Special teams would again prove fatal as Miami would have a chip shot field goal blocked which would have won the game late.

The Yellow Jackets would also score on a fake punt and a fumble recovery, proving the Hurricanes could be creative when giving games away to lesser opponents.

Return of Williams Stops the Bleeding

After the Georgia Tech game Miami sat at 1-3 in ACC play before they would finally go on to find some sustained success, winning three straight.

A 16-12 thriller at Pitt would mark the return of Williams to the starting quarterback job and the best stretch of football during the season.

Winning at Florida State is never easy, no matter the records. Miami put forth a suffocating effort on defense and cruised to their most convincing win to that point 27-10 and were riding high when they returned home to face Louisville.

Against the Cardinals, the Hurricanes would put up their most complete performance of the season in a 52-27 dismantling. Williams would set a school record with six touchdowns and the Hurricanes had a season high three-game winning streak heading into a seemingly easy victory the following week.

Butch Davis and FIU Ruin the Hurricanes

Miami had managed to turn their season around and reached bowl eligibility at 6-4, with games against FIU and Duke to close out the regular season.

Like previous underdogs, FIU stole the thunder early and had the Hurricanes on the ropes from jump street.

Butch Davis was twisting the knife and his defense engaged in some gamesmanship to slow down Williams and the offense.

 

On the site of the old Orange Bowl, Marlins Park, the ghosts of the past haunted the Hurricanes once again.

The last time Miami played in the Orange Bowl they were shutout by Virginia 48-0.

This could have been worse.

A game like this has little plausible explanation, other than a severe lack of preparation and composure.

There was no rebounding from the FIU game as Miami would lay one more egg to close out the year, a 27-17 humbling experience at Duke.

Williams and Perry would share the misery in that one as Miami finished the regular season as it began.

Few Bright Spots on Offense

The bad far outweighed the good for the 2019 Miami Hurricanes, but there were several players that emerged and made real contributions.

Before being injured for the season against FIU, running back DeeJay Dallas was having a solid season despite a severe lack of carries.

Dallas finished with a team high 693 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. In his relief Cam Harris stepped in and played very well, finishing with 545 yards and five touchdowns.

Tight end Brevin Jordan led the Hurricanes with 495 receiving yards, while senior receiver KJ Osborn led the team with his 45 receptions and five touchdowns, he was also second on the team with 491 receiving yards.

The Buffalo transfer was a key addition and an excellent leader with his tough play. Miami spread the wealth through the air as 11 players caught at least one touchdown pass.

Wil Mallory came on late and led the team in receiving yards in each of the last two games, unfortunately his impact was limited for most of the season prior.

Numbers Tell the Story

A major downfall for the Miami offense was their lack of success on third down. The Hurricanes finished dead last in the FBS, converting just 26.4% of their attempts on the money down.

Part of that could be the poor offensive line play, or the shuffling of quarterbacks. Williams led the team in passing yards in the first four games and the final four, while Perry was on top during the middle third.

Neither could take a firm grasp on the job despite intermittent stretches of excellent play.

Miami was 120th in FBS converting red zone opportunities and left points on the field almost every week.

Only three teams gave up more sacks than Miami’s 47, the offense was unable to find rhythm or sustain any type of continuity for long.

All but one of their losses was by single digits, this season was defined by missed opportunities.

The Hurricanes were outscored 72-20 in the first quarter of those losses, showing they simply did not come out ready time and time again.

Although they had lapses, the defense was by far the best group on the team. Miami allowed a respectable 197.9 passing yards per game (22nd FBS) and an even better ranking against the rush, finishing 16th allowing just 109.7 yards per game.

Unfortunately as the season wore on the lack of offensive success took a toll, Miami could not run the football with any consistency and finished 120th in FBS with just 121.8 yards rushing per game.

Combine that with a lack of third down conversions and the defense simply could not hold. The Hurricanes scored 17 or fewer points four times, yet managed to win three of those games thanks in large part to the defense.

So, now What?

After all is said and done, the Hurricanes still have a bowl game to play.

 

Miami will face Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 26th, in Shreveport Louisiana naturally.

No matter the result, the Hurricanes will finish off a disappointing 2019 season searching for answers.

Dan Enos is undoubtedly on the hot seat, his offense simply did not put the skill players in position to succeed.

The offensive line will need to be upgraded and who knows who will be under center in the spring.

Manny Diaz must take a look inward and make some tough decisions in both his coaching staff and roster.

Another highly ranked recruiting class is likely, but the development and deployment of those players will be key.

Diaz must quickly seize control of a program in purgatory, or another lackluster season will follow.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

Another Tough Weekend for Most Miami Sports Fans

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Many Miami sports fans approach games with cautious optimism, which often turns to utter hopelessness in a blink.

“Ok, UM has a cake walk against FIU. That should be an easy W let’s get it”.

Wrong.

 

“The Panthers have won five of six and the offense is rolling, they’ll keep it going in Carolina”.

Wrong again.

 

We knew the Heat would have a tough one in Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back, but a better performance was still expected.

No matter the actual weekly outcome for the Dolphins you can’t win.

If the Dolphins win, their draft position in April suffers.

If the Dolphins lose, you are summarily reminded how far away they truly are.

The biggest disappointment of the weekend by far belongs to the Miami Hurricanes who fell to Butch Davis and the FIU Panthers 30-24 Saturday.

Perhaps it should be overshadowed by the triumph of Davis and his feisty Panthers who clearly wanted the game more.

 

FIU came out focused and prepared, while the Hurricanes started with their far too common lethargy.

Which quickly turned into a comical attempt at motivating your team that is losing handily to a three touchdown underdog.

 

It was truly a massive setback for a Hurricanes program that was seeming to turn the corner.

 

For the Miami Heat, their loss at Philadelphia is not overly concerning.

What is a bit disconcerting is that the 76ers starting five outscored Miami’s 90-32.

The starting group for the Heat had a plus/minus as follows:

Leonard (-26)

Butler (-31)

Robinson (-26)

Adebayo (-26)

Nunn (-16)

The Heat put themselves out of contention early before finally putting up a fight in the final quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Philadelphia had four players in double figures led by none other than Josh Richardson with 32 points. Miami’s typically stellar 3-point defense was off, the 76ers hit 14-of-29 (48.3%) from deep.

Fortunately for the Heat this type of game shouldn’t linger long, some home cooking when they host the lowly Hornets Monday should get them right.

The Florida Panthers have been a great story early in the season with exciting, high scoring games being a regular event.

Coming off of three straight wins in which they scored a total of 14 goals, the Cardiac Cats had one of their worst offensive games of the year in a 4-2 loss at Carolina Saturday.

The 23 shots on goal for the Panthers was their second lowest total of the season.

Ironically their season high of 50 was also against Carolina, a 6-2 loss in October.

The goal scoring slump would continue Sunday despite a 45-26 shot advantage for the Panthers in a 5-2 home loss to Buffalo.

Florida has scored two or fewer goals in seven games this season, all losses.

With shaky goaltending again this season, the Panthers’ offense has to carry the burden most nights.

Next, and perhaps least surprising, the Miami Dolphins went into Cleveland and dropped to 2-9 on the season by a final score of 41-24.

The Browns jumped all over the Miami secondary and took a 28-0 lead before the Dolphins responded.

Miami would shrink the deficit to 28-17 before Cleveland would pull away in the fourth quarter.

Jarvis Landry (10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD) had some extra venom for his former team.

 

Not surprisingly, Baker Mayfield (24/41, 327 yards, 3 TD, INT) picked apart a depleted Dolphins’ secondary most of the way.

The Dolphins will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

To put a bow on this misery package, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team was bounced from the Charleston Classic Sunday 80-55 against UConn.

The Hurricanes reached the third-place consolation game after losing to Florida 78-58 Friday, meaning Miami was outscored by 45 points in the back-to-back losses.

And with that, another roller coaster weekend for Miami sports fans is in the books.

Follow us on Twitter for all things Miami sports @5ReasonsSports.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

Hurricanes Late Rally Falls Short, FIU Stuns Miami 30-24

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Hurricanes come out flat against FIU and Butch Davis in return to where it all started.

The Miami Hurricanes squared off with FIU Saturday on Marlins Park, a bittersweet return to sacred ground.

Since playing their final game in the iconic Orange Bowl in 2007, the Hurricanes have struggled to return to glory.

They would again fall into old bad habits and start the game with much malaise.

Their return to the home of five National Championship teams started off with an early Jarren Williams interception, leading to an FIU field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

FIU’s defense was solid to start the contest and fed off an energetic crowd, Butch Davis had them ready.

Panthers quarterback James Morgan also came sharp with some RPO and behind an offensive line that held their ground.

Morgan got the ball out quickly and opened the game 7-of-9 passing, moving the FIU offense easily against man coverage.

The Hurricanes looked a step slow against the quick passing of FIU and the Panthers would capitalize again.

Morgan hit Shemar Thorton for a 29-yard touchdown and the “home” team jumped on top 10-0 with just under four minutes left in the first quarter.

Miami has come out flat in numerous games this season, particularly after a bye week.

 

They were outscored 17-3 in the first quarter against North Carolina and 21-0 against Virginia Tech, both games were after an extra week off.

FIU was feeling it on defense and chirping, but started to get a little too confident.

The Panthers would pick up two personal fouls on defense which gave the Hurricanes offense some momentum.

Miami would lean on DeeJay Dallas during their third offensive possession which carried into the second quarter.

That drive showed promise but once again the FIU defense was up to the challenge, stopping Miami on fourth down.

Once again the Hurricanes were searching for answers in a game in which they were heavily favored.

The run defense was an early bright spot and FIU penalties on offense slowed them down.

Until…

 

It was about as bad of a first half for the Hurricanes as it gets, the offense was sluggish and the defense was on their heels.

The Hurricanes ended the first half down 13-0 largely in part because FIU has a local legend at kicker.

 

FIU kicker Jose Borregales is a fan favorite and his younger brother Andres is a 2021 Hurricanes commit.

The Hurricanes could not convert on the money downs in the first half, going 0-for-5 on third and fourth downs.

Some FIU shenanigans on defense may have contributed slightly.

 

Things would get a whole lot worse for Miami before they would get any better as they lost Dallas to an arm injury early in the second half.

 

Jarren Williams would throw his second interception of the game on that drive, FIU would convert into another field goal and a 16-0 lead.

Finally the Hurricanes offense would find some traction, the injury to Dallas led to Robert Burns getting some, well…burn.

He gashed FIU for 31 yards on just four carries and Miami would finally get on the board near the end of the third quarter with a 22-yard Camden Price field goal.

 

Morgan would continue to outplay Williams for most of the game, FIU again moved the ball easily into Miami territory on their first fourth quarter drive.

Then FIU would capitalize on one of the most egregious coverage lapses you will see on any level. Morgan would hit Tony Gaiter for a 13-yard touchdown, without a Miami defender within the 305 area code.

The Hurricanes would finally punch back with a nine play, 69-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 14-yard score by Cam Harris to make it 23-10 halfway through the fourth quarter.

FIU was flopping on defense enough to make soccer players look credible, much to the disdain of Williams and his teammates.

A real story of the game was a lack of a pass rush from Miami, Morgan got rid of the ball in a hurry all night.

Morgan would finish going 16-for-30 for 160 yards and two touchdowns, an efficient and effective performance.

Meanwhile Williams stat line was…not so great.

William completed 19-of-36 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Those numbers were padded nicely in garbage time.

The Panthers’ offensive line is a team strength and neutralized Gregory Rousseau and the rest of the defensive line for the most part.

FIU started using the clock as the fourth quarter eroded and the outcome became inevitable.

Williams would manage to spark a late drive with some nice passes to Will Mallory and Jeff Thomas before hitting a wide open Mark Pope to make things interesting.

Pope caught a 35-yard dime from Williams and the score stood at 23-16 with 3:10 left to go.

Mallory doubled his season reception total with four catches for 71 yards, and along with Harris and Burns were among few bright spots on offense.

When Dan Enos is trending on Twitter it is usually a bad thing for the Hurricanes.

Those good feelings for the Hurricanes’ faithful lasted all of 53 seconds as FIU tailback Anthony Jones would get those points right back with a 37-yard dagger.

 

Being down and out seem to wake up Williams and the offense as they again marched down the field for another touchdown in less than two minutes.

It would not be enough as FIU would recover the onside kick to seal it, with Butch Davis receiving a well deserved Gatorade bath.

FIU played a sloppy game in terms of penalties with 14 for 144 yards. However they did not turn the ball over once.

Yet they played with heart and exceeded the energy on the opposing team for the majority of the game.

The Hurricanes once again thought they could just show up and win.

One team from the 305 did, just not the one most expected.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

FIU finally beats Miami, wins the city

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The Florida International Panthers beating the Miami Hurricanes 30-24 may go down as the biggest upset in Miami sports history.

It was fitting that the game took place at the site of the Orange Bowl and FIU was led by the same head coach that built arguably the great college football team in history in Miami before leaving for the NFL in 2001.

“We did everything we can, when everybody says you can’t,” FIU coach Butch Davis said. “To be [three]-touchdown underdogs … if you believe that you can, then you can.”

This was like the greasers beating the socials for the soul of the city. The private school with the proud legacy fell to the public upstart with none. One school has five national championships and plays in a NFL stadium. The other school’s stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000 and can barely fill it.

FIU has four times the amount of students as UM, which is usually the case when it comes to comparing public and private schools. The college football system puts down half of the conferences and makes those teams disqualified from competing for the national championship. FIU fans have no hope of their team making it to the playoffs. UM fans expect it every season.

Like their students, the players grew up wanting to put on the orange and green before calling FIU their home. Yet despite the Hurricanes being the school that invented swagger, it was the Panthers who brought it to the field.

“That used to be our dream school,” said FIU kicker Jorge Borregales, who converted 3-of-3 field goals — two of them from 50 yards or more. “Everybody knew Miami. Beating them today, it’s like, yeah, we’re here.”

“We wasn’t even calling them the University of Miami during the week,” FIU linebacker Sage Lewis said. “We were calling them the University of Coral Gables. We’re the true Miami school. We have more students internationally. We did it for the university and really for the world.”

FIU set the tone of the game through defense. An interception by Stantley Thomas-Oliver III set up a field goal by Borregales giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Morgan threw nine passes once he got the ball back, moving the chains the capping it off with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Shemar Thornton to go up 10-0.

The Hurricane’s next two drives ended on turnover on downs and the Panthers closed out the first half with a 50 yard field goal. The Panthers then started the second half with Davis intercepting Hurricanes quarterback Jarren Williams. Jamal Gates also got into the action with a pick of his own in the third quarter.

A field goal by Camden Price finally got the Hurricanes on the board with a 16-3 deficit going into the fourth quarter.

A touchdown pass from Morgan to Tony Gaiter IV extended the Panthers lead to 23-3 early in the fourth quarter. Gaiter celebrated his score with a member of the FIU Army ROTC.

The Hurricanes offense finally got clicking with three touchdowns in the game’s final 11 minutes. a 14-yard touchdown run by Cam’Ron Harris and 35-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Mark Pope put Miami within six points.

A touchdown run by FIU running back Anthony Jones put FIU out of reach with a 30-17 lead with 2:17 left in the game. The Hurricanes responded with a touchdown pass from Williams to Dee Wiggins but the onside kick attempt failed and the Panthers went into victory formation.

Manny Diaz is in his first year as head coach after three years as the defensive coordinator called the loss to FIU, “One of the darkest nights in this program’s history.” His Hurricanes are 0-3 after coming out of a bye week.

“We’ve got to do a lot better job getting our guys prepared for this kind of game,” Diaz said.

Diaz has heard the criticism from the fan base after starting the season 0-2 and not winning games in blowout fashion agains opponents that they don’t find to be in their level. Three straight wins quieted the fury and even had them thinking Orange Bowl but now it’s back and worse than ever.

“The noise is deserved,” Diaz said. “We need to get this fixed.”

Miami was never meant to have a rivalry with the likes of FIU and even Florida Atlantic. The first time UM and FIU played resulted in an infamous brawl that severed ties for a decade. The Hurricanes closed out the Orange Bowl in embarrassing fashion, losing 48–0 to Virginia in 2008. The old but iconic stadium was demolished to make way for Marlins Park but the Canes’ first game back on the sacred soil might have come with a much more sour taste.

As for FIU, this win might lead to more of its student fans feelIng confident in their football team and lend more support. Under Butch Davis, the Panthers are going to their third straight bowl game for the first time in program history. This may not be the only time the Panthers will be capable of beating the Hurricanes and that’s what must have Hurricane fans worried, especially the ones who didn’t go to FIU.

“I think it’s a rivalry after tonight,” Jones said.

Potential Miami vs Alabama Orange Bowl Offers Intrigue

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This Saturday the Miami Hurricanes face FIU on the former site of the Orange Bowl, Marlins Park.

The Hurricanes, believe it or not, have an actual path to the Orange Bowl game itself as well.

Basically the formula is to take the highest ranked ACC team that does not make the College Football Playoff.

Problem is, besides No. 3 Clemson, no other ACC team is ranked.

 

If Miami runs the table and finishes 8-4, and Clemson makes the playoffs, it would be up to the Orange Bowl committee to pick an ACC representative.

The Hurricanes have FIU and Duke to close out the regular season, both project to be wins for Miami.

Many storylines would capture local interest – can the Hurricanes beat the Crimson Tide without star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?

Will Dan Enos (former Alabama QB coach) now on the Miami sidelines, have something extra for his old boss Nick Saban?

(Dolphins fans may want a little revenge on Saban as well).

These two storied programs have not met since the 1993 Sugar Bowl, when No. 2 Alabama beat top ranked Miami 34-13.

They are also scheduled to open their 2021 campaigns in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game.

Miami lost three out of their first five games, to be in this discussion is quite the feat.

The Hurricanes have won three straight ACC games by a 95-49 margin, they are peaking at the right time.

With two winnable games ahead, the Hurricanes could close out this year on a five game winning streak.

A hometown bowl game against a high profile opponent will get the attention of recruits.

Forget the Coastal Hurricanes fans, that ship has sailed.

However an Orange Bowl berth is a nice consolation prize to say the least.

Make sure to subscribe to the 5 Rings Canes Podcast for exclusive Hurricanes coverage.

Follow us on Twitter for more Miami Hurricanes @5ReasonsSports.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

Miami Sports…are They Becoming Good Again?

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The ever changing Miami sports landscape has been on a steady trend downward since the end of the “Big 3 era” of Miami Heat basketball.

Now there were some amazing moments since then, such as Dwyane Wade’s Last Dance and the Miami Miracle.

Those fleeting instances have been sandwiched between years of mediocrity.

The Marlins tore it all down, again.

The Heat had a bloated, ineffective roster.

We all know where Adam Gase left the Dolphins.

Manny Diaz is trying to bring the Hurricanes back.

Even the Panthers, a team with legitimate playoff aspirations recently, has disappointed.

Expecting anything different has become an annual disappointment.

Until now.

Dolphins Vision Unfolding

All of a sudden there is exciting and competitive football being played by the Miami Dolphins.

Who for once are actually exceeding expectations.

Yet we still aren’t happy.

Brian Flores has steadily guided a team lacking NFL level talent across multiple positions into a disciplined and passionate group.

Flores and his coaching staff are developing players and proving it “Takes No Talent” to compete.

Chris Grier has a war chest of draft capital, and actual capital of about 140M to quickly add top tier free agents.

With a shot at a franchise quarterback to boot.

For once the Dolphins have a plan and the cast to execute and deliver a winner.

Culture Shock

The Miami Heat seem to have figured out their roster around a true star in Jimmy Butler.

And are interesting as hell.

 

Getting back to their defensive identity and bringing back the “Culture” led by Butler has galvanized a young roster.

Currently the Heat rank fourth in defensive rating and third in steals per game (9.6). Miami also ranks in the top ten league wide in points-per-game allowed (105.7, 6th) steals (96, 5th) and overall defensive FG% (.437, 9th).

Smart perimeter defense has been key, the Heat lead the NBA in 3-point FG% allowed at just 28.9%. Only Miami and Oklahoma City are holding teams under 30% from deep as of November 13th.

 

Hassan Whiteside went to Portland which paved the way for Bam Adebayo to become the all around catalyst we see before us. Before being sidelined with a concussion, Justise Winslow was taking a huge step forward as well.

Finally the Heat have a cohesive roster that fits their style of play and identity, in a wide open Eastern Conference the Heat are suddenly poised for a home playoff series if they stay on track.

Cardiac Cats

In Sunrise the Florida Panthers under new coach Joel Quenneville are playing exciting, action packed hockey. Florida has won their last two games by an 11-9 margin…that’s a lot of goals!

After making franchise history with a four goal rally against Boston this week, the Panthers are showing tremendous toughness and resolve in late game pressure situations.

 

In the two wins against Boston and New York the Panthers outscored them 5-0 in the third period. Despite shaky goaltending and defense the Cats have found a way to get it done in the final 20 minutes.

It helps to have a top ten offense on your side, Aleksander Barkov has points in six straight games entering Thursday’s action and the power play continues to dominate.

Florida ranks second with the man advantage, converting 26.8% of their power play opportunities.

If the Panthers can figure out their issues on the blue line and in goal to support a dynamic offense, they have a great chance of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-2016 season.

Hurricanes’ Season a Tale of two Teams

The Miami Hurricanes football team has had a polarizing season to say the least.

From quarterback uncertainty and losses against inferior teams early in the year, to blowout wins and record breaking performances – the 2019 Miami Hurricanes have kept fans on the edge of their seats.

After an uneven start to the season on offense, Jarren Williams has settled in as QB1 and hitting the big plays that were missing earlier in the year.

 

The Hurricanes have won three straight in ACC play by a combined margin of 95-49, after starting conference play 1-3 the turnaround has been drastic.

On the other side of the ball the defense has been wrecking house led by new and older names alike.

Senior linebackers Michael Pinckney and Shaq Quarterman have experienced a resurgence of energy and effectiveness.

While Gregory Rousseau went from out of the starting lineup to the best defensive lineman in the ACC, and one of the best in all of college football.

 

The Hurricanes have a star in the making both under center and at defensive end, two of the most important positions in football.

And they are both freshman.

With a coaching staff starting to figure it out and a favorable ACC Coastal division to call home, the sun is shining bright in Coral Gables.

Don’t Forget About us!

While the teams that are in action in November are getting all the attention, there are more great storylines in Miami sports on the way.

The Marlins have quietly built one of the best farm systems in all of baseball.

Oh yeah, we are getting professional soccer too!

We could be saying this time next year “what a time to be a Miami sports fan”

A statement that is well deserved and long overdue.

Follow us on Twitter for all things Miami sports @FiveReasonsSports and @SportsWaveDave.

Photo by Tony Capobianco.

Despite move to TE early in season, Njoku elects to transfer

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Attrition continues for Manny Diaz’s program as redshirt-sophomore Evidence Njoku, who made the switch from wide receiver to tight end earlier this season, has decided to transfer out of the program. Njoku was not present at practice this morning. 

 

“He came to me and said he intends to transfer. He is a good young man and we wish him well wherever he ends up,” coach Manny Diaz added after practice.

Evidence finishes his UM career with one catch for 18 yards. Despite the switch, opportunities for the 6’6” Njoku to see the field were very slim considering the Canes are returning standout Brevin Jordan for at least one more season along with Will Mallory. He had been hoping to follow in the footsteps of many UM tight end greats before him, including his older brother David, who was a first-round draft pick in 2017. 

 

Njoku’s departure now leaves the team with five scholarship tight ends in Jordan, Mallory, Michael Irvin Jr., Brian Polendey, and Larry Hodges. Miami also has at least one more tight end coming in the next recruiting cycle with Naples High’s Dominic Mammarelli currently committed.

 

Jarren Williams, Hurricanes explode, embarrass Louisville

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QB1 wasn’t done at one. Or two. Or three. Or four.

Or even five.

Jarren Williams, who won the Miami Hurricanes’ job in camp, looked impressive early in the season and then regressed as he struggled with a shoulder surgery, announced himself as the present and future of the program in Saturday’s 52-27 demolition of Louisville.

No one has ever thrown as many touchdowns for the Hurricanes in a game.

Not Bernie Kosar, Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, Gino Torretta or even the immortal Kirby Freeman.

Only Deshaun Watson, then of Clemson, has thrown as many touchdowns in an ACC contest.

Sure, Williams’ protection was the best it’s been all season — the best it’s been for any quarterback here in years, actually. And yes, just about every receiver, especially Dee Wiggins, was consistently uncovered. Still, Williams had to make the throws, and did he ever. Again and again, he was on target, poised in the pocket and precise with his passes.

Williams’ brilliance lifted Miami to 6-4 in Manny Diaz’s first season, and 4-3 in the ACC. While the improvement of the overall team is undeniable, it’s still reasonable to wonder where the Hurricanes — now on a three-game win streak — would be if they had simply identified a competent kicker earlier in the season.

DeeJay Dallas and Cam’Ron Harris combined for 158 yards rushing.

Michael Harley and Wiggins combined for four of the touchdowns and more than 200 yards receiving.

Al Blades Jr. had an interception.

But the non-Jarren moment of the game was provided by celebrated underdog walk-on Jimmy Murphy, who recovered a fumble on a punt, tried to eat the turnover chain and broke it as Diaz cheered in the rain.

Miami finishes the regular season against FIU and Duke.  Then there will be a bowl game.

(For more, listen to 5 Rings Canes and Shula Bowl Podcast on the Five Reasons Sports Network. Photos by our Tony Capobianco.)

Rousseau, Hurricanes’ Defense Storm Over FSU 27-10

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The Miami Hurricanes lived up to the hype and the nickname this week, storming into Tallahassee and crushing Florida State 27-10.

Gregory Rousseau was the catalyst of the Hurricanes defense, tallying another FOUR sacks in Tallahassee today.

Rousseau has a ridiculous seven sacks in his last two games and Miami found that attacking style defense which kept FSU off balance all afternoon.

Miami (5-4, 3-3) evened their ACC mark and put on their most complete performance of the season.

Jarren Williams made enough plays when it counted and finished 21-of-37 with a season high 313 yards and two long touchdowns. He continues to hold the ball too long and it hurt, Williams lost a fumble for the lone Miami turnover which gave Florida State some life.

The offensive line played their best game of the season by a mile, helped by quick passes and great blitz pickups by the running backs.

Dan Enos has been under fire for his play calling but dialed up some timely deep shots.

 

Miami was the more aggressive team for once and you could sense they did not want to let Florida State back into it late.

Jeff Thomas had a triumphant return from suspension, finishing with four catches for 64 yards including a 39-yard dime to open the scoring for Miami.

DeeJay Dallas finished with 61 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown, Cam Harris could not get it going today and actually lost five yards on just two carries.

Neither team could manage anything on the ground, Miami finished with just 40 net yards rushing. Florida State was even less effective, Miami shut down star running back Cam Akers most of the day.

Akers managed 66 yards on the ground but it took 22 carries for a paltry 3.0 yard average. He did add three receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown, but the Hurricanes made life tough for the junior running back.

Seminoles quarterback Alex Hornibrook (yeah that guy) was the latest victim of the Hurricanes pass rush which dropped him nine times on the day. Hornibrook managed just 135 yards on 17-of-31 attempts with one touchdown and an interception.

As usual with these two the defenses set the early tone and the game was chippy from the jump.

Both teams were jawing throughout the game, finally Miami came out with energy and fire from the opening whistle.

Manny Diaz (FSU alum) certainly had this game circled on the calendar day one and it showed, his fingerprints were all over the defensive game plan.

Florida State offensive coordinator Kendal Briles dialed up trick play after trick play with little success, Miami was more sound tackling and with assignment football than in recent weeks.

Shaq Quarterman (9 tackles, 3 TFL), Trevon Hall (4 tackles, sack), and Nestor Jade Silvera (6 tackles, sack) were a force for the front seven.

 

Penalties (6/65) and third down (3/15) continue to be a sore spot, but the Hurricanes were able to overcome them with timely efforts on both sides of the ball.

Special teams did their job today, Camden Price did miss one field goal but made his other two and all three extra points. KJ Osborn continues to be a solid and safe punt return option.

Lou Headley had five punts for a 44.8 yard average, including a 65-yard bomb to pin FSU near their goal line.

Miami now has three straight wins over Florida State and will carry a two game winning streak back to Miami Gardens when they host Louisville November 9th.

 

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Photo by Tony Capobianco.

Miami Hurricanes name Jarren Williams QB1

Defense Responds, Williams Sparks Offense Late. Canes Win, 16-12!

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The Canes came into this game needing to win to keep their season from completely dismantling. While the hopes of playing for the ACC Championship game seem slim, there is still a slight hope that a win today could help build momentum for the rest of the season(we thought that after Virginia also). N’Kosi Perry was named the quarterback late this week ahead of today’s game against the University of Pittsburgh, but it was Jarren Williams who finished it.

Williams was still nursing an upper extremity injury during the week, which apparently led to coach Manny Diaz naming Perry the starter. While many people outside the program continue to call for Perry to remain the starter or even for Tate Martell to get a chance(Martell did not travel with the team due to a medical leave of absence), today’s game showed why Jarren Williams may still be the best option at quarterback for the Canes. Williams showed a lot of toughness on that drive and zip on the touchdown throw for the game-winning score. If you ask me, I think that the shoulder looks fine.

That Was Ugly

It was an ugly win. The offense for 90 percent of the game was atrocious, but 10 percent was all we needed. The biggest play of the afternoon came when Jarren Williams replaced the struggling N’Kosi Perry and led them down the field and threw a 32-yard touchdown strike to KJ Osborn with less than a minute remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Perry’s stat line does not look very good. He finished 10/24 for 104 yards and an interception. Williams came in for the final 2 drives and finished the day 4/8 for 50 yards including the 32-yard touchdown pass to Osborn. Osborn had a solid game finishing with 6 catches for 94 yards and the touchdown grab.

The only other guy on offense that was productive was Cam Harris, who always runs hard. He finished the game with 16 carries for 60 yards and a score. The absence of Deejay Dallas was sorely felt. The Canes hope to have him back next week.

The Defense Responds

The defense responded in a big way today, with what I believe was their best game of the season. They made big plays when they needed to and held Pitt to just 12 points on 4 field goals. Defensive end Gregory Rousseau continues to dominate for the Canes. He finished the game with 7 total tackles and 3 sacks!

The big bounceback of the game was unquestionably the play of DJ Ivey. After multiple blunders last week against Georgia Tech, including the complete whiff on the receiver during the fake punt that resulted in a touchdown, Ivey picked off the Pitt quarterback twice! He finished with 2 tackles and the 2 interceptions.

Others that played well on defense were Jon Ford, Pat Bethel, Bubba Bolden with a forced fumble and Gurvan Hall with the fumble recovery. Shaq Quarterman also had a very good game, finishing the afternoon with 12 total tackles. Guys were having fun on the sidelines today.

The Price is Right

Did the Canes find a kicker in walk-on third-string kicker Camden Price? It seems like it. Price connected on both of his kicks and as sad as this sounds, looked really good doing so. Both kicks were nothing out of this world, but the way our kicking has been, this kid looked like an All-American doing it. He connected on a 22-yard field and an extra point. Price has a strong leg and looks to be kicking with confidence. We all have seen what a lack of confidence can do to a kicker.

FSU Week is Here

Now, it’s rivalry week. It’s FSU week! The Canes go to Tallahassee to face FSU next Saturday. Game time should be announced soon. Look for it to be either a 3:30 pm or 7:30 pm start. More info as the week progresses.

 

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