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Canes Remove Fangs From Rattlers

Here are some key storylines, numbers of note and quotes from Miami’s 56-9 win over Florida A&M, a win that helped the Hurricanes move up two spots to #10 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 and to #12 in the coaches poll.

The Recap

Another week, another fast start for the Hurricanes.

After scoring on six of their first eight possessions against Florida last week, Miami needed just six plays to score its first touchdown of the year at Hard Rock Stadium – even though FAMU had the ball to open the game.

Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe picked off Rattlers’ quarterback Daniel Richardson on FAMU’s first drive and two plays later, the Hurricanes capitalized.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward – who earned a plethora of honors after his 385-yard performance against Florida – made his first throw at Hard Rock Stadium count, connecting with Elijah Arroyo on a 17-yard scoring strike that gave Miami the early lead.

The Hurricanes wouldn’t look back after that.

Miami added two more touchdowns in the first half, with Ward having a hand in both.

Midway through the first quarter, Ward connected with wide receiver Xavier Restrepo for a 50-yard touchdown and early in the second, Ward found running back Chris Johnson, Jr. for a 9-yard touchdown.

Ward finished the day competing 20 of 26 passes for 304 yards with three touchdowns, while Restrepo had four catches for a game-high 104 yards.

In the second half, Miami’s deep running backs room showed its ability to produce with Mark Fletcher Jr., Damien Martinez and Jordan Lyle scoring on touchdown runs of 4, 33, and 1-yards respectively.

The Hurricanes defense did a solid job in Saturday’s win, keeping the Rattlers out of the end zone and holding FAMU to a total of just 190 yards, including just 52 rushing yards.

“Fast start and then offensively, got in a little bit of a rut there. [We] made some careless errors. We’ve got to coach and play that part better, but a really good response in the second half, albeit some of the penalties, the post-half penalties, which we have to be better at,” Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal said. “All in all, it was good to play a lot of players tonight. Certainly, a lot of young guys got action and actually played at a high level, particularly the defensive line. They seemed to get relentless pressure on the quarterback and do a good job stopping the run. Good to see those freshman linebackers get in there and get a couple interceptions, as well. All in all, we handled our business and [there are] lots of areas to get better at.”

Numbers to Know

18 – Number of consecutive home openers the Hurricanes have now won. That’s the longest such streak in program history.

3 – Sacks registered by defensive lineman Tyler Baron against FAMU. According to the Associated Press, Baron is the eighth Hurricane to notch three sacks in a game over the last 20 seasons.

10 – Spot now owned by Restrepo on Miami’s all-time career receiving yards list. With his 104-yard performance against FAMU, Restrepo now has 1,933 career receiving yards. He passed Andre Johnson (1,831) and Allen Hurns (1,891) on the career list and has now notched eight 100-yard performances during his Hurricanes career.

308 – Total points scored by kicker Andy Borregales during his Miami career after the senior converted on a field goal and five extra points against FAMU. Borregales has now passed Greg Cox for fifth on Miami’s all-time points scored list.

12 – Number of Hurricanes who caught at least one pass in Saturday’s win. It marks the second straight week more than 10 players have caught a pass in game action. Last week against Florida, 11 different Hurricanes registered at least one catch.

Game Day: UM vs FAMU

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Sure, I know, it was only one game.

And yes, I know it is a long season.

But for one glorious game, the first game of the 2024 season on the road at the Swamp, and against their hated rival the Florida Gators, the Miami Hurricanes dominated from start to finish in the most impressive manner possible.

When it was over the Florida fans hung their heads in shame and disgust at the 41-17 final score. And that is just the way Miami fans like it!

In the process it was firmly established that the Hurricanes have found themselves a new stud at starting quarteback in transfer Cam Ward. He showed that he could very possibly be the best QB at Miami since Kenny Dorsey wore #11 in Coral Gables.

Ward, who wears #1, was simply magnificent as he displayed why he was the number one target in the NCAA transfer portal during the offseaon. He threw for three touchdowns and 385 yards, which is a new first game UM record. He had several timely scambles for 33 more yards to help keep the Gators defense off balance. His only misque was the the one interception on the day by tring to force the ball into a tighly covered receiver.

Ward was not the only transfer portal product to shime on this sunny day in Gainesville. New running back Adrian Martinez who transfered from Oregon State, also had a producitve day running for 65 yards on 15 carries. The Canes rushed for a combined 144 yards and averaged 7.7 yards per play in ammassing 529 total yards on the day. Miami ran 69 plays to Florida's 54 and led in time of possession 34:30 to 25:30 minutes.

Standout wide receiver Xavier Restrepo led Miami with 7 catches for 112 yards and one TD while oft injured TE Elijah Arroyo showed flashes of becoming a huge threat in the middle with his athleticism and talent. He had 4 catches for 89 yards and looked ready to take on a larger role in Miami's offense this season. Sophmore Isaiah Horton added 4 cathches for 70 yards and Jacolby George added a touchdown. But it was TE Cam McCormick, who apparently has played more years of college football (nine) than J Lo has engagement rings (6), scored the first TD of the game for the Hurricanes.

The UM defense also boasts several high profile portal transfer this season as well. The Canes lost edge rusher Ruben Bain during the first defensive series of the game but the defense showed great depth and played superbly all four quarters, holding Florida to 17 points, with seven of those coming off turnovers.The Hurricanes has eight tackles for loss, two sacks and held the Gators to 261 total yards and only 122 passing yards. Mishael Powell had an interception which he returned for 67 yards.

Special teams also played well in spite of one missed field goal. Andres Borregales was 2/3 on the day and consistently pushed his kickoffs deep into and often out of the end zone. Punter Dylan Joyce punted just twice during the game and averaged 48.5 yards per kick.

Coordinators Shannon Dawson and Lance Guidry made head coach Mario Cristobal look good with excellent play calling. They subsituted liberally throughout the game with no real difference in performance. On defense 22 players recorded a tackle and on offense 10 players caught a pass while 5 ran the ball during the game.

Time will tell but it finally appears that Cristobal now has the coaches and most importantly the talent necessary to compete for an ACC Title and compete for a spot in the newly expanded college football playoff in 2024.

So start spreading the news.

These 2024 Miami Hurricanes can play.

Gator Hater

When 19th-ranked Miami travels to Gainesville to kick off a new season against rival Florida, there will be a frenzied crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a national audience tuning in on ABC, and plenty of excitement on both sides. There will also be two, talented experienced quarterbacks hoping to do their part to make an impact on the game and ensure their team gets the new season started on a good note.

Earlier this year, Cam Ward arrived in Coral Gables with an impressive resume built after two seasons at Washington State. There, he started 25 games, completed 66 percent of his passes and threw for 6,963 passing yards with 48 touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 13 scores.

The senior was voted the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and enters the season on the watch list for several major college football awards, including the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Florida, meanwhile, will counter with redshirt senior Graham Mertz, who started 11 games for the Gators before an injury kept him out of the season finale.

On Monday, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal praised both signal callers, noting both have the ability to make to make a difference in Saturday’s season opener.

“Not enough can be said about their quarterback. I mean, statistically, he leads the country in accuracy under pressure. Certainly, the touchdown to interception ratio leads you to understand how accurate, how decisive [he is], what kind of caliber decisions he makes,” said Cristobal, now in his third year leading his alma mater. “He’s on point. He’s a very well-coached player. He’s a very smart player, but he is also elusive. He’s got great feet, great body control, [and] he’s got great awareness in the pocket. He’s a winner, you know, and I think now going through a second year in their system, he’s certainly a guy that you have to control throughout the course of the game.”

And Ward, Cristobal noted, has emerged as not just a playmaker for the Hurricanes in his seven months on campus, but as a leader who will go a long way in setting the tone, both on and off the field for Miami.

“Cam Ward has been at different places and at every place he’s been, he’s just gotten better and better and better,” Cristobal said. “Sometimes, he’s been playing from ahead, and sometimes, from behind. But he just plays, and he plays at an extremely high level, and he’s done that since the day he got here. There’s no limitations as it relates to installs, game plan. Sometimes, you’ve got to slow it down so that everybody gets it, but a quarterback like him, he’s so focused and concerned about the team doing well that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the team do well. All in all, a winner and an alpha leader. So, they will have a massive impact on this game.”

Coach-to-Player Communication Comes to College Football

When the Hurricanes take the field on Saturday, they – like every other team in the Bowl Subdivision – will be able to take advantage of new rules allowing for coach-to-player helmet communication in games, similar to the way NFL teams communicate.

A single player on offense and a single player on defense will be able to hear from their team’s coach, with communication being turned off either when the ball is snapped or when there are 15 seconds left on the play clock, whichever comes first. The players selected for the coach-to-player communication will be identified by green dots on their helmets.

Cristobal said on Monday the Hurricanes have been working to make sure their communication is “airtight” given the fact he expects a loud, hostile environment in Gainesville.

“The noise level itself, nowadays, you’ve got to simulate that in practice, right? And everything’s got to work,” Cristobal said. “This year, we have the player-coach communication devices, but if you watched games this week, right, you saw a lot of guys squeezing their helmets, trying to get clear communication because that certainly can’t be counted on. So, what happens next? Everything else has to kick in: your wristbands, your signals, your other methods of communication. So, that’s been part of our process, which we’ve worked really, really hard to make airtight in every regard. And then you have to simulate the noise itself … It’s a loud place. They do a great job with the game day atmosphere. In terms of the opponent itself, it’s the most important part.”

We Ready, We Ready!

From "Iron Sharpens Iron" by Christy Cabrera Chirinos

Every day on Greentree, they push each other. Drills are run. Blocks are made. Tackles delivered. Sometimes, words are exchanged. They’ll concede it isn’t always pretty and they can even get under each other’s skin.

But once practice is over, it’s not uncommon to see Hurricanes offensive linemen like Anez Cooper, Jalen Rivers, Ryan Rodriguez or Samson Okunlola huddling with defensive linemen like Rueben Bain, Jr., Elijah Alston, Akheem Mesidor or Ahmad Moten, Sr..

And in their conversations, there is often brutal honesty – the kind each one knows will only make all of the linemen better once they move off Greentree and into gametime situations, like the ones that await in Gainesville on Aug. 31 when No. 19 Miami opens the season against rival Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“I feel like we have one of the best o-lines in the country and we’ve got one of the best offensive line coaches in the country, so every day, we’re going out there, competing, and we’re going to talk a little smack,” said Moten, a redshirt sophomore who saw action in 11 games last season and consistently earned praise from coaches throughout camp. “Then after that, after practice, we’re back to being brothers. We’re going to help each other out. ‘Hey, how can I beat you on this move, Coop?’ or Jalen Rivers will ask somebody ‘On this long arm, where are you going to put your hands, so I know what to expect from different opponents?’ We’re all bought in. We all like doing it together. It’s just iron sharpens iron.”

Added Alston, who joined the Hurricanes earlier this year after five seasons at Marshall, “Yes, we do butt heads every day and we do beat each other up. But after practice, we’re coming to one another like, ‘Hey, the only reason I beat you like this is because you did this. That’s something you should work on.’ Or ‘The only reason why your rush didn’t work is because you did this instead of doing this. You didn’t sell it enough.’ And I feel like that plays a major part because when we get in front of real competition, it’s only going to help us grow a little bit more and work on the things we need to work on.”

As the Hurricanes start preparing for next week’s season opener, expectations are high for both Miami’s offensive and defensive lines.

Both units have talented, experienced players, like Rivers, a fifth-year redshirt junior who started all 13 games for Miami at left tackle last season, was a second-team All-ACC selection and is now on the watch list for the Outland Trophy.

Bain, meanwhile, was the 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and a consensus Freshman All-American after a breakout season in which he had 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Sophomore offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa had a big debut season himself, starting all 13 games for Miami at right tackle, earning Freshman All-America recognition and helping the Hurricanes average 431.2 yards per game, a number that ranked second in the ACC.

To that mix, the Hurricanes have added Alston, who totaled 108 tackles and 9.5 sacks during his time with the Thundering Herd, defensive line transfer Simeon Barrow, Jr., who made 30 starts during a four-year career at Michigan State, defensive line transfer Tyler Baron, who totaled 101 tackles and 13.5 sacks in four years at Tennessee, and center Zach Carpenter, a redshirt senior who made 25 starts at Indiana before joining the Hurricanes – among others.

That kind of experience will be a boon for the Hurricanes as they look to continue their growth and improvement under third-year head coach Mario Cristobal, a two-time national champion offensive lineman at Miami.

When he returned to his alma mater, Cristobal made it clear fortifying Miami’s defensive and offensive lines would be a priority and now, both units are expected to be strengths.

“It’s better,” Cristobal said during camp, of Miami’s depth. “We feel like we have significant improvement in a lot of areas, particularly the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”

Added assistant head coach and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal of his group in particular, “You’ve got a practice organizational chart and then you’ve got a game organizational chart, right? And your practice organizational chart has got to be deep enough where you can get the reps with the ones, the twos, the threes and sometimes, the fours. In a game, it isn’t that. In a game, it’s your top five guys. Some guy goes down, who’s the next best guy? If you have eight or nine of those, that’s a luxury. That’s what you’re looking for. We had it last year. We already have it now, this year, in my opinion. What you’re looking for as a coach is you’re looking to continue to grow that.”

For more of this article click here: https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2024/08/21/fb-feature-iron-sharpens-iron/

NFL Hall Of Fame Makes Room For Two More Hurricanes

Seven of the “Greatest of the Game” were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday August 3,2024. The Hall’s 50-person Selection Committee met virtually in January to conduct the annual vote and select the seven players in the Class of 2024.

The newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are defensive end/outside linebacker DWIGHT FREENEY, RANDY GRADISHAR, DEVIN HESTER, ANDREJOHNSON, STEVE McMICHAEL, JULIUS PEPPERS AND PATRICK WILLIS.

The two Miami Hurricanes selected were wide receiver Adnre Johnson and kick returner extraordinaire Devin Hester

DEVIN HESTER:

Times as Finalist: 3 | Year of eligibility: 3
Position: Punt Returner/Kick Returner/Wide Receiver
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 190
NFL Career: 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens, 2016 Seattle Seahawks
Seasons: 11 | Games: 156
College: Miami (Florida)
Drafted: 2nd Round (57th overall), 2006
Born: Nov. 4, 1982, in Riviera Beach, Fla.

Multi-dimensional player who joined Bears after collegiate career as offensive, defensive and special teams threat … Became immediate standout as return specialist, earning spot on 2006 NFL All-Rookie Team … In debut season, returned 47 punts for 600 yards (both NFL highs) and three TDs, along with 20 kickoffs for 528 yards and two touchdowns … Also returned a missed field goal that season for a 108-yard touchdown – one of only four such “kick-six” scores of that distance in an NFL game. … Opened Super Bowl XLI with 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – the only time in Super Bowl history that has occurred … In second NFL season, returned four punts and two kickoffs for scores, establishing an NFL record for six combined kick returns for TDs … First-team All-Pro three times (2006-07, 2010) … Member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s … One of two return specialists on the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

ANDRE JOHNSON:

Times as Finalist: 3 | Year of eligibility: 3
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 229
NFL Career: 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans
Seasons: 14 | Games: 193
College: Miami (Florida)
Drafted: 1st Round (3rd Overall), 2003
Born: July 11, 1981, in Miami

Surpassed 1,000 receiving yards seven times (2004, 2006, 2008-2010, 2012-13) … Led NFL in receptions twice (103 in 2006 and 115 in 2008) and in receiving yards twice (1,575 yards in 2008 and 1,569 yards in 2009) … One of only three players (Jerry Rice, Calvin Johnson) to lead NFL in receiving yards in consecutive seasons in Super Bowl era … Finished career with 1,062 receptions for 14,185 yards and 70 receiving touchdowns … Texans franchise leader in most receiving statistics … Caught five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown as Texans beat Cincinnati in first playoff appearance (2011); followed the next week with eight receptions for 111 yards in narrow loss to Ravens … Three career games with 200+ receiving yards … First-team All-Pro twice (2008-09) … Selected to seven Pro Bowls (2004, 2006, 2008-10, 2012-13) … Member of 2003 NFL All-Rookie Team … First player elected to Texans’ Ring of Honor (2017).

Are U Ready?

On the night before the Hurricanes returned to Greentree for their first official practice of preseason camp, Ward’s excitement level was through the roof. And so, sleep was hard to find.

Still, once the quarterback got on the field Wednesday morning, there was plenty of energy – for him, his teammates and Miami’s coaches.

“It was fun. It was anxious, just excitement,” Ward said. “I was ready to get this first day started and get it over with, so I’d actually have some film to watch, of the team and myself. We had a lot of good things, but we also have some things we’ve got to clean up.”

The quarterback wasn’t the only one eager to see how Miami looked on the practice field.

The Hurricanes have spent the better part of the summer going through their off-season program, with player-led workouts and conditioning sessions taking center stage.

On Wednesday, Miami’s coaches were the ones leading the Hurricanes through drills, and they were eager to see what kind of progress has been made since the end of spring.

But even with those coaches teaching and correcting, head coach Mario Cristobal noted it’s important that Miami’s veteran leaders continue setting the tone for their teammates, through camp and beyond.

“I think it’s important to note that just because the coaches are here now and we report to camp, [it] doesn’t mean that it stops being player-led,” said Cristobal, a two-time national champion offensive lineman now in his third season leading his alma mater. “The best thing a coach can do is really prepare and conduct an organized and challenging practice. You know, scripting, the details of individual technique and fundamental work, angles, leverage numbers … all of those things are really important. But at the end of the day, it’s still got to be [player]-driven. Because we chase guys up and down the field, you probably see we’ve got coaches come out just dripping in sweat. But it’s got to come from within and we’re getting really good push. We’re getting really good results … with internal leadership and solely based on and focused on getting better.”

That accountability, that directive for players to continue stepping up and leading is one more than a few Hurricanes are embracing.

On Wednesday, veteran offensive lineman Jalen Rivers stressed the importance of competition and making sure no one on the line – or anywhere on the field – becomes complacent.

Ward praised the performances of more than a few of his youngest teammates, including freshman receivers Joshisa “Jojo” Trader and Ny Carr.

And senior linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, who had a team-high 82 tackles last season, made it clear he’s not content to rest on his laurels and wants more from himself, and his teammates this year.

“Just [get] better every single day, you know? Critique yourself on every rep from today, watch the film and just try to get an edge,” Mauigoa said. “Treat every single practice like game day, so, watching film on the offense and try to get an edge on that.”

Now, with a month before the Hurricanes are scheduled to open the season with an afternoon showdown against rival Florida in Gainesville, Mauigoa and the rest of Miami’s veterans want to make sure all of the Hurricanes understand what’s at stake over the next few weeks.

Talented And Smart

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its 2023-24 Academic Honor Roll on Thursday, and the University of Miami placed a school-record 271 student-athletes on the list.

The ACC Academic Honor Roll is comprised of student-athletes who participated in a varsity-level sport and registered a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the full academic year. This marks the most-ever ACC student-athlete honorees with 6,187 — the first time the number has eclipsed the 6,000 mark.

“I am incredibly proud of all our Hurricanes student-athletes who made the ACC Academic Honor Roll this past year,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “I want to thank our coaching and academic staffs for helping us set a school record and continuing to help our student-athletes achieve their goals in the classroom.”

Each of the ACC’s 15 schools had multiple student-athletes who achieved ACC Academic Honor Roll listing for the fifth time, which for Miami included Mimmi Balaam (rowing), Abby Casiano (volleyball), Melissa Dagenais (soccer), Paige Jackett (rowing), Tarynn Kaelin (rowing), Liane Lopez (rowing), Aino Otava (swimming), Taylor Shell (soccer), Emma Shuppert (swimming), Constance Stirling (rowing), Savannah Vach (volleyball), Mia Vallée (diving) and Taylor Wright (track and field). Twenty-one UM student-athletes earned honors for the fourth time in their careers.

The complete 2023-24 ACC Academic Honor Roll can be found here.

Narrow Hallway Is Open To Hurricanes

Four Miami Hurricanes were named to the 2025 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced Monday.

A total of 77 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 34 coaches from the divisional ranks are on the ballot.

Quarterback Ken Dorsey, linebacker Darrin Smith and defensive back Sean Taylor were selected to the ballot, as was head coach Larry Coker.

Dorsey, a 2002 first-team All-American, led the Hurricanes to back-to-back BCS Championship Games in 2001 and 2002, winning the national title his junior season. Dorsey was a two-time BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year and was named 2001 Maxwell Player of the Year. He left Miami as the school’s record holder in career total offense and passing yards.

Smith was a two-time first-team All-American who helped lead the Canes to two national championships in 1989 and 1991. Smith, a 1992 NFF National Scholar-Athlete, led the Hurricanes to two BIG EAST titles while his teams did not lose a conference game during his career. Smith was the 1991 BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time first-team all-conference performer.

A 2003 unanimous first-team All-American, Taylor was named a finalist for the Thorpe Award in his final season with the Hurricanes. Taylor helped lead the Hurricanes to consecutive national championship games, including a win at the 2002 Rose Bowl. Taylor was the 2003 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time first-team All-BIG EAST performer who led the country in interceptions in his final season.

Coker posted a 60-15 record as head coach at Miami, including an astounding 35-3 record in his first three seasons. He led the Hurricanes to consecutive BCS Championship Games, winning the 2002 Rose Bowl and becoming the first rookie head coach to lead his team to a national title since 1948. Coker led the Hurricanes to three BIG EAST titles and orchestrated a 2001 offense that set the conference record with 475 points scored during the regular season.

The announcement of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in January 2025, with specific details to be announced in the future.

Noel Becomes A National Champion

Alexa Noel is bringing the NCAA Singles Championship trophy back to the University of Miami after a three-set thriller at the Greenwood Tennis Center.

For the third time in program history, a Miami Hurricane has earned the NCAA Singles title (Audra Cohen in 2007 and Estela Perez-Somarriba in 2019). Noel secured the honor after a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory against No. 70 Anastasiia Lopata from Georgia.

“I’m so proud of the tournament that Alexa played,” said head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews. “She showed uncompromising poise and the toughness of a champion. She’s a special young lady.”

Lopata was first to notch a game before Noel answered right back to tie it up and secure the break point to go up 2-1. The Bulldog didn’t waiver from it, as she took the next break point against Noel to lead 3-2. In a tight point to give Lopata the possible advantage, Georgia led 4-3, hoping to go up with only one more game to claim the set. Noel persevered to take the game and tied it up at 4-4. Lopata continued to do what she did and kept the game at her pace, leading to a 6-4 set win for Georgia.

Set two started the same way, with Lopata taking the lead and earning the 2-0 advantage. Noel didn’t stray away from fighting to cut the deficit, as she came up big with a break point to make it 3-2 and ultimately tie it at three-all. The remainder of the set mirrored the same way, until Noel took the lead on break point, 6-5, for her first lead since the first set at 2-1. The Hurricane went on and took the set, 7-5, to even the match.

The first five games were back-and-forth on ties and leads. Noel started to pull away after a 3-2 lead, pushing it to 5-2. Lopata went on to take her last game of the set, before Noel claimed the set, 6-3.

The accolade marks Yaroshuk-Tews’ third career NCAA Singles Champion and second in the past five tournaments.