‘Canes fans, do you remember what happened the last time Miami played Georgia Tech?
With 33 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, Miami up by three, all they had to do was take a knee to come away victorious against Georgia Tech. Instead, they elected to run the ball and former UM running back Don Chaney fumbled to give the ball back to the Yellow Jackets. With the time ticking down, the Yellow Jackets quarterback Hayes King heaved a deep 44-yard pass downfield for the game-winning touchdown.
A play call that derailed the Miami Hurricanes’ 2023 football season still looms large in the memory of fans and players alike. Head coach Mario Cristobal, however, is looking to put the past behind him and shift his focus to the Week 11 challenge ahead.
Miami (9-0, 5-0 ACC) will head to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3 ACC) at home for the first time since 2022 in what looks to be an intriguing matchup.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a bye week, but their last game before the break was a tough one, as they fell 21-6 to Virginia Tech. Against the Hokies, Quarterbacks Aaron Philo and Zach Pyron combined for 260 yards, each throwing one interception. Sophomore wideout Eric Singleton Jr led the receiving group with five receptions for a total of 90 receiving yards.
Georgia Tech is dealing with key injuries. Starting quarterback Hayes King has been sidelined since October 12th with a shoulder injury, but head coach Brent Key is optimistic that King will be available this weekend. Running back Jamal Haynes, who’s rushed for 598 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season, is also questionable with a shoulder injury.
Key told the media, “We’re hopeful. No, look, Guys, I’m sorry. I don’t have anything else to tell you other than he is day-to-day. He [Hayes King] is improving, he practiced, he is out there so we will see and it will be a game-time decision.”
Whether Haynes and King play or not, coach Cristobal still has a heck of a lot of respect for King.
“Really good player. Haynes King and that offense is really good yards per play. They’re up there some of the tops in the country. They are really good at generating chunk plays. They protect him really well. And I think they’re number one, number two in the country in least amount of sacks and pressures. They certainly do a great job of also getting him loose. I mean, he’s a really good runner as well, and he’s got explosive playmakers,” Cristobal told reporters.
No matter who is wearing that green dot on their helmet as the Georgia Tech offense sets on the field, this game will certainly be a test for Miami’s defense. Miami let up 31 points to a Duke team that entered the game 107th in total yards per game. A game that should have been a blowout for the Hurricanes, had them trailing by four points going into halftime last weekend.
On the bright side, true freshman cornerback OJ Frederique Jr has been playing outstanding all season and looks to continue his prowess against Georgia Tech. Last weekend Frederique chased down a Duke offensive player and intercepted a ball on a poor deep ball from quarterback Maalik Murphy.
With the good, comes the bad. Defensive back Jadais Richard had his best game of the season versus Duke, making 5 big tackles. Late in the game, Richard went down with a right leg injury and it was announced that he will miss the remainder of the season. A big blow to an already sparse Miami defense.
Cristobal needs the rest of his secondary to step up with the injury to Richard, “Well we have some guys that are really versatile, and some guys that now it’s their time. Now it’s their turn. We were talking about it the other day. I mean, the injury bug, it’s not exclusive or unique to us, right? A lot of people are going through it,” Cristobal told reporters.
Luckily for Miami, Cam Ward and the offense amazed Miami Hurricanes fans once again. Ward threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, three of which were thrown to Xavier Restrepo. Restrepo now holds the University’s receiving yards record and is tied for first place in career receptions which will certainly be broken shortly. Ward looks to continue his dominance after being named ACC quarterback of the week.
The run game had a decent performance for Miami, Fletcher Jr rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown while Martinez rushed for 66 yards. The running backs will look to exploit a bad Georgia Tech run defense this weekend.
Miami is favored to win this game by 11.5 points according to FanDuel Sportsbook and is expected to draw many Hurricane fans to the ATL.
Kick-off is set for noon at Bobby Dodd Stadium this Saturday and will air on ESPN.