The Miami Hurricane

Austin Pert

D’Eriq King, Quincy Roche announce decisions to transfer to Miami

For Hurricane football fans, Monday was a day to be excited about, as former University of Houston quarterback D’Eriq King and former Temple University defensive end Quincy Roach announced their intent to transfer to the University of Miami.

King announced that he will be transferring to Miami after entering the transfer portal last month. The news was first reported by Manny Navarro of The Athletic Sunday, with speculation continuing until King announced his decision via Twitter.

“Story is still being written…Let’s Go!” King tweeted.

https://twitter.com/DeriqKing_/status/1219377835061760003

King will have one season of eligibility left as a graduate transfer, a year removed from his true senior year where he didn’t play after his fourth start, which allowed him to use a redshirt and preserve his collegiate career for an extra season.

The Manvel, Texas native had a breakout campaign in 2018, completing 219 of his 345 passes for 2,982 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also boasted his ability as a runner, with 674 yards and 14 scores with his legs. He was also used as a wide receiver in his first two years with the Cougars before returning to quarterback full time.

King’s style of play may mesh well with new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, another piece of the 2020 team that joined the Canes from the Lone Star State after serving in the same capacity at Southern Methodist University. King thrived in a similar spread, up-tempo scheme at Houston under coach Major Applewhite.

King—who was a rated as a three-star duel threat quarterback out of high school by 247Sports—will enroll at Miami without delay before Tuesday’s enrollment deadline.

It remains to be seen how King’s decision to join the program will affect the career choices of juniors N’Kosi Perry and Tate Martell along with sophomore Jarren Williams. All three took snaps in 2019, but Perry and Williams split most of the starts. Martell arrived a season ago with much of his own fanfare as a transfer from Ohio State,

The former Houston quarterback wasn’t the only good news Canes fans received from the transfer portal, with former Temple defensive end Quincy Roche also announcing his decision to transfer to Miami for his final season of eligibility. As a grad transfer, Roche can also play right away.

“I would like to proudly express my commitment to the University of Miami. This was not an easy decision, but without a doubt the best decision for me and my family. I am ready to bring leadership, toughness, and hard work to the University of Miami football program as we push to win the ACC Championship,” Roche tweeted.

https://twitter.com/Qr9____/status/1219401326070812673

He’ll add to a stacked defensive line position group for Blake Baker’s defense in 2020, joining forces with breakout star Gregory Rousseau at the pass rushing position. Roche had 13 sacks in 2018 and picked Miami over Virginia Tech. Andrew Ivins of Inside the U reported Monday that Roche would likely sign at Miami if King also pledged to Manny Diaz’s program.

King and Roche will have the spring and summer to get acclimated with their new teammates, coaches and campus before the Hurricanes open the 2020 season against Temple on Sept. 5 at Hard Rock Stadium.

January 21, 2020
Canes overcome weather, College of Charleston for opening match sweep

Bojan Jankulovski won his doubles match 6-2 with partner Dane Dunlap, before winning 6-2, 6-3 over Charleston's Noah Borges. Photo credit: Josh Halper

The Miami Hurricanes earned a big victory Friday afternoon in their first match of 2020, where the skies proved to be more of an obstacle than the opponents from College of Charleston, as UM won by an unblemished 7-0 overall score in the opening duel match of the season at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

“First match, a lot of kinks,” said head coach Aljosa Piric about the day. “Every match is a tough match. We had a lot of things to deal with today, and overall, it’s always good to get a win and get the season off to a good start.”

Weather was the biggest factor in the playing conditions, starting with a rain delay which pushed the noon start time back to 1:45 p.m. A second, shorter stoppage occurred as a brief shower interrupted the first sets of the singles matches for about ten minutes. A third halt would be the shortest of the trio as the head umpire swiftly ordered play to continue. Even after each time play resumed, a swirling breeze and some stray drizzle put a damper on the otherwise pleasant 80 degree day.

“You just have to prep the guys, that they have to expect anything,” Piric said. “We had conversations with the team yesterday that the rain was coming. That’s what we talk about in practice all the time, conditions change. We focus on what we can control. Weather is certainly not a controllable.”

“The key is not losing your time, and not doing things that make you tired or lose focus,” junior Adria Soriano Barrera said.
. Photo credit: Josh Halper” align=”aligncenter” id=”attachment_128982″ width=”683″]
UM opened the match by clinching the doubles point without suspense, with No. 1 doubles team Bojan Jankulovski/Dane Dunlap winning 6-2 and No. 2 doubles squad Soriano Barrera/Francisco Bastias prevailing by the same scoreline. NCAA rules state that the team who wins the majority of the three doubles matches wins the entire doubles point, so the No. 3 match involving Hurricanes pair Stephen Madonia/Tatsuki Shimamoto was stopped with the duo leading 5-3.

“It just helps you to feel more confident,” Soriano Barrera said on winning the doubles point. “You know you have a point in the bag, and you don’t feel the pressure in having to come back from behind.”

Miami picked up where they left off when singles play began, beginning with the No. 1 match, where Soriano Barrera cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Charleston’s Johnny Wang in a match where the junior from Barcelona—ranked 63rd nationally—had little trouble, losing just a single game on his court and never being broken.

“I’m a very aggressive player, so when [Wang] started to feel the pressure, he kind of stepped back, so I stayed on top of him and the match was pretty easy,” Soriano Barrera said.

Dunlap and William Grattan-Smith were next to finish their respective bouts on the winning end, with their No. 2 and No. 5 matches clinching the team win for the Canes. Dunlap was on the upper hand of a 6-2, 6-2 win over the Cougars’ Ben Cawston, where the senior from Canada won each of the last five games in the second set. Meanwhile, Grattan-Smith recovered from a closer first set to pull away in the second, 6-3, 6-1.

Three singles matches were decided after UM cliched the overall victory, highlighted by Jankulovski’s 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Noah Borges, and Bastias’ win against Karl Mosterd decided by a super tiebreak, 4-6, 6-2, [10-4].

Tatsuki Shimamoto won his doubles match 5-3 and his singles match 7-6, 6-4. Photo credit: Josh Halper

It was Shimamoto, a junior from Japan, in the No. 6 match and his 7-6, 6-4 victory over Easton Thomas clinched the sweep for Miami.

The Canes return to action at 1 p.m. on Sunday on home when they take on Liberty and Georgia Southern. Then the team will hit the road for the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 25-26 in Stanford, California.

January 18, 2020
Hurricanes check in at no. 3 in D1 baseball rankings

HOMERUN: Raymond Gil is one of Miami's top hitters returning from last season. The sophomore third baseman ended last season with a .318 batting average. Photo credit: Josh Halper

The Miami Hurricanes’ hopes and expectations for the upcoming 2020 season continue to be sky high, with UM clocking in at No. 3 in Division I baseball preseason rankings, trailing only defending national champions Vanderbilt and Atlantic Coast Conference foe, No. 1-ranked Louisville.

This represents the first time the Hurricanes have made the preseason Top 25 since 2017, when they were ranked No. 21. The last time the program was ranked in the preseason Top 10 was in 2016, when Miami was slated at No. 6 and most recently made the College World Series. In-state rival Florida follow the Canes this year at No. 4, while Mississippi State, which knocked out the Hurricanes from last year’s NCAA Tournament at the Starkville Regional, was placed at No. 10. Six other ACC teams also cracked the rankings outside of the Top 12:

– No. 12 Florida State

– No. 15 Duke

– No. 16 North Carolina State

– No. 18 Wake Forest

– No. 19 Georgia Tech

– No. 23 North Carolina

PITCHER PERFECT: Brian Van Belle was named a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball. The right-handed pitcher finished last season with a 3.30 ERA. Photo credit: Josh Halper

The Hurricanes return eight of their nine best hitters from a season ago, including sophomore catcher Adrian Del Castillo (.331/.576/.418), junior third baseman Raymond Gil (.318/.565/.386) and junior first baseman Alex Toral (.293/.656/.400). Toral and Del Castillo were both named to the 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American third team. They were also both named Preseason All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball, along with Gil and redshirt senior pitcher Brian Van Belle.

Head coach Gino DiMare enters his second year at the helm in Coral Gables, after taking over for longtime skipper Jim Morris, who retired in 2018 after 25 years with the program.

UM will meet its first ranked opponent in 2020 when the Gators come to Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field on Feb. 21-23. The Canes will travel to Duke for a series between March 27-29, host UNC April 10-12 and then welcome Louisville the weekend of April 17-19 for a potentially pivotal league series. They’ll also see road tests at FSU on April 24-26 and against Georgia Tech in Atlanta between May 14-16.

Miami also made the Top 10 in two other major publications’ rankings, sliding into the No. 7 spot in the Perfect Game Poll and No. 4 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

The Canes open up the season with a three-game series against Rutgers at Mark Light Field, beginning Feb. 14.

January 16, 2020
Rhett Lashlee hired as new offensive coordinator

After parting ways with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dan Enos, the Miami Hurricanes have found a new man to run the offense.

Miami has hired Rhett Lashlee as the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The former Southern Methodist University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach will try to reinvent the Hurricanes offense that struggled tremendously this past season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rhett and his family to the UM family,” head coach Manny Diaz said in a statement. “Rhett has directed some of the most innovative offenses in college football in recent years, offenses that attack quickly, creatively and efficiently. We are excited to see how Rhett will look to spread the ball around and utilize our athletes on the offensive side of the ball.”

Lashlee, who prior to his two years at SMU, spent a season as coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Connecticut after three years spent coaching under Gus Malzhan at Auburn University. He played quarterback at the University of Arkansas from 2002-04, spending his three seasons as a walk-on and reserve.

Fans can expect Lashlee to implement a spread offense once he arrives in Coral Gables. The two most recent offensive play-callers at Miami utilized a pro-style attack. In both 2018 and 2019, Miami finished outside the top-90 in total offense among Football Bowl Subdivision teams, with declines in points per game, third-down offense, and sacks allowed between Mark Richt’s final season and this past season with Enos calling plays.

Last season Lashlee engineered an offense that put up 70 touchdowns, compared to just 43 the Hurricanes produced. SMU displayed a high-powered offense, averaging 41.8 points per game (7th in FBS) and 489.8 yards per game (9th in FBS). To compare, the Hurricanes only put up more than 41 points twice in the 2019 season.

The Mustangs’ offense played a part in the SMU football’s revival, finishing with double-digit wins for the first time since 1984, which was just a year after the Hurricanes won their first national championship. SMU went 10-3 in 2019 and were ranked as high as No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings after Week 9.

Lashlee will inherit an offense in a state of transition, with the departure of former five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard, who transferred to the University of Florida and wide receivers Jeff Thomas and K.J. Osborn entering the NFL draft. Jarren Williams, N’Kosi Perry and Tate Martell all took snaps at quarterback for Miami last year, and Tyler Van Dyke, a four star quarterback commit, has enrolled early and will also be in contention for the starting quarterback position. Lashlee inherits a young offensive line that went through many ups and downs in 2019, but gained plenty of experience and will return all five starters in 2020.

Enos was let go after a season of turmoil and inconstancy after being hired away from the University of Alabama, where he served as the quarterbacks coach. A ten-sack outing in the season opener against Florida, a 17-point offensive output in a close call against Central Michigan, two late season losses to FIU and Duke and the embarrassing bowl loss gave Enos little wiggle room in his quest to earn a second year at Miami.

Lashlee will begin the monumental task of turning around the Canes offense immediately, hoping to elevate the program following multiple years of sub-mediocrity.

January 13, 2020
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos fired after shutout loss to Louisiana Tech

The Miami Hurricanes will part ways with quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Dan Enos, after one season at the helm of the UM offense. The news was first reported by the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds hours before the Canes played in the Walk On’s Independence Bowl on Dec. 26. Miami waited until Friday to publicly comment.

“The University of Miami football program announced Friday that Dan Enos has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach,” the program said in a statement.

Enos led an offense in 2019 that gained an average of 378.9 yards per game, good for 90th in the FBS and a slight improvement over the 358.8 yards per game output in 2018. But any good news stops there, as the Hurricanes saw declines in points per game (28.8 to 27.8), third down conversion percentage (39.4% to 26.3%), and sacks allowed (27 to 47) from last season to this year.

“Manny Diaz is the right leader for our program but clearly changes are necessary and expected,” said UM Athletic Director Blake James in a tweet after Thursday’s loss, a hint that a coordinator change is looming. “Manny is in the process of making a full assessment of the football program, including coaches and staff. I remain committed to the young men in our locker room and I am excited to welcome our new recruits to the U Family. We will continue to tirelessly provided the resources needed to get this program back to competing for ACC and national championships.”

Individual game performances—such as surrendering 10 sacks in the season opener against Florida, the 12-point outing vs. Central Michigan, the three-turnover performance against FIU and a 17-point, 259-yard output in the regular season finale at Duke put added scrutiny on Enos.

But a zero-point offensive performance against Louisiana Tech was the cherry on top of a tumultuous season, leaving little wiggle room in any plans to let Enos stick around for a second season.

Enos inherited an offense in limbo after Diaz fired all assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball on Dec. 31 last year, a day after Diaz was brought back to Coral Gables as head coach.

Before the announcement of Enos on UM’s staff a year ago, Diaz asserted his commitment to bring aggression and innovation to the offense, mirroring the changes he brought on the defensive side of the ball when hired as defensive coordinator in 2016 by then-head coach Mark Richt.

Enos was hired by Diaz after spending two seasons at Alabama, serving as the Crimson Tide’s quarterback coach. Prior to his stint in Tuscaloosa, Enos was an offensive coordinator at Arkansas and a head coach at Central Michigan. Diaz insisted that the former QB coach in Tuscaloosa was his top target for offensive play caller.

Fans looking for an offense that brought speed and aggression were instead treated to an offense that was stagnant, erratic, and not unlike the predictable 2018 offense. Many analysts have called for the Canes to switch to a spread offense, used by much of college football’s programs today, to take full advantage of the plethora of speed that Miami has on its roster.

But Enos instead lead an offense that arguably regressed from its 2018 self, leading to perhaps the biggest decision in Manny Diaz’s young tenure as the head coach in Coral Gables.

December 27, 2019
Miami football’s bowl game projections
The holiday season is once again upon us, which means college football programs from all across the country will be receiving bowl game invitations this December. 78 teams from 10 conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision will participate in the 40 postseason contests, but how does each team get selected to each individual game? In today’s football landscape dominated by corporate contracts, conference tie-ins, and timeless traditions, the bowl selection process proves to be a complex issue.

Bowl Games

Bowl games got their start in the early 20th century, as ways for warm weather cities to attract tourism from fans in northern states by inviting football programs from colder regions to play in exhibition games. The Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl began the practice, which has now evolved into the 40-game postseason slate we see today, where almost every team with at least 6-6 record gets the chance to extend their season.

Where is Miami going?

To get an idea of what bowl Miami will be invited to, one can look at the Atlantic Coast Conference’s bowl tie-in contracts. Each of the 37 non-playoff bowl games have contracts with two conferences, whom will send the bowl games the participating teams. These contracts are based mostly on geography and tradition, with more historically established and major market bowls getting more favorable selection opportunities than newer games in smaller markets.

Photo credit: Austin Pert

The ACC will send 10 of its teams (plus one, which we’ll get to later) to one of the 12 bowl games it has tie-in deals with, as well as possibly the College Football Playoff assuming Clemson qualifies.

Once the playoff selects its four participants from any conference Sunday, the rest of the bowl selection process begins to get underway.

First for the ACC will be the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami for its highest ranked, non-playoff team to participate in, where it will represent the conference against the highest ranked Southeastern or Big Ten Conference team not selected for the playoff, Rose or Sugar Bowls.

The next-highest remaining ACC team will be selected for the VRBO Citrus Bowl to play an SEC team, while the team right behind will go to the Camping World Bowl against an opponent from the Big 12. However, if the ACC program’s opponent in the Orange Bowl comes from the SEC, the ACC’s bid to the Citrus Bowl is instead given to the Big Ten, and the best remaining ACC team after the Orange Bowl’s pick simply goes to the Camping World Bowl. Totally simple.

The next four-highest remaining ACC teams are collectively sent to four different games, known as “Tier One” bowls. Each of these games carries equal weight, with specific bowl assignments being decided collectively by school athletic departments, the bowl committees, and the ACC. The ACC’s tier one bowls are as follows.
- Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl against the Pac-12
- Belk Bowl against opposition from the SEC
- New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. a Big Ten team
- Either the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl or the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the SEC, as the two of those bowls collectively share a single ACC bid.
ACC teams still without a bowl placement following the tier one bowls’ selections will be placed in “Tier Two” games. These bowls will select the remaining ACC teams in the order shown below.
- Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman against a team from the American Athletic Conference
- Walk On’s Independence Bowl vs. an SEC program
- Quick Lane Bowl against the Big Ten.
In addition to the 10 ACC teams that are bowl eligible, Notre Dame will be entitled to an ACC-earmarked bowl bid as an affiliate conference member, so long as their bid doesn’t interfere with a full member’s opportunity to play in the Orange Bowl.

Because of Miami’s two consecutive losses to end the season, many analysts are predicting the 6-6 Hurricanes to end up in one of the ACC’s tier two bowls. However, it is important to remember that overall record isn’t the only factor that determines bowl selections–especially as the selection process progresses toward the middle and lower end game—with a team’s record, fanbase size, marketability, and physical proximity to a bowl site all playing factors in a bowl’s selection of a program.
December 8, 2019
Women’s basketball falls to Indiana in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

The Miami Hurricanes couldn’t overcome a poor shooting night or the Indiana Hoosiers Wednesday evening at the Watsco Center, dropping a 58-45 decision in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The No. 21 ranked Hurricanes (5-3) recorded season lows in points, field goal percentage (21.7%) and assists, with just four in the loss to the No. 14 ranked Hoosiers. Miami also lost the turnover battle 18-13 and were outscored in the paint 22-14. IU allowed just five Miami steals, despite the face that Miami came into the evening averaging 9.71 steals per game, which ranks second-best in the ACC.

Taylor Mason posted six points and four rebounds in 26 minutes played. The Canes shot 13-60 from the field and 4-18 from 3-point range. Photo credit: Josh Halper

The Hoosiers entered Wednesday with four players averaging at least 10 point per game, including leading scorer Grace Berger, who did not play in the game. Junior guard Jaelynn Penn logged a game-high 17 points, Ali Patberg recorded 12 points and sophomore forward Aleksa Gulbe added 10 points along with a team-high eight rebounds.

On the other end of the floor, the visitors held Miami forward and ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Beatrice Mompremier, to just 11 points, well below the conference-high 18.1 points she came into the game averaging. Endia Banks’ 13 points was a team high for Miami, while Mykea Gray registered seven points and Taylor Mason added six. Jamir Huston’s eight rebounds led Miami and equaled a game-high.

The Hurricanes did hold Indiana to just a 37.5 shooting percentage and out-rebounded them 46-39, which included out-rebounding them 19-8 on the offensive glass. Miami also held Indiana to just 58 points, well below the 73 points per game allowed in the Hurricanes’ three prior games. However, those numbers were overshadowed by Miami’s shaky offensive outing and a 23-4 extended run by IU that bookended halftime.

Indiana jumped out in front 14-11 after one quarter, mostly because of the nine turnovers Miami committed in the opening period.

The Hurricanes went ahead 25-20 with less than four minutes remaining in the first half, but allowed Indiana to go on a 11-0 run as the Hoosiers surged back in front and took a 31-25 lead into the locker room. The Hurricanes shot just 30 percent from the field before halftime, and 26.7 percent in the second quarter.

Head coach Katie Meier looks on as Miami has the ball. The Hurricanes had 18 turnovers and shot 22.7 percent from the field. Photo credit: Josh Halper

IU padded their lead with a 12-4 start to the third quarter to extend their lead to 14, their largest lead of the night. The Canes cut the deficit to as little as six points with just under four minutes to play, but saw any momentum slashed when Indiana’s Brenna Wise drained a three-pointer from the wing.

With the loss, Miami falls to 0-3 against ranked opponents this season. The Canes were defeated by No. 19 DePaul on Nov. 23 and No. 5 Oregon State on November 29. UM has now lost three of their last four games dating back to Nov. 23 after starting the season 4-0.

With the loss to Indiana, Miami has now been defeated in two consecutive Big Ten/ACC Challenge games. Miami lost 74-63 at Purdue a season ago in the challenge. Before the 2018-19 season, UM had won four straight games in the event.

The Hurricanes are off for 12 days before they return to the Watsco Center on Dec. 17 to face Binghamton.

December 4, 2019
Former Miami running back Mark Walton cut by Dolphins after arrest

Former Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Walton was waived by the Miami Dolphins after the second-year player was arrested and charged with aggravated battery early Tuesday morning in Davie, Florida.

According to police records, Walton had been in an argument with the mother of his unborn child, who is five weeks pregnant, when he allegedly shoved her into a wall and struck her in the face and head. Police were called to a residence in Davie around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday. The victim suffered a swollen left eye.

Former UM running back Mark Walton was cut from the Miami Dolphins after being arrested for aggravated battery. Image source: Instagram, @markwalton

“We were made aware of a police matter earlier this morning regarding Mark Walton,” said Dolphins general manager Chris Grier in a statement on Tuesday. “We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Walton’s attorney told CNN that he doesn’t believe Walton is guilty.

Walton was released on a $10,000 bail Wednesday while being ordered by Broward County judge Jackie Powell to obtain substance abuse evaluation and to refrain from having contact with the pregnant woman.

Tuesday’s incident is the fourth time in 2019 that Walton has been arrested. He was arrested in January for a misdemeanor drug charge, was charged with battery Feb. 16 and was arrested on felony charges April 3 for reckless driving, marijuana possession and carrying a concealed weapon. All charges were either dropped or resulted in probation.

Walton was in the middle of serving a four-game suspension imposed by the NFL for his prior three arrests, with two games remaining before reinstatement. However, in light of Tuesday’s development, he now faces an uncertain future both on and off the field.

The Booker T. Washington graduate played for the Miami Hurricanes from 2015-2017 before he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 112th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. At Miami, Walton was the team’s starting running back his sophomore year and rushed for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2017, as a junior, Walton played in four games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

The Cincinnati Bengals waived Walton after his third arrest on April 6, 2019. The Miami Dolphins signed Walton after mini-camp tryouts in May.

Walton had ascended to the top of the Dolphins depth chart after the team traded fellow running back Kenyan Drake to the Arizona Cardinals. Walton’s 201 yards this season are still a team-high.

November 21, 2019
Miami football eliminated from ACC Championship contention

The Hurricanes were eliminated from the ACC Coastal Division race Saturday and will no longer have the opportunity to appear in the conference championship game. Miami’s slim path to the title game in Charlotte was ended after Virginia Tech’s 45-0 win at Georgia Tech Saturday night, a game that was never in doubt after the Hokies jumped out in front, leading 31-0 at halftime.

In Manny Diaz’s first season as head coach, he will miss out on the ACC Championship game but will still get an opportunity to play in a reputable bowl game. Photo credit: Josh Halper

Because VT is still yet to play in-state rival Virginia, one of those teams is guaranteed to have an additional win before the regular season concludes. Both teams sit above the Hurricanes in the division standings, making it impossible for Miami to jump them both. The Canes would’ve had to pass both Virginia teams in addition to Pittsburgh in order to win the Coastal championship.

A run to Charlotte’s championship matchup would’ve required a Hokie win over Virginia, a Virginia Tech loss to Pitt next week, and a Pitt loss to Boston College. This is given that the Hurricanes were to defeat Duke on the road to conclude the 2019 ACC slate. In all, four results after Saturday would’ve had to go a certain way to give UM a shot.

Miami fell behind the the division race after losing their league opener at North Carolina, 28-25 on Sept. 7. Additional defeats at the hands of Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech saw the Hurricanes fall as low as last place in the division for a week.

The Coastal Division winner will take on Clemson in the ACC Championship, who clinched the Atlantic Division title with a win over North Carolina State in Week 11. Clemson has won four consecutive conference titles, including in 2017, when they beat Miami 38-3 at Bank of America Stadium in Miami’s only appearance in the ACC Championship game.

November 17, 2019
The Hurricanes could make it to the ACC Championship Game. Here’s how.

The Miami Hurricanes’ 52-27 win over the Louisville Cardinals Saturday not only continued the team’s newfound momentum after a slow start to the season, but allowed the team to clinch bowl eligibility. Ultimately, the win keeps Miami in the crowded race for a spot in the ACC Coastal Division conference championship game.

Miami (6-4, 4-3 ACC) currently sits in fourth place in the seven-team Coastal Division, with the division’s winner playing the Atlantic Division’s champion on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clemson’s win over North Carolina State Saturday night allowed the Tigers to clinch the Atlantic Division’s title and earned them a spot in the title matchup.

The Canes can still mathematically join Clemson in the conference title, although the road to Charlotte got narrower this past weekend in spite of the Saturday’s win.

Graphic by Austin Pert

In order to climb to the top of the division standings and get the opportunity to avenge their 38-3 loss to the Tigers in 2017, UM will have to jump Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Virginia, while also holding off North Carolina.

All scenarios here assume that Miami will defeat Duke in the regular season finale on November 30, which is the Canes’ lone remaining conference game in 2019. But beyond that, Miami will need some help to move up the standings.

First, the Canes must hope for at least one Pitt loss. The Panthers’ 3-2 league record sees them sit a spot above UM via win percentage, but Miami’s 12-10 win at Pitt on October 26 gives the Hurricanes the tiebreaker between the two teams and requires Pittsburgh to lose just one remaining conference game. Pitt has UNC, Virginia Tech and Boston College remaining on their schedule, but it would be advantageous for the Panthers to lose just to BC— an Atlantic Division foe— to avoid giving another Coastal rival an extra win.

Virginia Tech has the same 3-2 record as Pitt, but holds the tiebreaker over Miami due to their 42-35 win in Miami Gardens on Oct. 5. Therefore, the Hokies need to lose twice for the Canes to jump them. VT has Georgia Tech, Pitt and Virginia remaining on their schedule, and though they need to lose two out of three of those matchups, they must beat in-state rival UVA for Miami to have a shot at winning the division.

That is because the Cavaliers, who sport a 5-2 ACC record, would fall to 5-3 by losing to their lone remaining league contest, which could equal UM’s final conference mark and give the Canes the nod based on a head-to-head tiebreaker, decided on October 11 after Miami beat Virginia 17-9.

And finally, North Carolina, who sits behind the Hurricanes in the standings but has an extra conference game and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Canes, must lose one of its remaining ACC games. That loss may come against either Pitt or NC State.

Assuming UM beats Duke in Week 14, six external matchups will seal the program’s fate in the Coastal Division. Miami will need four of those games to finish with a decisive result, and hope that one of the two remaining games also goes their way. The path to Charlotte isn’t wide by any stretch, but still exists for the most hopeful Hurricane fans looking for the team to reach the game for the second time in program history.

Featured image by Josh Halper

November 14, 2019
Hurricanes take down North Florida on Elementary School Day

In front of 4,017 young fans at the Watsco Center on Elementary School Day, Miami never trailed after the first two minutes Wednesday and pulled away in the second half to take down the North Florida Ospreys 78-55.

A young fan holds a sign in support of freshman Sydnee Roby. Photo credit: Josh Halper

For the past six years, local elementary school students have been invited to cheer on the Canes and participate in a variety of in-game activities. Over the last four years, more than 16,000 students have participated in the event.

“There was emotion from the kids, the teams, coaching staffs,” Hurricanes coach Katie Meier said. “But it was all positive. It makes you love what you do. It was a fun day today.”

The No. 17 ranked Canes (2-0) held advantages up and down the stat sheet to get the win. Miami boasted a 40-31 rebound advantage, scored 32 bench points to North Florida’s 17, and had 16 points on fast break opportunities while allowing just six in the same category.

Junior Kelsey Marshall and Preseason ACC Player of the Year Beatrice Mompremier led all scorers with 16 points each. Marshall’s four 3-pointers were best among all scorers, while Mompremier, a redshirt senior, also added two baskets from beyond the arc.

Beatrice Mompremier had 16 points and three rebounds in the win. Photo credit: Josh Halper

Mykea Grey and Taylor Mason each added eight points, while Endia Banks’ five assists were also a game-high.

“My team is just good at setting me up by coming off of screens,” Marshall said, also crediting Meier’s play calling for her points Wednesday.

A complete team effort, Miami was supported by a good overall performance from its freshman class, with Sydnee Roby, Brianna Jackson, Yasmeen Chang and Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba combining for 24 total points and 14 rebounds, including Jackson’s team-high six in that department.

“They’re a major role for us,” Marshall said on the newcomers. “They come with the same amount of energy that the starters come with, and they execute everything really well.”

Freshman Yasmeen Chang scored seven points in 10 minutes played. Photo credit: Josh Halper

“When you send them in with a purpose, they’ve been doing that purpose for us,” Meier said.

Alexis Gordon led the Ospreys in points with 13, while Jazz Bond’s eight rebounds were best among the North Florida players.

Even on her team’s relatively straightforward road to victory Wednesday, coach Katie Meier sees plenty of room for improvement.

“I was in a stubborn contest with the team, and eventually I’m going to win that. I like players with a spine, I like players that ask why, I don’t mind that,” Meier said.

The Canes opened up to a 25-14 lead as the first quarter clock expired, even as North Florida attempted to slow Miami down by mixing in a 2-3 zone defense.

The end of the quarter came as Miami was going on a 16-2 extended run that ate up 5:14 in the first and second quarters to take a 15-point lead, their largest of the first half.

North Florida responded by cutting the lead to 34-26 at the half as the Hurricanes scored just five points in the final eight minutes of the second quarter.

However, Miami outscored the visiting team by 15 in the second half and quickly put the game largely out of reach. Miami lead by as much as 33 in the final minutes of the contest.

Ospreys head coach Darrick Gibbs spent a decade under coach Meier as an assistant at UM before taking the head coaching job at North Florida in 2015. Meier remains close with Gibbs and his family and lauded the job he’s done with his program.

“During the game, I couldn’t have cared less; I was coaching my team. But prior to the game and after the game, he’s got my heart. He’s family,” Meier said.

The Canes are next in action Sunday against IUPUI at the Watsco Center at 1 p.m.

November 13, 2019
Miami finally plays to full potential against Florida State

In a season full of defensive inconsistencies, offensive struggles and field goal mishaps, Miami put the first eight games of the season behind them and won the biggest matchup to date. In their third consecutive win in the rivalry series, the Miami Hurricanes never trailed in a 27-10 win at Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium.

“We’re becoming what we thought we could become as a team,” head coach Manny Diaz said after the win. “And to do it at Doak Campbell Stadium, like I said, I couldn’t be more proud.”

While fans may wish that the team turned in a performance like the one seen Saturday a few weeks earlier, Miami is now 5-4 and are now on the bubble of the race in the ACC Coastal Division.

Williams Boasts Arm Strength

UM fired on all cylinders when it mattered most. Quarterback Jarren Williams proved he can sling the ball deep downfield, hitting receiver Jeff Thomas in the end zone for 39 yards in the first quarter for the game’s opening score. Williams followed with a 56-yard connection to Dee Wiggins in the final quarter to effectively put the game out of reach. The redshirt freshman finished 21-37 with 313 yards and two touchdowns.

The long, downfield throws were something that Williams has taken some heat for not being able to consistently hit, but Saturday brought some of the quarterback’s best plays this year.

“It’s just something we worked on in practice,” Williams said on the deep balls. “We got the look that we worked on in scout team, [so] it just correlated.”

The Lawrenceville, Georgia native also applauded the improvement of the offensive line protection, which gave him more time to stay in the pocket and throw the ball.

“Up front we’re young, but you know it’s week nine, they got a lot of games under their belt,” Williams said. “They got a great feeling for the game and kind of understand different situations and different things the defense does to try to throw us off. I feel like each game they are getting better and better and better.”

Defense Suffocates

Fans have been wondering why aspects of last year’s Hurricane defense had disappeared for most of 2019. After finishing first in the country in tackles for loss a season ago with 10.5 per game, that number has slipped to a modest 7.5 per game this year, tied for 17th best in the country.

But Miami’s defense came out of the gates with an attitude on Saturday and didn’t slow down until the fourth quarter clock hit zero. The defense allowed just 203 yards while forcing two turnovers and recording nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

Defensive end Gregory Rousseau had a historic outing, with eight tackles, including four of the team’s sacks and five tackles for loss. The redshirt freshman from Hialeah is now tied for the most sacks in the country at 12 and was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

“You can see he has some really god given talents that he does a great job utilizing,” defensive coordinator Blake Baker said. “There’s not a lot of guys in college football that can do the things that he can do.”

Taggart Fired

Growing increasingly irritable with the lack of apparent progress that the Seminole program had been making, Saturday’s game was the final straw for Florida State, as they officially fired head coach Willie Taggart on Sunday. Taggart is now owed an $18 million buyout, which FSU officials say has been raised by boosters. Defensive line coach Odell Haggins Jr. will serve as the interim coach. The next Florida State head coach will be the third in four years.

“It’s unfortunate,” Diaz said on the Joe Rose Show on 560-AM Monday morning.

Bottom Line

Winning on the road is one thing, but to defeat a rival in their house is simply everything that Canes fans could’ve asked for going into the weekend. Miami’s program took a big step forward. With three games left in the season, Miami will most likely have to win at least one of them to be guaranteed a bowl game.

This week, the Hurricanes face Louisville at Hard Rock Stadium, then FIU at Marlins Park and finally Duke in Durham, NC. Louisville and Duke present a tough test, but after this weekend’s performance, its safe to say that all three games are winnable. Ending the season on a five game winning streak would give Miami a chance to play in a better bowl than many would have expected a few weeks ago.

Featured image source: Hurricane Athletics

November 4, 2019