Canes defense overcomes missing starters
PITTSBURGH
Nesta Jade Silvera did not travel with the Miami Hurricanes to Pittsburgh as he deals with an illness.
Silvera, who started the past two games at defensive tackle, adds to a long list of sidelined players for Miami. His illness is not COVID-19, a team spokesperson said.
An illness has been spreading around campus in recent weeks and limited cornerback Te’Cory Couch last week. Multiple Hurricanes did not travel on their most recent road trip because of illness.
With Silvera out, defensive linemen Jared Harrison-Hunte and Jonathan Ford started in the interior against the No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers. Fellow defensive linemen Leonard Taylor and Jordan Miller saw expanded roles.
Silvera’s illness left Miami short two more starters from a week earlier. Safety Bubba Bolden is also out after he opted for season-ending shoulder surgery this week. Freshmen James Williams and Kamren Kinchens started at safety with Bolden out.
Bolden was leading Miami with 42 tackles, and had 3 1⁄2 tackles for loss and one sack. Silvera led the defensive linemen with 20 tackles and had three tackles for loss.
From the potential preseason starting lineup on defense, the Hurricanes were missing Bolden, Silvera and cornerback Al Blades Jr., who is recovering from a sports hernia, at Heinz Field.
Other long-term injuries for Miami include quarterbacks D’Eriq King and
Jake Garcia, running backs Cam’Ron Harris and Donald Chaney Jr., and offensive linemen Jalen Rivers, Corey Gaynor and John Campbell Jr. Wide receiver Michael Redding III was also out for the third straight game for an undisclosed reason.
VAN DYKE’S PITT CONNECTIONS
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke said going into Saturday’s game that Pittsburgh offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple, who held the same job at UM in 2009 and ‘10, “was actually my first offer at [the University of Massachusetts] when he was the head coach. I have a really great relationship with him.”
Whipple is in his third season at Pitt, and was the UMass head coach from 2014 to ‘18, concluding that tenure as the winningest coach in school history with 65 victories, including three Atlantic 10 titles and three NCAA playoff berths.
Van Dyke, a secondyear freshman, was also offered a scholarship by Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi.
“What’s interesting is I visited Pitt before Coach Whipple was the offensive coordinator,” Van Dyke said. “My grandfather, he hired Coach Whipple at his first head-coaching job at the University of New Haven when my grandfather was the athletic director there. So, he was trying to get me to go to Pitt before I committed to Miami.
“Pitt is a great school. I know Coach Whipple well and I even know Coach Narduzzi well through recruiting. So, they’ve done a great job with the defense and the offense. We have a great challenge.”
Whipple was the head coach at New Haven from 1988 to ‘93.
Van Dyke, from Glastonbury, Connecticut, said he was looking forward to the cool weather this weekend, though it was forecast to rain throughout game.
“That’s what I grew up playing in, fall weather in the Northeast — 55, 50, something like that,” the quarterback said. “That’s perfect for me. I love that weather. It’ll be good to go back up north.”
PICKETT BREAKS MARINO RECORD
In his final game against Miami, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett broke a school record held by the greatest player in Miami Dolphins history.
Pickett’s touchdown pass to Panthers wide receiver Jared Wayne with 11:18 left in the third quarter was the 83rd he was responsible for in his career, breaking Dan Marino’s previous record of 82. Marino set the old record when he played at Pittsburgh from 1979-1983.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan