Hurricanes lose valiant fight — and QB King to knee injury
The Hurricanes lost for the 10th time in their past 11 bowl appearances as N’Kosi Perry led a second-half comeback that fell short after starting quarterback D’Eriq King was injured.
Despite a nearly miraculous comeback, what could have gone wrong for the University of Miami did go wrong Tuesday night in the Cheez-It Bowl — and worse.
The No. 18 Hurricanes lost
their final 2020 game and their star quarterback in one dramatic finale in Orlando, putting up an intense, but ultimately futile battle to overcome a threetouchdown deficit. Final score: Oklahoma State 37, Miami 34 for UM’s 10th loss in its past 11 bowls.
“At no point did I think we’d lose that game,” coach Manny
Diaz said of his Hurricanes, who nonetheless made plenty of mistakes in dropping at least five crucial passes and losing two fumbles, including a punt return. “The way we battled, the way we fought, the way we played for each other was inspiring. We just made too many mistakes to win.”
Miami, which ended its season 8-3 overall and 7-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, now will wait and wonder what the future holds for quarterback
D’Eriq King.
King, a fifth-year senior who on Saturday announced to a joyous Diaz and the public via a video that he was returning in 2021 instead of entering the NFL Draft, sustained a rightknee injury while running with 4:06 left in the first half and the Canes down 21-7.
“In terms of D’Eriq, we’ll evaluate him tomorrow,’’ Diaz said. “That’s really all we know