South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
‘College GameDay’ returns to UM
MIAMI GARDENS — The last time the Miami Hurricanes played host to ESPN’s “College GameDay” on a Saturday morning was also the last time UM had back-to-back Saturday nights with the college football spotlight on them — like this week, hosting Florida State after they were showcased on national TV at Louisville last week.
It was 2017. Miami won those consecutive games against Virginia Tech and Notre Dame at Hard Rock Stadium.
It was nothing like that energyfilled morning on Miami’s Coral Gables campus in 2017 ahead of the win against the Fighting Irish that catapulted the Hurricanes into College Football Playoff contention that season, but the show made do during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
Hosting in front of the lined-up palm trees that lead to Hard Rock Stadium, there were no spectators. Lee Corso filmed from his home in Orlando — as he has all season. Kirk Herbstreit, who has been with the “GameDay” crew on site every week, stayed home in Nashville after coming in contact with someone who contracted the novel coronavirus, although he said he tested negative twice this week. The other members of the crew — Rece Davis, Desmond Howard and David Pollack, along with Chris “The Bear” Fallica — were sweating it out on site on a humid Miami morning.
Corso picked the Hurricanes for the second consecutive week, donning the headgear of Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis over his alma mater, FSU. In Corso’s previous eight Miami headgear picks, he’s 6-2, also his record when picking FSU’s opponent on such predictions.
It was the eighth time the show was at a Miami-FSU game. The most is 11 for Alabama-LSU matchups. It was also the eighth trip to Miami for the “GameDay” crew, with the Hurricanes going 6-1
”GameDay” had a Pat McAfee segment featuring the kickerpunter combination of Jose Borregales and Lou Hedley, a tandem that captured the nation last week at Louisville for both their tattoos and their booting prowess.
Tight end Brevin Jordan and safety Bubba Bolden also made appearances with quotes on facing the Seminoles.
‘GameDay’ hosts share their thoughts
Rece Davis and Desmond Howard, on a web conference with reporters on Friday, weighed in on the impact of key transfers D’Eriq King, Quincy Roche, Jarrid Williams and Borregales.
“I don’t think that’s necessarily the way they want to sustain their program,” Davis said. “It’s natural in college football to plug holes.
“I think you’ve seen it more and more with quarterbacks across the country, but it is a risk. I would also say, while everything looks great right now and I think they look legit, that it is still early. We don’t know how good Louisville is. I don’t think it matters, to be honest, because I think Miami is Miami, looks really good to me.
“It takes that right type of transfers. They have to buy into the culture and the program. … At least up to this point — and there is nothing in any of those guys’ history that would indicate otherwise — it seems that Manny [Diaz] has not only found talented guys to fill holes and to be difference makers, but they have also found the kind of guys who want to win and be part of the team culture. The early returns are very promising.
Howard senses a common thread in the transfers.
“I think a lot of them have something to prove,” he said. “They came here with a chip on their shoulder and the system fits what their skill set will allow them to do best.”
Davis also shared his thoughts on Miami’s Turnover Chain, which now goes into its fourth season with a new edition every year. He threw a jab at Florida State’s attempt at a turnover prop of its own in 2018.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if you’re going to imitate the Turnover Chain, let’s not do a backpack like Florida State did and let’s not do a garbage can like Tennessee tried to do a few years ago,” Davis said. “Those were bad, bad ideas.”
He’s also not as big a fan of the Touchdown Rings.
“I’ll be honest, I like the Turnover Chain way better than I like ‘The Crib thing, but I guess the offense has to have fun too, so it’s okay with me,” he said. “The way they keep making it bigger and flashier and fits with the history of the program, I think it’s really cool.”
Unavailability report
The Hurricanes had redshirt freshmen in wide receiver Jeremiah Payton and Larry Hodges removed from the team’s weekly unavailability report ahead of Saturday’s game after both were unavailable a week before for the win at Louisville.
There were no new names on the report, only those previously opting out of the season — defensive end Gregory Rousseau, offensive linemen Kai-Leon Herbert and Zalon’tae Hillery and quarterback Tate Martell.
High school connections
It’s common when Miami and Florida State play that there will be matchups that involve former high school teammates or opponents, with UM receiver Michael Harley facing FSU cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., both St. Thomas Aquinas alumni one year apart.
While much of the Hurricanes’ roster comes from the South Florida tri-county area, FSU also has the likes of quarterbacks James Blackman (Glades Central) and Jordan Travis (Benjamin), receivers Bryan Robinson (Palm Beach Central) and Kentron Poitier (Miami Palmetto), offensive linemen Dontae Lucas (Miami High before transferring to IMG Academy), Maurice Smith (Miami Central) and Lloyd Willis (Miami Killian), defensive tackle Malcolm Ray (Miami Carol City), linebacker Emmett Rice (Miami Norland) and defensive backs Akeem Dent (Palm Beach Central) and Jarvis Brownlee (Miami Carol City) come from South Florida high schools.