South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Notes: Mallory steps in for Jordan.
MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Hurricanes junior tight end and leading receiver Brevin Jordan missed UM’s 31-19 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.
Jordan suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s loss at No. 1 Clemson and was listed as questionableby coachManny Diaz this week. The team announced his absence in its pregame unavailability report.
Jordan’s 18 receptions for 243 yards and three receiving touchdowns led theHurricanes (4-1, 3-1 ACC) entering Saturday’s game.
Will Mallory, listed as a co-starter at tightendonthedepth chart, picked up the slack, scoring
ona6-yardtouchdowncatch from the flat in the second quarter and
againona45-yardtouchdownover the middle in the third.
“When you have a player like Brevin who’s out for the week, someone’s got to fill those big shoes,” Mallory said.
Addedquarterback D’EriqKing, who had four touchdown passes on Saturday, “We know Brevin’s a big part of our team, so we just had to step up. [Saturday] was just about getting the win, anyway possible — pretty, ugly. We just wanted to win.”
Miami, again, did not have any COVID-related absences. Theonly other player listed on the unavailability report before kickoff was freshman offensive tackle Issiah Walker, who is still awaiting clearance from his offseason transfer fromFlorida.
No Pickett for Pitt
Pittsburgh was without starting quarterback Kenny Pickett on Saturday.
The standout senior did not travel toMiamiasherecovers from an ankle injury.
Joey Yellen started for Pitt, while fellow redshirt freshman Davis Beville briefly sawaction in the first half. Yellen finished 22 of 46 for 277 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions and lost a fumble.
Pickett completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,389 yards, with eight touchdownsandthree interceptionsinPitt’sfirstfivegames. As a freshman, he beat a 10-0 Miami team in the 2017 regular-season finale. Pickett, however, did not throw a touchdown against UM in 2018 or 2019, losing bothgames.
Lineup adjustments
The Hurricanes started sophomore Zion Nelson at right tackle over sixth-year senior Jarrid Williams, who had a hand injury and “could’ve gone in an emergency,” according to Diaz. Nelson, whostarted against FloridaStateat left tackle in place of John Campbell, also played some at right tackle the previousweek at Clemson.
Despite making an early exit in the loss at Clemson, the redshirt sophomore Campbell remainedat left tackle. He committeda holding penalty on Miami’s first drive that eventually led to a punt.
Freshman running back Jaylan Knighton got his first college start, in a two-back set with lead back junior Cam’Ron Harris. Knighton got the first touch, on a short reception, but also dropped a pass lateronthe drive. Harris endedup catching a touchdown on UM’s second series.
Knighton ran for 25 yards on seven carries, while Harris got 12 attempts and netted 24 yards as Miamiaveraged2.6yardspercarry.
Safety Bubba Bolden, who has been named ACC Defensive Back of the Week twice this season, didn’t start but played throughout. Miami rotates its three top safeties, Bolden, Amari Carter and GurvanHall. Hall had a teamhigh eight tacklesSaturday. Bolden and Carter both had six— Bolden had one tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
Youngsters get more reps
Miami continued to get freshman middle linebacker Corey Flagg and sophomore weakside linebacker Sam Brooks plenty of early work behind starters in redshirt junior Bradley Jennings Jr. and fifth-year senior Zach McCloud.
Brooks had three tackles and Flagg two on Saturday.
“We thought both those guys played well [at Clemson] and will continue to push for more playing time,” Diaz said earlier this week. “Corey is just soinstinctiveandhas a great feel. ... Corey Flagg didn’t look out of place at all, whichwas really encouraging for us. We’ve seen itonthe practice field, but just to get a chance to get him in there and do that.
“Sam has just been hampered by a foot problem that he’s been gutting it out. I think it’s taken some time from him, but we all know what Sam can do, and he’s going to be an important part of our rotation going forward.”
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker called McCloud and Jennings’ “up and down” early thisweek.
The Hurricanes also went deeper into their wide receiver rotation, as was thought could be the case after upperclassmen
Michael Harley, Mark Pope and DeeWiggins were ineffective at Clemson lastweek.
Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Payton and true freshman Keyshawn Smith saw action on the second offensive series, which resulted in the King-to-Harris touchdown. Freshman Michael Redding III also got in later and drew a pass interference on a corner route. Fellow freshman wideout Xavier Restrepo continues to return punts and drew a kick-catch interference on a punt he fielded.
South Florida to Pittsburgh
The Panthers have 10 players on their roster fromSouth Florida thatmadeahomecomingonSaturday afternoon.
CornerbackMarquisWilliams, out of Cardinal Gibbons had an interceptionhenearly returned for a touchdown, getting down to the 1-yard line. Defensive end Rashad Weaver, fromCooperCity, hadfour tackles, 1 ½ for loss and two pass deflections. Fellow defensive end and Deerfield Beach grad Deslin Alexandre registered four tackles, one for loss, and a pass deflection.
Other South Florida products for the Panthers: Running backs Vincent Davis (Cardinal Gibbons) and Daniel Carter (St. Thomas Aquinas), defensive linemen Calijah Kancey (Miami Northwestern) and Sam Williams (Calvary Christian), cornerback Jahvante Royal (St. Thomas Aquinas), wide receiverAydinHenningham(Deerfield Beach) and linebacker Leslie Smith(MiamiNorthwestern).
Sixteen players on Pitt’s roster are Florida natives, second only to the Panthers’ 35 players who hail fromPennsylvania.