Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
More lessons to be learned from yet another Hurricanes’ postseason loss
ORLANDO — As promising as the Miami Hurricanes’ 8-1 start appeared, the 2020 season ended with more heartbreak, an all-too-familiar feeling for UM.
Miami has lost 10 of its last 11 bowl games since 2006, and this one was even more difficult to swallow because star quarterback D’Eriq King went down with an apparent knee injury. It also compounded the despair from the 62-26 loss in the regular-season finale against North Carolina — instead of serving as redemption, as the team hoped.
Here are 10 things we learned in the 18th-ranked Hurricanes’ 37-34 loss to No. 21 Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl on Tuesday night:
King to be evaluated
The big question now is the extent of King’s injury. He went down with 4:06 remaining in the first half after trying to make a move on a defender, planting his right foot awkwardly and then taking a hit on the knee.
Exiting the game with what the team called a right leg injury to ESPN sideline reporter Katie George, King only came back out to support his teammates on the sideline on crutches and with a brace on his right knee.
Coach Manny Diaz said King is being evaluated in Miami on Wednesday. If his injury involves a yearlong rehab or will cause him to miss a significant chunk of the 2021 season, which he committed to coming back to college for only days earlier, that’s devastating news for the Hurricanes’ outlook next season and their chances in the opener against Alabama.
Zoning out on defense
Wednesday night started in similar fashion defensively to the regular-season finale against UNC, but different in one regard: While the defense was giving up touchdowns on its first three series, it was the Oklahoma State pass game instead of the run game of the Tar Heels.
Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders, who had thrown 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games in 2020 entering the Cheez-It Bowl, passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns against Miami.
A soft zone coverage from Diaz and defensive coordinator Blake Baker was getting picked apart in the first quarter. Safety Bubba Bolden mentioned twice in the postgame that the defense began to settle in after switching out of the zone and into man coverage.
Perry proved himself valuable
N’Kosi Perry had an uneven tenure as Miami quarterback in 2018 and 2019. He sat behind King this season and, when called upon, nearly led the Hurricanes to a comeback victory on Tuesday night.
Perry finished 19 of 34 for 228 yards and two touchdowns in relief of King. He even looked like a taller version of him when Perry pulled off the fake draw and pass over the top to tight end Will Mallory, a play that King has mastered this season under offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.
Relegated to backup duties this season, Perry said after the game he never had any transfer thoughts. If King’s injury is serious, he suddenly could be relied upon heavily once again in 2021.
Brevin Jordan looks like an NFL tight end
Miami junior tight end Brevin Jordan said he has yet to make a decision on whether he will return to UM or enter the NFL draft. If the Cheez-It Bowl was any audition, he looked pro-ready and surely impressed NFL scouts.
The second-team All-ACC tight end this season and John Mackey Award finalist last year as a sophomore led the Hurricanes with eight receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He caught one from King on a post to the back of the end zone for UM’s first score and later had a one-hander on a lob over the outside shoulder from Perry near the goal line.
Drops hurt Miami yet again
While Jordan did his part and senior receiver Michael Harley went for eight catches of his own for 69 yards and a touchdown, Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope continue to hurt the Hurricanes’ passing game with their drops.
They combined for what could be categorized as up to five dropped passes on Tuesday, which devastated Miami’s comeback chances. First, it was Wiggins one-on-one down the sideline against a cornerback that fell in coverage. Pope then beat an Oklahoma State defender deep over the top but failed to come down with the ball and, later, Wiggins had a ball hit the ground on what should’ve been an easy catch on a screen with open field in front of him in Cowboys territory.
New crop of DEs get their chance
The bowl was a glimpse at the future at defensive end for Miami now that it will have to move on from the starting tandem of Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche.
The unit struggled to make much of an impact early as Sanders had plenty of time to make plays in and out of the pocket when Oklahoma State jumped out to a 21-0 lead. Jahfari Harvey later had a strip-sack and Cameron Williams a tackle for loss. Zach McCloud rotated in on the second unit in what could be a move for him from linebacker in a potential sixth season at UM. Patrick Joyner was in the two-deep while freshman Chantz Williams is yet to crack the rotation.
Defensive line coach Todd Stroud has proven capable of developing defensive ends and helping them achieve breakout seasons, as seen with Jaelan Phillips this year and Gregory Rousseau in 2019.
Tough calls go against UM
There wasn’t a large penalty discrepancy between the two teams in the Cheez-It Bowl, but the calls that didn’t go Miami’s way were costly.
A blatant pass interference on a pass thrown to Jordan on the fourth-down play of UM’s second drive went uncalled for a turnover on downs. A diving interception by linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr. off a ricochet was wiped away due to a questionable interference call against Te’Cory Couch. Jordan’s big two-point conversion that would’ve tied the game at 21 was reversed upon review, killing Miami’s third-quarter momentum. There was also an unnecessary block-in-the-back call against Xavier Restrepo on a big return from Harley.
Jose Borregales finishes on the right foot
It’s easy to lose sight of it with everything else that went on
Tuesday, but Borregales, once again, was his usual reliable self. He capped his one season at UM, after transferring from FIU, 2 for 2 on field goals.
The AP first-team All-America selection and Lou Groza Award finalist finished the year 20 for 22 on field goals. It was his final game as a Hurricane as he has already announced he is entering the upcoming NFL draft.
Amari Carter misses bowl game
Senior safety Amari Carter popped up on Miami’s unavailability report for undisclosed reasons on Tuesday. Under normal circumstances, that would mean he missed his final college game, but in 2020, he has the option to return for a fifth season.
It l ed to defensive lineup changes. Freshman Brian Balom got a start alongside Bolden at safety, although he barely played as Miami went with Gurvan Hall next to Bolden the rest of the way. Aside from Harvey and Cameron Williams starting at defensive end, Waynmon Steed started at weakside linebacker with McCloud playing defensive end in a reserve role. Jared Harrison-Hunte was back from an elbow injury, but Jonathan Ford, who went down later in the game, got the start.
Offseason questions loom
The Hurricanes now head into a critical offseason. Diaz proved last year he’s not afraid to address areas that need fixing. He did it by changing offensive coordinators, finding a transfer quarterback in King and kicker in Borregales, among other moves.
Will he make changes on the defensive coaching staff? That’s the No. 1 question after the way the defense performed in the last two losses.
Which players will declare for the NFL draft and which will return in a unique year in which all seniors are afforded the opportunity to come back for an extra year of eligibility? King’s timetable to return now becomes a focal point as his status to start next season is critical for either the development of other quarterbacks on the UM roster or in determining if the Hurricanes will even have to dip back into the transfer market for an emergency signal caller for a year.