UM awaits injury updates on Rivers, King
Jalen Rivers, D’Eriq King both sustain injuries against Michigan State,
A lineup change, injury and early benching forced the Miami Hurricanes to use seven different offensive linemen in the first quarter of their 38-17 loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.
Miami used its third starting offensive line combination in as many games, then benched its new starting right tackle and lost its starting left guard to injury on its third drive at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jalen Rivers, whom offensive line coach Garin Justice said Tuesday has been the No. 24 Hurricanes’ top offensive lineman so far this season, went down with an apparent right leg knee. The freshman did not put any weight on his right leg as a pair of trainers helped him off the field and into a medical tent on the sideline in Miami Gardens.
Rivers was reevaluated at halftime and did not return. He wore a brace on his right knee as he watched the second half from the sideline.
“Losing Jalen was a big-time blow,” coach Manny Diaz said. “I don’t have an update. He was obviously out for the game.”
MIAMI RESHUFFLES O-LINE ... AGAIN
For the third game in a row, the Hurricanes used a new starting offensive line.
After benching DJ Scaife Jr. midway through its season-opening loss to top-ranked Alabama, Miami sent fellow offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson to bench to start its game against Michigan State. Justice Oluwaseun, who replaced Scaife at right tackle in the middle of the Alabama game, moved from right tackle to right guard to replace Donaldson and fellow offensive lineman Jarrid Williams took over at right tackle.
“I feel we still have to figure out the right side,” Justice said Tuesday. “The right side is not playing good ball … Neither Vaughn nor Justice played winning football Saturday night by any means, so we have to keep exploring our options.”
The new look lasted only two series: Scaife returned to the lineup to replace Williams at right tackle after the seventhyear senior got called for a hold and gave up a sack on the Hurricanes’ third possession.
It’s the first start of the year for Williams, who transferred to Miami from the Houston Cougars before last season. The seventh-year senior started every game at right tackle in 2020 and began training camp as the firstteam right tackle before Scaife beat him out for the starting job. Williams is listed as the backup left tackle on the depth chart and spent a significant portion of fall camp as the first-team left tackle when offensive lineman Zion Nelson was sidelined with an undisclosed issue.
Oluwaseun played the majority of the first two games at right tackle, but the Hurricanes added him as a transfer from UNLV with the expectation he would be an interior lineman. The redshirt junior started all six games at right tackle for UNLV in 2020, and made five starts at right tackle and six at guard the year before.
KING PLAYS THROUGH INJURY
Quarterback D’Eriq King took a pounding in Miami’s three-touchdown loss and will have his right shoulder reevaluated Sunday after he played through pain for much of the second half.
King landed hard on the shoulder at the end of a short scramble in the third quarter and jogged into the locker room to quickly have it checked out. The quarterback didn’t miss a single play, returning to the field just in time to lead Miami’s next drive.
“I’m all right,” said King, who also wore a black splint on his right forearm after the game. “My shoulder’s not too bad.”
Later in the half, King also banged his head into a defender when he dove for a first down, although he again didn’t miss a play.
The redshirt senior finished with 59 pass attempts and a team-high 12 carries.
1991 CHAMPIONSHIP REUNION
Two-time Hurricanes national championship coach Dennis Erickson and many of his players returned to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their 1991 season — Erickson’s second title.
Erickson and his Canes, who included defensive tackle Warren Sapp, quarterback Gino Torretta and receiver Lamar Thomas, ran through the smoke and were introduced in a halftime ceremony.
Miami went 12-0 in 1991, capped by a 22-0 win against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan