Freshman safety Williams excels in first start
Football tends to look easy … when you’re James Williams.
It’s simple when you’re Williams, a 6-5, 225pound true freshman safety who runs like a locomotive … if a locomotive could change directions.
Sure, it helps that the opponent was Central Connecticut State, which was outclassed on Saturday, 69-0, by the Miami Hurricanes. But still, Williams earned his first interception in his first career start, and his explanation of his movements made the play look elementary. But only if you have the talent of this five-star recruit who also had three tackles and one pass-breakup on Saturday.
“I read the quarterback,” Williams said. “I knew [the ball] was coming. I came from the other hash, and I had to go get it.”
D’ERIQ KING UPDATE
The mother of UM quarterback D’Eriq King declined to respond to a text message regarding King’s status as he rehabilitates from a shouder injury. But two UM players conveyed to sources that they were told King will be out for an extended period of time.
UM coach Manny Diaz said after the game that King was “limited in some of his motions and movements” and he’d know more about his status next week. King attended the game and stood with his teammates on the sideline, wearing a headset and helping his quarterbacks read coverages.
HERBSTREIT CRITICIZES UM
ESPN “College GameDay” host Kirk Herbstreit criticized UM on Saturday, citing a Miami Herald article by Barry and four of five Van Dyke drives (not counting a 1-yard knee to end the first half). Garcia’s other touchdown was a spectacular one-handed, 17-yard reception by freshman Romello Brinson in the third quarter.
Miami made it five of six for Van Dyke-led touchdown drives at 14:34 of the fourth quarter on freshman Thad Franklin’s first career score, a 31yard rush. Franklin finished with 88 yards rushing.
Freshman Cody Brown added 79 yards and two touchdowns rushing.
“I’m really proud of both guys,” Diaz said of Van Dyke and Garcia, “but more importantly, I’m proud of the team for the confidence they put in the two quarterbacks. Taking over for D’Eriq King on a Saturday is no small thing. D’Eriq has such a huge presence on our football team and for our guys to rally behind Tyler and Jake shows how highly they think of those two guys.“
D’ERIQ KING
King stood on the sideline wearing a headset and helping his protégés as the game proceeded.
“He was on top of us helping us see coverages and pressures,” Garcia said of King. “It’s very helpful to see it through his eyes because he’s on
Jackson that mentioned football was not a priority for the university’s president.
Herbstreit called out the Miami program for not having the president ( Julio Frenk), athletic director ( Blake James) and Diaz aligned in their goals and visions for the football program.
“Go all the way back to 2006,’’ Herbstreit said.
“It was the last year that Larry Coker was the coach there. That’s 15 years. Miami has averaged 7-5 since 2006. They’ve the sideline watching. … Now it’s our turn. We kind of had an idea that we would be playing early on in the week so we went out there and prepared.”
Garcia said his biggest joy Saturday “was obviously celebrating a win with my team. I feel like we got our swagger back and we are who we should be. I feel like we are going to carry this into the next week and throughout the rest of the season. That was a great part of today, just being able to have that energy.”
Van Dyke and Garcia each led two series, respectively, to start the game and then alternated series until the half.
Garcia was especially humorous describing his 45-yard run.
“We do a whole lot of running, but I don’t run had five head coaches.
Just think about with the Orange Bowl gone, the student body has to drive 45 minutes to go to their games. You have an athletic department that clearly is not really showing that this is something that they are willing to try to make changes.”
Then Herbstreit brought up the Herald article.
“There was an article from Barry Jackson this week that said the president basically told Blake James, the AD, ‘Hey, Sports? You’re on your with my knee brace on,” Garcia said, “so when I put it on, my left leg got a little tired. I pulled the ball outside and while I was running, I was in my head like, ‘I pulled the ball. I’m in college and I’m running. I didn’t get hit and I didn’t have to slide and wow, I’m going to score!’ I ended up feeling the guy on my left side switch the ball, so I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to run it back and coach is going to be happy,’ and I looked over my shoulder and he ended up diving right before I was going to stick my arm out to stiff arm him a little bit.
“And [I] went down, unfortunately. And I know I’m not going to hear the end of that.”
Fellow scholarship quarterback Peyton Matocha, a third-year redshirt freshman, entered the game at 13:45 of the fourth quarter but didn’t attempt a pass. He rushed three times for 24 yards.
The formerly heavily penalized Hurricanes finished the game with three penalties for 40 yards, and would have had none in the first half had Harris not been flagged for excessive celebration after an 83yard touchdown run that took 14 seconds off the clock.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan own. That’s you’re thing.’
“I don’t know if that’s true. It was in an article.
“To me, college football — you look at the powerhouse programs: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, president, AD, head coach, same vision. They’re aligned in their vision for what needs to happen. Recruiting, budget, staff, whatever a team needs. That’s what it takes. Miami doesn’t have that. So I don’t think it matters who the head coach is. Until you get a president and an AD and a coach together on the same page, I guess football doesn’t matter.
“It matters to the alums, to the brotherhood of the U. But I don’t know if it matters to the people making the decisions at Miami. And if they don’t change that, it doesn’t matter who’s the head coach.”
UM STARTERS SHUFFLED
Miami’s starting offensive line was reshuffled for the fourth time in four games.
With second-year freshman left guard Jalen Rivers out with a seasonending knee injury, Navaughn Donaldson started in his place. Jakai Clark replaced Corey Gaynor at center, and DJ Scaife started for Justice Oluwaseun at right guard. The starting tackles remained the same: Zion Nelson (left) and Jarrid Williams (right).
Gaynor, a fifth-year redshirt junior, had made 27 consecutive starts.
It was Clark’s first career start at center. He had started at guard (left and right) the past two seasons.
Gilbert Frierson replaced Amari Carter at starting striker.
HALL SUSPENDED
Safety Gurvan Hall was suspended for the game for violating team rules and replaced by Williams. Williams also played in the first three games and had three tackles before Saturday.
CCSU QB FROM MIRAMAR
Central Connecticut State quarterback Romelo Williams, listed at 6-1 and 185 pounds, might be familiar to South Florida high school football fans. He played at Miramar High and led the Patriots to a 44-27 upset over then-national-No. 13 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas his senior season in 2017.
Williams, now classified as a redshirt sophomore, was 15 of 28 for 132 yards and an interception. He was sacked by Jordan Miller, Zach McCloud and Jahfari Harvey.