Record day for receivers Rambo and Harley
It was a record-breaking day for the Miami Hurricanes in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday.
Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo both set multiple Miami records in the Hurricanes’ 47-10 rout of the Duke Blue Devils as part of a 530yard eruption for Miami at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Harley set the school record for career receptions and broke the single-game record for catches. Rambo set the singleseason record for receptions and the single-season record for receiving yards.
Harley finished with 13 catches for 96 yards, and Rambo finished with eight for 101 and two touchdowns.
With a bowl game left, Harley has 182 career catches and is up to seventh on the career receiving yards list with 2,158. The fifth-year senior is also tied for 10th in career receiving touchdowns with 15 and said last Saturday he plans to play in the Hurricanes’ postseason game.
Rambo has 79 catches for 1,172 yards this season and said he’s not sure whether he’ll play in the bowl.
Harley set the career catches record in the first quarter when he caught his fifth pass, taking a quick swing for 9 yards on thirdand-6 to pass Reggie Wayne, who had 173 catches from 19972000. In the fourth quarter, Harley caught his 13th to set the singlegame record, which was previously shared by Rambo, Willie Smith and Phillip Dorsett.
Rambo set the first of his two records in the second quarter when he caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, breaking a record set by Leonard Hankerson when he had 72 catches in 2010. In the fourth quarter, Rambo made a one-handed touchdown catch to break Allen Hurns’ record of 1,162 yards, which he set in 2013. the end.
“This is the beginning.” “It’s about to get really, really good and they sense that,’’ the coach said. “They know the mistakes we’ve made this year. We all own it. But to look at the adversity we’ve looked at in the eye every week, and for these guys to never flinch, and week after week to bring it, they are all in. They’re invested in this program, they want to fight for each other and there’s a hunger that they have right now that’s going to last throughout this entire offseason.”
After two seasons in which the Hurricanes collapsed at the end — losing the last two games of 2020 and last three of Diaz’s first year as head coach in 2019 — Miami is in position to end 2021 with six victories in its past seven games and with a winning streak for the first time since 2018.
On Saturday, the Hurricanes started slowly, their defense and special teams looking especially shoddy as Duke, a 21 1⁄2-point underdog, took a 10-3 lead midway through the first quarter on a 40-yard field goal and 94-yard kickoff return by Jaylen Stinson.
But second-year freshman quarterback Van
Rambo, who transferred to Miami in January after playing three seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, also said he’s unsure whether he’ll return to college or enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
Miami Hurricanes miss 3 starters
The Hurricanes (7-5, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) were missing two more defensive starters Saturday against Duke (3-9, 0-8) and were also missing an AllAmerican on special teams.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, defensive lineman Jonathan Ford and punter Lou
Dyke was not deterred, continuing his spectacular rise with another incredible game that ensured teammates Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley would break school records.
Van Dyke’s day marked his sixth consecutive 300-yard game with at least three touchdowns. And he did it all before being replaced early in the fourth quarter by Ryan Rizk. Quarterback Peyton Matocha got in late in the final quarter.
RECORD-BREAKERS
Rambo broke Miami’s single-season records for receiving yards and receptions, eclipsing Allen Hurns’ 1,162 yards in 2013 and Leonard Hankerson’s 72 catches in 2010. Rambo finished the game with eight catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Harley became Miami’s career record holder for receptions, moving into first place with his fifth catch of the day in the first quarter. He eclipsed Reggie Wayne’s record of 173.
Harley also broke the single-game record for receptions, previously held by Willie Smith, Phillip Dorsett and Rambo — each with 12. Harley finished the day after his
Hedley all did not dress Saturday for Miami’s regular-season finale. Stevenson didn’t play in the second half of the Hurricanes’ win against the Virginia Tech Hokies last Saturday because of a shoulder injury, Ford missed his second straight game with an ankle injury and Hedley was out with a “lower-body injury,” coach Manny Diaz said. All three made the trip to North Carolina despite sitting out.
With Stevenson sidelined, Miami was missing four defensive backs with significant starting experience. Bubba Bolden and Gurvan Hall Jr., who began the season as the Hurricanes’ starting safeties, are done for the year, as is freshman safety James Williams, who replaced Hall in the starting lineup in September. Bolden had season-ending shoulder surgery last month, Hall entered the transfer portal after losing his job and Williams is out for the season after injuring his groin Nov. 13 in a loss to the Florida State Seminoles.
On Monday, Diaz said there was a chance Stevenson could play this weekend and didn’t rule out the sophomore for the season.
“We think there’s a better chance of him playing this weekend and moving forward,” he said.
On Saturday, he said both Stevenson and Ford were close to being able to play.
Stevenson is eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft after playing record-breaking 13th catch, totaling 96 receiving yards.
After trailing 10-3, UM scored the next 44 points to make it 47-10 with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
The scoring parade: four field goals by freshman Andy Borregales, the 12- and 14-yard touchdown catches by Rambo, a 21-yard touchdown catch by Xavier Restrepo, a 2-yard rush by Jaylan Knighton, a 9-yard rush by freshman Thaddius Franklin.
UM middle linebacker Corey Flagg, a secondyear freshman, strongly defended Diaz Saturday after the game.
“I couldn’t even tell if there was something going on with his future if it wasn’t [for] social media,” Flagg said. “The guy just comes in the same way every day. He just stays positive every day. That’s my guy. Coach Diaz — he’s a great guy off the field, as well.
“Man, he’s a great coach. Win or loss, he’s the same guy every day and I appreciate that from him. We all do and we love him.
“That’s our guy.”
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs before he transferred to Miami in January.
In the secondary Saturday, the Hurricanes started cornerbacks Marcus Clarke and DJ Ivey,
and freshman safeties Avantae Williams and Kamren Kinchens.
Ford hasn’t played since the Florida State game, when he injured his ankle, but was able to finish the game. The fifthyear senior started eight of the first 10 games. With Ford out, fellow defensive linemen Nesta Jade Silvera and Jared Harrison-Hunte both started for the second straight game.
For Hedley, his absence means the Hurricanes had a different punter for the first time since the specialist transferred to Miami from City College of San Francisco, a junior college, in 2019. The 29-yearold redshirt junior from Australia was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award last season and a second-team All-American, according to the Associated Press. With Hedley out, punter Nelson Foley, another Australian, made his debut for the Hurricanes.
On Monday, Diaz said Miami views Foley as Hedley’s successor if Hedley opts to turn pro and forego his final season of eligibility.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan