Two linemen injured on consecutive plays
The Miami Hurricanes’ offensive line depth got tested Saturday in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener against North Carolina when two starters went down on consecutive plays in the second quarter.
In addition to already being without left tackle Zion Nelson, both center Jakai Clark and right guard Justice Oluwaseum went to the locker room at the tail end of a UM drive that stalled just outside the end zone.
Clark exited after Tyler Van Dyke’s quarterback sneak on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line went for no gain. Oluwaseum left the game one play later after a Henry Parrish Jr. rush for no gain. The Hurricanes ended up turning the ball over on downs, when Van Dyke’s fourth-down pass to tight end Will Mallory fell incomplete.
Jonathan Denis replaced Clark at center, while Logan Sagapolu entered at right guard to replace Oluwaseum.
The injuries came after the Hurricanes began Saturday’s game with several key contributors returning.
After dealing with an unspecified injury from the Middle Tennessee State game, Parrish started at running back. Defensive back Tyrique Stevenson also started after missing the entire second half against the Blue Raiders with a lower extremity injury.
Running back Jaylan Knighton, who suffered a left ankle injury against Middle Tennessee, came in for UM on the first drive. Defensive back Daryl Porter Jr. warmed up in pads and started the second half.
But Nelson and tight end Elijah Arroyo were missing from the pregame on-field festivities.
Nelson has yet to start a game this season after he had knee surgery in July.
He missed most of training camp and the first two games of the season. He played in Week 3 during Miami’s first loss against then-No. 24 Texas A&M.
But Nelson experienced “a setback” that kept him out of the Hurricanes’ loss to Middle Tennessee State the following Saturday, Mario Cristobal said.
The head coach said he was “optimistic” about the fourth-year junior’s progress during the bye week, but called him a “gametime decision” against UNC.
Arroyo was questionable to play against North Carolina after getting
“banged up,” Cristobal said. The tight end started three of Miami’s four games before Saturday, playing a key role in the passing game with the absences of Jacolby George and star receiver Xavier Restrepo.
FROM CANE TO TAR HEEL
The Miami defensive line faced a former Hurricane on Saturday.
Former longtime UM center Corey Gaynor, now a UNC graduate transfer and team captain on Saturday, left UM before the 2022 season.
The 6-3, 305-pound Gaynor, out of Parkland Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High, had started 27 consecutive games for UM
— 28 in all including one start his freshman season in 2017 — before knee pain got too severe to continue and he underwent surgery after starting the first three games of 2021.
He has started all six games at center this season for North Carolina.
The Raleigh News & Observer wrote this week that “many players, including those on the defensive line, have sought out Gaynor’s informal scouting report on the Canes personnel and what to expect.”
RECRUITING BONANZA
A long list of high-impact recruits were scheduled to visit the UNC game, including five-star offensive tackle Francis Maugioa, one of several commits from Bradenton IMG Academy, which had the weekend off. Also scheduled to visit from IMG were four-star edge Jayden Wayne, four-star tight end Riley Williams, and three-star interior offensive lineman Antonio Tripp, all UM commits.
Also on hand, per 247Sports, five-star wideout Hykeem Williams, an FSU commit.
This week, former Hurricanes player Cristobal was asked about recruiting, and if “being a Miami guy can be taught” and if it’s something he can ascertain “instantly” while recruiting a player.
Cristobal said that “recruiting is the most imperfect science in the world.”
“You just don’t know what’s going to end up being a major factor up here,” he said, pointing to his head, “in terms of if a guy continues to be a self-starter, whether he’s driven to be great, whether he allows himself to be affected by the noise outside or whether he couldn’t care and could play in an empty parking lot — play football all day and all night. A guy who really loves football and is willing to do whatever to do right by his team and by his program.
“That’s what Miami guys have always been — just relentless competitors. They don’t stop coming.
“That was a special time, a special era in college football that I was able and fortunate to be a small part of,” the coach said of his UM days from 1988 through 1992. “And a big reason for coming home was to do whatever it takes to build ourselves into being that kind of program again. Knowing the issues that exist and knowing what you have to do to make that a reality.... Yeah, those things are always taken into account when evaluating your current roster and also your prospective studentathletes.”