’Canes look able

Spring game brings out some signs of promise

FORT LAUDERDALE — Fans got their first look at the Mario Cristobal-era Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon as Miami held its scrimmage at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

The offense beat the defense 31-27 as the Hurricanes got a chance to practice their new offense and defense in a game-like situation in front of fans.

“It’s been 15 practices, and then another 15, 16, 18 days of lifting and running and meetings and all that stuff,” Cristobal said. “Certainly, there’s progress and there’s still a ways to go.

“There’s always a gap between the way you end the season and where you want to go next year. We feel like we’ve made ground toward where we want to get to. We have a lot of work to do, and we know that.”

Here are five takeaways from the game:

1. Parrish and Franklin take advantage of opportunities: With Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylan Knighton out with injuries during spring practices, Henry Parrish Jr. and Thad Franklin stepped up to fill the void.

Parrish, a transfer from Ole Miss, and Franklin, a rising sophomore, both found the end zone Saturday. Parrish had a pair of touchdowns and Franklin scored one. Franklin showed off his power, breaking through defenders on multiple runs, while Parrish broke off some shifty runs.

Franklin ended his day with 14 carries for 60 yards, while Parrish had nine carries for 41 yards. Walk-on Devon Perry also had some quality runs.

“They’re beasts, espeically Thad,” defensive lineman Jake Lichtenstein said. “Thad is a tough guy to tackle, and he’s elusive too. He’s a big back but he’s deceptively elusive.”