MIAMI GARDENS — The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes, riding high off the momentum from a Week 1 win over rival Florida, made a point not to overlook Florida A&M in their home opener.
Miami succeeded in that, getting out to a quick, multi-touchdown lead and never looking back. The Hurricanes (2-0) rolled to a 56-9 win over the Rattlers (2-1) at Hard Rock Stadium in their home opener on Saturday.
“The only thing that matters to us is if you get a win,” quarterback Cam Ward said. “If you get a win, then by all means, you had a good day. That’s the biggest thing.”
The Hurricanes did not need much time to get going. Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe tipped a third-down pass to himself and caught it as he kept himself in bounds, notching his first career interception. Two plays later, Ward connected with tight end Elijah Arroyo on a 17-yard touchdown pass.
Ward continued his hot start on Miami’s second drive, leading the Hurricanes 99 yards down the field and capping the drive with a 50-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Xavier Restrepo. Tight end Riley Williams scored a two-point conversion with a trick play.
“Cam’s a special player,” Restrepo said. “We all have built a really good relationship with Cam since the day he’s come in here, and we’re still building.”
Miami continued rolling into the second quarter, as Ward orchestrated another scoring drive. He completed it with a 9-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman running back Chris Johnson Jr. for a 9-yard score.
Florida A&M had some positive drives in the first half but could not convert them into touchdowns, settling for a pair of first-half field goals.
The Hurricanes picked up right where they left off in the second half, driving down the field for a seven-play, 75-yard series that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Mark Fletcher Jr. — his third score of the season. Miami kept it on the ground for their next drive, with running back Damien Martinez scoring his first touchdown at UM with a 33-yard score early in the third quarter.
Ward added another touchdown to his ledger late in the third quarter, scrambling from the 8-yard line and leaping over the goal line for his first rushing touchdown as a Hurricane.
Miami subbed in its second-string players late in the third quarter, and Jordan Lyle got his first career touchdown to close out the scoring in the Hurricanes’ home opener.
“We handled our business,” Cristobal said, “and lots of areas to get better at.”
Five takeaways
Cam Ward continues his hot start
The Hurricanes’ new quarterback, coming off an excellent game against Florida, continued his strong start to his season. Ward, who played the first half and most of the third quarter, finished the game with 20 completions on 26 attempts for 304 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
Ward became the first Miami quarterback to throw for 600 or more yards in his first two games of a season since Jacory Harris accomplished that feat in 2009, according to AP.
“You can see what he brings to the table,” Cristobal said. “What’s he not done is kind of more the question now.”
Run game dominant in limited action
The Hurricanes let Ward sling the ball around the field often, limiting the running backs’ chances to rack up yards.
Miami’s two primary running backs, Martinez and Fletcher, had 15 combined carries for 132 yards. Both scored touchdowns. Their limited carries was not because they were ineffective: They averaged 8.8 yards per attempt.
“It’s never a pre-set determination,” Cristobal said about the balance between the running and passing games. “Our coordinators, they put together good game plans, and when those guys get on a roll, you let them go.”
Lyle, Ajay Allen, Chris Johnson Jr. and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey also got carries, and Miami’s running backs ended the game with 199 rushing yards.
Restrepo continues shining
Restrepo, an All-ACC selection last year, continued his strong partnership with Ward. The veteran wide receiver had four catches for 104 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception.
Restrepo’s performance was his eighth career 100-yard game and his fifth straight game with 99 receiving yards or more, dating back to last season.
Restrepo also notched a career accomplishment, moving into 10th place on the Hurricanes’ all-time receiving yards leaderboard. He passed Andre Johnson and Allen Hurns on UM’s all-time list.
“It means a lot,” Restrepo said, “but honestly the only thing that matters right now is that we went 1-0 this week. And again, I’m just super excited to take the field with my guys every single week.”
Tyler Baron leads pass rush
Tyler Baron, playing his second game with the Hurricanes after transferring from Tennessee, was a dominant force on Miami’s defensive line.
The veteran defensive end notched three sacks in the Hurricanes’ win on Saturday, giving him four for the season. He had 3.5 tackles for loss, as well.
“He’s built like an Avatar,” Cristobal said. “He’s just explosive and one of the most natural feels for the game of anyone I’ve seen. He understands leverage, angles. He’s really smart, He’s locked in. He’s in tune with what’s going on. He’s always trying to figure out how to get better. He works hard. He’s tough. He checks all the boxes, and now he’s full-throttle.”
Young players get their snaps
Miami rotated many of their new and young players into Saturday’s game, and they made an impact.
Markel Bell, a junior college arrival, started at left tackle for Jalen Rivers. Freshman five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott got his first career sack, and fellow five-star freshman Armondo Blount got his first career snaps.
St. Thomas Aquinas High alum Jordan Lyle scored his first career touchdown after making his college debut last week, and kicker Abram Murray made his debut with the extra point. Murray also kicked his first career field goal.
Freshmen linebackers Bobby Pruitt and Adarius Hayes both made their first career interceptions.
Freshman safety Zaquan Patterson and freshman defensive lineman Cole McConathy also made their first appearances on Miami’s defense. Wide receivers JoJo Trader and Ny Carr and offensive linemen Frankie Tinilau and Nino Francavilla made their UM debuts, as well. Carr and Trader each made their first career catches.
“There’s nothing like repetition,” Cristobal said. “Nothing. There’s nothing that you can do in practice, there’s nothing you can do in a meeting room or a walk-through that can ever replace the value of that. The value of those reps are tremendous.”
