ANALYSIS: Miami Hurricanes make short work of Temple, 41-7, dominating in all phases to improve to 4-0
This year’s Miami Hurricanes team just keeps on rolling, and unlike the 2022 version UM isn’t giving lesser teams to breathe life early. Miami jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead, scoring on all but one first half possession, in the team’s first road game of the season at Temple on Saturday, rolling to a 41-7 victory in windy, wet conditions.
Miami improves to 4-0 on the season.
“A good afternoon,” coach Mario Cristobal said. “All in all a solid day. We just have to keep getting better. … For the first third of the season, we’re playing a little bit better, more guys that are capable of helping us play winning football. Now during this bye week we have to get a hell of a lot better.
“We have to self-school ourselves, get healthy.”
QB Tyler Van Dyke finished hitting on 17 of 24 passes with three TDs and no INTs.
Emory Williams played the final eight minutes in the blowout but only threw once (incomplete).
“We just executed really well,” Van Dyke said. “Very proud – guys protected me, run-blocked really well. … We probably would have thrown more – it was super windy out there.”
The run game had its way with 323 yards on 42 attempts.
Don Chaney got his first start and had nine carries for 61 yards. The run game star was Henry Parrish with 16 rushes for 139 yards and two TDs before going out in the third game after getting banged up (Cristobal said after the game that “he’ll be fine”). Mark Fletcher added 51 yards on 11 carries, and Chris Johnson played the last couple of minutes and had 33 yards on four rushes.
There were plenty of big holes up front, as the O line did a great job up front.
“We are taking (the O line) out to dinner this week,” Chaney said. “They are doing a great job this year. … It felt great to get out there and run the football and do what we do best.”
The top receivers were Xavier Restrepo (7 catches, 41 yards, 2 TDs), Jacolby George (5 catches, 90 yards) and Colbie Young (2 catches, 33 yards, TD).
Young’s 28-yard TD in the second quarter was a highlight, as he high-pointed the ball and then turned and dove into the end zone.
“(Restrepo) finally got in the end zone (his first TDs),” Van Dyke said “He’s been really good for us, and so have Colbie and Jacolby as well.”
On defense the Canes allowed 279 yards (only 11 rushing).
There were a pair of sacks from Thomas Gore and another sack from Leonard Taylor. One of Gore’s sacks resulted in a fumble that Jahfari Harvey recovered late in the first half.
“We need the D line to continue to press the pocket, continue to finish plays, play with more effort, toughness, physicality,” Cristobal said.
And a pair of interceptions came from Te’Cory Couch, both thrown right to him.
“I could have had three, but it’s all good,” said Couch, who had a PBU that was a near-interception. “I just feel like I’ve been in the right place at the right time, and the ball is finding me now.”
The scoring:
Miami’s first possession went 82 yards on 13 plays, nine of them runs, and ended with a seven-yard TD catch from Restrepo. The Canes went 80 yards on five plays the next drive, with Young making a 28-yard TD grab on which he high-pointed the ball and then turned and dove into the end zone. The Canes made it 17-0 on the next possession with a 26-yard Andy Borregales field goal. The Harvey fumble recovery set up Miami’s next score with 1:03 left in the second quarter, a 13-yard Parrish TD run.
Temple got on the board with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard third-and-goal TD pass to Reese Clark for a 24-7 halftime score.
UM began with the ball in the third quarter and drove 63 yards on seven plays, with Parrish scoring from three yards out to make it 31-7. Miami’s next drive went 72 yards on eight plays, with Restrepo getting open up the right sideline for a 17-yard TD. It was 38-7, and Borregales hit his second field goal on the next series for a 41-7 advantage.
“We have a ton of confidence in our team, offense and defense,” Couch said. “We’ll fix what we messed up today and we’ll be fine.”
The team now has a bye weekend before facing Georgia Tech.
“Started off really well with these four games,” Van Dyke said.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS: QB #9 Tyler Van Dyke, RB #2 Don Chaney, Jr. WR #3 Jacolby George, WR #7 Xavier Restrepo, WR #4 Colbie Young, TE #84 Cam McCormick, LT #64 Jalen Rivers, LG #70 Javion Cohen, #55 C Matt Lee, #73 RG Anez Cooper, #61 RT Francis Mauigoa. DEFENSIVE STARTERS: DE #12 Jahfari Harvey, DT #81 Jared Harrison-Hunte, DT #56 Leonard Taylor III, DE #44 Rueben Bain, LB #51 Francisco Mauigoa, LB #31 Wesley Bissainthe, STAR #0 Te’Cory Couch, CB #22 Jaden Davis, S #20 James Williams, S #19 Jaden Harris, CB #2 Daryl Porter, Jr.
KEY MOMENTS
FIRST QUARTER
Temple began at its own seven yard line after a holding call on the kickoff return. Facing a quick third-and-six a toss on the right side found Zae Baines to just move the chains. Two plays later Baines got open in the zone down the middle for a gain of 13 with Jaden Davis on the tackle. A pair of runs brough up third-and-eight, and with no one open EJ Warner threw it away. The punt bounced out of bounds at the UM 18.
A couple of Chaney runs brought up third-and-one, and Chaney easily picked it up off the left side with a gain of 11. Then it was Parrish running for nine yards, and Van Dyke’s first pass of the game on the right side moved the chains with Colbie Young picking up five. A Chaney run and incomplete pass with Xavier Restrepo slipping down brought up third-and-eight – Restrepo converted it right at the chains. A pair of Chaney runs netted another first down, moving Miami to the Owls 28. Then Parrish got a big hole up the middle and he ran to the 7. On the next play Restrepo was wide open for the TD on the left side of the end zone.
On Temple’s first play of its ensuing possession Amad Anderson, Jr. got a 46-yard gain to the Miami 29 when Te’Cory Couch gambled on an interception and whiffed, and then James Williams missed an open field tackle. Then, facing third and eight, John Adams slipped a Jaden Davis tackle and picked up the eight yards.
SECOND QUARTER
Temple began the second quarter with a second-and-nine at the Miami 18. And Warner threw a high arching pass into the corner of the end zone … and the only guy there was Te’Cory Couch for the interception.
The Canes had the ball back at the 20, and Parrish ran for nine yards on first down before Van Dyke kept up the right sideline and totally fooled Temple’s defense. He gained 37 yards to the Temple 34.
“Wasn’t supposed to run it (but it was wide open),” Van Dyke said.
Facing third-and-four from there Van Dyke lofted a pass to 6-5 Colbie Young who went up and high pointed it, taking into the end zone.
The Owls began their third drive at the 22 and faced a quick third-and-12 after a false start – the screen pass went nowhere. Miami took over at its 47.
On first down Jacolby George got wide open on the right side one on one to the 14-yard line. A third-and-three pass was off the mark to an open Restrepo in the end zone, and Miami settled for the field goal.
It was 17-0.
Temple began at its 25 and faced a quick third-and-five – Jayden Wayne wound up covering RB Darvon Hubbard and he beat him for a big gain of 37. The next play Daryl Porter, Jr. blew a coverage on a deep route but the pass was overthrown. Then, on third and six, Warner was sacked by Leonard Taylor. The Owls went for it on fourth and 12 and the pass was overthrown. Miami took over at the 35.
On first down Mark Fletcher was hit in the backfield and fumbled, but Miami recovered. After a short pass to George, on third-and-10 with the clock ticking down to three minutes the pass was dropped by Parrish on the left side with open grass in front of him.
Temple fair caught the punt at its 22 with 2:57 remaining in the half. Two plays later Thomas Gore got a hand on the ball as Warner was throwing and Jahfari Harvey recovered at the Temple 24.
A short Restrepo catch and Parrish run picked up a first down at the 13, and then a pass into the end zone lofted to Young was defended well with 1:09 on the clock. On the next play Parrish ran in on the right side for a TD.
Temple’s final drive of the half started at the 25, and the first down pass was incomplete behind Baines. A busted coverage saw Anderson pick up 15 yards down the left sideline, and then KJ Cloyd took a bad angle on a 14-yard screen to Edward Saydee. A nine-yard catch followed, and then Anderson was wide open down the middle for a pickup of 18 … and Jared Harrison-Hunte was called for roughing the passer on the play. It was first and goal from the nine with 35 seconds left. Baines made a catch at the four, and after an errant pass it was third-and-goal with seven seconds on the clock – a false start pushed Temple back to the nine. With pressure coming from Rueben Bain Warner found Reese Clark in the middle of the end zone.
It was 24-7 going to halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
After a Brashard Smith return to the 37, a 31-yard return, and facing a quick third-and-one Parrish did a nice job bouncing a run designed up the middle to the outside to move the chains easily. The team continued to move downfield methodically, facing a second and eight from the Temple 47. And that’s when a quick pitch to Brashard Smith found a gap on the right side to the 25. Then Parrish ran 16 yards to the three, and then ran into the end zone up the middle for the TD.
Temple began at its 17 after a holding penalty vs. the Owls on the return. Facing a third-and-two after a dropped pass, the throw down the middle was incomplete. Temple went for it from their own 25 on fourth down and threw it right to Couch for a second interception.
An unsportsmanlike call vs. Keontra Smith for celebrating followed the play, but then Chaney ran down to the 34, a gain of 25. Facing third-and-12 from there after a false start on Javion Cohen, the screen pass was too far in front of Parrish on a screen. Joyce’s second punt of the game was fair caught at the 12.
The first down pass was thrown too high for tight end Jordan Smith, and after a quick completion to Baines on the left side it was a third-and-eight. The pass on the left side to Anderson was also over his head and incomplete, and the punt bounced down to the 28.
Then the run game took over – Parrish had runs of 13, 10 and nine yards, helping move the team to the Temple 36. The drive ended with a 17-yard second-and-eight strike to Restrepo for a TD.
Temple took over at its 26 and faced a quick third-and-five – the pass was underthrown incomplete. The punt rolled down to the 20.
George came back to an underthrown first down pass for a gain of 25, Fletcher ran for a gain of five to midfield and then George took a quick receiver screen on the right side for a first down at the Temple 32.
FOURTH QUARTER
On the first play of the quarter Young was called for offensive pass interference, and facing a third and 14 it was Ray Ray Joseph taking a quick hitter for a first down gain of 19. A Ryan Rodriguez holding negated a Mark Fletcher TD, and a false start on Cohen pushed Miami even further back. On third-and-21 a run up the middle set up Borregales’ second field goal.
Temple began its next possession at the 18 and faced a quick third-and-nine – a quick toss to the right side to Xavier Irvin moved the chains. Facing a third-and-six from the Temple 42 a swing pass was off the target, and the Owls went for it on fourth down. The pass was dropped by Baines, who perhaps could have gotten the first down. Miami took over with Emory Williams taking over for Van Dyke.
A 17-yard Fletcher run put the Canes in scoring range, and facing a third-and-three from the 16 Williams’ first pass under pressure to Joseph saw the ball fly out of bounds. Miami went for it on fourth down and the run by Fletcher up the middle was stacked up for a loss, so the Owls took over with 5:38 remaining.
With the backup QB Quincy Patterson in, Irvin got wide open on the right side and took it for a gain of 28 to the Miami 44. The drive ended there, and Miami ran out the clock on the game.
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