Tag: Miami football

MAC wide receiver transfer to officially visit Michigan State football

MSU to host a second Miami (OH) wide receiver on an official visit this weekend

Michigan State football is set to host another MAC wide receiver on an official visit this weekend.

Javon Tracy, a Miami (OH) transfer, will be in East Lansing on Dec. 15 for an official visit. In 29 games, Tracy caught 79 passes for 1,166 yards and 9 touchdowns in his Red Hawks career.

Other visits for the star wide receiver include Indiana, Iowa State and Minnesota.

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Mario Cristobal picked the worst time to declare SEC bias over as Alabama jumps Miami in CFP rankings

Timing!

Miami coach Mario Cristobal has never been great at clock management, and that popped up in a very unexpected way on Tuesday.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff selection committee putting Alabama ahead of Miami in its latest rankings, Cristobal hyped about his team and the ACC’s chances to stack up against the rest of the SEC on the ACC Network.

“I think that [SEC] bias is coming to an end,” Cristobal said during an interview about the rising ACC compared to the SEC as to how they’ll be ranked… right before the selection committee put Alabama in the bracket and named Miami the first team left out.

This is just brutal timing for Cristobal after a three-loss SEC team basically took his two-loss ACC team’s spot in the playoff at the committee’s discretion.

With Miami out of the ACC title game, it’s downright impossible for the Hurricanes to contend for a national title once Sunday’s final bracket comes out. We’ll see what happens, but the SEC bias is holding for now.

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Georgia Tech humbled Miami (of course), but the Hurricanes’ playoff hopes aren’t ruined yet

Miami could only outrun ACC chaos for so long.

After so many comeback wins and (sometimes controversial) close calls for the Miami Hurricanes this season, it was only a matter of time before an opponent would get the best of the College Football Playoff contender. And, of course, it was Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets dealt Miami its first loss of the season with a 28-23 victory on Saturday in a matchup where the Hurricanes were pretty much never in control. Now 5-5 in recent years against Georgia Tech, Miami’s perfect season is no more as it’s now on a two-game losing streak against the Yellow Jackets.

Entering Week 11 at the top of the ACC standings and No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Miami is now 5-1 in conference play and 9-1 overall. It’s headed for a bye week before closing out the regular season against Wake Forest and Syracuse.

But more importantly for the team and its fans, Miami’s shot to play in the ACC title game and make the 12-team playoff is still very much alive. Georgia Tech just made the path a bit harder and less forgiving.

The Hurricanes’ season isn’t over, especially with an expanded playoff field, and it’s hardly time to panic. The Canes just need to win out.

But Georgia Tech pulled off what so many other teams have tried but failed to do this year and, in the process, illuminated Miami’s flaws, particularly with an inconsistent offensive line. The Yellow Jackets defense stifled the Hurricanes, kept them from getting much moving on offense and came up big on fourth downs.

Now that Miami’s late-game comeback luck has run out, it must finally clean up what so many opponents continue to expose.

Heisman Trophy contender Cam Ward is playing a standout season with dominant stats and jaw-dropping plays that remind you he’s one of the best FBS quarterbacks this season. Through 10 games, he’s thrown for 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns, and he entered Week 11 leading FBS quarterbacks in passing touchdowns.

He has moments where it looks like the Heisman is his, playing with coolness and poise that’s so casual it’s almost alarming. But he and the Hurricanes offensive line can be inconsistent too, and some of his stunning Heisman moments are the result of that.

It’s been noticeable all season. Sometimes, Ward has all the time in the world and takes it. Sometimes, he takes too long to get rid of the ball, and other times, the offensive line has him running for his life as it’s unable to stop a blitz.

Miami’s final offensive play against Georgia Tech was a perfect storm of those pitfalls, as a three-man rush somehow still collapsed the Hurricanes’ pocket, leading to a strip-sack of Ward as he danced around just a bit too long.

Ward came into Saturday’s game tied for fourth in the ACC with 17 sacks, and he took three more against Georgia Tech, including that final dagger from the Yellow Jackets’ defense. Even in a commanding win over a bad Florida State team, he had a season-high four sacks.

He was sacked three times in comeback wins over Virginia Tech and Cal, but Miami was still able to narrowly survive with victories. But Georgia Tech ended up being the team to deal the previously undefeated playoff contender what felt like an overdue loss, securing it with a sack and turnover.

Ward scrambling was far from the Hurricanes’ only problem Saturday — there were game and clock management issues and converting three of 10 third downs among the others — it was just a big one that was bound to have a negative impact eventually.

If Miami wins out, it’ll still play in the ACC title game where the winner has an automatic bye week to start the College Football Playoff. If it doesn’t make the conference championship game, or it does but loses, the playoff could be unreachable.

The Hurricanes’ goals are still reachable, and they remain in control. Yet, it’s quite unsurprising Georgia Tech was the team to erase any wiggle room in their path to the playoff.

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Georgia Tech stuns No. 4 Miami, shaking up Clemson’s playoff chances

The ACC has another crazy upset.

Miami football’s loss to Georgia Tech, a 28-23 upset, has major implications for both the ACC standings and the College Football Playoff race. The Hurricanes, once 9-0 and ranked No. 4 in the initial CFP rankings, now face an uphill battle to stay in the playoff conversation. With little room for further slip-ups, Miami will need to win its remaining games to retain a shot at both the ACC Championship and a playoff spot.

The game was marked by Miami’s inability to regain momentum after Georgia Tech took the lead in the second quarter. In the final minutes, quarterback Cam Ward’s fumble ended Miami’s comeback attempt, compounded by a mismanaged timeout call that left limited time on the clock. The loss, Georgia Tech’s second straight over Miami, leaves Miami awaiting Tuesday’s updated CFP rankings to see the impact on their season.

Does this mean Clemson’s fate is back in their own hands? Not quite, as they still need another Miami loss or an SMU loss to have a chance at the ACC Championship, including winning out themselves. The rest of the season will be a wild watch.

Miami QB Cam Ward padded his Heisman resume with a slick touchdown catch

Cam Ward can do it all!

Cam Ward’s Heisman Trophy resume was already looking pretty strong before Saturday’s Miami-Florida State game, as he entered Week 9 leading all FBS quarterbacks with 2,538 total passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns.

The Miami Hurricanes passer is usually poised in the pocket and when it falls apart, and he can improvise sometimes with his legs too.

Well, Saturday in No. 6 Miami’s convincing 36-14 win over Florida State to move to 8-0 on the season, Ward showed he’s a quarterback of many talents when he caught his first college career receiving touchdown.

On second-and-goal on Florida State’s seven-yard line late in the fourth quarter, Miami went for a trick play that worked beautifully. Ward took the snap and tossed the ball to running back Damien Martinez, who quickly flicked it to tight end Elijah Arroyo. As Ward headed toward the end zone, Arroyo threw the ball back to his quarterback, and Ward waltzed across the goal line.

Although the two-point conversion attempt failed, the touchdown gave the Hurricanes a 23-7 lead on their way to victory.

Ward finished the game completing 22-of-35 passes for 208 yards, and surprisingly, his only touchdown was his seven-yard catch. It feels like he’s just showing off at this point, but we love it.

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DJ Douglas landing in the bushes while Miami players Gator-chomped summed up Florida’s brutal day

Not like this, Florida. Not like this.

Florida had an absolutely disastrous season opener in Gainesville against Miami on Saturday, perhaps best summed up by this absolutely brutal sequence involving a Hurricanes touchdown and Gators defensive back DJ Douglas.

On the sequence, Miami quarterback Cam Ward threw an absolute laser to wide receiver Jacolby George in the end zone, who Douglas tried to cover and wasn’t able to stop in time for the touchdown.

The missed coverage caused Douglas to stumble into the bushes and just have to sit there for a moment in said bushes as Hurricanes players did a mocking Gator chomp in his direction.

Even if you hate Florida, it is virtually impossible not to at least feel a little bit sorry for Douglas here. Nothing sums up Florida having a bad day at the office quite like this, and it’s not Douglas’ fault his team stunk so badly.

Nevertheless, the internet will likely do its thing and turn this absolutely miserable Florida blooper into a new college football meme.

As the world laughs at Florida for its absolutely abysmal start to the season, let’s all at least give Douglas a break. He’s already been through enough.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Clemson ranks one spot behind surprise ACC team in Pro Football Focus’ Preseason Top 25

Neither Clemson nor Florida State atop the ACC in these rankings?

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers face a pivotal 2024 season as they work to reestablish themselves among college football’s elite. Once the dominant force in the ACC, Clemson has encountered challenges recently, particularly with the changes brought on by the NIL era.

Despite these hurdles, Clemson still has a deep roster filled with talent. This season could be a turning point if the Tigers can maximize their strengths. Many believe Clemson is poised for a stronger showing than last year, with key players returning and an offense ready to take a step forward. However, several things need to align for the Tigers to succeed.

Though Clemson seems to be entering 2024 with a more solid team, this hasn’t been widely acknowledged. If everything falls into place, the Tigers could surprise many and make a strong impact this season.

Heading into the season, Pro Football Focus released their preseason Top 25, with a shocking top team in the ACC. It isn’t Clemson or Florida State that landed the top ranking, but Miami at No. 12.

Thanks to an excellent offseason in the transfer portal, Miami now has the most talented roster in the ACC. The Hurricanes should be seen as a favorite to win their first ACC title in program history and secure a College Football Playoff berth.

Clemson ranked one spot below the Hurricanes at No. 13.

Clemson’s defense is good enough to keep the team in contention for the ACC championship and a College Football Playoff spot. Whether quarterback Cade Klubnik improves will determine if the Tigers can reach a higher ceiling.

Per usual, it’s about the Tigers offense. If Klubnik takes the next step, the offensive line continues to improve and the wide receivers show up to play, this offense will be great.

Who made the final 3 for Under Armour All-American, 4-star Jaelyne Matthews?

Jaelyne Matthews reveals his top three.

Jaelyne Matthews is down to three schools, the Under Armour All-American told Rutgers Wire on Friday morning.

Matthews, a four-star recruit is the No. 88 recruit in the nation according to ESPN. He is the second-highest-ranked recruit in New Jersey in the class of 2025

He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 337 pounds. This offseason, Matthews played lacrosse for Toms River North (Toms River, New Jersey) where he has been a multi-year starter at offensive tackle on the football team.

Matthews was offered by Rutgers following his freshman season. Last year, he was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game which is scheduled for this January in Orlando, FL.

“My top schools are Tennessee, Georgia and Miami,” Matthews said on Friday morning via text.

“And I’m planning on deciding June 11 at 12:00 p.m.”

He is scheduled to visit the Miami Hurricanes this weekend for an official visit.

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Last weekend, he took an official visit to Rutgers.

 

“It’s time for me to focus on being a senior in high school and playing football for my school,” Matthews said.

Matthews is a noted fan of WaWa and is a self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur.

Wisconsin boasts one of PFF’s highest-graded returning Big Ten QBs

What are your expectations for Tyler Van Dyke in 2024?

Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke is the Big Ten’s third highest-graded returning player, according to PFF’s recent post on X.

His 85.9 career rating trails only Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (91.9) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (86.3) as the highest-graded signal callers in the conference.

With the departure of 2023 starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai to the San Francisco 49ers, Van Dyke appears poised to win the Badgers’ starting job at quarterback this fall.

The veteran QB played four seasons for Miami and was named ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year in 2021, his redshirt freshman season for the Hurricanes. He notched 7,478 career passing yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions at Miami.

Van Dyke appeared in 11 games in 2023 and passed for 2,703 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 8.1 yards per attempt. At 6’4,” the Glastonbury, Connecticut native was a four-star recruit and the No. 7 quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class.

Injuries and on-field struggles hampered Van Dyke in 2022. He missed parts of six games due to injury and posted under 2,000 passing yards.

Still, Van Dyke’s outlook with a Phil Longo’s pass-friendly offense should provide Badgers’ fans with early optimism. He is surrounded by a host of talent and could have a career-best season.

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 5/11