Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes at Florida State

MIAMI HURRICANES (6-3, 2-3 ACC)

HEAD COACH: Mario Cristobal (Miami, 1993) | CAREER: 73-70 (12th season) | AT MIAMI: 11-10 (second season)

AT

4/#4 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (9-0, 7-0 ACC)

HEAD COACH: Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas, 2005) | CAREER: 65-31 (eighth season) | AT FLORIDA STATE: 27-16 (fourth season)

Saturday, November 11, 2023

3:30 PM ET | ABC

Tallahassee, Fla. – Doak Campbell Stadium (79,560)

THE GAME         

• Coming off a 20-6 loss last time out at NC State, the Miami Hurricanes continue their second season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., November 11 with their annual rivalry showdown with Florida State. Kickoff for the game is set for 3:30 p.m. from Tallahassee, Fla.      

• The game will be broadcast on ABC with Sean McDonough (pxp), Greg McElroy (color) & Molly McGrath (sideline) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) & Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM booth for the 22nd season. americaradio 1260 AM will also broadcast from Doak Campbell Stadium. THE SERIES               

• The Hurricanes lead the all-time series against the Seminoles, 35-32, but have lost the last two head-to-head matchups vs. FSU in 2021 and 2022        

• Florida State’s win in the 2021 game in Tallahassee – 31-28, in UM’s last trip to Doak Campbell – snapped Miami’s four-game win streak in the series.           

• Miami and Florida State have met every year since 1969 – the longest consecutive series for any UM opponent. Miami is 16-11 all-time in Tallahassee.

THE HURRICANES           

• Miami continues Year 2 of the Mario Cristobal Era on Nov. 11 when it travels to Florida State for its sixth of eight straight ACC games to close 2023.           

• The Hurricanes are coming off a 20-6 loss to NC State in Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 4. Miami is 1-2 on the road this season and 0-2 in road conference play.

• RB Mark Fletcher, Jr. was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 6 after rushing for a career-best 115 yards on a career-high 23 carries at NC State.           

• Another freshman – DL Rueben Bain, Jr. – ranks first on Miami in sacks with 6.5 and is tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the category.            

• The Hurricanes picked up an impressive win over #23/#22 Texas A&M, 48-33, on Sept. 9. Miami’s win was its first ranked win during Cristobal’s tenure.      

• Cristobal, a double alum of the University, was named the 26th head coach in program history by school president Dr. Julio Frenk on Dec. 6, 2021. 

• Cristobal returned home after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Oregon, where he won two Pac-12 titles and captured a Rose Bowl.         

• Cristobal is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, and in his first recruiting cycle as Miami head coach, the Hurricanes signed the best class in program history according to the 247Sports Composite; it was the top-ranked class in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the top class in the state.    

• The second-year Miami head coach hired Shannon Dawson from the University of Houston as the team’s new offensive coordinator and Lance Guidry from Marshall as the team’s new defensive coordinator entering 2023. In total, there are new faces in seven of 10 assistant coach roles; in addition to Dawson and Guidry, Cristobal hired Derek Nicholson (from Louisville) to coach linebackers, Tim Harris, Jr., (UCF) to coach running backs, Kevin Beard (Toledo) to coach wide receivers and elevated both Jason Taylor (defensive line) and Cody Woodiel (tight ends) from analyst roles.               

• QB Tyler Van Dyke entered his second full year as a starter with high expectations after an injury-riddled 2022 season. Van Dyke, named to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Award, earned ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a second-year freshman in 2021.

• After a breakout season where he earned All-America honors, Kam Kinchens was named to the watch list for nearly every major defensive award, including the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Trophy and the Thorpe Award. He was also named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press.             

• TE Elijah Arroyo (Mackey Award), K Andy Borregales (Lou Groza Award), OL Javion Cohen (Outland Trophy), OL Matt Lee (Rimington Award) and DL Leonard Taylor (Bednarik) were also among those recognized with preseason watch list selections for major awards entering 2023.         

• The Canes feature a 2023 transfer portal class that ranked among the best in FBS; it includes starters OL Javion Cohen (Alabama), Matt Lee (UCF) and LB Francisco Mauigoa (Washington State), DB Jaden Davis (Oklahoma) & others like DB Davonte Brown (UCF) and RB Ajay Allen (Nebraska).

HURRICANES TO FACE RIVAL SEMINOLES             

• Following a 20-6 loss on the road at NC State last time out , Miami continues its second season under Mario Cristobal on Nov. 11 with a rivalry game at Florida State.  

• The Hurricanes have won four of the last six matchups overall in the series but have dropped two straight. In Miami’s last trip to Doak Campbell in 2021, Florida State emerged victorious, 31-28, to snap UM’s four-game win streak in the series.  

• The rivalry is UM’s longest running series, with Saturday’s matchup making it 55 straight years with at least one game between the two programs (1969).

TVD LOOKING TO REBOUND      

• QB Tyler Van Dyke put together an ACC Rookie of the Year campaign at Miami in 2021. Van Dyke’s 2022 season was marred by injury, forcing him to miss significant action during the second half of the year. He missed Miami’s last game vs. Clemson Oct. 21 but returned in the Hurricanes’ OT win over Virginia.

• Van Dyke struggled in Miami’s win against UVA, throwing for a season-low 163 yards with two picks. He has now thrown 10 INTs in the last four games in which he’s played.           

• Van Dyke entered Week 4 ranked 10th on UM’s career completions list with 419. He’s now No. 6 with 532, having passed Craig Erickson (420), Ryan Clement (427), Bernie Kosar (463) & Kyle Wright (478).

• Van Dyke’s five touchdown passes vs. Texas A&M marked a new career high. The performance was TVD’s eighth career start with multiple TDs and zero picks. He had his ninth such start vs. Bethune.      

• Van Dyke has thrown multiple interceptions in a game seven times in his 26 career starts at The U.

FLETCHER IMPRESSES IN FIRST UM START            

• RB Mark Fletcher, Jr. was recognized as ACC Rookie of the Week after an impressive first start of his career at NC State on Nov. 4.           

• Fletcher recorded 115 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per rush and three receptions in the game. The last Miami freshman to match or surpass those numbers in a game was Duke Johnson in 2012 against Boston College (135, 19.3, three).               

• The last Miami Hurricane freshman running back to eclipse the century mark in a game before Fletcher was Joe Yearby vs. North Carolina on Nov. 1, 2014.

BAIN DOMINATING IN FRESHMAN SEASON        

• One of the biggest reasons for Miami’s strong start to 2023 has been the dominance of freshman DL Rueben Bain, Jr., who was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second straight week on Oct. 30.     

• Bain leads Miami in sacks (6.5) and is tied for fourth in the ACC in the category.

• Bain was named ACC DL of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week on Oct. 23. He was named a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist on Oct. 31.      

• The freshman standout, who was a top-ranked recruit, has an older brother on staff who serves as a graduate assistant (Reggie).

HURRICANES TRAVEL TO STATE CAPITAL FOR RIVALRY GAME VS. NOLES

• Miami continues its second season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., Nov. 11 with its sixth of eight straight ACC games to close 2023 – this one at rival Florida State at 3:30 p.m. ET.      

• Coming off a 20-6 loss at NC State last time out, the Hurricanes are looking for their first win over the Seminoles since 2020 on Saturday. FSU has captured wins in back-to-back years (2021, 2022) vs. UM.            

• Miami leads the all-time series against Florida State, 35-32, including a 16-11 mark in Tallahassee. . The Hurricanes had won four in a row in the series (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) before falling in 2021..         

• Joining Cristobal on the sidelines in 2023 are seven new faces in full-time assistant coach roles, including both coordinators – offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson from the University of Houston and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry from Marshall – who are both in their first seasons at The U.          

• Miami’s game vs. the Seminoles is also slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM and americaradio 1260 AM.

MIAMI ONE OF ONLY TEN FBS TEAMS WITH TOP-35 OFFENSE & DEFENSE             

• The Hurricanes are currently one of only 10 groups in all of FBS – and one of only eight in Power-5 – to feature units that rank in the top 35 in both “total offense” and “total defense” entering Week 11.        

• Miami currently ranks No. 19 in the nation in total defense (311.4 yards per game ) and No. 31 in total offense (437.9). Florida State and Louisville are the other ACC teams ranked top 35 in both categories.

GUIDRY’S ‘D’ IMPRESSING, IN YEAR 1 AS MIAMI’S DEF. COORDINATOR  

• Lance Guidry, who was named defensive coordinator at Miami in February 2023, spent the previous two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Marshall University in 2021 and 2022.     

• Guidry has already made his impact felt in a short amount of time in Coral Gables. Among ACC teams, Miami ranks No. 4 in scoring defense (20.0 points per game), No. 3 in total defense (311.4 yards per game) and No. 2 in rushing defense (89.2 yards per game). Among FBS teams nationwide, the Hurricanes also rank No. 8 in rushing defense, No. 29 in scoring defense and No. 19 in total defense.             

• The Canes are one of just 21 teams in all of FBS allowing fewer than 320.0 yards per game in 2023.        

• Miami had held its opponents under 100 rushing yards its first five games of the season – a streak that ended at North Carolina Oct. 14. It was the Hurricanes’ longest such streak to begin a year since 2006.       

• The Hurricanes were one of only three Power-5 teams to have held opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards in six of their first seven games of 2023. The other two were Nebraska and Penn State.

BAIN SHINING IN YEAR 1, IS FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALIST      

• One of Miami’s most impressive breakout players of the season has been true freshman DL Rueben Bain, Jr. Bain was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week and Rookie of the Week on Oct. 23 after a dominant game vs. Clemson. He repeated as ACC DL of the Week honoree on Oct. 30.      

• Bain was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award.  

• A Miami native, Bain leads all UM players and ranks fourth in the ACC with 6.5 sacks. He’s second on the team in tackles for loss (8.5) and has totaled 29 tackles, which is tops among defensive linemen.  

• In a 2OT win over Clemson, Bain had the best performance of his young career – eight tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble. Bain was also named 247Sports True Freshman of the Week and hauled in Shaun Alexander Award Freshman of the Week recognition for his dominant game vs. Clemson.  

• He outdid himself against Virginia, finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and seven tackles.            

• According to PFF, Bain has more credited quarterback pressures this year than most of the players considered to be the top defensive line prospects in college football ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.

DAWSON’S OFFENSE RANKS NO. 25 IN FBS IN YARDS PER PLAY AT 6.48 

• Shannon Dawson, who was named offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach at Miami in February 2023, spent the past four seasons at the University of Houston (2019-2022) before joining The U.

• He has made his impact felt in Year 1, with Miami one of just 38 teams in the nation averaging 6.0 yards per play vs. FBS competition. The Hurricanes ranked No. 104 in FBS last season in yards per play.        

• Miami rushed for 211 yards in a 2OT win over Clemson on Oct. 21, marking only the 30th time a Dabo Swinney-led Tigers defense had surrendered 200 or more rushing yards in more than 200 games.        

• Among other categories where Dawson’s work has been clear: Miami ranks No. 15 in FBS and No. 1 in the ACC in completion percentage (68.7), and No. 31 in FBS and No. 5 in ACC in total offense (437.9). Miami is averaging 70.8 more yards per game of offense compared to last year’s average (367.1).

• In Dawson’s three seasons as quarterbacks coach with the Cougars (2020-22), Houston quarterbacks combined to throw 87 touchdown passes (13th nationally) behind a 65.3 completion percentage (19th) and 10,008 passing yards (21st). Dawson tutored signal caller Clayton Tune to a record-setting career. In 2022, Tune set the American Athletic Conference single-season TD passes record (40).

• Dawson’s Cougars ranked eighth nationally in passing offense (314.0) in 2022, while Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell led the nation in receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards (1,398).       

• Other impressive numbers: Houston ranked 15th nationally in scoring offense (35.6), 22nd in first downs offense (314), 23rd in passing offense (271.6) and 25th in red zone offense (.891) in 2022.

JOE MOORE-RECOGNIZED OL ONE OF 11 TO HAVE STARTED SAME FIVE 

• One of the most important components to Miami’s start has been the impressive play of its offensive line. The Hurricanes have started LT Jalen Rivers, LG Javion Cohen, C Matt Lee, RG Anez Cooper and RT Francis Mauigoa for all nine of its games, and the group has been pivotal to UM’s success so far.

• The group was recognized for its outstanding play when it was selected to the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award, which annually honors the top-performing offensive unit in college football.            

• Entering Week 11, the Hurricanes were one of only 11 FBS groups to have started the same five players.              

• Miami’s entire interior line (Cohen, Lee, Cooper) was named to the PFF Team of the Week on Oct. 30.   

• In a win vs. Clemson, the group had perhaps its best performance yet. With a freshman QB making his first start, the group did not allow a sack and helped 211 rushing yards against an elite defense.               

• Cooper was named ACC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week as well as Outland Trophy National Player of the Week after a dominant game vs. Texas A&M, where he graded out as Miami’s top lineman.        

• Lee was named a candidate for the Rimington Trophy, honoring the top center, after a standout career at UCF. Cohen transferred from Alabama and was was named an Outland Trophy candidate.

FLETCHER NAMED ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AFTER FIRST START AT UM             

• Running back Mark Fletcher, Jr. delivered a strong showing in the first start of his Miami career at NC State on Nov. 4. He rushed for a career-best 115 yards on a career-high 23 carries in Raleigh, N.C.

• For his efforts, Fletcher was announce as ACC Rookie of the Week by the conference on Nov. 7.

• Fletcher recorded 115 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per rush and three receptions vs. the Wolfpack. The last UM freshman to match or surpass those numbers was Duke Johnson in 2012 at BC (135, 19.3, three).  

• It marked the first 100-yard game by a true freshman at UM since Joe Yearby in 2014 vs. UNC (104).

“FOURTH QUARTER PROGRAM” EFFECT: UM AMONG TOP IN 4Q SCORING         

• When Mario Cristobal arrived to Miami in 2021, one of his first hires was strength & conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld. The duo’s “fourth quarter” spring workout program has become a staple.    

• In games involving only FBS teams across the country, the Hurricanes rank No. 20 in the nation in fourth quarter scoring at 9.3 points per game in 2023. Through its first two games in wins over the Aggies and the RedHawks, Miami outscored its opponents by a 31-7 margin in the final frame.

RESTREPO ENJOYING BREAKOUT SEASON AS GO-TO WR IN OFFENSE     

• While Miami’s offense has impressed under OC Shannon Dawson, WR Xavier Restrepo has emerged as one of the nation’s top wide receivers this season. He leads the Hurricanes with 60 receptions – including a career-high 12 catches in a start against Georgia Tech and 11 more vs. North Carolina. Restrepo ranks No. 14 in FBS in receptions per game (6.7) and No. 14 in FBS in total receptions (60).  

• In UM’s game with Georgia Tech, Restrepo (123 yards) recorded his third game of the season with at least 120 receiving yards. He became the only Hurricane over the past 25 years to record three such games within the first five games of a season – he also managed to do so vs. Texas A&M and Temple.             

• It was the first game to feature 10 catches since Mike Harley had 13 vs. Duke on Nov. 27, 2021. Restrepo is only the third Cane in the last five years to have 10 in a game, joining Harley and Charleston Rambo.          

• Restrepo, who also paces the Hurricanes in receiving yards with 683, struggled through an injury marred 2022 where he caught only 21 passes for 240 yards total, seeing action in just seven games.   

• Restrepo and former roommate Tyler Van Dyke have a special connection; Restrepo learned how to play golf based on TVD’s love for the sport, and the duo is ultra competitive in everything they do.            

• The fourth-year junior surpassed the 1,000 career yard mark at Miami vs. Georgia Tech- he has 106 career catches for 1,308 yards with eight career touchdowns. He has started all nine games so far.

BACK-TO-BACK OVERTIME Ws A RARITY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, AT UM

• Miami won back-to-back games in overtime the last two weeks, emerging victorious over Clemson in two overtimes on Oct. 21 and beating Virginia in OT on Oct. 28. It marked the first time in the history of Miami where the Canes played two overtime games in the same season – let alone back-to-back.

• UM became the first team since Georgia Southern in 2019 to win overtime games in back-to-back outings. UM was the first Power-5 team to do it since Northwestern won three such games in 2017.

BORREGALES LOOKING TO CARRY ON FAMILY’S GROZA LEGACY AT UM 

• Junior K Andy Borregales has delivered another dominant season for the Hurricanes in 2023. Ranked as a preseason candidate for the Lou Groza Award, Borregales has tallied 51 career field goals on 60 attempts (85.0%), which ranks him as the second-most accurate among those with 50 attempts, trailing only Jonah Dalmas of Boise State, who has converted 69 of 79 career attempts (87.3%).       

• Borregales was named ACC Specialist of the Week on Oct. 30 for a dominant game vs. Virginia. Borregales hit on three field goals of at least 45 yards – connecting from 47, 50 and 48 – and went 6-for- 6 on touchbacks. He is the only kicker in 2023 with a game to have three field goals of at least 45 yards. 

• Borregales, whose older brother Jose is the lone Lou Groza Award winner in Miami history (2020), is 17-for-19 on field goals this year. His lone misses came on a 54-yard attempt and a 45-yard attempt.   

• Borregales is one of 17 kickers in FBS with a 89%-or-better success rate this year – he is 17th in FBS (89.8) in the category. He is one of only 10 kickers in the country with at least 17 made field goals.

BRASHARD ONE OF NATION’S MOST DANGEROUS, LEADS FBS IN KOR AVG         

• Though he has only had 14 returns in his nine games, WR Brashard Smith has made them count, ranking first in the nation in kickoff return average averaging 32.9 yards per return so far this year.   

• Smith’s 98-yard kickoff return TD vs. Texas A&M was his first kickoff return for a touchdown of his career              

• Smith had an 80-yard run that resulted in a touchdown in Miami’s 2OT win over Clemson on Oct. 21.    

• The junior speedster ranks No. 1 on Miami in all-purpose yards this season, including a season-high 168 at North Carolina. He totaled 150 yards in Miami’s 2OT win vs. Clemson and 66 last time vs. NC State.

UM ONE OF JUST SIX TEAMS WITH TRIO OF 35+ CATCHES, 450+ YARDS 

• WR Xavier Restrepo (60 catches, 683 yards), WR Jacolby George (41 catches, 554 yards) and WR Colbie Young (36 catches, 470 yards) account for 1,707 yards – 72.5% of the Hurricanes’ total (2,352). “HURRICANE” BAIN PART OF ELITE GROUP WITH MULTIPLE SACKS VS. P5    

• DL Rueben Bain, Jr. recorded back-to-back games of multiple sacks against Clemson (Oct. 21) and Virginia (Oct. 28), helping lead the Hurricanes to back-to-back overtime wins. Bain is one of just 10 players in the nation to have multiple individual performances of at least two sacks in a game this year.               

• Bain, a semifinalist for the Shaun Ander Freshman of the Year, is the only freshman on the list.

KINCHENS JOINS ELITE COMPANY WITH 10TH CAREER PICK LAST TIME OUT        

• DB Kam Kinchens became only the 12th player in Miami Football history to reach double-digit interceptions for a career when he recorded a pick in Miami’s 20-6 loss at NC State in Raleigh, N.C. on Nov. 4.             

• Kinchens is the first Hurricane since the iconic Sean Taylor (2001-03) to record at least 10 picks in a career. Taylor finished his career with 14. Before Sean Taylor reached 10, the previous player to reach the plateau was Ed Reed, who had 21 interceptions from 1998-2001. Reed’s mark of 21 stands as UM’s all-time standard.