Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes vs. Bethune-Cookman

Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022

3:30 PM ET | ACC Network

Miami Gardens, Fla.

Hard Rock Stadium (71,000)

16/#17 MIAMI HURRICANES (0-0, 0-0 ACC)

HEAD COACH: Mario Cristobal (Miami, 1993) | CAREER: 62-60 (11th season) | AT MIAMI: 0-0 (first)

VS.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN WILDCATS (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)

HEAD COACH: Terry Sims (Knoxville, 1997) | CAREER: 36-30 (seventh season) | AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN: 36-30 (seventh)

THE GAME

• The #16/#17 Miami Hurricanes open their first season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., Sept. 3 against Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff for the Hurricanes’ season opener, slated for broadcast on ACC Network, is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.

• The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Jorge Sedano (pxp), Forrest Conoly (color) and Marilyn Payne (sideline) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 21st season together while Josh Darrow manages the sideline duties. Alfredo Alvarez (pxp) and Joe Martinez (color) will carry the game live on WMYM 990AM from Hard Rock Stadium, as will WVUM 90.5 FM.

THE SERIES

• The Hurricanes carry a perfect 5-0 all-time record against the Wildcats into Saturday’s game; Miami last faced B-CU in 2019, a 63-0 win at home.

• Miami has never lost a home opener at Hard Rock Stadium, carrying a perfect 14-0 record at the stadium in home openers since moving there prior to the 2008 season. The Hurricanes topped Appalachian State, 25-23, in last year’s home opener on Sept. 11. Miami finished 5-2 at home last season.

THE HURRICANES

• The Miami Hurricanes officially open the Mario Cristobal era on Saturday when the Hurricanes play host to Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium.

• 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. During his time in Eugene, the Ducks were the only team to play in a Power-5 conference championship game each of his final three years. He led the Ducks to a Rose Bowl win and two Pac-12 titles.

• Cristobal is one of only two active head coaches to have produced a top-10 pick in each of the last three drafts, joining only Alabama’s Nick Saban.

• The first-year Miami head coach drew widespread acclaim for the staff he assembled, which includes reigning Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator, longtime coordinator and SEC veteran Kevin Steele as defensive coordinator and Charlie Strong as linebackers coach.

• Miami was ranked #16 in the Associated Press preseason top 25 and #17 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll released earlier in August.

• QB Tyler Van Dyke enters his first full year as a starter with high expectations after earning ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a second-year freshman in 2021. Named to nearly every major offensive award preseason watch list, Van Dyke became the first quarterback since Joe Burrow (2019) to record a streak of six straight 300-yard passing games with three-or-more TDs in each of those games.

• Van Dyke was tabbed to the watch lists for the Davey O’Brien Award, the Manning Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player.

• TE Will Mallory (Mackey Award), James Williams (Bednarik Award), P Lou Hedley (Ray Guy Award), K Andy Borregales (Lou Groza Award), OL Zion Nelson (Outland) and DL Leonard Taylor (Bronko Nagurski Trophy) were also among those recognized with preseason watch list selections.

• In addition to a talented group of returners, the Hurricanes feature a 2022 recruiting class that finished ranked among the top 15 nationally by every scouting service and a group of newcomers through the transfer portal that includes DL Mitchell Agude (UCLA), DL Jacob Lichtenstein (USC), DL Akheem Mesidor (West Virginia), DL Darrell Jackson (Maryland), DL Antonio Moultrie (UAB), LB Caleb Johnson (UCLA), DB Daryl Porter, Jr. (West Virginia), OL Logan Sagapolu (Oregon), OL Jonathan Denis (Oregon) WR Frank Ladson, Jr. (Clemson) and RB Henry Parrish (Ole Miss).

CANES OPEN CRISTOBAL ERA ON SEPT. 3

• #16/#17 Miami opens its highly anticipated first season under the direction of Mario Cristobal on Saturday, Sept. 3 against Bethune-Cookman. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network.

• Cristobal racked up a 35-13 record and a 22-1 home mark during his four years at UO.

• Miami has not lost a home opener since 2006, and has emerged victorious in its last 15 home openers – including a 25-23 win over Appalachian State in its 2021 home opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

• Miami has never lost a home opener at Hard Rock Stadium, racking up an impressive 13-0 record in openers at the facility since moving there in 2008.

VAN DYKE ONE TO WATCH ENTERING ’22

• One of the nation’s top returning quarterbacks resides in Coral Gables, as QB Tyler Van Dyke prepares for his first full season as a starter in 2022.

• The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, Van Dyke was voted ACC Rookie of the Week five of the final six weeks of the 2021 regular season, when he stepped in admirably after a season-ending injury to starting QB D’Eriq King.

• Van Dyke threw for more than 300 yards and at least three touchdowns in his final six games of the year, becoming the first collegiate quarterback to compile such a streak since Joe Burrow did so in his Heisman Trophy campaign of 2019.

RADAKOVICH NAMED ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

• Not only were the Hurricanes bolstered by the return of Mario Cristobal, but Miami named longtime Clemson Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich to the same point this past December.

• Radakovich, whose career spans more than 30 years, earned his MBA from the University of Miami in 1982 and worked in the school’s business office from 1983 – 1985.

• Prior to Clemson, Radakovich served as Georgia Tech’s AD from 2006 to 2012, and before that, he was a Senior Associate AD at LSU.

• Radakovich earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1980.

#16/#17 HURRICANES OPEN CRISTOBAL ERA AGAINST WILDCATS SEPT. 3

• #16/#17 Miami opens its first season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., Sept. 3 against Bethune-Cookman. Kickoff for the matchup is slated for a 3:30 p.m. brodcast on ACC Network.

• Cristobal was named the 26th head coach in the history of the program on December 6, 2021 after spending the previous four years at the helm of the Oregon Ducks. Cristobal is a two-time UM alum.

• When he departed Eugene, Cristobal was the only Power-5 head coach to lead his team to three straight conference championship games from 2019-2021. He won two Pac-12 titles, delivered a Rose Bowl to the Ducks and is one of just two active coaches to produce a top-10 pick three straight years.

• The Hurricanes are matching up with Bethune-Cookman for the sixth time in program history; Miami carries a 5-0 mark into Saturday’s contest, and has not faced off against the Wildcats since 2019.

• UM’s game versus the Wildcats is slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM, WMYM 990 AM & WVUM 90.5.

HOME SWEET HOME OPENERS: MIAMI BACK AT HARD ROCK STADIUM

• The Miami Hurricanes open their 15th season at world-class Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 3 vs. Bethune-Cookman; UM holds a 14-0 all-time mark in home openers at the stadium, having outscored opponents 619-106 for an average margin of victory of 36.6 points in those 14 home openers.

• The Hurricanes have not lost a home opener since 2006, when they fell to Florida State 13-10 at the Orange Bowl on Sept. 4, 2006. Miami has won 14 straight home openers since – each one since 2007.

• Since joining the ACC prior to the 2004 season, Miami has played a conference opponent in only three of its 19 home openers: Florida State twice (in 2004 and 2006) and Georgia Tech once (2009).

• In the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football (since 1979), UM has opened the season at home 17 times and is 15-2 in those games. The Hurricanes are 31-12 in regular season openers dating to 1979.

CRISTOBAL ASSEMBLED SUPERSTAR STAFF HEADING INTO FIRST YEAR

• Among the many storylines of the offseason was Mario Cristobal’s staff assembly in Coral Gables, where the Hurricanes added some familiar faces from South Florida to a staff with national ties.

• Cristobal pulled the reigning Broyles Award winner (top assistant coach) Josh Gattis from Michigan, where the OC helped lead the Wolverines to their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.

• Boasting over 40 years of experience including stints as defensive coordinator at Clemson, Auburn and LSU, Kevin Steele joined Cristobal’s staff as DC. Longtime head coach Charlie Strong is Co-DC.

• Frank Ponce and Alex Mirabal, two Miami natives, moved back home to become quarterbacks coach / passing game coordinator and assistant head coach / offensive line coach, respectively.

• The impressive nature of Cristobal’s staff build-out was not restricted to just full-time assistants; NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor is a quality control analyst, longtime NFL personnel director and UM alum Alonzo Highsmith was named General Manager of Football Operations and Cristobal was able to bring one of the most well-regarded CFB strength coaches, Aaron Feld, to Miami.

TYLER VAN DYKE POISED FOR DOMINANT SECOND YEAR AS STARTER

• Named to nearly every offensive award major preseason watch list, QB Tyler Van Dyke is poised for another big season after putting together an ACC Rookie of the Year campaign at Miami in 2021.

• Van Dyke became the third Miami Hurricane to win both ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, joining Hurricanes QB Brad Kaaya (2014) and RB Duke Johnson (2012).

• Van Dyke took over starting duties three games into the season and ended the year by throwing for 2,931 yards, 25 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions. He completed 62.3 percent of passes.

MIAMI PLACES THREE ON 2022 PRESEASON ALL-ACC FOOTBALL TEAM

• Among Miami’s preseason honorees were OL Zion Nelson and TE Will Mallory, along with P Lou Hedley, who were all selected to the All-ACC Preseason Team in a poll of conference media.

• QB Tyler Van Dyke finished third in Preseason Player of the Year voting with 21 votes, trailing only QB Sam Hartman of Wake Forest (30) and QB Devin Leary of NC State (40), who ranked as the top two. Van Dyke is the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year entering 2022.

• Mallory has 73 career receptions for 1,006 yards with 11 touchdowns in his four seasons at The U.

• Nelson, an All-ACC Honorable Mention pick last year, has played in all 36 games since arriving to Miami in 2019. He has made 32 starts of his career, including all 12 in 2021 and all 13 in 2019.

• Hedley was a 2020 finalist for the Ray Guy Award honoring the nation’s top punter and is a two-time Second Team All-ACC designee. He has averaged 45.2 yards per punt in his three seasons at Miami.

BROTHERLY LOVE: BORREGALES CARRYING ON FAMILY LEGACY AT UM

• A year after his older brother Jose became the first Lou Groza Award winner in program history, Andres “Andy” Borregales earned starting placekicker responsibilities as a true freshman in 2021.

• Andy went on to earn All-ACC Honorable Mention honors in a season where he connected on 17-of-21 field goal attempts and a perfect 45-of-45 extra point attempts. He was 5-6 of kicks longer than 40.

• The younger Borregales nailed a 55-yard kick in 2021 that was the longest ever by a UM freshman.

• Jose was Miami’s first consensus All-America since 2004 in his lone season at The U, finishing 20-for22 on field goal attempts and a perfect 37-for-37 on extra point attempts. He passed on #30 to Andy.

MALLORY RETURNS, COULD SET CAREER RECORDS AT #TIGHTENDU

• After the announcement of Mario Cristobal’s appointment as head coach at The U, a number of student-athletes elected to return for their final year of eligibility rather than train for the NFL Draft.

• One of Miami’s most important returnees is TE Will Mallory, who was among Miami’s top offensive performers a season ago. Mallory set career marks in catches (30), yards (347), starts (12) and longest reception (57) last year, while also matching his career mark for touchdowns in a season (four).

• Mallory needs 48 receptions, 747 yards and three touchdowns to set the Miami records for a tight end.

• The Jacksonville native’s accomplishments are even more impressive given the history of tight ends at Miami, an alumni group that includes Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen, Bubba Franks, David Njoku and Jimmy Graham. Mallory was named a candidate to watch for the Mackey Award as the top tight end.

JAMES WILLIAMS AMONG THOSE LEADING BALLHAWK SECONDARY

• A former five-star recruit who made his presence felt in 2021, second-year safety James Williams was named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award honoring the nation’s top defensive player.

• Williams appeared in all 10 games for which he was healthy in 2022, making seven starts and finishing with 31 tackles and a team-best two interceptions. Williams was one of only 15 ACC players on the list.

• Williams enjoyed a breakout year as an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection, headlining a secondary that included fellow first-year players Kam Kinchens and Avantae Williams in the safety rotation.

• In addition to the play at safety, the Hurricanes feature a veteran cornerback rotation that includes Tyrique Stevenson, DJ Ivey, Daryl Porter, Jr. and Isaiah Dunson along with second-year Malik Curtis.

• The Hurricanes will be coached be secondary coach Jahmile Addae, whose Georgia Bulldogs unit ranked No. 13 in the nation in pass defense in 2021 and checked in as the No. 1 scoring defense.

• Addae’s 2020 unit at West Virginia ranked No. 1 nationally in fewest passing yards allowed per game.

‘ROOSTER’ RETURNS, MIAMI BOASTS TALENTED RUNNING BACK ROOM

• After a season-ending leg injury to Miami’s starting running back in 2021, RB Jaylan Knighton assumed the starting responsibility and delivered a strong first season as a primary running back.

• In just 17 games, Knighton has totaled 770 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 415 receiving yards and four receiving scores. He has totaled 1,303 all-purpose yards in his 17 games (76.6/game).

• Knighton finished the 2021 regular season as the only ACC player with 500+ rushing yards, 250+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns. Knighton led UM in touchdowns (11) and ranked second in allpurpose yards (841) despite playing in just eight games as a second-year freshman in 2021.

• In a win against Georgia Tech on Nov. 6, 2021, Knighton finished with a career-high 162 yards on a career-high 32 carries for the first 100-yard rushing game of his career. He also scored a touchdown.

• He was nicknamed ‘Rooster’ by former Pop Warner football coach named Dave Williams for his reddish hair in a mohawk style as a kid, Knighton was a consensus four-star prospect and was listed as the No. 88 player in his high school class in the ESPN300, one of the nation’s top offensive players.

IT STARTS IN THE TRENCHES WHERE MIAMI HAS LOADS OF EXPERIENCE

• One of Mario Cristobal’s focal points has been in building Miami’s depth and ability in the trenches, and the Hurricanes return and add a number of key players at the line of scrimmage for 2022.

• Miami has three players who each have a combined 30 starts on the offensive line: Zion Nelson (32 career starts), Jakai Clark (31) and DJ Scaife (31). In addition, the Hurricanes return several other played who have started, including Justice Oluwaseun, Jalen Rivers and John Campbell.

• On the defensive line, some of Miami’s most experienced players arrive via the transfer portal, including All-Big 12 defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (West Virginia), defensive end Mitchell Agude (UCLA), second-year defensive tackle Darrell Jackson (Maryland), south Florida native and longtime USC defensive lineman Jacob Lichtenstein and defensive lineman Antonio Moultrie from UAB.

CANES PULL IN RECRUITING CLASS RANKED AMONG NATION’S BEST

• Thanks to the late work of Mario Cristobal and his staff on the recruiting trail, the Hurricanes 2022 high school recruiting class soared to a top-15 class by nearly every recognized outlet by end of year.

• The Hurricanes picked up several impactful pieces on Early Signing Day, signing LB Wesley Bissainthe, DL Nyjalik Kelly, DL Cyrus Moss and TE Jaleel Skinner, who helped the Hurricanes during spring ball.

• Miami added RB TreVonte’ Citizen, one of the nation’s best running backs, and inked offensive linemen like Matthew McCoy and Anez Cooper to move into a class ranked in the top 15 in February.

MIAMI RANKS SECOND IN CONFERENCE WINS SINCE 2015 SEASON:

• Since the beginning of 2015, the Hurricanes trail only Clemson’s 52 wins in conference play:

1) Clemson: 52

2) Miami: 37

3) Pitt: 36

4) Virginia Tech: 33

5) NC State: 31

6) North Carolina: 29

7) Louisville: 27

8) Florida State: 26

9) Wake Forest: 25

10) Virginia: 24

T-11) Georgia Tech: 21

T-11) Boston College: 21

13) Syracuse: 17

14) Duke: 15