FORT LAUDERDALE – On yesterday (April 16), the general public got their initial chance to see this year’s iteration of the Miami Hurricanes in person.
Held at DRV PNK Stadium, the spring football game showcased all three sides of the ball: the offense, defense, and special teams.
We will shine our spotlight on the top two Miami quarterbacks in this one.
Hurricanes starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke led an impressive first offensive drive that ultimately resulted in a 1-yard scoring run from running back and Columbus alum Henry Parrish Jr., who had nine carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns yesterday.
This touchdown came at the 8:48 mark of the first quarter, which gave the offense a 7-0 lead over the defense after an extra point made by kicker Andres Borregales (Chaminade-Madonna alum).
Van Dyke showed off his strong arm at points in the spring game. But it was arguably his legs that can help him extend plays when necessary, as evidenced by his 19-yard run from the defense’s 39 to their 20 on that opening drive.
One of Van Dyke’s best passes came later on, when he found breakout star and tight end Kahlil Brantley (Miami Northwestern alum) for 26 and 11 yards to end the first quarter.
For the spring game, Van Dyke finished 20-of-32 passing with 172 yards and one touchdown.
Van Dyke’s touchdown pass was a 2-yarder to receiver Jacolby George (Plantation alum) with 4:08 left in the third quarter.
“I think we did a good job, especially up front,” Van Dyke said. “We established the run early. The defense played well, making us work for our yards. We had a great day.”
Van Dyke led all four touchdown drives for Miami, which included a second rushing touchdown for Parrish Jr., a 1-yarder with 11:08 left in the second quarter that helped to tie the score up at 14-14.
And with 16 seconds left in the first half, running back and Chaminade-Madonna alum Thad Franklin (14 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown) reached the end zone on a 3-yard run. With an extra point by Borregales, Miami’s offense took a 24-18 lead at halftime.
Meanwhile, Miami backup quarterback Jake Garcia had a solid outing in his own right, going 14-of-24 passing for 117 yards.
While Garcia did not throw or run for any scores, he was able to lead a scoring drive in the spring game. This one ended with a 22-yard field goal by Borregales (3-for-3 in extra point attempts) at the 5:23 mark of the second quarter.
Garcia’s top target at wide receiver was Xavier Restrepo (Deerfield Beach alum), who led his position group with six catches for 46 yards.
Garcia provided a recap of how the spring game went from his point of view.
“Our cornerbacks are really good,” Garcia said. “The safeties are on top of it. Our d-line is getting back there.”
In other words, while Miami’s offense won the spring game over the defense by a score of 31-27, it was the defense as a whole that really stood out and stole the show.
Here are some of the top performers on the defensive side of the ball:
- Defensive end Cyrus Moss: 2 sacks, including strip sack for a forced fumble
- Defensive lineman Leonard Taylor (Miami Palmetto alum): 1 sack
- Defensive back James Williams (American Heritage-Plantation alum): 1 interception
- Defensive back Gilbert Frierson (Coral Gables alum): 2 tackles for loss
- Defensive lineman Jake Lichtenstein (Cypress Bay alum/USC transfer): 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup that led to an interception
First-year Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal summed up the spring game experience for his team.
“The supporting cast always has to be more precise than the quarterback is,” Cristobal told media member in the post-game presser. “It was a very productive scrimmage.”
NOTE: The spring game served to be the conclusion of Miami’s spring football circuit, which started early last month.
STATISTICS PROVIDED BY: Barry Jackson (Miami Herald) and Adam Lichtenstein (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
PHOTO CREDITS: Chuck Bethel
