Miami Hurricanes Football

High-ranking officials at the University of Miami are "optimistic" about hiring Oregon's Mario Cristobal as their next head football coach in the "coming days," according to Susan Miller Degnan, Barry Jackson and Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald. 

An announcement is anticipated before Tuesday.

The news comes after John Canzano of The Oregonian reported that Miami planned to make a run at Cristobal as a possible replacement for head coach Manny Diaz.

However, Canzano also reported that Oregon has a contract extension on the table for Cristobal and it's "aggressive and in line" with what Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly received from USC and LSU, respectively, earlier this week.

Riley, the former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, reportedly will make more than $110 million over his contract. Kelly, who left Notre Dame to take the LSU head coaching job, agreed to $95 million over 10 years with the potential to earn bonuses.

It's unclear if Cristobal, a Miami native, is interested in the Hurricanes' coaching position. However, Canzano noted Cristobal's mother, who is ill, still lives in the area. He recently flew home to spend time with her. 

The 51-year-old was an offensive lineman for the Hurricanes during his playing days and also served as a graduate assistant to start his coaching career in 1998. He was a tight end coach for Miami from 2004 to '05 before coaching the offensive line in '06.

Cristobal was named head coach of the Ducks in December 2017, taking over for Willie Taggart after agreeing to a five-year contract through January 2023 that paid him $2.5 million per year. Last December, the head coach signed a new six-year, $27.3 million deal that goes through 2026.

Cristobal has a 35-12 record as Oregon's head coach, including appearances in four bowl games (wins in the 2018 Redbox Bowl and 2019 Rose Bowl). The Ducks have had a winning record in each of his full seasons at the helm. 

Oregon is set to play the Utah Utes on Friday night in the Pac-12 championship. 

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, finished the 2021 campaign with a 7-5 record, second place in the ACC Coastal. It was the team's second consecutive winning season under Diaz.  

The University of Miami reportedly plans to "make a run" at Oregon's Mario Cristobal as a potential replacement for head football coach Manny Diaz.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported the news Friday:

Cristobal's level of interest remains unclear. Some associates believe would strongly consider, others believe content at Oregon. https://t.co/Lqwp0DwPQQ

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 3, 2021

Diaz's status has remained unsettled as the Hurricanes await their bowl assignment following a 7-5 regular season. They started 2-4, which landed him on the hot seat, but the Canes won five of their last six to secure bowl eligibility.

The 47-year-old Miami native has posted a 21-15 record across three seasons since being hired in 2019. It marked his first head coaching job after two decades as a college assistant coach.

Matt Zenitz of On3Sports reported Tuesday the "current feel" was Diaz would keep the Miami job, but the school hasn't announced a final decision about his status.

Meanwhile, it appears UM will at least hope Cristobal's interested in potentially moving from the Pacific Northwest back to his native South Florida.

The former Hurricanes offensive lineman had two prior stints on the program's staff, first as a graduate assistant from 1998 through 2000 and then as an offensive assistant from 2004 to 2006.

Cristobal has compiled a 35-12 record with the Ducks, including a 10-2 mark so far in 2021, after going 27-47 during a prior six-year stint trying to rebuild the FIU program.

While he hadn't been involved in many coaching rumors in recent weeks, several of his assistants were mentioned as candidates for vacant jobs around the country.

"We've got good coaches. We have a good staff. We've had success." Cristobal told reporters Monday. "Naturally, people are going to come and try to poach our people. I think it's a compliment. It's a pain in the neck because year after year you've got to replace guys."

Now he can expect questions about his own future after Oregon plays in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah on Friday night.

Miami head coach Manny Diaz may not fall victim to college football's frenzied coaching carousel.

Matt Zenitz of On3.com reported the indications are "there’s a good chance" Diaz remains in his current post with the Hurricanes.

His job security has been a topic of discussion throughout the 2021 season as Miami opened the year at 2-4 before winning five of its final six regular-season games.

Assuming he is back, Diaz may not have a ton of runway in 2022.

CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm projects Miami to play in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. Despite the team's strong finish, seven wins and an invitation to a mid-tier bowl probably doesn't qualify as a success in Coral Gables, Florida.

Diaz didn't build a ton of equity in his first two years, either, as the Hurricanes went 14-10.

More than anything, a major coaching change can often follow the arrival of a new athletic director. Miami fired athletic director Blake James, with deputy athletic director Jenn Strawley replacing him on an interim basis.

A new AD may not feel all that invested in Diaz since he or she wasn't responsible for hiring him in the first place. Another middling season may be all James' successor needs to see before pivoting in a new direction.

And if the current hiring cycle has shown anything, it's that poaching prominent head coaches may be easier than some thought. Almost nobody foresaw Lincoln Riley ditching Oklahoma for USC or Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame behind for LSU.

The heyday of "The U" under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson was 30 years ago, and Miami's last national title was 20 years ago. The Hurricanes aren't LSU or even USC.

But a savvy athletic director could sell a coach on Miami by pointing to a talent-rich recruiting area and a reasonably easy path to the College Football Playoff.

Outside of Clemson, there isn't another consistent contender in the ACC, and the Tigers' performance this year raised some questions about whether their dominance in the conference will continue.

The idea of returning Miami to relevance could be a tantalizing prospect, though it's one that has largely failed as a sales pitch of late—the hiring of Mark Richt aside.

Of course, Jim Harbaugh is an example of how quickly the narrative can turn on a head coach. Entering the 2021 season, Harbaugh's tenure at Michigan looked to be shaky at best. One Big Ten East title and win over Ohio State later, the 57-year-old looks rejuvenated in Ann Arbor.

Maybe Diaz can enjoy a similar breakthrough next year, which would make life a lot easier for Miami's administration.

Lane Kiffin may already have his sights set on leaving Ole Miss after two seasons.

Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 South Florida reported Kiffin would leave Oxford if the University of Miami job became available. Manny Diaz is on the hot seat amid his third straight disappointing season with the Hurricanes.

Kiffin is no stranger to departing an SEC program and alienating a fanbase. He remains reviled at Tennessee after leaving the Vols for USC after the 2009 season. In fact, the 46-year-old has never been at a job longer than four seasons.

Kiffin was fired by the Oakland Raiders after less than two seasons, left Tennessee after one, was fired by USC five games into his fourth season and departed Florida Atlantic for Ole Miss after three seasons. 

Ole Miss appeared to be a long-term home for Kiffin, a power SEC school that was willing to pay him like a program cornerstone and allow him to compete at the highest level. The Rebels are 13-7 under Kiffin, including an 8-2 mark this season. They currently have the No. 3 offense in the country, and Kiffin is still program-building with recruitment. 

That said, it's hard not to see the allure of Miami. The Hurricanes program is a goldmine if run well, which it hasn't been in a long period of time. They have not finished inside the Top 10 since 2003, shuffling through five coaches over that time period. 

Miami also offers an easier path toward consistent national title contention. Ole Miss will likely never be better than the fourth- or fifth-best SEC program, and that's without including Oklahoma or Texas, which are coming to the conference in 2025. Clemson is a consistent national power, but Miami could ascend quickly to the No. 2 perch if Kiffin reinvigorated the program. 

University of Miami quarterback D'Eriq King will miss the rest of the 2021 season after getting surgery on his right shoulder, head coach Manny Diaz announced on 560 WQAM radio Monday (via ESPN's Andrea Adelson).

Tyler Van Dyke will be the team's starter going forward. 

King initially suffered the shoulder injury during the team's Sept. 18 loss to Michigan State, sitting out the next two games against Central Connecticut and Virginia. The Hurricanes went 1-1 in this stretch to fall to 2-3 on the season.

King played the entire game against Michigan State without missing an offensive snap, although Diaz admitted afterwards the injury was significant.

"D'Eriq's roughed up pretty good," the coach said on the radio two days later.

King has struggled with injuries throughout his collegiate career, beginning at Houston. His 2018 season came to an early end because of a torn meniscus in his knee. After transferring to Miami in 2020, the quarterback tore his ACL last December.

The sixth-year senior worked his way back to the field and was considered a Heisman Trophy contender entering 2021, but his season now comes to an end after just three games. King finished the year with 767 passing yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions. 

Van Dyke and Jake Garcia split time in relief of King in the blowout win against Central Connecticut, but it was Van Dyke who played in Saturday's 30-28 loss to Virginia. The 6'4" freshman finished 15-of-29 for 203 passing yards and one touchdown, adding another score on the ground.

The Connecticut native entered Miami as a 4-star recruit considered the No. 7 pro-style passer in the 2020 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. 

Van Dyke will now look to live up to expectations with the Hurricanes, starting with next week's game against North Carolina.     

Former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones pleaded not guilty to the 2006 killing of former teammate Bryan Pata on Friday, per the Associated Press.

Jones, 36, had long been suspected of killing Pata but was not arrested for nearly 15 years after Pata's shooting at a Kendall, Florida apartment. He was originally arrested on a first-degree murder charge but that was reduced to second-degree murder.

"The community never stopped contacting us," Detective Juan Segovia said in a statement after Jones was arrested in August. "Even if we got a thousand tips and only one was the one that actually put the pieces together, that's what it took, and that's exactly what happened in this case.

"I can only hope that this brings the Pata family a little bit of closure and a little bit of satisfaction."

Jones previously denied any involvement during a 2019 interview with ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Elizabeth Merrill.

"What happened 12 years ago, happened 12 years ago," Jones said. "It's got nothing to do with me. ... I didn't do it."

The two teammates reportedly had regular issues with one another during their time at Miami, including arguments, fights and Smith allegedly telling Pata he would shoot him two months before his death. 

A witness identified Smith as the shooter in a police lineup, and records show Smith's cell phone being used away from his home the night of the murder. Smith told police he was home the entire night. 

Typically when the Miami Hurricanes have a highlight go viral, it involves the team's famed turnover chain. On Saturday, however, the biggest play of the game didn't even happen on the field. 

It happened in the seats behind the end zone at Hard Rock Stadium, where a cat was spotted dangling from the 200 level. Quick-acting fans used an American flag to create a landing pad to catch the critter safely. 

That's exactly what happened as a harrowing video captured the action. 

Well this may be the craziest thing I’ve seen at a college football game #HardRockCat pic.twitter.com/qfQgma23Xm

— Hollywood (@DannyWQAM) September 11, 2021

As soon as the cat landed safely, the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium went absolutely berserk. 

Even better, the stadium confirmed the feline was in good health and made a contribution to the Miami Humane Society in its honor. 

We are happy that due to the heads up nature of fans in sections 107, 110 & 208 the cat landed safely after a harrowing fall. We wish the cat the best in his remaining eight lives.

We have made a donation to @humanemiami and encourage fans to do so. https://t.co/NAVvDYiO41

— Hard Rock Stadium (@HardRockStadium) September 12, 2021

Hard Rock Stadium is encouraging Miami fans to follow its lead and make a charitable donation in honor of the university's newest mascot. 

Top-ranked Alabama kicked off its 2021 season with a dominant 44-13 victory over Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia on Saturday. 

Despite losing several key players from last year's undefeated title team, including Mac Jones and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, expectations remain high for the Crimson Tide. 

New quarterback Bryce Young, making his first career start, is one reason for those expectations. The sophomore was ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. 

Young looked ready for his moment in the spotlight. He finished with 344 yards and four touchdowns in the win. 

The Crimson Tide had absolutely no problem on either side of the ball against a good Miami squad. They were up by 24 and had a 291-107 advantage in total yards at halftime.  

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Notable Game Stats

• Bryce Young (Bama): 27-of-38, 344 yards, 4 TD
• Brian Robinson Jr. (Bama): 12 carries, 60 yards
• John Metchie III (Bama): 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD
• Jameson Williams (Bama): 4 receptions, 126 yards, TD
• D'Eriq King (MIA): 23-of-31, 178 yards, TD, 2 INT
• Cam'Ron Harris (MIA): 12 carries, 38 yards

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New-Look Alabama Offense Doesn't Miss a Beat

It seemed hard to believe that head coach Nick Saban's offense in 2021 would be able to equal what last year's group did. 

Through one game, at least, there doesn't appear to be any drop-off for the group. 

Alabama lost an insane amount of talent in this year's NFL draft. Eight of the first 38 players drafted were from Alabama! And they just replace all those guys and here they are blowing out Miami. College football is so ridiculously top heavy. pic.twitter.com/jbGZ0QcJOJ

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) September 4, 2021

Young didn't even have to show off his running ability to be a major factor in the win. He had over 200 yards passing and three touchdowns in the first half alone. 

WIDE. OPEN.

Bama gets on the board first 😤 pic.twitter.com/HgLlno2dkj

— ESPN (@espn) September 4, 2021

Very early observation but I love how confident and poised Bryce Young is already. Just smooth.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 4, 2021

Bryce Young is the first QB in Alabama history with 4 Pass TD in his starting debut.

Young breaks the record previously shared by Mac Jones and Joe Namath. pic.twitter.com/FRZX7BK0Wp

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 4, 2021

It certainly helps that Young is able to throw to such a dynamic group of playmakers on the outside. 

John Metchie III flew under the radar last season because it's hard to get a lot of attention when you play alongside two wide receivers who are top-10 picks in the NFL draft. Moving into the role as Alabama's No. 1 wideout seems to agree with the junior. 

Manny Diaz was asked about Alabama’s losses at wide receiver, and immediately praised WR John Metchie III.

"He would’ve been a WR1 on almost every team", Diaz also praised his jump ball ability and contested catches from last season.

— Cal Friedman (@friedman_cal) September 1, 2021

It's not as if Metchie is coming out of nowhere to look like a star. He finished second on the team last year with 916 yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions. 

The early returns from this game suggest that Metchie is going to be Young's favorite target in 2021, and that's very bad news for opposing defenses. 

Losing Najee Harris didn't have a significant impact on the success of the running game. Brian Robinson Jr. finished with 60 yards on just 12 carries in his first outing as the lead back. 

None of this even accounts for a defense that completely swarmed a Miami offense that averaged 34 points per game last season.

Hurricanes quarterback D'Eriq King was sacked four times, and the offense averaged 4.2 yards per play. 

The one long drive Miami put together at the start of the third quarter ended with the 'Bama defensive line stuffing King on a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. 

Three plays after getting the ball back, Jameson Williams took a pass from Young 94 yards to the end zone to give the Crimson Tide a 34-3 lead. 

JAMESON WILLIAMS 94-YARD HOUSE CALL 🚀🚀

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/F4nYfjxl2e

— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 4, 2021

There's a lot of season still left to play, but it certainly looks like the road to the national title will once again go through Tuscaloosa.

me two hours ago: don’t overreact

me now, watching Alabama before Clemson’s even played: the season’s over

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) September 4, 2021

Saban and his coaching staff continue to have a deep roster of talent to play every year, and they are so good at developing seemingly every player up to their full potential. 

The Crimson Tide remain great and very dangerous for anyone who gets in their way. 

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Ugly Loss Shows Hurricanes Still a Work in Progress

While most of the focus in this game is (rightly) going to be about Alabama's dominance, there were plenty of mistakes and miscues by Miami that show head coach Manny Diaz and his staff have a lot of things to work on. 

The Hurricanes didn't have a drive last longer than five plays until the end of the second half. Their two extended drives only resulted in three points. Their best drive of the game ended in a turnover on downs because of a horrendous play call. 

King, who came into the game with a knee issue and was in the injury tent at one point in the first half, tried to run the hurry-up on 4th-and-goal after a five-yard run by Donald Chaney Jr. got the ball down to Alabama's 1-yard line.

The Hurricanes' senior quarterback lined up in the shotgun and attempted to run through the middle of the line with no success. 

What is that Miami? A
less-than 100% QB, in the gun, running a QB “sneak” against ‘Bama Def on 4th down. Ok.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) September 4, 2021

Going for a QB sneak in shotgun formation on 4th and goal from the 1 is not an optimal play call. #Miami #Alabama #Analysis pic.twitter.com/wC6n6WtJax

— Matt Higgins (@MattHiggins80) September 4, 2021

miami should just pack it up after that. unserious playcall

— charles (“you look good” - andy reid) mcdonald (@FourVerts) September 4, 2021

That play call was emblematic of how things went the entire game for the Hurricanes. They rarely sustained any momentum on the offensive end. The defense was completely overmatched against a faster and stronger opponent. 

The Ringer's Kevin Clark, who is also a Miami alum, had some fun at his team's expense because of how lopsided things were: 

Oh my god it happened again. For the second straight week a fake football team got on television. How does this keep happening? pic.twitter.com/uWjjWhFSuA

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) September 4, 2021

David Lake of 247Sports did note coming into the game that Diaz has had success as a head coach against quarterbacks making their first career start:

The combined average stat line of (Kenny) Pickett, (Joe) Burrow, and (Hendon) Hooker in these games comes out to 13-of-24 for 172 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 51 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.

Overall, that is a solid stat line of defense against a quarterback, but there are some numbers that were discouraging as well. UM’s defense failed to make plays against these quarterbacks, with two sacks being the most on any of them and the Hurricanes failing to force any interceptions.

Despite that stat line, Miami did lose each of those games. The most relevant quarterback in comparison to Young was Joe Burrow, but that game against LSU was in 2018 before he would turn into the Heisman winner and future No. 1 overall pick. 

Diaz recently told reporters he was confident about his defense this year, despite featuring a smaller group of players, because they have a lot of speed at all three levels. 

“What made Miami, Miami ... was smaller, fast defenders? This is Miami. We’re going to be fast on defense. You can see the same change going on in the National Football League," he said. "You’re talking about faster outside linebackers that can play in space and cover…

A lack of size might not matter against most teams in the country, but it absolutely does when the opponent is Alabama. The Crimson Tide routinely have the biggest and fastest players at every position. 

It showed in the final result Saturday, as Diaz's defense got picked apart and the offense didn't get anything going until the outcome was well in hand for Alabama.    

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What's Next? 

Alabama will host Mercer in its first game of the 2021 season at Bryant-Denny Stadium next Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Miami will take on Appalachian State next Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.  

Rashaun Jones will plead not guilty to the first-degree murder charge he is facing in the 2006 killing of former Miami Hurricanes football teammate Bryan Pata.

Defense attorney Michael Mirer, who is representing Jones, told Elizabeth Merrill and Paula Lavigne of ESPN his client will plead not guilty to the charge. If convicted, Jones could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or a death sentence.

A judge denied Jones' request for bond at a hearing on Friday, which means he will remain in jail leading up to his Sept. 17 arraignment hearing.

"It's an unusual case," Mirer said. "I mean, the arrest warrant talks about evidence that police gathered back in 2007, sat on for 15 years, and re-interviewing the same eyewitness that they allegedly interviewed back in 2007 without any further evidence in the arrest warrant."

David Ovalle and Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald reported on Aug. 19 that Jones was arrested and charged as authorities attempted to solve who shot Pata in the head and killed him in 2006.

The Miami Herald report explained there were no witnesses to the shooting, although a neighbor said he saw Jones walk away from the scene. Investigators also said Pata and Jones had recently fought, and Pata told his brother that his teammate threatened to shoot him in the head.

According to Merrill and Lavigne, cellphone records suggested Jones was not where he told police he was on that 2006 night, and a ballistics report matched the bullet to a caliber of a type of gun Jones possessed.

The neighbor also picked Jones out of a photograph lineup in 2007 and in 2020 during a follow-up interview.

"An ESPN investigation last fall revealed police had long considered Jones a suspect," Merrill and Lavigne wrote. "According to police documents and interviews, Jones and Pata had a history of arguments and fights, and Jones previously dated Pata's girlfriend."

Pata was in the middle of his senior season and was expected to be selected in the 2007 NFL draft.

Former Miami football player Rashaun Jones was arrested and charged with the 2006 murder of teammate Bryan Pata, per David Ovalle of the Miami Herald.

Pata was shot in the head and killed outside his apartment after returning from practice on Nov. 7, 2006. There were no witnesses and it remained an unsolved case for nearly 15 years.

On Thursday, Miami-Dade police arrested Jones, 35, who had previously been considered a suspect by the police department according to documents obtained by ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Elizabeth Merrill in 2020.

Lavigne and Merrill conducted a detailed investigation into the murder in November 2020, including the possibility of Jones' involvement.

"What happened 12 years ago, happened 12 years ago," he said in April 2019. "It’s got nothing to do with me. ... I didn’t do it."

Jones had previously dated Pata's girlfriend, Jada Louella Brody, and the two players had gotten into multiple fistfights about it.

During the night of the murder, Jones, a defensive back for the Hurricanes, reportedly skipped a mandatory team meeting. He was suspended from the team at the time for multiple positive marijuana drug tests.

Pata was considered a promising football prospect, entering college as a 4-star recruit and the No. 9 defensive tackle in the country, per 247Sports. He tallied 8.5 sacks across parts of two seasons in Miami and was projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft before his death.