Miami Hurricanes Football

The ACC announced that the Georgia Tech at Miami football game, which was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19, has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Yellow Jackets' program.

Per the ACC:

"The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that next Saturday’s Georgia Tech at Miami football game has been canceled.

"Georgia Tech informed the conference office that it will not be able to meet several of the ACC Medical Advisory Group’s COVID-19 game discontinuation considerations. The ACC Medical Advisory Group report is available on theACC.com (full report)."

Georgia Tech was originally scheduled to play Miami on Sat., Nov. 21, but a COVID-19 outbreak within the Hurricanes' program forced a postponement to Dec. 19.

The 8-1 Hurricanes' final regular season game will now be Saturday at home against North Carolina at 3:30 p.m. ET. The 3-7 Yellow Jackets' season is over.

Per the ACC, 81 of the league's 92 scheduled games (or 88.0 percent) have been played this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused mass game cancellations and postponements. Some leagues also decided to call off their seasons outright, including the Ivy League.

The ACC is scheduled to conclude its season on Dec. 19, when Clemson and Notre Dame will play in the conference title game. Six ACC games are left overall, with four occurring Saturday.

The college football season is slated to finish on Monday, Jan. 11 with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

University of Miami safety Al Blades Jr. is out for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with myocarditis a heart condition that has been linked to COVID-19.

He announced the end of his season in a Twitter post on Tuesday, saying he was "looking forward to returning to the field in 2021." Blades also said the condition was discovered while he was "going through COVID protocols."

The No. 10 Hurricanes, who played their first game in 20 days against Duke Saturday after a COVID-19 outbreak paused their season, will play No. 17 UNC this weekend before closing out the season against Georgia Tech on Dec. 19. 

Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle usually caused by a viral infection, has been observed in people who have had COVID-19. A study out of Ohio State published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology showed four of 26 college athletes who had tested positive for COVID-19 also showed signs of myocarditis.

The condition caused Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney to miss the 2020 seasons in their respective sports. 

Blades, a junior, said his recovery will take around three months. He did not play in the team's return to action and joined 14 other Hurricanes players who were unavailable, according to Susan Miller Degnan and David Wilson of the Miami Herald. 

Through eight games this season, Blades picked up two interceptions while adding 29 tackles (19 solo). Te'Cory Couch took Blades' slot in the lineup in each of the Hurricanes' past two games, recording six tackles, 0.5 sacks and an interception. 

The Miami Hurricanes football team will face the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, Dec. 5, the school announced Sunday after Miami's matchup with Wake Forest was postponed following an outbreak in the Demon Deacons football program. 

The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET with television coverage on the ACC Network.   

The ACC announced that the Miami vs. Wake Forest postponement "follows positive tests, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Wake Forest football team." It comes one day after the matchup between Florida State and Virginia had to be postponed due to an outbreak at Florida State. 

In addition, the conference noted it has now had to cancel or postpone 11 games this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"As we have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to work with University leadership and our medical personnel to create the safest environment possible for our student-athletes and staff," Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said in a statement. "Although we are disappointed that we will be unable to play a game next weekend, this is the right thing to do at this moment."

Miami itself hasn't played the past two weeks due to its own coronavirus outbreak, which included head coach Manny Diaz testing positive for the coronavirus. 

I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am currently in isolation and feeling good overall. I will continue to work with our team virtually as we prepare for our next game at Wake Forest.

— Manny Diaz (@Coach_MannyDiaz) November 20, 2020

Diaz told ESPN's Mark Schlabach that he believed the positive tests among the Hurricanes were originating from outside the program:

"If you graph it, there's probably a level of safety in terms of what we've been doing and then what's happening is the floodwaters around us are rising. That's what's happening in the country. I feel like inside our program from all of the positives that we have had, through our contact tracing, it's been hard for us to find any type of connection of somebody catching it from somebody inside this building or at practice. What it seems like if they aren't coming down with it, they're coming down with it when they're not around us. It makes it a relentless enemy that has to be bested every day."

Regardless, the No. 10 Hurricanes (7-1) will finally be back in action, barring any future outbreaks or postponements, against Duke (2-7) as they look to further their case for a College Football Playoff berth.

The ACC announced that the Miami at Wake Forest football game, which was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests within the Wake Forest program.

"The postponement follows positive tests, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Wake Forest football team," a statement from the ACC read.

"The team is adhering to the outlined protocols within the ACC Medical Advisory Group report, which is available on theACC.com (full report)."

Positive COVID-19 tests also caused Wake Forest's Nov. 21 game against Duke to be canceled.

Miami will also be off for an extended period, as its Nov. 21 matchup with Georgia Tech has been rescheduled to Dec. 19 because of COVID-19 concerns within Miami's program.

A new date for the Miami-Wake game has not been announced. Neither school has an open weekend date until after Christmas, as both teams have games on Dec. 12 and 19.

Numerous college football games were canceled or postponed this week amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including Virginia vs. Florida State, Ohio State vs. Illinois, Cincinnati vs. Temple and USC vs. Colorado.

The ACC hasn't been immune to postponements and cancellations, although all of the conference's teams have been able to play at least seven games this year.

Two more regular-season weeks are scheduled in college football, with Championship Week occurring afterward. The College Football Playoff semifinals are set for Dec. 31.

Miami coach Manny Diaz announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be working virtually for the time being. 

"I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am currently in isolation and feeling good overall. I will continue to work with our team virtually as we prepare for our next game at Wake Forest," Diaz tweeted Friday. 

The Hurricanes play Wake Forest on Dec. 5. Their scheduled game against Georgia Tech for this weekend was postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the team. Miami was originally slated to play Wake Forest next weekend but had its remaining schedule reconfigured amid the outbreak.

Georgia Tech and Miami will play Dec. 19 only if the result of the game has ACC Championship Game implications. Miami is currently 7-1 on the season but trails Notre Dame and Clemson in the conference standings. If the standings hold up, the game would be canceled. 

The Hurricanes played without 13 players in last week's 25-24 win over Virginia Tech as part of an extended outbreak that began around Halloween. The ACC gave them two weeks off to give players time to quarantine and quell the spread of the virus.

The remainder of the Miami Hurricanes' 2020 schedule looks a bit different following Monday's announcement from the ACC. 

The conference announced it rescheduled three of Miami's games because of positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The decision to do so also impacted the schedules for other teams in the conference.

Here is a look at the changes:

• Wake Forest at Louisville moved from Dec. 5 to Nov. 28
• Miami at Wake Forest moved from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5
• Western Carolina at North Carolina moved from Dec. 11 to Dec. 5
• Louisville at Boston College moved from Nov. 27 to Dec. 12
• North Carolina at Miami moved from Dec. 5 to Dec. 12
• Georgia Tech at Miami moved from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19 (only if Miami is not in the ACC Championship Game and if it will not impact who plays in that game)

"We are disappointed that we will not be able to play the next two weeks as scheduled but this decision was made in the best interests of the health and safety of all teams," athletic director Blake James said in a statement. "The health and safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority and we will continue to follow the conference’s protocols in order to safely and responsibly return to play."

Miami is No. 12 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and still a darkhorse contender for the College Football Playoff at 7-1. Its last three wins against Virginia, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech came by a combined nine points, which, when coupled with a 25-point loss to Clemson, caused it to fall in the rankings.

The Hurricanes will need some help to reach the conference title game even with their impressive record.

Clemson has the head-to-head tiebreaker, and Notre Dame is undefeated at 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the conference. Miami does not play the Fighting Irish, meaning it doesn't have the opportunity to make up that ground in a head-to-head showdown.

As for the COVID-19 issues within the program, Andrea Adelson of ESPN noted 13 players were unavailable for Saturday's game against the Hokies for unidentified reasons.

However, head coach Manny Diaz said the game was "on the brink" of being postponed because of the number of COVID-19 cases and close contacts on the team.

Miami was able to avoid an upset against Virginia Tech on Saturday, but head coach Manny Diaz admitted afterward that the game came close to not happening at all.

Diaz told reporters following his team's 25-24 win that the Hurricanes were "were on the brink" of not playing and had to wait for the results of the final COVID-19 tests before deciding to go ahead with the game:

"(The players) wanted to play, and we were right on the brink at some position groups whether we could even function as a team. Some guys had to step up. We were really down on numbers at offensive line. It makes it hard to practice. It makes it hard to do anything, but no one cares right? You go play a game and there's no excuses. The players came here to win the game. I told them I thought they won the game on Fri with their mentality and their attitude with all the things we had to go through this week."

Miami has been announcing players as "unavailable" one hour before games without offering any specific reason.

Prior to the Hurricanes' game against Virginia on Oct. 24, eight players were scratched right before kickoff.

"It's just the reality of 2020," Diaz said two days later in an interview with 560-AM (h/t David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel).

Per Susan Miller Degnan and David Wilson of the Miami Herald, the Hurricanes didn't have 13 players available for Saturday's game against Virginia Tech for undisclosed reasons. Three of them—Jakai Clark, Jared Harrison-Hunte and Zach McCloud—are starters.

Miami's roster crunch comes as programs across the country continue to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks. There were 15 games this weekend either canceled or postponed.

The Hurricanes have played all eight of their games to this point in the season. They have three games remaining in the regular season.

Miami entered Saturday's game having to play without 13 players, including three starters, because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

For most of the day, it looked like those absences would prove too costly.

D'Eriq King had other ideas.

The Miami quarterback threw for 255 yards and had two total touchdowns, including a 36-yard toss to Mark Pope in the fourth quarter, to give the Hurricanes a 25-24 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday.

Miami scored the game's final two touchdowns after trailing 24-13 late in the third quarter, moving to 7-1 on the season. The Hurricanes' only loss came against then-top-ranked Clemson. 

Notable Stats

Miami

QB D'Eriq King: 24-of-38, 255 yards, 1 TD, 18 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
RB Cam'Ron Harris: 14 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
WR Dee Wiggins: 8 receptions, 106 yards

       

Virginia Tech

QB Hendon Hooker: 19-of-29, 202 yards, 1 INT, 21 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD
RB Jalen Holston: 4 carries, 36 yards, 2 TD
WR Tre Turner: 5 receptions, 86 yards

       

Miami's NY6 Bid Stays Alive

.@DeriqKing_ things.

Watch on ESPN: https://t.co/ebP5I1DNE6 pic.twitter.com/dUCtgsD6ub

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 14, 2020

Even if the Hurricanes go undefeated the rest of the way, they have almost no chance at reaching the College Football Playoff. They're clearly locked in as the third-best team in the conference, behind a Clemson squad that destroyed them in Miami and a Notre Dame team that defeated the Tigers—albeit without Trevor Lawrence.

A Notre Dame-Clemson rematch looks like an exceedingly strong bet for the ACC Championship Game, assuming Lawrence is able to return for the Tigers' final three games. Without a conference title, Miami won't sniff a playoff berth, even if Manny Diaz's team finishes 9-1.

However, Saturday's victory does put the Hurricanes in position for their first New Year's Six selection since the advent of the CFP. 

The Hurricanes close their season with home games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Assuming they can keep up with the Tar Heels' high-octane offense, their biggest test may come on the road at Wake Forest—another team that can rack up the points quickly through the air.

Miami will be favored, likely pretty strongly, in each of those games. Win out, and Diaz and Co. are playing on New Year's.

      

Justin Fuente Era Continues Moving Forward in Mediocrity

This will almost certainly be the third straight season Virginia Tech fails to finish in the Top 25. After a promising first two seasons in Blacksburg, Justin Fuente's Hokies have descended back into the mediocrity that befell the program in the last few years of Frank Beamer's run.

Fuente was supposed to bring innovation and youth to a program that needed a jolt of life. Instead, Virginia Tech is...a very clear middle-of-the-pack program in arguably the worst top-to-bottom Power Five conference. 

It does not appear Fuente is on any type of hot seat; it's lukewarm at best, especially after he was lavished with a contract extension that extends through the 2023 season. Virginia Tech doesn't appear to be in the business of paying out massive contract buyouts.

That said, it'd be more than fair if Hokies alumni and fans started clamoring for a more noticeable improvement heading into 2021.

     

What's Next?

Virginia Tech travels to Pittsburgh. Miami hosts Georgia Tech.

Miami quarterback D'Eriq King completed 31 of 41 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns and added 15 carries for 105 rushing yards as the No. 11 Hurricanes stymied a valiant upset attempt from the NC State Wolfpack en route to a 44-41 road win at Carter-Finley Stadium on Friday.

A seesaw game ended in Miami's favor after King found Michael Harley for a 54-yard score to give the Hurricanes the lead with 2:43 remaining.    

D'Eriq King has 5 TD’s tonight ♨️

Miami takes the lead late in the 4Q

(via @ACCFootball)pic.twitter.com/f9rCYFmA8T

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 7, 2020

Following Miami's extra point, NC State quarterback Bailey Hockman threw an interception, and the Hurricanes ran out the clock in response.

Harley caught eight passes for 153 yards and two scores from King, who also found the senior for a 20-yard score early in the second quarter.

King's other touchdowns went to tight end Will Mallory for three yards, wide receiver Dee Wiggins for 39 yards and wideout Mark Pope for 17 yards.

The toss to Wiggins helped Miami tie NC State at 14 following a successful extra point:

King. Sling. Six!

And @CanesFootball follows with the trick kick that THEY RECOVER!

📺: https://t.co/M6WP5VKWeJ pic.twitter.com/dhBPK7cKkP

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 7, 2020

Miami gained 620 yards of total offense thanks largely to King's efforts.

The redshirt senior, who transferred from Houston in January, earned a unique honor by virtue of his Friday night performance, per ESPN Stats & Info:

D'Eriq King is the only FBS player with 5 Pass TD and 0 Int in a game with multiple schools over the last 25 seasons.

King also did this with Houston against Texas Tech in 2018. pic.twitter.com/M0d878mv9l

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 7, 2020

He also added this milestone, per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds:

Miami's D'Eriq King is the first Power 5 quarterback since at least 2000 with 430 yards passing, 90 yards rushing, 5 TDs and 0 interceptions in a game.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) November 7, 2020

Naturally, people were impressed with his work, including ESPN's Ben Baby, ESPN's Chris Fallica and Michael Lev of the Arizona Star:

D'Eriq King is a baller. And I'm a massive fan of his release. So quick.

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 7, 2020

Have a night D'Eriq King. Such awareness. Going down ends the game and he did the right thing.

— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) November 7, 2020

D’Eriq King is a wizard. The long throw from the shadow of his own goal line was exceptional, and the read and execution vs. the blitz for the TD were just perfect.

— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) November 7, 2020

King and the 6-1 Hurricanes, whose only loss was to the undefeated No. 1 Clemson Tigers, will now pay a visit to Virginia Tech on Nov. 14.