Borregales’ clutch field goals, injury updates and more from Miami’s win over Virginia
Andy Borregales could only watch a year ago as his 33-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation against the Virginia Cavaliers clipped the left upright to seal the Miami Hurricanes’ loss.
On Saturday, in his first game against Virginia since that September 2021 meeting, Borregales hit all four of his field goal attempts, putting up all of the Hurricanes’ points until quarterback Jake Garcia’s successful two-point conversion attempt in quadruple overtime to cap Miami’s 14-12 win over Virginia at Scott Stadium.
Borregales said he didn’t have the moment from last year’s game on his mind each time he went out to kick Saturday but admitted there were some nerves.
“It’s a natural human instinct to have a little bit of nerves in your body,” Borregales said.
All four of Borregales’ field goals came either at the end of a half or in overtime. He opened scoring with a 38-yard field goal to end the first half — and after Virginia called three consecutive timeouts — and sent the game to overtime with a 20-yard field goal at the end of regulation.
Borregales followed that up with field goals of 42 and 37 yards in the first two overtime periods.
He was matched by Virginia kicker and fellow South Florida native Will Bettridge, who also hit all four of his field goals Saturday. Borregales played his high school career at Hialeah Champagnat and Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna. Bettridge played at Miami Gulliver Prep.
“We used to practice together in high school and middle school,” Borregales said. “I see him as my little brother, but we always competed. Even though he’s on the other team, him personally, I was happy for him.”
Restrepo returns
Xavier Restrepo, a third-year sophomore wide receiver who was reported out on Sept. 15 with a foot injury after the first two games of the season, played on a limited basis Saturday. He caught one of two passes that went his way for 11 yards.
Restrepo, a 5-10, 195-pound slot receiver out of Deerfield Beach High, played in the opener against Bethune-Cookman, leading the Canes with five catches for 100 yards. In the second game against Southern Miss, he had six catches for 72 yards.
Injury updates
Third-year sophomore defensive lineman Ahkeem Mesidor, who transferred to Miami from West Virginia ahead of this season and has made an instant impact, left Saturday’s game in the first half with a right hamstring injury and did not return.
Mesidor entered Saturday leading the Hurricanes with five sacks and also had 25 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and three pass breakups. He was the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week earlier this month after his eight tackle, 3 1/2 sack performance against Virginia Tech.
Mesidor has been playing through injury lately.
“He’s not where he needs to be,” Cristobal said.
Elsewhere on the defense, safety James Williams was with the team in Virginia but did not play Saturday and linebacker Wesley Bissainthe was ruled out late in the third quarter with a lower body injury, according to the Bally Sports broadcast.
Cristobal said Williams’ absence was a “game-time decision” and that he “will be fine.”
Bissainthe was still being evaluated at the time of Cristobal’s postgame press conference.
“They’re checking him out and he seems to be fine,” Cristobal said.
Offensive line
The Hurricanes, who have been hit with multiple injuries on the offensive line, got center Jakai Clark back as a starter Saturday. Clark sustained an undisclosed injury against North Carolina, missed the Virginia Tech game, then was sidelined in uniform last week against Duke to give him more time to rehab unless he was needed in an emergency. Sure enough, backup Jonathan Denis, who started for Clark the past two weeks, appeared to badly hurt his left leg and was replaced by Clark against Duke.
Cristobal said on Wednesday that Clark was “fully healthy.” But former starting right tackle Justice Oluwaseun, who sustained a “significant” injury against UNC, is out for “awhile,” Cristobal said, as is tackle Zion Nelson (knee), who has only played in one game this season.
Saturday’s five starters on the offensive line: Left tackle John Campbell Jr., left guard Jalen Rivers, center Clark, right guard Anez Cooper, and right tackle DJ Scaife Jr.
Recruiting
Late Friday night, a day after the Canes received a commitment from the nation’s No. 1 cornerback and No. 2 overall player Cormani McClain, Cristobal got more good recruiting news when three-star safety Kaleb Spencer flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to Miami.
Spencer, 6-2 1/2 and 210-pounds, is a safety out of Life Christian Academy in Colonial Heights, Virginia. He is pegged as the No. 58 linebacker and No. 692 player, regardless of position, in the 247Sports composite rankings.
“It wasn’t an easy decision for me,’’ Spencer posted on Twitter, “but sometimes we are called to be a part of a bigger future than we imagined for ourselves.’’
This and that
▪ Brashard Smith, the sophomore who was the team’s primary slot receiver while Restrepo was sidelined, was active Saturday after not playing last week against Duke.
▪ Freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown, who the Hurricanes have been used in wildcat packages this season, threw his first career pass attempts Saturday. He went 0 for 3 but also had four carries for 27 yards.
▪ ACC commissioner Jim Phillips was in attendance at the Miami-Virginia game.
