Miami, Jacurri Brown, hurdling toward finish. ‘I just had the dog in me.’ Up next: Clemson
Just minutes after Miami’s stirring 35-14 victory at Georgia Tech, coach Mario Cristobal — standing behind a lectern in the Yellow Jackets weight room — was asked if it’s possible that true freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown could start “down the stretch for the rest of the year.’’
“Down the stretch” begins with a nationally televised game (ESPN) for UM (5-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at No. 9 Clemson (9-1, 7-0) in South Carolina.
Replied Cristobal: “When you perform that well, that’s always going to be the first question. I’m sure you guys had that one loaded and ready to fire out. He did a really good job tonight. So, obviously he’s a really, really good player. So, he’s earned a lot.”
Usual starter Tyler Van Dyke, who traveled to Atlanta to help the young quarterbacks, is still healing after previously injuring his right shoulder. But Brown did such a good job in his first collegiate start (14-of-19 for 136 yards and three touchdowns, with 87 yards rushing on 19 carries) that coaches and fans have to be excited about the future — or present if he should start again at an extremely tough Clemson.
“Commanding presence, doesn’t get fazed,’’ Cristobal said. “He’s physical, made some really good throws.’’
Hurdling opponents
Brown, a strong 6-4 and 215 pounds, was a leaping, hurdling, sprinting machine Saturday. His apparent high-stepping trademark during his longer runs were reminiscent of Deion Sanders when he played at Florida State and in the NFL.
“I hurdled two people in high school,’’ said Valdosta, Georgia, native Brown, who attempted to leap over an opponent as he neared the sideline on a 13-yard run. “They were both flags because it’s illegal to hurdle in Georgia high school football, but I did it anyway.
“You’ve got to have style points, man. That’s part of it. It was back like high school. You got to have fun playing the game. That’s avoiding getting hit. When you can’t go through them, go over them.”
Brown added that he was “just being a baller, man,’’ with his high steps. He said UM quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce told him “he doesn’t want robots. He wants ballers.
When asked if he likes running as much as he did Saturday, Brown said, “I want to go to the League, I want to play for a long time so that would have to come down to [saving] my body.. But I just had the dog in me just trying to get more yards and fight for this team. That’s part of the game plan. We’re strong. We’re fighting for Ws right now.”
What a difference
What a difference a week makes. After understandably appearing despondent and dazed the week before following a 45-3 home loss to Florida State, the Hurricanes were energetic and thrilled to talk Saturday evening. After all, they scored touchdowns (five in all), for the first time since Oct. 22 — one on a 99-yard interception return by safety Kam Kinchens, who had three picks.
The few that spoke said they have never given up and intend to keep fighting through their remaining two regular-season games — the last of which is home against Pittsburgh (6-4, 3-3). The Canes are one win from bowl eligibility.
“It feels great,’’ said center Jakai Clark, whose offensive line, hit by several injuries and playing with redshirt freshman and true freshman guards, allowed only one sack — aided by Brown’s mobility. “Obviously it has not been the season we wanted, but the guy have stuck together and overcome a lot. So for us to come out and get a win today, it feels amazing.”
Clark said the loss to FSU was “tough,’’ but that the team has learned to “move on.’’
“You can’t change anything from the past. The only thing you can do is knuckle down and go and beat the team you have up next.”
How important is qualifying for a bowl?
“It’s real important,’’ Clark said. “You want to send the seniors out the right way, so we gotta become bowl-eligible for them.’’
Knighton shines
Running back Jaylan Knighton, who ran for a season-high 118 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, a 7.4-yards-per-carry average, said “even after the L, even after Florida State, we came back to work, came together as one. We told each other, ‘Let’s come out with a W this week. Forget the past. Let’s keep working.’ Just like we said, ‘Back in the lab tomorrow.’
“Our confidence never went down as a team or nothing because we know we got the players, we got the coaches. ...The W’s going to come. We’re not tripping over the losses we took, we just take it game by game. We’re going to take it day by day next week against Clemson at their house.”
Kinchens concurred, saying the Hurricanes took a step forward Saturday.
“Every game it’s been kind of down to the wire,’’ he said. “And our motto every time we’ve been up is, ‘We gotta keep our foot on their neck.’ Today, we went out there and proved we can do that.
“Progress.”
▪ Sophomore starting defensive tackle Leonard Taylor was injured early in the game and sat on the bench the second half with a boot over his left foot. Cristobal said Taylor “tweaked” his ankle.
