Miami plays quarterback roulette in Clemson. And Kinchens keeps building All-America case

It was the true freshman under center again for the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.

For the second week in a row, Jacurri Brown started at quarterback for Miami and this time it was in about as daunting a place as he could play.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound 19-year-old, who won last week on the road against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in his first career start, got the nod for a second straight game in the Hurricanes’ 40-10 loss to the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium.

He didn’t last until the end, though. Quarterback Jake Garcia took over in the fourth quarter and led Miami (5-6, 4-5 Atlantic Coast) on its lone touchdown drive, throwing a 1-yard score to tight end Kahlil Brantley with 13:45 to cut No. 9 Clemson’s lead to 26-10.

Brown went 6 of 13 for 53 yards and an interception, with nine carries for 15 yards, before heading to the bench. Last Saturday, he went 14 of 19 for 136 yards and three touchdowns, with 19 carries for 87 yards, to lead a win at Georgia Tech.

Brown still appeared as a runner in short-yardage situations, rushing for a first down on third-and-1 on the next drive.

Garcia, a redshirt freshman, last played Nov. 5, when he threw an interception in the Hurricanes’ blowout loss to the Florida State Seminoles. He also started and led Miami to a quadruple-overtime win against the Virginia Cavaliers last month.

Star quarterback Tyler Van Dyke also traveled with the team to South Carolina despite his injury. The sophomore, who was the ACC Rookie of the Year last season, has missed three of the last four games with a right shoulder injury. He has traveled to all three road games during this stretch.

Garcia went 3 of 15 for 15 yards and a touchdown.

Kinchens puts together another gem

It would’ve been impossible for Kamren Kinchens to one-up his three-interception performance from last weekend, but the safety did his best against the Tigers.

For the second straight game, Kinchens’ final stat line was ridiculous. The sophomore set a new career high with 13 tackles and added a tackle for loss, two passes defended and a forced fumble, which cornerback DJ Ivey recovered for his second takeaway of the game.

The Hurricanes’ defense kept Clemson’s offense out of the end zone for the entire third quarter, keeping Miami within striking distance in the fourth quarter.

Kinchens’ three interceptions in Atlanta pushed him into the national lead with six. He’s building a legitimate All-America case in the final weeks of the season.

Chaney returns, Flagg leaves injured

Donald Chaney Jr. dressed for the first time this season against the Tigers, although he did not record any stats.

The running back missed the first 10 games of the season with a lower-body injury and hadn’t been active since the first month of last season. The redshirt freshman played in only two games last year because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

it was good timing for Chaney’s return: Fellow running back Thaddius Franklin Jr. on Friday announced he will enter the transfer portal. Miami also had running back Henry Parrish Jr. back after he missed the Hurricanes’ win against the Yellow Jackets with an unspecified injury.

Parrish, a sophomore, was leading Miami with 119 carries and 568 rushing yards entering the weekend, despite missing two games due to injury. He led the Hurricanes’ tailbacks with 12 rushing yards on four carries in Clemson.

Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., however, left early with a lower-body injury. The sophomore has been a fixture in the starting lineup this season and had two tackles before exiting in the first half.

Star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor was also active and started for the Hurricanes after sitting out the second half of the Georgia Tech game with an apparent foot injury.

Offensive lineman Jalen Rivers and defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte, however, was not. Both linemen have missed consecutive games.

Third-year sophomore receiver and kick returner Key’Shawn Smith did not travel to the game, either. It’s the third consecutive game he has missed. He will likely be one of the players entering the transfer portal during an NCAA-allotted period that begins Dec. 4 for underclassmen.