Brown earns shot for No. 2 job. But defense falters. Fifteen thoughts from UM’s bowl loss

Fifteen thoughts on the Miami Hurricanes’ 31-24 Pinstripe Bowl loss to Rutgers on Thursday in New York:

▪ On a disappointing, dreary day to close a 7-6 season, quarterback Jacurri Brown did enough - in his 2023 season debut - to earn a legitimate chance to compete with Emory Williams for the No. 2 quarterback job, behind a veteran starter to be added in the portal.

Brown shook off a bad interception on UM’s second possession and then led the Canes on three consecutive scoring drives, culminating one with a rushing touchdown and another with his best pass of the day, a 30-yard TD throw to Restrepo that put UM ahead 17-14.

Those scoring drives (two TDs and a field goal) covered 75, 73 and 69 yards.

UM went nowhere on its next four possessions. And while Brown wasn’t at fault on the first of those possessions, he held onto the ball too long and took a sack on the second of those, after Rutgers took the lead on the blocked punt.

The third possession, to close the third quarter, ended with Restrepo coming up short of the first-down marker on a 3rd and 6.

The fourth drive ended when Deion Jennings got the better of guard Luis Cristobal to dump Henry Parrish for a loss on 4th and 2.

So even though UM’s offense was unproductive for most of the second half, it wasn’t because of poor throws by Brown.

And Brown kept UM alive by engineering a late scoring drive that he punctuated with a one-yard TD run.

After UM recovered an onside kick with 25 seconds left, Brown and UM’s offense couldn’t manage a first down and inexplicably attempted only short throws; Restrepo dropped a pass on first down.

Before that final fruitless possession, Brown’s accuracy - his biggest shortcoming as a freshman – seemed much improved. He opened the game with a well-thrown deep pass to Jacolby George, but the ball appeared to go off his fingertips.

Brown’s one interception was a bad decision, but he wasn’t off on many throws.

With his arm strength, ability to run and exceptional athleticism, he looked like a quarterback that’s worth investing more time in.

Brown finished 20 for 32 for 181 yards, the one touchdown pass and one interception. He ran 14 times for 48 yards (3.4 per carry), with those two rushing touchdowns.

“I’ve got to do better,” Brown told WQAM afterward. “We have to be more dynamic in the pass game.”

Keep in mind that Williams, who’s coming off a significant injury, was just 8 for 23 against FSU. He was poised for a freshman and had some good moments, particularly against Clemson, but he isn’t clearly better than Brown.

Neither player should be deemed the front-runner for the backup job. But Brown deserves a genuine shot for the No. 2 job.

As for next year’s starting quarterback, a source close to the process said last week that UM was given reason to believe that Washington State’s Cam Ward was probably going to transfer to Miami. But that hasn’t yet materialized, with UM still awaiting a public announcement from Ward, who also has been considering going pro.

▪ You could have made the case that Rueben Bain was the best player on the Canes’ roster following the departures of Kamren Kinchens and four others to the NFL.

And Bain reinforced that notion with three tackles for loss in the first half before he missed a key tackle on Kyle Monanghai’s TD run early in the fourth quarter.

UM will have Bain another two years before he becomes eligible for the NFL Draft, and it will be fascinating to see how dominant he can become. He’s already supremely productive, with 7.5 sacks and 24 pressures in 338 pass rushing snaps.

▪ Yes, the Canes lost five good players to the NFL and played without starting defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Nyjalik Kelly. That shouldn’t be glossed over. And Rutgers’ roster was mostly intact.

But this was a discouraging result nonetheless, against a middling .500 Big 10 team. Keep in mind that Rutgers lost 31-7 to Michigan, 35-16 to Ohio State, 22-0 to Iowa, 27-6 to Penn State and 42-24 to Maryland.

There should be no illusions about this UM roster. Significant additions in the portal will be needed for UM to have any shot to challenge for a conference title next year.

▪ Branson Deen and Jacob Lichtenstein, playing their final college games, were pushed around during Rutgers’ two early touchdown drives. Leonard Taylor’s presence was missed early; he skipped the game after announcing plans to turn pro.

The hope is that UM will be stout enough at defensive tackle next season with portal pickups Marley Cook (Middle Tennessee State) and CJ Clark (North Carolina State) joining Jared Harrison-Hunte, Thomas Gore, Ahmed Moten, Josh Horton and three elite freshmen who will need time to develop.

But it wasn’t a good sign to see Rutgers dominate the line of scrimmage in the first quarter and for much of the second half.

Rutgers finished with 210 yards rushing on 4.8 per carry, while Miami closed with 130 yards rushing on 4.1 yards per carry.

▪ Rutgers overloaded the left side on its go-ahead punt block for a touchdown, and Lichtenstein whiffed on a block, leaving punter Dylan Joyce in an untenable situation.

Greg Schiano’s teams have been very good on special teams over the years; per WQAM, that was 70th blocked kick by a Schiano-coached team.

▪ With Mesidor and Kelly sidelined by injuries and Taylor turning pro, freshman Jayden Wayne started on the defensive line, with Bain, Harrison- Hunte and Deen.

Keontra Smith got a start at linebacker in his final college game, with Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe.

UM’s front seven played better during the second quarter, and for part of the third, before again wilting in the second half.

Canes defenders seemed to tire late, in part because UM couldn’t sustain drives for most of the second half.

▪ Mauigoa was beaten on a third down throw for a sizable gain early but had a terrific pass breakup on a third down throw late in the third quarter.

He will be the key component of a 2024 linebacker group that improved this year but still needs another impact player.

Wesley Bissainthe left in the second half with an upper body injury; Mario Cristobal had no immediate update after the game.

▪ In their final college game, cornerbacks Te’Cory Couch and Jaden Davis played safety following the departures of Kamren Kichens and James Williams to the NFL Draft.

Davis missed a tackle early, but there weren’t any egregious breakdowns by either senior.

Daryl Porter Jr, who again played well, and freshman Damari Brown started at cornerback. Brown was beaten early on a 16-yard throw but should have a bright future.

Markieth Williams got some work at safety and nearly had an interception when he made an alert break on a risky Rutgers throw.

▪ With Javion Cohen turning pro earlier this month, Luis Cristobal - Mario’s nephew - got the start at left guard over Matthew McCoy in a mild surprise. But those two players ended up sharing playing time.

The Canes must decide whether to add a veteran left guard starter or whether they’re strong enough at that position. Cristobal likely isn’t the answer as a starter.

▪ Ryan Rodriguez started at center in place of NFL-bound Matt Lee. But if Rodriguez remains at UM, it likely will be as a backup next season. Miami already has added Indiana transfer Zach Carpenter, and he’s expected to start at center next season.

▪ Good job by Isaiah Horton to seize on an opportunity created by Colbie Young’s departure (to Georgia) in the transfer portal and Brashard Smith’s unexplained absence. Horton deftly got his toes in bounds on a catch on UM’s scoring drive late in the first half.

He closed with five catches for 54 yards.

▪ Discipline remains an issue with this team and with Jacolby George, in particular. George pushed a Rutgers player’s facemask after a play was over, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That was the second personal foul penalty against UM.

Later, well after a play was over, George cheap-shotted a defenseless Rutgers player with an aggressive shove in the back, drawing another penalty and costing UM 15 yards after a run.

But even after that second penalty, UM didn’t bench him.

UM’s radio announcing team sounded fed up with George, and justifiably so.

“It’s almost like he’s intent on doing stuff like this,” Don Bailey Jr. said.

This was nothing new for George, who was called for a personal foul penalty late in the loss to Louisville.

“This is costing your team and your program,” WQAM’s Joe Zagacki said. “It’s embarrassing,”

Freshman Bobby Washington Jr. also had a foolish personal foul penalty on an unnecessary hit after a Rutgers punt.

UM’s most costly infraction might have been an offsides penalty against Deen on a 4th and 1.

▪ Good to see Ray Ray Joseph with a 30-yard kickoff return to start the second half. The expectation is that he will become a factor at receiver next season.

The battle for the receiver jobs behind Restrepo should be very competitive. Keep an eye on freshman Ny Carr; he might be most ready to play of the three freshman receivers.

While George’s performance as a receiver was good this year, I’m not sure you can pencil him as No. 2 next season because of his penchant for personal fouls and poor decisions. He’ll need to earn it.

Restrepo capped an excellent season with a big day (11 catches for 99 yards).

▪ Mark Fletcher’s leg injury early in the game was worrisome and deflating.

Cristobal said Fletcher had a foot injury and X-rays came back negative.

But even with Fletcher leaving after two carries, UM never gave a carry to Trevonte Citizen, who was finally available after an August 2022 knee injury.

Parrish ran 11 times for 46 times, and Ajay Allen had 3 for 11.