Miami defeated Georgia Tech 35-14 on the road Saturday to get back to .500. There were plenty of storylines from this game as the win keeps Miami's bowl hopes alive.

The Hurricanes looked like a different football team with Jacurri Brown at quarterback. The true freshman looked comfortable in his first career start. Brown completed 14-of-19 for 136 yards, throwing for three touchdowns. He added 87 yards on the ground on 19 attempts.

His ability to extend plays with his legs is the element of the offense that was missing all year. Miami started efficiently with a heavy dose of the run game from the start.

Brown accounted for 43 of Miami’s 75 yards on its opening scoring drive. The Canes ran the ball nine times but ended the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Will Mallory. The touchdown pass was the first of Brown’s career which broke a nine-quarter touchdown-less drought.

Miami kept it going in the second quarter. Brown powered a 14-play drive that ended with Miami’s second score of the ball game. Brown connected with fellow freshman and roommate Jaleel Skinner for a four-yard touchdown to double the Miami lead.

In the fourth quarter, after an interception, Brown put together an eight-play 51-yard touchdown drive to extend the lead again. On the drive, Brown rushed for a 24-yard gain to get the Hurricanes in the red zone. Brown finished it off with an eight-yard touchdown toss to Colbie Young.

Brown accounted for 223 of Miami’s 353 total yards.

The Georgia native returned to his home state to start his first collegiate game and overachieved. He has essentially jumped over Jake Garcia on the depth chart and will likely start next week against Clemson if Tyler Van Dyke is unable to play. He injected life into the offense that fans have yearned for all year and this could be the beginning of a great career at Miami. Brown should be the starter for the rest of the season.

The true sophomore played an unforgettable game. Kamren Kinchens intercepted the Georgia Tech quarterback three times including a 99-yard return for a touchdown. He is the first Hurricane to notch three interceptions in a game since Kenny Phillips did it against Duke in 2006. Kinchens leads the team with six interceptions on the year.

Kinchens also led the team in total tackles, added a half tackle for loss and pass breakup to his total. He stamped himself as not only the best defender, but the most important on this defense.

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson also notched an interception in the third quarter. Miami only gave up one big play of over 40 yards to the Yellow Jackets, as giving up big plays has been an issue all season. Nice to see Miami have a spectacular day on the back line and not give up back-breaking plays.

Just before the game, we learned that Henry Parrish would not play, which turned RB1 duties to “The Rooster” Jaylan Knighton. The Deerfield Beach product racked up 118 yards on 16 carries averaging 7.4 yards a carry, his highest total of the season. He put an exclamation point on his day with the final offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Knighton had issues with fumbles this season and many believed that the coaching staff was losing trust in the third-year sophomore. On Saturday, Knighton regained the trust of coaches and Hurricanes fans as held on to the football and was trusted on several third-down runs.

Miami rushed for a total of 217 yards, the most since the season opener against Bethune-Cookman (305).

Besides Brown’s epic performance, Anez Cooper and Wesley Bissainthe were the other players that started Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. Cooper was dominant yet again helping to power the run game and was solid in pass protection as well. Miami gave up just one sack to a defensive back blitz. Cooper is setting the foundation for the future of the offensive line and is shining very early in his career despite not being at Miami for a full year.

Bissianthe made his first start Saturday and made the most of it. The Miami Central product is a high-energy player that has grown before our eyes this season. He finished third on the team in tackles with six. It will be hard to keep him off the field from this point forward.

The senior punter had five punts for 230 yards, that’s an average of 46 yards per punt. He also was a master at pinning the ball deep in Georgia Tech's territory, landing three inside the 20-yard line. Hedley seemed to solidify himself as a 2023 NFL Draft pick with his performance and should not be undervalued for how much of a weapon he is.

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