MIAMI HURRICANES (4-4, 2-2 ACC) HEAD COACH: Manny Diaz (Florida State, 1995) | CAREER: 18-14 (third season) | AT MIAMI: 18-14 (third)

VS.

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS (3-5, 2-4 ACC) HEAD COACH: Geoff Collins (Rhode Island, 1990) | CAREER: 24-31 (fifth season) | AT GEORGIA TECH: 9-21 (third)

THE GAME

• The Miami Hurricanes returns to Hard Rock Stadium for its penultimate home game of the season versus Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 6.

• The game will be broadcast on RSN with Tom Werme (pxp), James Bates (color) and Wiley Ballard (sideline) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 20th season together while Josh Darrow manages the sideline duties. Alfredo Alvarez (pxp) and Joe Martinez (color) will carry the game live on Mundial 990AM from Hard Rock Stadium. WVUM 90.5 FM will also broadcast.

THE SERIES

• Saturday's game versus the Yellow Jackets is the 26th all-time matchup in the series, which Georgia Tech leads by a slight 13-12 margin.

• The Coastal foes had met every year since Miami joined the ACC in 2004, but did not meet last year due to a game cancellation related to COVID-19.

• The Hurricanes have lost the last two games in the series to Georgia Tech, including a 28-21 overtime loss to the Yellow Jackets at home in 2019.

THE HURRICANES

• The Miami Hurricanes returned 19 of 22 starters from a 2020 team that finished 8-3 overall and 7-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Canes, who ended the year in the 2020 Cheez-It Bowl, became the third Miami team to win seven games in ACC play since joining the conference in 2004.

• On Oct. 11, head coach Manny Diaz announced starting QB D'Eriq King would miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery resulting from an injury versus Michigan State. In his first season as starting quarterback, King finished with 2,686 passing yards, 538 rushing yards and 27 total TDs.

• Last time out at Pittsburgh (Oct. 23), the Hurricanes pulled off a 38-34 win over the #17/#19 Panthers, representing Miami's second straight win over a top-20 ranked team. QB Tyler Van Dyke threw for a career-high 426 yards and was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week.

• DB James Williams was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week following UM's win in the Steel City, where he had nine tackles and an interception.

• In its home opener on Sept. 11, the Hurricanes won against Appalachian State. Trailing 23-22 with less than five minutes remaining, freshman K Andy Borregales kicked a 43-yard field goal - his third made field goal of the game - to seal the victory versus the upset-minded Mountaineers.

• For head coach Manny Diaz, 2021 marks a return to his roots as the program's defensive signal caller and defensive coordinator. Diaz was hired by Mark Richt in 2016 as the program's defensive coordinator, a role he served in for three seasons before being named head coach in January of 2019.

• In addition to re-assuming his role as defensive coordinator, Diaz hired Travaris Robinson - former defensive coordinator at South Carolina - to coach defensive backs, added Ishmael Aristide from Texas A&M to coach strikers and promoted DeMarcus Van Dyke from recruiting operations to coach corners. Diaz also brought back defensive line coach Jess Simpson, who spent the previous two years as d-line coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

• Several Miami Hurricanes were selected as preseason candidates for major college football awards; in addition to King, who was named a candidate for nearly every offensive award, Miami had Bubba Bolden named to the Thorpe Award watch list, Will Mallory to the Mackey Award, Lou Hedley to the Ray Guy Award, Mike Harley to the Biletnikoff Award, both Zion Nelson and Jarrid Williams to the Outland Trophy watch list, and others.

• Miami had more production returning than all but three Power 5 programs in America (Arizona State, UCLA, Rutgers) at 91%; the national average of returning production from 2020 into 2021 was 76.7% across FBS. UM was the only team in the ACC to rank in the top 25 of FBS returning production.

MIAMI HOSTS JACKETS AT HARD ROCK

• Fresh off back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, the Hurricanes are looking for their third straight victory when they host Georgia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 6.

• MIami recorded back-to-back wins over ranked teams for the first time since winning games over Virginia Tech and Notre Dame consecutively in 2017.

• Head coach Manny Diaz has now led the Hurricanes to a win over a ranked opponent on the road in two straight seasons; Miami beat #18/#16 Louisville, 47-34, last season.

• Miami trails the all-time series to Georgia Tech, 13-12, but leads in games played in Miami or Miami Gardens, 6-3.

KING, HARRIS TO MISS REST OF SEASON

• After recovery from reconstructive surgery on a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee suffered in Miami's 2020 bowl game, D'Eriq King made the 14th start of his UM career against Michigan State.

• King hurt his shoulder in Miami's game against the Spartans. Head coach Manny Diaz announced on Oct. 11 that King would miss the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery.

• On Monday, Oct. 18, Diaz announced starting RB Cam'Ron Harris would miss the remainder of the 2021 season due to a lower extremity injured suffered vs. UNC. Miami is also missing starting OL Corey Gaynor and Jalen Rivers for the year.

VAN DYKE ON FIRE IN LAST TWO STARTS

• QB Tyler Van Dyke will be making his sixth straight start under center when the Hurricanes take on the Yellow Jackets at Hard Rock Stadium.

• Van Dyke, who has compiled a 3-2 record in his five starts this season, threw for the ninth-most yards in a single game in Miami history and the second most ever by a Hurricanes freshman when he threw for 426 yards against #17/#19 Pitt on Oct. 30.

• Van Dyke, who has totaled 851 yards and seven touchdowns over his last two games, has totaled the most yards in back-to-back ACC games by a Miami QB since Stephen Morris had 1,012 yards vs. Georgia Tech and NC State in 2012.

MIAMI LOOKING FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN, HOSTS YELLOW JACKETS

• Coming off a thrilling 38-34 win at #17/#19 Pittsburgh last time out, the Miami Hurricanes are looking for their third straight win when they host Georgia Tech on Sat., Nov. 6. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.

• The Hurricanes trail the all-time series with the Jackets, 13-12, but lead, 6-3, in games played in Miami.

• The two teams had met every year since Miami joined the ACC in 2004, but did not meet in 2020 due to a cancellation related to COVID-19 pandemic. UM has lost two in a row to the Jackets (2018, 2019).

• Head coach Manny Diaz is currently in his third season at the helm in Coral Gables; Diaz led Miami to an 8-3 record in 2020, including a 7-2 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Miami won seven games in ACC play for just the second time in program history in 2020 - UM finished 7-1 in ACC play in 2017.

• UM's game versus the Jackets is slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM, WMYM 990 AM & WVUM 90.5.

LAST TIME OUT: CANES KNOCK OFF #17/#19 PITT, 38-34, AT HEINZ FIELD

• The Hurricanes enjoyed a thrilling 38-34 win over #17/#19 Pittsburgh on the road last time out, picking up its first road win over a ranked opponent since a win over #18/#16 Louisville, 47-34, in 2020.

• Miami recorded back-to-back ranked wins for the first time since 2017, when the Hurricanes topped #13/#13 Virginia Tech, 28-10, and #3/#5 Notre Dame, 41-8, in back-to-back weeks (Nov. 4, Nov. 11).

• QB Tyler Van Dyke, making the fifth straight start for Miami, delivered one of the best performances of his career. Van Dyke set career marks for completions and passing yards in a 32-for-42, 426-yard, three touchdown effort. Van Dyke was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week.

• WR Charleston Rambo posted his third 100-yard game of the season, finishing with 101 yards on seven receptions. RB Jaylan Knighton had 17 carries for 80 yards with two touchdowns in the win.

• S James Williams was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week after recording a career-high nine tackles and an interception. In addition, CB Tyrique Stevenson had his first collegiate interception.

'ROOSTER' NOW RB1, HAS SHINED FOR HURRICANES OFFENSE IN 2021

• After RB Cam'Ron Harris suffered a season-ending leg injury in a loss to North Carolina on Oct. 16, RB Jaylon Knighton began preparations to assume lead back responsibilities against NC State on Oct. 23.

• Last time out against Pitt, Knighton finished with 17 carries totaling 80 yards with two touchdown runs.

• Nicknamed 'Rooster' by former Pop Warner football coach named Dave Williams for his reddish hair in a mohawk style as a kid, Knighton was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Mon., Oct. 18 after posting the best outing of his career vs. the Tar Heels. Knighton totaled 165 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

• Knighton upped the ante with his start against the Wolfpack, finishing with 166 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 21 carries in the win. He was named ACC Running Back of the Week on Oct. 25.

• Knighton played in nine games and made two starts in his first year of college football in 2020 but was suspended for the first four games of 2021 due to a violation of team rules. He returned versus Virginia.

• Knighton was a consensus four-star prospect by all major scouting services. He was listed as the No. 88 player in the ESPN300 and rated the No. 11 running back nationally and No. 15 player in Florida by ESPN.

'O' STARTING TO CLICK WITH LONG SCORING DRIVES OVER LAST FOUR

• Despite a myriad of different season-ending injuries to four opening day starters, the Hurricanes offense has begun to click over the last three games, all of which have been vs. Atlantic Coast Conference teams.

• Miami's offense had just five scoring drives of 70-plus yards over its first three games vs. Alabama, App State and Michigan State combined. It had five such drives vs. NC State (Oct. 23) and four vs. Pittsburgh.

• After posting five scoring drives of 70-or-more yards over its first three games, the Hurricanes have managed 14 such drives over the last four games, including two versus Virginia (Sept. 30) and three versus UNC (Oct. 16). UM had a season-long 97-yard drive against the Tar Heels on its final scoring drive.

• In its 31-30 win over NC State, Miami compiled its longest scoring drive of the season by time (5:11).

RESTREPO SEEING INCREASED ROLE, HAD CAREER GAME VERSUS PITT

• Second-year WR Xavier Restrepo set the tone for his season with three catches totaling 55 yards, including the first score of his career on a 29-yard contested catch vs. Alabama, in Miami's opener.

• Last time out against Pittsburgh (Oct. 30), Restrepo had the best game of his career: seven catches for 89 yards, including a long reception of 22 yards. Restrepo has shared slot reps with WR Mike Harley.

• In a win over CCSU, Restrepo had a then-career-high four catches totaling a then-career-best 75 yards - before his big game against Pitt last time out. Restrepo ranks fourth on Miami in receptions with 19.

• Through eight games this season, Restrepo has totaled 19 catches for 325 yards with one touchdown.

• As a true freshman in 2020, Restrepo saw action in nine games and had just one 12-yard reception.

• A former high school teammate of RB Jaylan Knighton, Restrepo was a four-star prospect by Rivals. A versatile player, he scored 48 touchdowns and totaled 3,000+ receiving yards in his high school career.

VAN DYKE EARNS SECOND STRAIGHT ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONOR

• QB Tyler Van Dyke put together an impressive first start as Miami's quarterback, completing 10-of-11 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns in a 69-0 win over Central Connecticut State on Sept. 25.

• Van Dyke took over as starter after QB D'Eriq King suffered a season-ending injury on Sept. 18.

• Van Dyke followed up his performance with 203 passing yards on 15-for-29 passing with one touchdown and no interceptions in Miami's ACC opener against Virginia (Sept. 30). Van Dyke has 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 63.4 percent of passes (102-for-161) for 1,490 yards.

• In a victory over NC State (Oct. 23), Van Dyke had the best game of his career by nearly every margin - he set career marks for completions, passing yards and touchdowns in a 31-30 victory. He one-upped himself against #17/#19 Pitt (Oct. 30), throwing for career-high 426 yards on 32-for-42 passing.

• Van Dyke has won back-to-back ACC Rookie of the Week honors following Miami's back-to-back wins.

• Despite splitting reps for the majority of the CCSU game with fellow QB Jake Garcia, Van Dyke's 270 passing yards were the third-most by a UM quarterback making the first start of his career since 1999.

• Van Dyke was rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals coming out of high school. He ranked No. 105 nationally in the ESPN300 and was rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback nationally by ESPN.

• The Glastonbury, Conn., native totaled over 4,600 yards and 39 passing touchdowns over his final two high school seasons. He was named 2019 New England Prep Player of the Year after his final season.

RAMBO THE LATEST GREAT ADDITION FROM TRANSFER PORTAL FOR UM

• One of Miami's top playmakers this year has been WR Charleston Rambo, who arrived after spending the first four seasons of his career at Oklahoma, where had had 1,180 receiving yards and 76 career catches.

• Last time out against #17/#19 Pitt (Oct. 30), Rambo had seven catches totaling 101 yards in a 38-34 win.

• When Rambo put together a dominant performance against Michigan State on Sept. 18, he managed a feat that had been done only twice in University of Miami history: 12 receptions in a single game.

• Rambo became the first Hurricane to haul in 12 catches since Phillip Dorsett did it versus USF in 2012, and only the third Hurricane ever. Rambo's 12 catches were the most he ever had in any college game, and his 156 receiving yards bested his previous high of 122, set in 2019 versus Texas Tech at Oklahoma.

• Rambo has started all eight games at wide receiver and leads Miami with 51 catches and 650 yards.

• The Cedar Hills, Texas native is one of just five receivers in the ACC to have recorded 40 catches through Week 8. Rambo's average of 6.29 receptions per game ranks as the fourth-best mark in the conference.

FIVE STARTERS (FOUR ON OFFENSE) OUT FOR SEASON DUE TO INJURIES

• In addition to its two most productive offensive players in QB D'Eriq King and RB Cam'Ron Harris, the Hurricanes will miss team captain and center Corey Gaynor and left guard Jalen Rivers for the season.

• Miami will host miss S Bubba Bolden for the year, as announced by HC Manny Diaz on Oct. 25, due to a shoulder injury. Bolden and King were two of three players selected to represent Miami at ACC Kickoff.

FRESHMEN "EAT" AT MIAMI: ARROYO, WILLIAMS LATEST TO BREAK OUT

• Last time out, TE Elijah Arroyo hauled in the first touchdown of his career in a win over #17/#19 Pitt, and S James Williams was named ACC Defensive of the Week after having nine tackles and one interception.

• Miami's group of freshmen showed off their playmaking ability in its 45-42 loss to North Carolina; the Hurricanes group - comprised of true freshmen like RB Cody Brown, second-year freshmen like RB Jaylan Knighton and third-year redshirt freshmen like DE Jahfari Harvey - were responsible for every point scored vs. UNC. Knighton led Miami with three touchdowns while K Andy Borregales had two field goals.

• Second-year freshman QB Tyler Van Dyke threw for one touchdown and 264 yards in his first road start.

• Miami true freshmen showed off in a 69-0 win over Central Connecticut State on Sept. 25; the Hurricanes group of first-year players finished with 411 total yards of offense and combined for six touchdowns.

• Brown two touchdowns while RB Thad Franklin, WR Romello Brinson, WR Jacolby George and WR Brashard Smith each finished with one score. Smith led the way with 126 all-purpose yards.

• QB Jake Garcia finished 11-for-14 for 147 yards with two touchdown passes and had a 45-yard rush. Garcia split reps with Van Dyke, who started and finished with 270 passing yards and three touchdowns.