Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes vs. NC State

MIAMI HURRICANES (2-4, 0-2 ACC)HEAD COACH: Manny Diaz (Florida State, 1995) | CAREER: 16-14 (third season) | AT MIAMI: 16-14 (third)

VS.

#18/#18 NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK (5-1, 2-0 ACC) HEAD COACH: Dave Doeren (Drake, 1994) | CAREER: 60-47 (11th season) | AT NC STATE: 60-47 (ninth season)

THE GAME

• The Miami Hurricanes return home for a matchup with ACC foe North Carolina State at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 23. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

• The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2 with Anish Shroff (pxp), Mike Golic, Jr. (color) and Taylor McGregor (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 vs. NC State is the 17th matchup in the history of the series; UM leads the series 10-5-1, including a 6-4-1 lead in games in Miami.

• The Hurricanes are looking for their fourth straight win over the Wolfpack; Miami topped NC State, 44-41, in Raleigh, N.C., last season on Nov. 6, 2020.

• UM has not lost to NC State since 2008, though the teams have matched up just three times since. The Pack have not traveled to Miami since 2012.

• Since joining the ACC, Miami has won four of six meetings vs. NC State (2004, 2012, 2016, 2020), with its two losses coming in 2007 and 2008.

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 against UNC (Oct. 16), Miami mounted an impressive comeback but fell, 45-42, to the host Tar Heels. Making the third start of his collegiate career in place of King, QB Tyler Van Dyke a threw for 264 yards and one touchdown, while RB Jaylan Knighton had three touchdowns.

• Knighton was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Heels, where he finished with 165 all-purpose yards and three scores.

• 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 WOLFPACK AT HARD ROCK

• The Miami Hurricanes host ACC Atlantic foe NC State at Hard Rock Stadium on Sat., Oct. 23. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 2.

• Miami is matching up with NC State for the second straight year, but is welcoming the Wolfpack to South Florida for the first time since 2012, when Miami emerged with a 44-37 win late on a record-setting day from QB Stephen Morris. UM has won three in a row over NC State dating to that game.

• Saturday's game will mark Miami's fifth home game through the first eight weeks of the season; UM has played just one game on the road and has played one neutral site game in 2021.

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 and missed the first two starts of his career. 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 in Miami's game against North Carolina.

2001 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS HONORED

• The University of Miami will host a 20-year reunion for the 2001 national champion Miami Hurricanes during their game against NC State on Oct. 23.

• Widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in college football history, more than 50 representatives from that team - includ-ing head coach Larry Coker, former players, assistant coaches and support staff, are expected to attend Saturday's game against the Wolfpack.

• Saturday's game marks the second re-union of the year for a Miami title team;UM celebrated the 30-year reunion of the 1991 national championship team during its contest with Michigan State on Sept. 18.

MIAMI HOSTS PACK AT HARD ROCK STADIUM FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2012

• Coming off a heartbreaking 45-42 loss at North Carolina last time out, the Miami Hurricanes return home for a matchup with NC State on Saturday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 2.

• The Hurricanes are matching up with the Wolfpack for the second straight year but only the fourth time since 2012. UM is riding a three-game winning streak over NC State heading into Saturday.

• After opening its season against Alabama in Atlanta on Sept. 4, Miami ended a four-game homestand on Sept. 30 vs. Virginia followed by an open date before playing North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Oct. 16. 41 days elapsed between the Hurricanes' two games away from home through six games.

• 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 Wolfpack is slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM, WMYM 990 AM & WVUM 90.5.

LAST TIME OUT: MIAMI DROPS 45-42 HEARTBREAKER IN CHAPEL HILL

• The Hurricanes fell in crushing fashion for the second straight game last time out, nearly erasing an 18-point deficit but ultimately falling to North Carolina, 45-42, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

• QB Tyler Van Dyke, making the third start of his Miami career in place of an injured QB D'Eriq King, f inished 20-for-45 for 264 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in the loss to UNC.

• Van Dyke marched UM into the red zone with a chance to win the game on Miami's final drive of the game in the fourth quarter, but UNC recorded an interception with fewer than 15 seconds remaining.

• RB Jaylan Knighton had the best outing of his career against the Tar Heels, finishing with 165 allpurpose yards and three total touchdowns. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his efforts.

• DE Jahfari Harvey had the first pick-six by a Miami Hurricane since Romeo Finley in 2018, tying the game 7-7 in the first quarter on an interception. LB Keontra Smith added two sacks on defense after missing the previous three games with a leg injury. STRK Amari Carter led Miami with eight tackles.

A LOOK BACK: HURRICANES TOPPED PACK, 44-41, IN 2020 THRILLER

• On Nov. 6, 2020, Miami won its third straight game with a come-from-behind 44-41 victory at NC State. The Hurricanes were trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter but emerged with a road victory.

• QB D'Eriq King had one of the best performances ever by a Miami quarterback in last year's win; King became just the third ACC quarterback in history to throw for more than 400 yards (430) and rush for 100 yards (105). He added five touchdown passes - one short of the Miami single-game standard (6).

• King's 430 passing yards were the seventh most by a Miami QB in a single game in program history.

• The two ACC QBs to record 400/100 games were Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Clemson's Tajh Boyd.

• WR Michael Harley finished with eight catches and 153 yards, as well as two touchdowns in the win.

2021 HURRICANES HAVE FEATURED NEW FACES, FIRST-TIME STARTERS

• In addition to several key returners, the Miami Hurricanes have seen several newcomers and first-year starters feature through the first six games of the season on offense, defense and special teams.

• Miami's offense featured three new starters in the early going: WR Key'Shawn Smith, who saw limited action as a backup last year, WR Charleston Rambo, who transferred from Oklahoma and is in his first year at UM, and OL Jalen Rivers, who started at left guard but is out for the season to injury.

• In addition to those three players, OL Justice Oluwaseun - a UNLV transfer - has started, as has QB Tyler Van Dyke, who took over for QB D'Eriq King and has started the last three games under center.

• On defense, LB Corey Flagg has started all five games while LB Keontra Smith started through the f irst two games before an injury versus App State. DE Zach McCloud and DE Jahfari Harvey are in their first full seasons as starters; both started in the 2020 Cheez-It Bowl for the first time at end.

• S James Williams made the first start of his career in a win over Central Connecticut State (Sept. 25) and has started three straight games . CB Tyrique Stevenson is also in his first year with the Canes.

• On special teams, K Andy Borregales took over for older brother Jose, who won the Lou Groza in 2021 as the nation's top kicker. Borregales had the game-winning 43-yard field goal versus App State.

VAN DYKE PREPARING FOR FOURTH START OF CAREER VERSUS NC STATE

• QB Tyler Van Dyke put together an impressive first start at quarterback, completing 10-of-11 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns in Miami's 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 on Sept. 30. He has five touchdowns and three interceptions and is completing 52 percent of passes (45-for-86) for 737 yards.

• 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.

KING WAS POISED FOR BIG FINAL SEASON BEFORE SHOULDER INJURY

• QB D'Eriq King spent the first four seasons of his career at the University of Houston; 2021 marked the first time since high school he has had the same coordinator in back-to-back years (Rhett Lashlee).

• The veteran entered 2021 as one of just 11 quarterbacks in FBS with more than 30 career starts at QB.

• King was named a preseason watch list for several major awards, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Davey O'Brien Award (top quarterback) and the Maxwell Award (player of the year).

• The Manvel, Texas native is responsible for more than 11,000 yards during his illustrious career - 8,378 passing yards, 2,055 rushing yards, 520 receiving yards, 29 punt return yards and 260 kick return yards - a total of 11,242 yards. He totaled 3,224 yards (2,686 passing, 538 rushing) at Miami in 2020.

• King set an FBS record with at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown in 16 straight games, a streak that ended at Louisville in 2020; he bested Florida QB Tim Tebow's FBS record (15).

• King became the first Miami QB in history to rush for 100 yards in a game in a win at NC State in 2020.

• King had a prolific career with the Cougars, totaling 82 total touchdowns (50 passing, 28 rushing, three receiving, one kickoff return), 4,925 passing yards and 1,421 rushing yards in just 22 starts.

• King became the first player in Houston history to throw a touchdown, catch a touchdown and return a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game when he managed the feat for Houston at Texas State.

UM's STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE RANKED NINTH-TOUGHEST IN NATION

• Through Week 7, ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) ranked Miami's strength of schedule as the ninth-toughest in the nation and second-highest in the ACC, trailing only Clemson, who ranked sixth.

'ROOSTER' PREPARING FOR ROLE AS LEAD BACK AFTER HARRIS INJURY

• After RB Cam'Ron Harris suffered a season-ending leg injury in a loss to North Carolina on Oct. 16, RB Jaylon Knighton is preparing for his role as the lead running back in the Miami offense for the first time.

• 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 at North Carolina. Knighton totaled 165 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

• 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.

RUN IT BACK: MIAMI AMONG NATION'S MOST EXPERIENCED 2021 TEAMS

• By nearly every metric, the Hurricanes entered 2021 as one of the nation's most experienced groups. QB D'Eriq King's December 2020 announcement regarding his plans to return for another year spurred a flurry of similar announcements from veterans across offense, defense and special teams.

• The Hurricanes returned 19 of 22 starters on offense and defense; Miami only lost TE Brevin Jordan (Houston Texans, fifth round), DE Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins, first round) and DE Quincy Roche (Pittsburgh Steelers, sixth round) to the 2021 NFL Draft, as well as K Jose Borregales on special teams.

• According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Miami returned 91% of its production from 2020 into 2021 - the highest of any program in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the fourth-most among any Power 5 program and the 13th-most in FBS. The national average for all of FBS entering 2021 was 76.7%.

FRESHMEN "EAT" AT MIAMI: FROSH SCORED EVERY POINT AGAINST UNC

• 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.

DEFENSE RANKS No. 15 IN FBS IN TFLs THROUGH FIRST SIX WEEKS OF 2021

• Miami Football fans witness a familiar sight on Saturdays this fall as Manny Diaz assumed his responsibilities as playcaller and defensive coordinator; Diaz was defensive coordinator at UM from 2016- 2019.

• Miami was one of just 11 teams in FBS and the only one from ACC to record 10 tackles for loss in Week 1.

• UM was tied for No. 15 in FBS tackles for loss after Week 7; Miami is averaging 7.2 tackles for loss per game.

• The Hurricanes defense has featured at least one player with 15 tackles for loss for three straight years; Jaelan Phillips (15.5) in 2020, Gregory Rousseau (19.5) in 2019 and Jonathan Garvin (18.0) in 2018.

• Including Diaz's time as head coach, Miami has had multiple defensive players record double-digit tackles for loss in four of his five seasons at The U, including Phillips (15.5) and Quincy Roche (14.5) a season ago.

• The Hurricanes are the only team since Diaz's arrival to Coral Gables in 2016 to rank among the top five in all of FBS in tackles for loss each year; Miami was No. 4 in 2020 (8.6 per game), No. 4 in 2019 (8.3), No. 1 in 2020 (10.5), No. 4 in 2017 (8.5) and No. 5 in 2016 (8.3). So far, Miami ranks No. 10 in FBS at 8.7 per game.

MIAMI RANKS SECOND IN CONFERENCE WINS SINCE 2015 SEASON

• Since the beginning of 2015, the Hurricanes trail only Clemson's 49 wins in conference play:

ACC Wins Since Beginning of 2015 Season:

1) Clemson: 49

2) Miami: 32

3) Pitt: 31

4) Virginia Tech: 30

5) North Carolina: 29

6) NC State: 27

T-7) Louisville: 25

T-7) Florida State: 25

9) Virginia: 23

10) Wake Forest: 22

11) Georgia Tech: 21

12) Boston College: 19

T-13) Syracuse: 15

T-13) Duke: 15