Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes vs. Oklahoma State

#18/#18 MIAMI HURRICANES (8-2, 7-2 ACC) HEAD COACH: Manny Diaz (Florida State, 1995) | CAREER: 14-9 (second season) | AT MIAMI: 14-9 (second)

VS.

#21/RV OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (7-3, 6-3 ACC) HEAD COACH: Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State, 1990) | CAREER: 136-67 (16th season) | AT OSU: 136-67 (16th)

THE GAME

• The #18/#18 Miami Hurricanes are going bowling for the the 44th time in school history, and will hit the field on Dec. 29 for the 2020 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The matchup between the Hurricanes and #21/RV Oklahoma State kicks off at 5:30 p.m.

• The game will be broadcast on ESPN with Dave O'Brien (pxp), Tim Hasselbeck (color) and Katie George (sidelines) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 19th season together and will carry the game live. In addition to the broadcast on 560 WQAM, Alfredo Alvarez (pxp) and Joe Martinez (color) will carry the game live on Unanimo Deportes 990AM from Hard Rock Stadium. THE SERIES

• Miami topped Oklahoma State, 40-3, in the only other matchup between the two in Miami in 1991 - a year the Canes won the national championship.

THE HURRICANES

• The 2020 Hurricanes became just the second Miami team since joining the ACC in 2004 to win seven conference games; head coach Manny Diaz was defensive coordinator on staff the last time the Hurricanes won seven ACC games in a single season (2017). Miami finished that year with a 10-3 mark.

• The University of Miami had six football student-athletes named semifinalists for major college football awards on Dec. 7; S Bubba Bolden was select for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, K Jose Borregales for the Lou Groza Award, P Lou Hedley for the Ray Guy Award, TE Brevin Jordan for the John Mackey Award, QB D'Eriq King for the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Earl Campbell Award and DE Jaelan Phillips for the Chuck Bednarik Award. Borregales (Groza), Hedley (Ray Guy) and King (Campbell) went on to be named finalists for those respective awards in late December.

• Nine Hurricanes earned All-ACC recognition, headlined by Borregales' All-ACC first-team honors. Bolden, Hedley, Jordan and Phillips were named to the second team, DE Quincy Roche and WR Michael Harley to the third team while King and DT Nesta Jade Silvera were honorable mention.

• UM was ranked #18 in both the latest Amway Coaches' Poll and Associated Press top 25, released Dec. 13 - a drop from its previous rankings of #8 by the coaches and #9 by the Associated Press. Miami's #7/#7 rankings from Oct. 4 marked the Hurricanes' highest poll position since Nov. 26, 2017.

• Miami was ranked #18 in the final College Football Playoff rankings on Dec. 13; it was UM's second time ever being included in the final CFP rankings.

• QB D'Eriq King picked up ACC Quarterback of the Week three times this year, including on Nov. 9; he has thrown for 2,573 yards and 22 TDs while adding 520 rushing yards and four rushing TDs. One of the nation's most electrifying players, King earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition.

• Miami became the first school to participate in the game selected for the site of ESPN College GameDay three times in the first five weeks of the year in the show's history; UM, who is 15-9 in games selected for GameDay site, was picked for games versus Louisville, Florida State & Clemson this fall.

• On July 27, Diaz named King Miami's starting quarterback for the season. King, who announced his decision to transfer to Miami in January 2020, compiled 82 total touchdowns, 4,925 passing yards and 1,421 rushing yards during his 22 starts at Houston. He has 9,148 career yards of total offense.

• 11 starters and 39 letterwinners return from a team that finished in the 2019 Walk-On's Independence Bowl in Diaz's year at the helm in Coral Gables.

• Diaz, who was the defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes from 2016-2018, retooled Miami's offensive staff this past offseason, hiring Rhett Lashlee as offensive coordinator from Southern Methodist. He also added wide receivers coach Rob Likens, who spent 2019 as offensive coordinator at Arizona State, and offensive line coach Garin Justice, who was offensive coordinator at UNLV. Diaz also added UM legend Ed Reed as Chief of Staff.

MIAMI ON THE HUNT FOR A BOWL WIN

• #18/#18 Miami is going bowling for the eighth straight season and will be making a record sixth appearance in what is now the Cheez-It Bowl on Dec. 29 in Orlando.

• The Hurricanes are matched up with the Cowboys for just the second time in history; Miami topped Oklahoma State, 40-3, in the last head-to-head meeting in 1991.

• Miami has a 20-23 all-time record in 43 bowl games in program history, and is playing in its second bowl game under the direction of head coach Manny Diaz.

• Miami is 3-2 in this bowl game, and the Hurricanes are looking for their first bowl win since their last appearance in it in 2016.

A NEW 'KING' IN CORAL GABLES: D'ERIQ

• Redshirt senior D'Eriq King is slated for the 11th start of his Miami career in the Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma State; he was named Miami's starting quarterback by head coach Manny Diaz in late July.

• In the 10th start at UM on Dec. 12 vs. UNC, King threw for 239 yards with two passing touchdowns. King has accounted for 26 total touchdowns in 10 games at Miami, including 22 passing touchdowns.

• King spent the first four seasons of his career at Houston; the Manvel, Texas native was selected to the watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award and the Maxwell Award this preseason.

UM #18 IN FINAL CFP RANKINGS OF 2020

• The Miami Hurricanes football team checked in at No. 18 in the final College Football Playoff rankings released on Dec. 13 - a fall from its previous ranking of #10.

• Miami’s appearance at No. 10 on Dec. 1 marked the eighth time inside the top 10 of the CFP rankings; when it cracked the top-10 of the first CFP rankings released on Nov. 24, it was the first such occasion since the final rankings of 2017 (Dec. 3, 2017).

• Miami's game against Oklahoma State marks the only ranked bowl matchup outside of the New Year's Six games; the Cowboys were ranked #21 in the final CFP rankings of the fall.

#18 HURRICANES BATTLE #21 COWBOYS IN ORLANDO AT CHEEZ-IT BOWL

• #18/#18 Miami looks to put the finishing touches on its 2020 season when it battles #21/RV Oklahoma State in the 2020 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Dec. 29 (5:30 p.m., ESPN).

• The Hurricanes are playing in the game for a record sixth time; Miami's last bowl win came in this game in 2016 (Russell Athletic Bowl). Oklahoma State last played in the game in 2017. Miami's other wins in the game came in 1996 (Carquest Bowl vs. Virginia) and in 1998 (MicronPC Bowl vs. NC State)

• The Hurricanes, who have an all-time mark of 20-23 in 43 previous bowl games, are bowling for the eighth straight year and second time under head coach Manny Diaz. In his first bowl game at the helm last year, the Hurricanes fell to Louisiana Tech, 14-0, at the 2019 Walk-On's Independence Bowl.

• With an adjusted 2020 slate due to COVID-19, Miami played just one nonconference game and had 10 ACC games scheduled; Miami won seven ACC games (7-2 record) for just the second time in history.

• Tuesday's bowl game will be broadcast live by 560 WQAM "The Joe" and Unanimo Deportes 990 AM.

A LOOK BACK: MIAMI FALLS TO NORTH CAROLINA IN FINAL HOME GAME

• Last time out on Dec. 12, Miami fell to North Carolina, 62-26, at Hard Rock Stadium in the regular season finale for both teams. The Hurricanes' following game against Georgia Tech, which was scheduled for Dec. 19, was eventually canceled. The loss to UNC was Miami's only home loss in 2020.

• QB D'Eriq King threw for 239 yards and two scores in the loss to the Tar Heels, while RB Cam'Ron Harris added a rushing TD. TE Brevin Jordan had six catches for 140 yards and a 76-yard TD.

• TE Brevin Jordan had four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, RB Donald Chaney, Jr., added four receptions for 81 yards and WR Dee Wiggins had a touchdown. Harley had 105 yards in the win.

• In his last game as a Hurricane, DE Jaelan Phillips had four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack.

D'ERIQ DOMINATES IN FIRST YEAR AT UM

• QB D'Eriq King was announced as Miami's starting quarterback by head coach Manny Diaz on July 27.

• King, who totaled 6,346 yards of offense at UH, entered 2020 with an FBS record of 15 straight games with at least one passing and one rushing TD; he broke Tim Tebow's record (14) at Houston.

• Though his FBS record streak came to an end at 16 games in UM's win over Louisville, King has 2,573 passing yards and 520 rushing yards in 10 starts; he has 26 total touchdowns with 20 passing TDs.

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

• In a win at Duke on Dec. 5, King connected on an 89-yard touchdown pass to WR Michael Harley - the fourth-longest passing play in UM history. King has just one interception in his last five games.

• King was named ACC Quarterback of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week, Maxwell Award Offensive Player of the Week and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week after Miami's win against Louisville. He is one of five finalists for the Earl Campbell Award, as announced Dec. 23.

• 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.

BOLDEN BREAKING OUT IN SECONDARY, THORPE AWARD SEMIFINALIST

• One of Miami's top defenders this season was S Bubba Bolden, who has started seven of 10 games and who leads the Hurricanes with 65 tackles this season. He was named to the 2020 All-ACC Second Team.

• On Dec. 7, Bolden was announced as one of just 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award honoring the nation's top defensive back back. Bolden was the lone Thorpe Award semifinalist from the conference.

• Bolden, who had just 11 tackes in an injury-shortened 2019 season, was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week after a standout game against Louisville on Sept. 19.

• Bolden matched his entire 2019 year tackle total with a career-high 11 vs. UofL and added a forced fumble.

• In Miami's game at #1 Clemson (Oct. 10), Bolden totaled 10 tackles, two blocked field goals and a forced fumble. He won his second ACC Defensive Back of the Week Award for his performance against the Tigers.

• The standout safety had another double-digit tackle game with a career-high 13 against UNC on Dec. 12.

• Bolden, a high school teammate of Miami TE Brevin Jordan at national power Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, spent his freshman year of 2017 at Southern Cal before transferring to UM prior to the 2019 season.

HEDLEY, BORREGALES MAKE UP TOP SPECIAL TEAMS DUO IN ALL OF FBS

• Miami has been bolstered this season by the best punter / kicker combination in the counry: P Lou Hedley, in his second season with the Hurricanes, and K Jose Borregales, in his first year at Miami.

• The Hurricanes were one of just five teams with a player who was named a semfinalist for the Ray Guy Award (top punter) and a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award (top place kicker), as announced Dec. 7.

• Both Hedley and Borregales were named finalists for those respective special teams awards on Dec. 22.

• Thanks to the work of Hedley, Miami ranks No. 1 in FBS in net punting, averaging a whopping 44.98 net yards per punt. Hedley has won ACC Specialist of the Week twice this year and ranks No. 2 in FBS punting.

• Borregales, who is ranked among the ACC leaders with 89 points (18 field goals, 35 XPs), is 18-for-20 on field goal attempts this year and was named ACC Specialist of the Week after a standout performance against Louisville where he tied the Hurricanes record with a 58-yard field goal and went 4-for-4 on FGs.

• Hedley ranked No. 26 in FBS in punting in his first year at The U (2019), averaging 43.9 yards per punt.

• Borregales ranks No. 3 in FBS in career field goals made with 68; ranked No. 1 is Jake Verity of ECU (74).

HURRICANES PASS-CATCHERS HAVE ENJOYED IMPRESSIVE '100' STREAK

• Miami's pass-catching contingent, thanks largely to a surge by WR Mike Harley, have enjoyed a streak of five consecutive games with at least one player posting a 100-yard receiving game dating back to Oct. 24.

• Harley, enjoying a career year, is responsible for three of those games; WR Dee Wiggins has one as does TE Brevin Jordan, who had a career-best outing in Miami's loss to North Carolina last time out on Dec. 12.

• The Hurricanes' current five-game streak of 100-yard receiving games is the fourth time since 1992 - when UM had Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta at quarterback - that Miami has managed the feat.

• 1992 (five straight): Coleman Bell / Coleman Bell / Lamar Thomas / Horace Copeland / Horace Copeland & Lamar Thomas

• 2020 (five) M. Harley (Virginia) / Harley (NC State) / D. Wiggins (Va Tech) / Harley (Duke) / B. Jordan (UNC)

• 2016 (four): Ahmmon Richards / Ahmmon Richards / Ahmmon Richards / Stacy Coley & David Njoku

• 2013 (four): Allen Hurns / Herb Waters & Allen Hurns / Allen Hurns / Allen Hurns

STARTING TO CLICK: 10 80-YARD SCORING DRIVES IN LAST FIVE GAMES

• After posting just two scoring drives of 80-or-more yards in its first five games, the Miami offense has posted 10 such scoring drives in its last five games - including three in a win at Duke (Dec. 5).

• Miami's final touchdown drive versus Duke - of 91 yards - was its longest scoring drive of the season.

• Miami had just six scoring drives of 80 yards or more in all of 2019 and none in its final three games.

EVERYBODY EATS - MIAMI AMONG FBS LEADERS IN TACKLES FOR LOSS

• Since Manny Diaz's arrival as defensive coordinator in 2016, Miami has had 24 individual performances of 3.0 tackles for loss in a game; DL Quincy Roche and DL Jaelan Phillips both did it at Duke (Dec. 5).

• Phillips also posted a career-high 4.5 tackles for loss in Miami's win versus Virginia Tech (Nov. 14).

• The Canes have ranked in the top five in the country in tackles for loss in all five of Diaz's years at UM.

• Miami ranked No. 4 in FBS in 2019 averaging 8.3 tackles for loss per game; the Hurricanes currently are one of just five teams in the country averaging more than 8.5 tackles for loss in 2020 (8.6 this season).

• UM led FBS in tackles for loss in 2018, averaging 10.5 per game in Diaz's final year as coordinator.

• The Hurricanes ranked No. 4 in tackles for loss in 2017 (8.5 per game) and No. 5 in 2016 (8.3).