MIAMI GARDENS—As expected, the Miami Hurricanes defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers on Saturday (Sept. 7) at Hard Rock Stadium.
The nation’s No. 12-ranked team went on to earn a 56-9 win over FAMU. And with the victory, Miami improved to 2-0 on the season. Canes senior quarterback Cam Ward put on a clinic in the first half, completing 13 of 16 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
“You can see what he brings to the table and what he’s not bringing to the table,” Hurricanes third-year head coach Mario Cristobal said. “That is kind of what the question is now. He’s very hard on himself, but he is the alpha dog leader. I know I’ve stated that term at nauseum just about, but that’s what he is, man. It changes things. Certain guys bring a spark and it catches with everybody. He’s that guy.”
Ward (20-for-26, 304 yards, three touchdowns) distributed the ball to ten Canes, as three pass-catchers recorded at least four receptions in this one. One of them was wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who made the most of his final home opener as a Cane.
He caught two high-impact passes from Ward in the first half, one of which was a wide-open 50-yard touchdown catch that helped Miami get a 15-3 lead over FAMU midway through the first quarter.
With Restrepo’s two first-half receptions, he vaulted past Canes/NFL Hall of Famer Andre Johnson (1,831 yards) and Allen Hurns (1,891 yards) for 10th all-time in receiving yards. He reached 1,912 career receiving yards at the half. Restrepo added two more receptions in the third quarter and reached the 100-yard mark for the second straight game.
After three quarters, the fifth-year senior had four receptions for 104 yards and a 50-yard touchdown catch. Restrepo ended the game by increasing his career total to 1,933 receiving yards.
The other Canes receivers with four receptions were sophomore Isaiah Horton (66 yards) and Samuel Brown (35 yards). Going back to Ward, he added 13 rushing yards in this game, eight of which would serve as a memorable play. It was a run that was capped by Ward jumping right over a FAMU defender en route to the end zone at the 3:43 mark of the third quarter. Ward’s rushing touchdown helped Miami get a 46-9 lead over FAMU (2-1).
“He’s not one of those ceramic quarterbacks,” Cristobal said. “He doesn’t want to be. He’s a flat-out baller. Great game by him.”
He would be one of four Canes to reach the end zone on the ground. The other Miami rushers to score were running backs Damien Martinez (10 carries, 90 yards, one touchdown), Mark Fletcher Jr. (5 carries, 42 yards, one touchdown), and Jordan Lyle (5 carries, 36 yards, one touchdown).
Miami finished the game with 203 rushing yards and 542 total yards of offense. As for the defense, there were some standouts worth highlighting. On the game's first drive, junior linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (two tackles) caught a one-handed interception inbounds with great concentration as he set up the Canes' offense for success.
Another player that made a noticeable impact was senior defensive lineman Tyler Baron. He tied for the team lead with five tackles and led all defenders with three sacks, one of which was on a third-down play as FAMU was stopped at the 1-yard line in the second quarter.
“He’s built like an avatar, and he’s just explosive and just [has] one of the most natural feels for the game of anyone I’ve seen,” Cristobal said. “He understands leverage angles. He’s really smart. He’s locked in. He’s in tune with what is going on. He’s always trying to figure out how to get better. I think he’s showing everybody what he’s about.”
The other defenders with five tackles were sophomore defensive back Jaden Harris and senior linebacker Francisco Mauigoa. Miami’s defense recorded five sacks and two interceptions as a team. The unit allowed FAMU to gain just 164 total yards.
Senior kicker Andres Borreglaes connected on a 37-yard field goal on special teams and went 5-for-5 on point after attempts. Meanwhile, freshman kicker Abram Murray had a 38-yard field goal and went 1-for-1 on PATs.
Miami’s next game is at home against Ball State on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3:30 p.m.
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