Miami Hurricanes overwhelm Bethune Cookman Wildcats

Miami, Florida – To no one’s surprise, the Miami Hurricanes took care of business at home, thrashing the Bethune Cookman Wildcats 48-7 Thursday night. The Canes got off to a very fast start, scoring in five of their first six drives leading from start to finish. Tyler Van Dyke was near flawless, completing 19 of 23 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season. Van Dyke was substituted in the second half by Emory Williams when the game’s outcome appeared assured. Bethune Cookman’s lone score came very late with 1:19 remaining in the contest.

The offense is off to a very quick start. #GoCanes https://t.co/ITRflYAwTN

— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) September 14, 2023

Xavier Restrepo was the top wideout tallying six catches on six targets for 120 yards. Colbie Young totaled five receptions for 55 yards. Both Jacolby George (5 rec,52 yards) and Brashard Smith (3 rec, 55 yards) nabbed a TD. Donald Chaney Jr. led the way on the ground carrying the ball seven times for 73 yards and a touchdown. Ajay Allen found the endzone twice as part of his 12-carry 68-yard effort. Miami outproduced their opponents on total offense 589-165. They also dominated the time of possession 35:02-24:58. Improving to 3-0, the Hurricanes’ next game will be on the road against Temple.

Takeaways

The offense found every way to score

Whether it was on the ground or in the air, Miami attacked relentlessly. When Bethune Cookman protected against long-range strikes, the Hurricanes countered with short dimes from Van Dyke.  TVD spread the ball around with great passes to Young, Restrepo, and George. The star quarterback skillfully slung it up the middle and was also hitting the edges looking very comfortable in the pocket. The ground game was very active chewing up 240 yards thanks in part to the O-line owning the line of scrimmage. Don Chaney Jr. literally carried Miami’s fourth drive bulldozing his way up the field for the touchdown. We saw plenty of Allen too on a night where a lot of kids got work in. Chris Johnson Jr. is one such example. He had seven carries for 40 yards including a beautiful 21-yard rushing TD.

3️⃣-0️⃣ mood 🙌 pic.twitter.com/p8rwmnr9o4

— Miami Hurricanes (@MiamiHurricanes) September 15, 2023

Stonewalling the opposition

The defense knocked out Luke Sprague early and pressured Tylik Bethea all night long. Bethea was sacked four times, hurried twice, and to top it all off lost the football on a forced fumble in the third quarter thanks to Francisco Mauigoa with Jacob Lichtenstein making the recovery. The timely hit choked what was Bethune Cookman’s best drive of the evening up to that point. Despite no interceptions and losing the shutout with less than two minutes remaining in the game, UM imposed its will. The Jayden Wayne offsides late in the first quarter on 3rd and 1 was a bit frustrating but no big deal. Keep in mind the defensive line was without Akheem Mesidor, Nyjalik Kelly, and Branson Deen. That’s a lot of firepower absent. Regardless, they excelled in the trenches.

It all started with this big hit from Kiko 👊

📺: @accnetwork #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/LUKBIJCYwt

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 15, 2023

Emory Williams looked good (mostly)

We’re possibly looking at the future signal caller of the Hurricanes. Williams was very impressive outside of a few plays here and there. He missed hitting Riley Williams with just over seven minutes left and he almost threw a pick. Williams completed 9 of 11 passes for 102 yards making those short, easy throws to steadily advance forward. Frankly, I’m excited at his growth and potential, especially with Shannon Dawson guiding him. With Temple next, week 4 presents another opportunity for the freshman to get more snaps. The Miami Hurricanes didn’t beat Bethune Cookman the way they did last year but a win is a win. They did what they had to do and that’s what counts.

Emory Williams to Smith pic.twitter.com/uqOtwLiGYp

— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) September 15, 2023