Pinstripe Bowl: Miami Hurricanes vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Miami, Florida – Hello Pinstripe Bowl, the Miami Hurricanes are heading to Yankee Stadium to play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. After finishing 7-5 the Canes earned both bowl eligibility and a trip to The Bronx. UM looks to win their first bowl game since 2016. Since then they’ve been on a four-game drought. The last victory was at the Russell Athletic Bowl versus West Virginia. This is Miami’s second Pinstripe Bowl, back in 2018 they were crushed by Wisconsin 35-3. The Scarlet Knights finished the regular season 6-6 dropping four in a row, three of those against ranked opponents. Their last bowl game appearance was the 2021 Gator Bowl losing to Wake Forest 38-10. Despite a wild transfer portal period making a mess of the bowl season, the Miami Hurricanes are favored to win.

✨Welcome to New York, it's been waitin' for you.✨ @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/KmKdQBuVDW

— Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (@PinstripeBowl) December 24, 2023

Miami

Jacurri Brown

2022 Jacurri Brown Vs GT pic.twitter.com/FTFjlGTnSd

— Art (@canefilms) November 23, 2023

If you had told me Jacurri Brown was going to be the starter for UM’s bowl game earlier in the season, I’d laugh. With Tyler van Dyke’s departure, Brown is now tasked to lead the offense. There is little to go by. The last time the signal caller saw action was back in November 2022. He took snaps versus FSU throwing a pick with three TDs against Georgia Tech the week after. Truly one of the big unknowns.

Xavier Restrepo

https://twitter.com/TheStateOfTheU/status/1728419153453658395?s=20

Speaking of wildcards, it’s going to be interesting to see what kind of game X puts up. The clear go-to for Van Dyke, it remains to be seen how well he’ll connect with Brown. And this is assuming Brown both targets Xavier Restrepo and the throws are accurate. Considering how reliable Restrepo is as a wide receiver, at least Brown has a catching corps (and O-line) that can back him up.

Rueben Bain Jr

True freshman 4⭐️ EDGE Rueben Bain SHOWED OUT in Miami's win vs. Clemson.

-8 total tackles
-2 sacks
-1 forced fumblepic.twitter.com/S77LnDWFfF

— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 22, 2023

With several departures on defense, it’s all about the next-man-up mentality. Rueben Bain built a very nice season and now has the opportunity to add on with the Pinstripe Bowl. I look forward to his contributions. Bain could be one of the game’s impact players and given Wimsatt’s struggles the Bain Train might feast at the next station in The Bronx.

Rutgers

Gavin Wimsatt

Gavin Wimsatt said 🏃🏽‍♂️💨 pic.twitter.com/pkK3nWKiwS

— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) September 16, 2023

Rutgers’ QB1 had a rocky year, throwing for 1,651 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Gavin Wimsatt is aware the program is going to seek an alternative from the transfer portal but he’s sticking around. Wimsatt said he never considered hitting the portal and he’s choosing to tough it out with the aim to improve. I can respect that.

Kyle Monangai

Kyle Monangai ran through the defender on the way into the endzone 😳 pic.twitter.com/b2nMAyHmKK

— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) September 4, 2021

The Big Ten’s leading rusher in 2023, Kyle Monangai had a career year producing 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns. Monangai started all 12 games and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors announcing his return to the program next season. He has a lot to play for, rushing for the ninth-most yards by a Rutgers player in a single season, he’s only 59 yards away from moving higher. Depending on the outcome he could finish with the fourth most with 1,262 yards.

Deion Jennings

Hell of a play by Tim Barrow with the pass break-up on Cody White, setting up the interception for Deion Jennings. Rutgers is not dead yet. pic.twitter.com/ecbtaAwdzM

— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) November 23, 2019

One of the top players for the Scarlet Knights, Deion Jennings led the team with 85 tackles, 42 of them solo. The linebacker experienced a great year and looks to finish off 2023 on a high note. Considering the state of Miami’s affairs at quarterback, he just might. One thing is for certain, Jennings will be a presence on that field.

Prediction:

So how will the Pinstripe Bowl go for the Miami Hurricanes? Although the Canes lost several key players, they should still be able to handle the Scarlet Knights. The wildcard is Brown but there’s always the running game. The defense should remain rock solid. Final score: Miami 20, Rutgers 10.