Miami Hurricanes Football: Three Stars From the Georgia Tech Game

On yet another Saturday evening this fall, the Hurricanes were back on the road in Atlanta, Georgia, trying to derail the Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech. With the mighty Hurricanes entering the game a shell of their former selves, Miami is playing for pride in the four games that remain in the regular season. At this point, a blackout of the remaining Canes games would be merciful, as the Canes fell to the Yellow Jackets by the score of 27-21.

Third Star

Shaq Quarterman

We’re running out of superlatives to describe the outstanding play of middle linebacker, Shaq Quarterman. It doesn’t matter if he’s dropping back in coverage, knifing through the clutter to make a tackle or careening off the edge of the line to spill the Tech running game. The junior linebacker gets the job done, finishing this contest with eight tackles, and one TFL. He showed a will to win that continues to burn strong in a nightmarish season for UM.

Second Star

N’Kosi Perry

Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Is this the production that N’Kosi Perry supporters envisioned when they learned that the RS freshman would start this week? With his past two appearances leaving some fans questioning his anointment as the savior of the offense, it appears that the Perry effect just required some time. With surgical precision, Perry delivered an accurate ball, starting the game completing his first five pass attempts. Making the case for Perry the Savior got much easier, with a 14 completions on 23 pass attempts, 165 passing yards. Perry’s ability to elude pressure in the pocket, scrambling for 38 rushing yards on the night was a positive.

In a disappointing season for the Hurricanes, there’s hope in that this is just a sampling of what’s to come from the pivot.

First Star

Michael Pinckney

Number 56 has continues to be playing like a man possessed when the Canes’ defense takes the field. Tonight’s challenge of avoiding clutching and grabbing GT blockers was met with nine tackles, one of those counting as a TFL. In a matchup where the misdirection is as common as oxygen, Mr. Pinckney was all about hit sticking and imposing his will on the Yellow Jackets, from the national anthem to the final whistle.

Honorable Mentions

Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the party Mr. Davis. Entering tonight’s game, Cam’ron Davis has rushed for 27 yards on six carries. Tonight, the product of Carol City HS rushed for 48 yards on six carries, highlighted by a 22-yard score in the second quarter. On a night where Miami’s offense did it’s best Plaxico Burress in the nightclub impression, Davis was one of the few bright spots in a otherwise bleak evening.

Making quick work of the blocking assignments ahead of him, the Jackets struggled to negate the disruptive talent of Gerald Willis. No. 9 fought through blocks to pick up four tackles and oneTFL to be the kryptonite to the Jackets’ run game this evening. Just another game in the life of the man called ‘G’.

After rushing for 133 yards a week ago, the question entering Saturday is: What will Homer do for an encore? The answer amounted to ‘same **ish, different game.’ Homer did not receive his normal volume of touches in this game, yet the junior RB made the most of his touches. Finding his way into the endzone in the third quarter, the score kept the Canes’ hope of making a comeback alive in the fourth quarter. The TD was Homer’s third rushing score of the season. As the kids say, it was all gas, no breaks for Homer, rushing for 30 yards and a TD .

The Canes have been trying to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers the past few games. WR Jeff Thomas’ targets have risen, hovering around the four target mark the past couple of games. Thomas’ two catches for 46 receiving yards on the opening drive were as many yards as the sophomore receiver had in Miami’s past two games. The East St. Louis, Illinois, native’s six catches for 84 receiving yards is a positive step as the Hurricanes look to the future. However, Thomas’ muff on kick return overshadows what should’ve been a step in the right direction.

IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE U!