Frank Gore Jr. impresses Mario Cristobal ahead of Miami vs. Southern Miss

In Miami’s second game of the season, the Hurricanes will face off against one of the top performing running backs from Week 1; Hurricane legend’s namesake Frank Gore Jr. Gore leads the Southern Miss Golden Eagles rushing attack and put on a rushing exhibition against Liberty despite the loss. And in the Hurricanes’ Monday press conference, head coach Mario Cristobal had nothing but praise for the sophomore running back.

“He’s a stud; leads the country in yards per game so far. 180 (178) yards per game. He’s a patient runner, and he’s got these,” said Cristobal, as he gestures to his eyes. “The great ones got right here. They see it, they feel it, they’re patient. They know when to hit it, when to throttle and when they finish, they finish. He’s a contact plus two- or three-yard type of guy. The first guy rarely brings him down. Very versatile. Obviously, they use him in all kinds of stuff, like in the Wildcat. And he’s a good receiver as well. So a really dangerous and really good football player. We all know who he reminds us of.”

Gore Jr. finished Saturday’s game with 32 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He literally and figuratively carried the load for the Golden Eagles offense and even completed one pass for 48 yards.

Cristobal has been outspoken this offseason with his decree to make Hurricane football the college football force it once was. One of the ways he wants to do this is by keeping Miami talent in Miami. And if that’s the case, if Gore Jr. ever decides to jump into the transfer portal, Cristobal must make sure the Hurricanes are his preferred landing place.

Finebaum circles moment that Miami, Mario Cristobal announce their place on national stage

Miami hosts Southern Miss in Week 2, but a Week 3 matchup in College Station against Texas A&M looms as an intriguing contest. Paul Finebaum joined ESPN’s First Take on Monday, where he pointed out that game as a major opportunity for Cristobal to show that Miami is on its way back to being a player on the national stage.

Finebaum also said that Cristobal played a big role alongside Nick Saban when he was at Alabama, and that his departure was a big reason for Oregon‘s dismantling loss against Georgia on Saturday.

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“I am the biggest Mario Cristobal fan in the world,” Finebaum said. “He helped Nick Saban immensely when he was there. I think if he had stayed at Oregon, we wouldn’t have had the debacle we had in Atlanta. And he is actually recruiting better in many people’s eyes than what’s going on in the upper part of the state. So I think they’re a major threat and a few weeks from now they go to Texas A&M and nobody is going to give them any chance. But they could shatter A&M’s bubble with a win there. Ultimately, I think Miami is coming back.”