Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes vs. Miami (Ohio)

The Miami Hurricanes are set for the season-opener tonight against Miami (Ohio), and here are your game day notes. For the game notes roster, CLICK HERE:

Friday, September 1, 2023

7 PM ET | ACC Network

Miami Gardens, Fla. Hard Rock Stadium (65,326)

MIAMI HURRICANES (0-0, 0-0 ACC)

HEAD COACH: Mario Cristobal (Miami, 1993) | CAREER: 67-67 (12th season) | AT MIAMI: 5-7 (second)

VS. MIAMI (OHIO) REDHAWKS (0-0, 0-0 MAC)

HEAD COACH: Chuck Martin (Millikin, 1990) | CAREER: 119-66 (16th season) | AT MIAMI (OHIO): 45-59 (10th)

THE GAME

• The Miami Hurricanes open their second season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Fri., Sept. 1 against Miami (Ohio) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff for the Hurricanes’ season opener, slated for broadcast on ACC Network, is set for 7 p.m. ET.

• The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Jay Alter (pxp) and Rene Ingoglia (color) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 22nd season together while Josh Darrow manages the sideline duties from Hard Rock Stadium.

THE SERIES

• The Hurricanes carry a perfect 3-0 all-time record against the RedHawks into Friday’s game; Miami last faced MU in 1987, a 54-3 win at home.

• Miami has never lost a home opener at Hard Rock Stadium, carrying a perfect 15-0 record at the stadium in home openers since moving there prior to the 2008 season. The Hurricanes topped Bethune-Cookman, 70-13, in last year’s home opener on Sept. 3 – Mario Cristobal’s first game as coach.

HURRICANES OPEN YEAR 2 UNDER CRISTOBAL WITH REDHAWKS SEPT. 1

• Miami opens its second season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Fri., Sept. 1 against Miami (Ohio). Kickoff for the matchup is slated for a 7 p.m. brodcast on ACC Network.

• Cristobal was named the 26th head coach in the history of the program on December 6, 2021 after spending the previous four years at the helm of the Oregon Ducks. Cristobal is a two-time UM alum.

• Joining Cristobal on the sidelines are seven new faces in full-time assistant coach roles, including both coordinator roles – offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson from the University of Houston and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry from Marshall are both entering their first seasons with Miami.

• The Hurricanes are matching up with the RedHawks for the fourth time in program history; Miami carries a 3-0 mark into Friday’s contest, but has not faced off against Miami (Ohio) since 1987.

• Miami’s game versus the RedHawks is also slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM and WVUM 90.5.

THE HURRICANES

• The Miami Hurricanes enter Year 2 of the Mario Cristobal era on Friday when the Hurricanes play host to the Miami RedHawks at Hard Rock Stadium.

• Cristobal, a double alum of the University, was named the 26th head coach in program history by school president Dr. Julio Frenk on Dec. 6, 2021.

• Cristobal returned home after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Oregon. During his time in Eugene, the Ducks were the only team to play in a Power-5 conference championship game each of his final three years. He led the Ducks to a Rose Bowl win and two Pac-12 titles.

• Cristobal is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters, and in his first recruiting cycle as Miami head coach, the Hurricanes signed the best class in program history according to the 247Sports Composite; it was the top-ranked class in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the top class in the state.

• The second-year Miami head coach hired Shannon Dawson from the University of Houston as the team’s new offensive coordinator and Lance Guidry from Marshall as the team’s new defensive coordinator entering 2023. In total, there are new faces in seven of 10 assistant coach roles; in addition to Dawson and Guidry, Cristobal hired Derek Nicholson (from Louisville) to coach linebackers, Tim Harris, Jr., (UCF) to coach running backs, Kevin Beard (Toledo) to coach wide receivers and elevated both Jason Taylor (defensive line) and Cody Woodiel (tight ends) from analyst roles.

• QB Tyler Van Dyke enters his second full year as a starter with high expectations after an injury-riddled 2022 season. Van Dyke, named to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Award, earned ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a second-year freshman in 2021.

• After a breakout season where he earned All-America honors, Kam Kinchens was named to the watch list for nearly every major defensive award, including the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Trophy and the Thorpe Award. He was also named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press.

• TE Elijah Arroyo (Mackey Award), K Andy Borregales (Lou Groza Award), OL Javion Cohen (Outland Trophy), OL Matt Lee (Rimington Award) and DL Leonard Taylor (Bednarik) were also among those recognized with preseason watch list selections for major awards entering 2023.

• In addition to a talented group of returners and a highly regarded freshman class, the Hurricanes feature a 2023 transfer portal class that ranked among the best nationally; it includes potential starters OL Javion Cohen (Alabama) and Matt Lee (UCF), LB Francisco Mauigoa (Washington State), DB Davonte Brown (UCF), RB Ajay Allen (Nebraska), DB Jadais Richard (Vanderbilt) and DB Jaden Davis (Oklahoma), among others.

MIAMI OPENS YEAR 2 UNDER CRISTOBAL

• The Miami Hurricanes open their second season under the direction of Mario Cristobal on Friday, Sept. 1 against Miami of Ohio. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.

• Miami has not lost a home opener since 2006, and has emerged victorious in its last 16 home openers – including a 70-13 win over Bethune-Cookman in its 2022 home opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

• Miami has never lost a home opener at Hard Rock Stadium, racking up an impressive 15-0 record in openers at the stadium since moving there in 2008.

KINCHENS ONE TO WATCH ENTERING ’23

• One of the nation’s top returning defensive backs resides in Coral Gables, as QB Kam Kinchens prepares for his second full season as a starter in 2023.

• An NCAA All-American after a breakout 2022 campaign, Kinchens finished with six interceptions and led the Hurricanes in tackles with 59 a season ago. He was named to the All-ACC First Team.

• Kinchens, one of the team’s most vocal leaders, was selected to the watch list for several major awards in the preseason, including the Bednarik Award, the Thorpe Award and the Wuerffel Trophy. He was also an AP Preseason All-American.

NEW FACES ABOUND ON FOOTBALL STAFF

• Mario Cristobal hired several new faces from successful stints at other institutions to bolster the coaching staff entering 2023.

• Cristobal hired Shannon Dawson as the program’s new offensive coordinator and Lance Guidry as Miami’s new defensive coordinator.

• There are seven new faces among the full-time assistant coach ranks; the others are Jason Taylor (defensive line), Cody Woodiel (tight ends), Kevin Beard (wide receivers), Tim Harris, Jr., (running backs) and Derek Nicholson (linebackers).

• Taylor and Woodiel were elevated from analyst roles in 2022; Beard and Harris are both University of Miami alumni.

HOME SWEET HOME OPENERS: MIAMI BACK AT HARD ROCK STADIUM

• The Miami Hurricanes open their 16th season at world-class Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 1 vs. Miami- Ohio; UM holds a 15-0 all-time mark in home openers at the stadium, having outscored opponents 689-119 for an average margin of victory of 38.0 points in those 15 home openers since 2008.

• The Hurricanes have not lost a home opener since 2006, when they fell to Florida State 13-10 at the Orange Bowl on Sept. 4, 2006. Miami has won 16 straight home openers since – each one since 2007.

• Since joining the ACC prior to the 2004 season, Miami has played a conference opponent in only three of its 20 home openers: Florida State twice (in 2004 and 2006) and Georgia Tech once (2009).

• In the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football (since 1979), UM has opened the season at home 18 times and is 16-2 in those games. The Hurricanes are 32-12 in regular season openers dating to 1979.

NEW FACES ABOUND IN 2023, BOTH ON THE FIELD AND ON SIDELINES

• Among the many storylines of the offseason was the revamping of the Hurricanes roster entering Year 2 under Mario Cristobal – both on the sideline with assistant coaches and on the field with players.

• Cristobal’s first full recruiting class was the best-ranked class in program history according to the 247Sports Composite; UM’s class was the top-rated group in both the ACC and in the state of Florida.

• The Hurricanes also brought in several transfers who are considered potential starters; OL Javion Cohen (Alabama), OL Matt Lee (UCF) and LB Francisco Mauigoa (Washington State) are included in the group.

• In total, the Hurricanes have 40 scholarship players who were not on the team in 2022, including a recruiting class featuring 24 true freshman, headlined by five-star offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.

• The Hurricanes new look coaching staff includes seven faces who were not on the full-time staff as assistants a season ago; offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, wide receivers coach Kevin Beard, running backs coach Tim Harris, Jr., defensive line coach Jason Taylor, linebackers coach Derek Nicholson and tight ends coach Cody Woodiel. Taylor and Woodiel spent the 2022 season as analysts on the Hurricanes staff, while both Beard and Harris are UM alumni.

HURRICANES OPEN YEAR 2 UNDER CRISTOBAL WITH REDHAWKS SEPT. 1

• Miami opens its second season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Fri., Sept. 1 against Miami (Ohio). Kickoff for the matchup is slated for a 7 p.m. broadcast on ACC Network.

• Cristobal was named the 26th head coach in the history of the program on December 6, 2021 after spending the previous four years at the helm of the Oregon Ducks. Cristobal is a two-time UM alum.

• Joining Cristobal on the sidelines are seven new faces in full-time assistant coach roles, including both coordinator roles – offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson from the University of Houston and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry from Marshall are both entering their first seasons with Miami.

• The Hurricanes are matching up with the RedHawks for the fourth time in program history; Miami carries a 3-0 mark into Friday’s contest, but has not faced off against Miami (Ohio) since 1987.

• Miami’s game versus the RedHawks is also slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM and WVUM 90.5.

HOME SWEET HOME OPENERS: MIAMI BACK AT HARD ROCK STADIUM

• The Miami Hurricanes open their 16th season at world-class Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 1 vs. Miami- Ohio; UM holds a 15-0 all-time mark in home openers at the stadium, having outscored opponents 689-119 for an average margin of victory of 38.0 points in those 15 home openers since 2008.

• The Hurricanes have not lost a home opener since 2006, when they fell to Florida State 13-10 at the Orange Bowl on Sept. 4, 2006. Miami has won 16 straight home openers since – each one since 2007.

• Since joining the ACC prior to the 2004 season, Miami has played a conference opponent in only three of its 20 home openers: Florida State twice (in 2004 and 2006) and Georgia Tech once (2009).

• In the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football (since 1979), UM has opened the season at home 18 times and is 16-2 in those games. The Hurricanes are 32-12 in regular season openers dating to 1979.

NEW FACES ABOUND IN 2023, BOTH ON THE FIELD AND ON SIDELINES

• Among the many storylines of the offseason was the revamping of the Hurricanes roster entering Year 2 under Mario Cristobal – both on the sideline with assistant coaches and on the field with players.

• Cristobal’s first full recruiting class was the best-ranked class in program history according to the 247Sports Composite; UM’s class was the top-rated group in both the ACC and in the state of Florida.

• The Hurricanes also brought in several transfers who are considered potential starters; OL Javion Cohen (Alabama), OL Matt Lee (UCF) and LB Francisco Mauigoa (Washington State) are included in the group.

• In total, the Hurricanes have 40 scholarship players who were not on the team in 2022, including a recruiting class featuring 24 true freshman, headlined by five-star offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.

• The Hurricanes new look coaching staff includes seven faces who were not on the full-time staff as assistants a season ago; offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, wide receivers coach Kevin Beard, running backs coach Tim Harris, Jr., defensive line coach Jason Taylor, linebackers coach Derek Nicholson and tight ends coach Cody Woodiel. Taylor and Woodiel spent the 2022 season as analysts on the Hurricanes staff, while both Beard and Harris are UM alumni.

MIAMI PLACES THREE ON 2023 PRESEASON ALL-ACC FOOTBALL TEAM

• Among Miami’s preseason honorees were DB Kam Kinchens, OL Javion Cohen and K Andy Borregales, who were all selected to the All-ACC Preseason Team in a poll of conference media.

• Kinchens enjoyed a breakout 2022, where he was selected to the All-ACC First Team and earned All- America honors from multiple outlets. Kinchens led the Hurricanes with 59 total tackles, starting all 12 games and finishing with six interceptions. He was selected to several preseason award watch lists.

• During his time with the Crimson Tide, Cohen started 24 games and earned 2022 All-SEC second team honors. Cohen started 14 games as a sophomore in 2021 and spent 10 games as a starter on 2022. Cohen was ranked as one of the top players in the transfer portal before arriving in Coral Gables.

• Cohen was named to the watch list for the Outland Trophy honoring the nation’s top lineman.

• A semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2022, Borregales delivered another strong campaign for his hometown Hurricanes a season ago. The junior kicker converted on all 32 extra point attempts and went 17 for 20 on field goals, including a season-long 49-yard boot against Florida State.

• Borregales’ older brother, Jose, is the lone Groza Award winner in UM history, having won it in 2020.

BROTHERLY LOVE IN CORAL GABLES, SEVERAL WITH FAMILY TIES

• The Miami Hurricanes will feature a number of family ties on the sideline this fall across the roster.

• Newcomer OL Francis Mauigoa and older brother LB Francisco Mauigoa will feature prominently for Miami this season. Another set of newcomers could line up on the same side of the ball, in freshman DB Damari Brown and junior DB Davonte Brown. The elder Mauigoa arrived from Washington State via the transfer portal, as did the elder Brown, who came to Miami from UCF.

• Two sets of twins populate the freshmen ranks, as well; Miami natives WR Robby Washington and LB Bobby Washington, Jr., as well as QB Riply Luna and WR Kolby Luna, who are from Idaho.

• The older brother of freshman DL Rueben Bain, Jr., one of the top-ranked freshman defensive lineman, is offensive graduate assistant Reggie Bain. In addition, the nephew of head coach Mario Cristobal – Luis Cristobal, Jr. – transferred to Miami from Georgia State prior to the season.

DAWSON BRINGS ‘AIR RAID’ OFFENSE TO CORAL GABLES IN YEAR 1

• Shannon Dawson, who was named offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach at Miami in February 2023, spent the past four seasons at the University of Houston (2019-2022).

• In Dawson’s three seasons as quarterbacks coach with the Cougars (2020-22), Houston quarterbacks combined to throw 87 touchdown passes (13th nationally) behind a 65.3 completion percentage (19th) and 10,008 passing yards (21st). Dawson tutored signal caller Clayton Tune to a record-setting career. In 2022, Tune set the American Athletic Conference single-season touchdown passes record (40). The first-team all-conference honoree ranked third nationally in passing touchdowns, third in total offense (355.2) and fifth in passing yards per game (313.4).

• Dawson’s Cougars ranked eighth nationally in passing offense (314.0) in 2022. Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell led the nation in receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards (1,398) while Matthew Golden set a Houston true freshman record with seven receiving touchdowns.

• Other impressive numbers: Houston ranked 15th nationally in scoring offense (35.6), 22nd in first downs offense (314), 23rd in passing offense (271.6) and 25th in red zone offense (.891).

• Dawson linked up with former Kentucky coach Hal Mumme, considered a godfather of air raid, in 2003-04 to help revive a program at Southeastern Louisiana that had been dormant for 17 years.

GUIDRY’S DEFENSE WAS DOMINANT AND MULTIPLE AT MARSHALL

• Lance Guidry, who was named defensive coordinator at Miami in February 2023, spent the previous two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Marshall University.

• Marshall’s defense ranked in the top five nationally in FBS in several key statistics, including third down defense (first), stop rate (second), pass efficiency defense (third), defensive efficiency (third), yards per play (third), turnovers gained (fifth) and rushing defense (fifth).

• In a dominant 2022 campaign at Marshall, the Thundering Herd also finished the season ranked sixth in scoring defense (16.0) and passes intercepted (18), eighth in total defense (294.5), ninth in first down defense (200), 12th in defensive touchdowns (3), 16th in team sacks (2.92), 19th in red zone defense (76.7) and 22nd tackles for loss (6.9) and fumbles recovered (11).

• Guidry has said his first game as an assistant coach at the collegiate level was as defensive backs coach at his alma mater, McNeese State, against the Miami Hurricanes in 2000 at the Orange Bowl.

REVAMPED OFFENSIVE LINE WILL PLAY A BIG FACTOR IN OFFENSIVE SUCCESS

• Three of the Miami Hurricanes’ potential starters on the offensive line were not on the roster a season ago, as Miami went to work to upgrade the trenches under the direction of offensive line coach Alex Mirabal in Year 2.

• According to the ESPN300 rankings, Miami added both the top-ranked offensive tackle (Francis Mauigoa) and the top-ranked offensive guard (Samson Okunlola) in 2023. Both were five-star high-school prospects.

• In addition to Mauigoa and Okunlola, the Hurricanes signed three other freshman offensive linemen – Tommy Kinsler IV, Frankie Tinilau and Antonio Tripp, Jr. The fivesome rank among the best freshman groups in FBS.

• In addition to Mauigoa, who could start at right tackle, Miami added two other players through the transfer portal that have already made their presence felt; Javion Cohen is a projected starter at left guard after a standout career at Alabama, while Matt Lee is the team’s projected starter at center after finishing at UCF.

• Lee was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, honoring the nation’s best center, while Cohen was named Preseason All-ACC and a candidate for the Outland Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s top lineman.

TAYLOR, MESIDOR LOOKING TO ANCHOR DISRUPTIVE DEFENSIVE LINE

• If the Hurricanes are looking to cause havoc under defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, two defensive linemen that will play an important role are Leonard Taylor III and Akheem Mesidor, who ranked among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the ACC a season ago. Both project as starters for Miami entering 2023.

• Mesidor, who transferred to Miami after two seasons at West Virginia, has 25 career tackles for loss in three seasons in college to go along with 16.5 sacks. Mesidor was an All-ACC Honorable Mention pick a year ago after he finished with a team high-tying 10.5 tackles for loss, a team-best seven sacks and 38 total tackles.

• Taylor III had a similarly productive year for the Hurricanes en route to 2022 All-ACC Honorable Mention honors; Taylor, a third-year player, tied Mesidor with 10.5 tackles for loss. He added three sacks and totaled 24 tackles.

• Miami will also benefit from strong edge play from second-year defensive end Nyjalik Kelly (4.5 sacks in 2022).

KINCHENS, WILLIAMS MAKE UP ONE OF THE TOP SAFETY PAIRINGS IN FBS

• Two of Miami’s closest teammates on and off the field are two of its best players in safety pairing Kam Kinchens and James Williams. The two third-year players make up one of the most highly regarded safety duos in FBS.

• Kinchens, an All-American a season ago, was named to the All-ACC First Team in 2022 after finishing with 59 total tackles and a team-high six interceptions. He was one of three players to represent UM at ACC Media Day.

• Another impactful player in his own right, the 6-foot-5 Williams made 10 starts and ranked second on the team with 58 tackles a season ago. Both players are South Florida natives who grew up rooting for the Hurricanes.

MIAMI’S SIGNING CLASS RANKED AS THE BEST IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN 2023

• Miami’s 2023 recruiting class included 15 players ranked in the ESPN 300, including one of the top five, two in the top 20 and six in the top 100. The Hurricanes signed two players who were considered consensus “five-star” players by every recruiting service – Miami had three five-star signees in the last eight classes combined

• Francis Mauigoa (#7) and Samson Okunlola (#18) represent two of the top 20 players that Miami has ever signed since 247Sports began their rankings in the year 2000. The Hurricanes signed five players who earned All-American Bowl invitations and five players who earned Under-Armour All-America Bowl invitations

• 15 of Miami’s freshmen joined the program for the spring and competed in spring practice as “early enrollees.”

ACC’S NEW SCHEDULING MODEL IN EFFECT; MIAMI TO PLAY BC, FSU, UofL

• The new ACC football scheduling model is based on a 3-5-5 structure whereby each team will play three primary opponents annually and face the other 10 teams twice during the four-year cycle starting in 2023. The schedule allows for each team to face all 13 conference opponents home and away at least once during the four-year cycle. The structure was adopted by the league’s ADs and faculty athletic representatives.

• The new schedule eliminated the Atlantic and Coastal divisions with all 14 schools competing in one division beginning in 2023. The top two teams based on conference winning percentage will compete in the Subway ACC Football Championship Game on the first Saturday in December at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

• Miami’s three opponents primary annual opponents are Boston College, Florida State and Louisville.

THREE SELECTED IN NFL DRAFT, MIAMI’s NFL STREAK CONTINUES IN 2023

• The selections of Miami defensive back Tyrique Stevenson (Chicago Bears, second round), tight end Will Mallory (Indianapolis Colts, fifth) and DJ Ivey (Cincinnati Bengals, seventh) extended the Hurricanes’ streak of having at least one player picked in every NFL Draft since 1975 – the fourth-longest streak of any program nationwide.