Georgia Tech Football: Three Players On Miami's Offense To Watch

Miami has an explosive offense with a litany of weapons

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles away from South Florida linebacker Jamie Pettway during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

The Miami Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the country and have a ton of players on both sides of the ball that have contributed to a 9-0 start. It starts with the quarterback position for the Hurricanes who have one of the best players in the country and stability at the position that they have been missing for a long time. Here are some players to watch on Saturday for the Hurricanes. 

QB Cam Ward- The Heisman candidate has been spectacular this season in his first year as a starter in Miami leading the Hurricanes to a perfect 9-0 record. Ward has thrown for 3.146 yards and 29 touchdowns and he leads the country in both categories. He is completing his passes at a 67.1% clip. Saturday against Duke marked his third game when he threw for over 400+ yards. Ward was 25-41 for 400 yards passing and five touchdowns. He has already ushered in multiple astounding comebacks against California, Louisville, and Virginia Tech where he showcased his will to win. He has led Miami to five 50+ point games this season. Ward is one of the best players in the country and certainly one of the best quarterbacks. He is never out of a game no matter what adversity he is facing. He became just the 13th player in college football history to pass for more than 15,000 yards in a win against USF. Here is what Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said about Ward earlier this week: 

“Yeah well, it's challenging, but it's exciting too. Like I said, he is probably the leading Heisman Trophy candidate right now. I mean, they don't just hand those suckers out, but he does. I mean, I think in the Duke game, he had 11 scrambles. Two of those 11 converted into touchdowns. I think Duke did a nice job on a lot of the other ones, but two out of 11 around, two touchdowns. So that's where you have to be careful. They do a good job of continuing to stay active at the receiver to layer the field in front of the quarterback to give him places to go. He does a good job of while he's running around and moving, of looking away. So you can't really follow his eyes and see where he's looking, because he will look over here in the last second and whip it over to the other side. So we have to be disciplined. We have to keep everything in front of us on defense, which is challenging to say because you look at him sometimes with all the free-access throws they have and you want to jump up and press them. At the same time, he gets those crazy scrambles and you've got to keep it in front of you and tackle the ball. You've got to be disciplined with our cadence and we've got to be sure tacklers. 

RB Damien Martinez- The junior running back has put together another great season. Martinez leads the team in carries, rushing yards, and touchdowns. His best game this season came against Florida State where he rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 9.9 yards per carry in the win. He also had his longest run of the season in that game with a 53-yard run. In 2024, he has rushed for 595 yards and eight touchdowns. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. The Oregon State transfer has given Miami a consistent threat in the running game capable of going off for a touchdown at any moment. In his career, Martinez has been named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, two-time first-team All-Pac 12, and a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. The Yellow Jackets will have to be ready to limit him in the running game if they are going to have a chance to pull off an upset. 

WR Xavier Restrepo- In the illustrious history of the Miami Hurricanes, Restrepo can say he was the best receiver to ever come through the program. He now holds the all-time record in yards (2,573) surpassing previous record holder Santana Moss. Restrepo also is tied for the most catches in program history with Mike Harley (182), surely a record he will break soon. The Hurricanes have had historic wide receivers come through the program like Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Michael Irvin, and more. In the win against Duke, he had eight catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns. None was more memorable than his 66-yard touchdown catch that broke the game open as he zoomed past multiple defenders. Restrepo leads the ACC in receiving yards (856) and touchdowns (9). He has five games with 100 or more yards receiving for Miami in 2024. What is most impressive about his game is that he is a do-it-all receiver. Restrepo can cause problems in the slot with the ability to always get open. On the boundary, he is an excellent route runner and is great at creating separation. In the open field when the ball is in his hands, Restrepo is a big play waiting to happen.

Additional Links

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Reveal Uniform Combination For Saturday vs Miami

ACC Football: Predictions For Every Week 11 Game

Georgia Tech Basketball: Big Takeaways From Yellow Jackets Season Opening Win Against West Georgia