Miami's Defense Comes Up Big, Tops Clemson in 2OT 28-20
It's tough to even find words to describe this game, but this game was nothing short of chaotic. From start to finish, this game was a rollercoaster of events. Despite it all, Miami stepped up when it mattered most without their starting quarterback and got the 28-20 victory.
Before tonight, Miami had yet to beat the Clemson Tigers since 2010 when they beat them on the road. A four game losing streak comes to an end and Miami moves to 5-2 on the season just one game shy of bowl eligibility.
After being limited in practice all week, Van Dyke tried to warm up pregame but Miami decided to opt with true freshman quarterback Emory Williams to be the starter. Despite a conservative first half effort by led Shannon Dawson, Williams ended the game with 151 yards on the night and one passing touchdown. However his composure in overtime was what mattered most, keeping the ball in Miami's hands.
For Clemson, Miami's defensive line did a great job getting to Cade Klubnik even with Hurricanes' coverage broking a handful of times. Klubnik finished with just a 53% completion percentage, and was brought down by Corey Flagg Jr. on the game ending tackle. Jake Briningstool was the man for the Tigers tonight, going for 126 yards and two scores on the night.
COREY FLAGG WINS IT FOR MIAMI
— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) October 22, 2023
CANES WIN!!!! pic.twitter.com/UnRhBWGpoy
Taking a look at the defense, Rueben Bain Jr. had his breakout game for the Hurricanes. He finished the night with eight total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Bain knew it too, letting Miami fans know "I feel like I'm on top of the world".
Leonard Taylor was also dominating on the line alongside him, tallying two tackles for loss and being a disruptor all night. Clemson averaged just 0.9 yards per carry, an elite performance by the Hurricanes defense.
Both of Miami's safeties also contributed to the turnover counter, as Kamren Kinchens came up with an interception and James Williams forced and recovered a goal line fumble.
Moving to 5-2, Miami hopes to carry this momentum into their next two matchups against Virginia and NC State before they travel up to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles.
The Miami Hurricanes host the Virginia Cavaliers (2-5) this coming Saturday with a 3:30 PM EST kickoff.
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You can find Liam on Twitter @theleftyliam where he shares news on University of Miami basketball and football as well as opinions