Rutgers Beats Miami, 31-24

Canes come up short in Yankee Stadium

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Dec 28, 2023 6:28 PM EST

In this story:

A rough first 23 minutes of today's Pinstripe Bowl cost the Miami Hurricanes as they lose to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 31-24. Rutgers came out firing with a 13-play and 75-yard opening touchdown drive, powered by running back Kyle Monangai.

He toted the football 6 times for 48 yards during that first touchdown drive and finished with 25 carries, 163 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, and a touchdown. Even after Rutgers went up 14-0 with 7:37 in the first half, it still did not have an easy time.

In fact, Miami caught fire with quarterback Jacurri Brown finding a rhythm during the latter stages of the second quarter. It's slot receiver Xavier Restrepo that he continually finds open, and at halftime, Miami closes the gap to 14-10. The touchdown for the Canes comes from Brown capping off a nine-play and 75-yard drive for a touchdown, as Brown scampers 7 yards for a score.

The third quarter did seem promising as well. Eight plays in total, 69 yards, ending with a tremendous catch and toe-tap by Restrepo for a 30-yard corner-route touchdown. Brown absolutely lays the football in his hands, too.

17 to 14, Canes lead!

Then it happened... Miami is backed up inside its own 10, and a punt is blocked for a touchdown with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter. The defining moment in the game has to be from an otherwise mundane play. Rutgers jumps on the football in the end zone, and boom! Miami never leads again.

For the Canes, running back Henry Parrish, Jr. goes for 46 yards, and Brown has 57 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns as well. There is a huge issue to fix moving forward.

Miami's 4 of 12 third down conversions, as well as missing on 2 out of 3 fourth downs, are killers. Rutgers did not even out-gain Miami, as the Canes came away with more yards at 311 as compared to 292 for the Scarlet Knights.