Game Day Notes: UM vs. Toledo
TOLEDO VS. MIAMI
Date: Saturday, Sept., 23, 2017
Site: Miami Gardens, Fla. | Hard Rock Stadium (64,767)
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TEAM RECORDS:
Toledo (3-0, 0-0 MAC)
Miami (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
SERIES RECORD: Miami leads, 1-0. The No. 3 Hurricanes won in Miami in 1987, 24-14.
THE COACHES:
Jason Candle, 13-4 (2nd year) at Toledo, same overall. 0-0 vs. Miami.
Mark Richt, 10-4 (second year) at Miami, 155-51 overall (18 years). 0-0 vs. Toledo.
TV/STREAMING: ACC-RSN/ESPN3
Play by Play: Evan Lepler
Analyst: Takeo Spikes
Sideline: Lyndsay Rowley
Flagship Radio: 560 WQAM | WQAM.com
Spanish Radio: 990AM ESPN Deportes
BACK TO FOOTBALL IN SOUTH FLORIDA
• #14/#14 Miami (1-0) will return to the gridiron after a 20-day layover to face visiting Toledo (3-0) on Sept. 23 at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on RSN.
• The Hurricanes practiced in Miami on Tues., Sept. 5, were dismissed as a team to make preparations for the storm on Wed., Sept. 6 and regathered in Orlando on Fri., Sept. 15.
• Miami practiced at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports for the week leading into the Toledo matchup and return to their homes in South Florida on Thursday, Sept. 21.
LAST TIME OUT: CANES PILE UP 550 YARDS, TOPPLE WILDCATS
• Making the first home start of his career, redshirt junior QB Malik Rosier threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-13 win over Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 2.
• Junior RB Mark Walton recorded 148 rushing yards - just seven shy of tying a career high – and scored two touchdowns to help power the offense in the win. The 100-yard rushing performance was the seventh career such game for Walton, who also scored two rushing touchdowns.• Redshirt junior WR Darrell Langham had a breakout game in the opener, hauling in three passes for 67 yards and his first career touchdown. He had never caught a pass before Game 1.• Redshirt sophomore WR Lawrence Cager and senior WR Braxton Berrios also scored touchdowns, while sophomore RB Travis Homer recorded the first 100-yard game of his career.
WALTON CARRYING THE LOAD IN JUNIOR SEASON
• Junior RB Mark Walton opened 2017 with a bang, moving into a tie with Tyrone Moss for the ninth-most 100-yard rushing games in program history (seven) with 148 yards in Week 1.
• Walton has 27 career touchdowns in 27 career games and is tied for eighth in rushing TDs (25).• In 2016, Walton became just the 10th running back in Miami’s storied history to rush for over 1,000 yards, totaling 1,117 yards and 14 rushing scores in a sparkling
sophomore campaign.• The impressive feat marked the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in Miami’s storied history at the position and the third straight year the Hurricanes had a 1,000-yard rusher; Duke Johnson rushed for 1,652 yards in 2014 while Joe Yearby finished with 1,002 yards on the ground in 2015.• The only player in Miami history with two 1,000-yard seasons is Edgerrin James (1997, 1998).• James Jackson (1,006 in 2000), Clinton Portis (1,200 in 2001) and Willis McGahee (1,753 in 2002) recorded the only other stretch of three straight 1,000-yard rushers in Miami history.
17 TRUE FRESHMEN PLAY IN THE OPENER VS. WILDCATS
• The Hurricanes tied for the national lead with 17 true freshmen playing against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 2. Both Georgia and LSU also had 17 true freshmen also play in their openers.
• In addition to starts by WR Mike Harley and OL Navaughn Donaldson, DL Jonathan Garvin, DL DJ Johnson, DL Jonathan Ford, WR Jeff Thomas, WR DeeJay Dallas, P Zach Feagles, OL Corey Gaynor, OL Kai-Leon Herbert, LB Bradley Jennings, Jr., DB Amari Carter, DB Trajan Bandy, DB Derrick Smith, TE Brian Polendey, LB De’Andre Wilder and WR Marshall Few also saw time in the first game of their careers.
BADG-O-MATIC
• Senior K Michael Badgley, who earned third-team All-ACC honors for the second straight year in 2016, enjoyed a strong start to 2017, going 2-for-2 on field goals and 5 for-5 on extra points.
• Badgley, who was named to the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award, ranks third in Miami history in career made field goals (62). He hit a Miami-record 25 field goals in 2015.• Badgley needs just 11 field goals to tie Carlos Huerta’s (1988-91) Miami career record of 73.#TIGHTENDU TRADITION ALIVE AND WELL
• The Hurricanes are expecting a big year from senior TE Christopher Herndon IV, who hauled in 28 receptions for 334 yards and two touchdowns as a junior a season ago.
• In 30 career games, Herndon has made 16 career starts and totaled 47 receptions, 581 yards and three touchdowns. He started 12 of 13 games at tight end in 2016.
• After a redshirt sophomore season in which he posted career-high totals in catches (43), receiving yards (698) and touchdowns (eight), David Njoku was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns (No. 29 overall).
• Njoku became the fifth Hurricane tight end drafted in the first round since 2000, joining Bubba Franks (2000), Jeremy Shockey (2002), Kellen Winslow (2004) and Greg Olsen (2007).
• Sophomore Michael Irvin II, freshman Brian Polendey and sophomore Malik Curry are in the mix.
RICHARDS A RECORD RECEIVER IN FRESHMAN SEASON
• In his freshman season of 2016, WR Ahmmon Richards led the Hurricanes with 934 yards receiving - the most ever by a freshman wide receiver at Miami and a figure that ranks as sixth most receiving yards by any Hurricanes player all-time in a single season.
• Richards’ 934 yards broke Michael Irvin’s 31-year-old record of 840, set in 1985.
• Richards’ 19.06 yards per reception were tops among all FBS freshman nationally. Richards’ 19.06 yards per reception ranked 18th nationally overall, while his 934 receiving yards led all FBS freshmen nationally. Richards was honored as the ACC Rookie of the Week twice in 2016.
• After the year, Richards was named to the All-ACC Second Team and a Freshman All-American.
Toledo coming off come-from-behind win
Fresh off one of the greatest comeback victories in school history, the Toledo Rockets will attempt to win their fourth consecutive game in a matchup at No. 14 Miami on Saturday (3:30 p.m./ACC-RSN/ESPN3).
Toledo (3-0) rallied from a 21-point deficit to defeat Tulsa, 54-51, before 24,239 joyous fans at the Glass Bowl on Sept. 16. On a night in which the University honored some of the greatest players in its 100-year history, the Rockets and senior quarterback Logan Woodside came through with a performance worthy of the ages.
Woodside threw for 458 yards and a school-record tying six touchdowns. The third-biggest comeback in the 100-year history of the program was not completed until junior placekicker Jameson Vest booted a 33-yard field goal with no time on the clock.
Woodside and Vest were only two of the night's heroes. Senior wide receiver Cody Thompson set career highs in both receptions (9) and receiving yards (178). Sophomore Diontae Johnson caught four passes for a career-best 142 yards, and scored twice in the fourth quarter on bombs of 49 and 74 yards. Senior running back Terry Swanson rushed for 139 yards and one score. On the defensive side, junior safety Josh Teachey racked up a career high 14 tackles and returned a blocked extra point 100 yards for a critical two points near the end of the third quarter.
Miami (1-0) is playing just its second game of the season due to cancellations related to Hurricane Irma. The Hurricanes dispatched Bethune-Cookman, 41-13, in their season opener on Sept. 2. Junior Mark Walton rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense held Bethune-Cookman to 350 yards of total offense.
Rocket Round-Up
Toledo (3-0, 0-0 MAC) is coming off a 54-51 victory over Tulsa on Sept. 16.
For the third straight season Toledo has started 3-0. The last time the Rockets started 3-0 in at least three straight seasons was from 1968-71.
Miami leads the series with Toledo, 1-0. The Hurricanes won in Miami in 1987, 24-14, when they were ranked No. 3 in the nation. Miami will make the return trip to Toledo in 2018.
Toledo's 21-point comeback is tied for the third-largest in school history, tying the Nov. 12, 1994 win over Western Michigan. The largest-ever comeback was against Western Carolina on September 6, 1975, a 24-point comeback.
Toledo racked up 679 yards of total offense vs. Tulsa, the fourth-most all-time and the most since the Rockets gained 666 yards vs. New Hampshire in 2014.
Logan Woodside's six touchdown passes vs. Tulsa tied for the most in a single game in Toledo history. Bruce Gradkowski (2002-05) achieved that feat twice.
Woodside was honored by both the Manning Award and the Davey O'Brien Award for his performance vs. Tulsa. He was also named MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week.
Woodside now has 7,636 career passing yards, moving him into third place on Toledo's all-time passing yardage list.
Senior Cody Thompson had career high totals in catches (nine) and receiving yards (178) while also hauling in three touchdowns vs. Tulsa.
