Miami, FL

Does Miami’s Close Win Suggest Cal Could Upset the Hurricanes?

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2024

Does Miami’s Close Win Suggest Cal Could Upset the Hurricanes?

Miami will come into Berkeley next Saturday as an undefeated top-10 team, but the Hurricanes and quarterback Cam Ward showed in Friday’s 38-34 escape against Virginia Tech that they are vulnerable.

Whether they are vulnerable enough for Cal to stay close or pull an upset next week is the question.

You can argue whether it’s better for Cal’s chances that Miami squeaked out a win instead of being angered by a close, disputed loss, but that’s pure speculation.

What is notable is that Ward showed a penchant for turnovers, which has been Cal’s defensive strength, and that Miami’s defense is susceptible to the run.

All that will be addressed later in this report, but it is impossible not to start with the final play of Friday’s game. For a while Virginia Tech players and coaches thought they had pulled off the upset, when the Hail Mary pass was initially ruled a completion and a touchdown. Then, after a long review of five or six minutes, the pass was declared incomplete, giving Miami the win and keeping the Hurricanes undefeated.

Here’s a look at that final play:

One could argue that there was not “indisputable video evidence” to overturn the call on the field, prompting the official to declare the decision “stands.” But the officiating expert on the TV broadcast seemed to think the pass should be ruled incomplete based on the evidence.

It’s an odd situation when you know the game is over but you don’t know who won, but that was the case Friday until the official signaled that the ruling on the field had been overturned several excruciating minutes after Virginia Tech thought it had won.

“Normally, when you look at something that long it doesn’t get overturned,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said afterward. “I didn’t think there was enough evidence to overturn it.”

It was a different response on the Miami side.

“Just saw an incomplete pass, that’s all I’ve got to say,” said Miami coach Mario Cristobal.

Ward described the long wait during the review as “pain.”

“Leave it up to the white hat is a position you don’t want to be in,” he said.

Ward threw four touchdown passes, giving him 18 for the season, which was five more than anyone else in the country heading into Saturday’s action.

However, he also turned the ball over three times – an early fumble and two interceptions. And Cal’s strength on defense has been its ability to pick off passes. Entering Saturday’s action, the Bears led the nation in interceptions with 10, and it may be the biggest reason Cal is 3-1 with a bye this week and a home game against Miami next Saturday night.

“I don’t feel good about this game,” said Ward, who was also sacked three times.

Ward had a big game against Cal last year while playing for Washington State, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bears won that game 42-39. The question is whether Cal can mount enough of a pass rush to force Ward into some mistakes while playing with a more talented surrounding cast.

Miami’s defense had been strong in its first four games, but Virginia Tech scored 34 points against the Hurricanes and rolled up 206 yards on the ground. Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten ran for 141 yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

Cal’s strength on offense was supposed to be its running game with all-Pac-12 running back Jaydn Ott leading the charge. But the Bears are averaging just 3.86 yards per rushing attempt, which ranks near the bottom in the ACC.

Ott has been slowed by an ankle injury and is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, while teammate Jaivian Thomas is averaging 7.0 yard per attempt.

Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones also had a strong game against Miami, recording his best total quarterback rating of the season.

But the bottom line here is that Virginia Tech, which had losses to Vanderbilt and Rutgers this season, came within a controversial call of upsetting Miami on the Hurricanes’ home field.

Does that suggest Cal has a chance against Miami in the Bears first ACC home game next Saturday night?

Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport

Source link

Miami, FL

Who is Rueben Bain Jr\ufeff? Miami Hurricanes draft prospect visits Bengals

Published

17 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

$Who is Rueben Bain Jr\ufeff? Miami Hurricanes draft prospect visits Bengals$

2026 NFL draft prospects Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech and Rueben Bain Jr. of University of Miami visited the Cincinnati Bengals on April 10, according to NFL Network, along with fellow Miami Hurricanes edge Akheem Mesidor.

Nicknamed “Hurricane,” Bain is expected to be selected in the first round of the upcoming draft, and could be gone when the Bengals are scheduled to select at 10th overall.

Todd McShay has said he expects the Bengals to strongly consider Bain with the 10th pick. Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice has the Bengals taking Bain at No. 10.

“The Bengals go with the antithesis of their first-round selection from a year ago, trading the high-end tools and low-end production of Shemar Stewart with the top-end production and effort but lack of ideal length of Bain,” Tice wrote. “If Stewart taps into even a small portion of his talent and with Boye Mafe joining in free agency, the Bengals’ edge spots could be more impactful in a hurry and feel a lot different soon.”

What to know about Bain, who was a college teammate of Bengals offensive lineman Jalen Rivers for two seasons:

Bain played three seasons for the Hurricanes.

As a junior in 2025, Bain was named second-team Associated Press All-American, ACC defensive player of the year and first-team All-ACC.

Bain started all 16 games in his final season at Miami, recording 54 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks, an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble).

Bain earned the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive end. He was a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, given to the nation’s top defender with Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity.

As a sophomore in 2024, Bain was named honorable mention all-ACC. He started nine games, and missed four games because of an injury.

A freshman All-American, Bain was named third-team all-ACC and ACC defensive rookie of the year in his first season with the ‘Canes. He led the team that season with three forced fumbles, and tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks.

Lance Zierlein’s NFL comparison for Bain is the Philadelphia Eagles’ Brandon Graham.

“Note taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength,” Zierlein wrote in Bain’s NFL.com draft profile. “Bain is ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. … Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter.”

Daniel Jeremiah compares Bain to former NFL linebacker Melvin Ingram.

A USA Today mock draft had Bain going ninth overall, to the Chiefs.

Interestingly, Bain visited Kansas City one day before his reported Cincinnati visit.

Bain has dismissed post-combine discussion of his arm length. At 30 7/8 inches, Bain’s arms are among the shortest in the class.

“I didn’t hear it until later in the year, but it kind of surprised me because I never heard it all my life,” Bain said at the combine. “I don’t give it the time of day, honestly.”

“Mike Tyson, he wasn’t the tallest guy, wasn’t the longest-limbed guy, but when you felt him, you felt him,” Bain told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “You kept your distance.”

Source link

Miami, FL

Police investigate 2 Miami scenes after a shooting that left a man hospitalized

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Police investigate 2 Miami scenes after a shooting that left a man hospitalized

A man is in the hospital after being shot in Liberty City on Wednesday evening, prompting a police investigation that spans two scenes, according to the Miami Police Department (MPD).

The victim, a man in his late 40s, was located at a second scene after the initial gunfire and was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center via ground transport under a “trauma alert”.

The shooting investigation began after MPD received a ShotSpotter alert around 7:21 p.m.. The first scene, where crime scene investigators were seen taking photos outside an apartment building, is along Northwest 58th Street and 13th Avenue. When officers arrived, they found shell casings but no victim.

A short time later, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office contacted Miami police regarding a second location—Northwest 69th Street and 21st Avenue—tied to the same alert. The victim was found at this second location before being taken to the hospital.

It remains unclear how the victim ended up at the second location. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

In:

Source link

Miami, FL

American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights

Published

2 days ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights

DALLAS — American Airlines (AA) announced today plans to resume daily nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Caracas (CCS) as early as April 30. The restart depends on final government approval, security checks, and operational readiness. Envoy Air, American’s regional subsidiary, will operate the route with Embraer 175 aircraft.

The Fort Worth-based carrier continues to coordinate with authorities in both the United States and Venezuela to restore the route. In January, AA announced its intention to be the first airline to reconnect Venezuela with the United States, emphasizing that service would begin only after regulatory approval and security assessments.

American began serving Venezuela in 1987 and was the largest U.S. airline in the country before suspending operations in 2019. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper described the return to Caracas as both a restoration of a long-standing market and a strategic extension of Miami’s role as AA’s primary Latin America gateway.

This announcement follows the U.S. Department of State’s March 19, 2026 update, which lowered Venezuela’s travel advisory to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” but continues to warn of risks such as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate health infrastructure. Routine consular services in Venezuela remain suspended, with most services provided through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá as the United States begins a phased resumption of embassy operations.

Source link