Mario Cristobal didn’t have any grand breakdowns of communication mishaps or ill-timed calls to explain the Miami Hurricanes’ catastrophic defensive performance in their 45-31 loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday in Miami Gardens. The Hurricanes kept everything as simple as can be — just like it has all season — and Middle Tennessee picked them apart.
“Man coverage,” Cristobal said Saturday, as he provided his perspective on the Blue Raiders’ series of explosive plays. “You can check the film. There’s no sugarcoating it.”
Miami’s awful day at Hard Rock Stadium started with a 71-yard passing touchdown from Middle Tennessee quarterback Chase Cunningham to Blue Raiders wide receiver DJ England-Chisolm in the first quarter, continued with an 89-yard pass from Cunningham to wide receiver Jaylin Lane in the first minute of the second, kept going with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham to wide receiver Elijah Metcalf in the third and finally hit its nadir when Cunningham heaved another 98-yard touchdown to England-Chisolm in the fourth minutes to go back up by 21 right after the Hurricanes failed to punch in a touchdown on three straight tries from Middle Tennessee’s 1-yard line.
