An intense and spirited month of spring football culminated Saturday afternoon with Miami’s annual spring football game, taking place at Drive Pink Stadium.
UM’s first-team offense highlighted the afternoon, scoring four touchdowns. Third-year running back Henry Parrish Jr. crossed the end zone twice, leading all Hurricanes in rushing touchdowns.
“Our running back room is doing their thing,” second-year quarterback Jake Garcia said. “They’re clicking.”
Parrish finished the game with 42 yards on eight carries to go along with his pair of touchdowns. He also added three catches for 29 yards.
Sophomore running back Thaddius Franklin Jr. led all rushers with 14 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown.
“[Franklin has had] a lot of reps with the [first team],” Garcia said. “I’m excited for him.”
Returning starter Tyler Van Dyke led Miami’s first-team offense, throwing for 172 yards and a touchdown. Van Dyke also scrambled for an additional 28 yards on the ground.
“I think we did a good job, especially up front,” Van Dyke said. “I feel like we had a great day.”
Garcia was behind center for UM’s second-team offense. He completed 14 passes on 24 attempts, airing it out for 134 yards.
Despite not reaching the end zone, Garcia was satisfied with the way he played.
“I feel like I had a pretty good day,” Garcia said. “I feel like the quarterback room in general had a pretty good day.”
Miami’s tight-end room was productive, with the group as a whole catching seven passes for 84 yards. Second-year tight end Kahlil Brantley had the most notable of these receptions, rumbling for 26 yards on a pass from Van Dyke.
“The tight ends continue to get better and improve,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “They made some plays as well.”
UM’s offense did not completely dominate, however, as multiple Hurricanes stepped up for the defense.
Highly-touted freshman Cyrus Moss had two sacks, leading all Hurricanes in that category. Moss, who played some at the safety position at Bishop Gorman High School, was UM’s highest-rated recruit in its 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“He has great movement skills and he’s quick,” sixth-year defensive lineman Jacob Lichtenstein said regarding Moss. “He’s picking it up quick and he’s going to be a [good] player.”
Lichtenstein also had a prolific spring game performance, recording a sack, a fumble recovery and a deflection on a pass thrown by Jacurri Brown that was picked off by sophomore safety James Williams. This was Miami’s only interception of the afternoon.
Miami’s secondary made multiple noteworthy plays, aside from Williams’s interception. Third-year defensive backs Brian Balom and Isaiah Dunson each deflected a pass, and veteran cornerback Te’Cory Couch tackled wide receiver Brashard Smith for a nine-yard loss on an attempted end-around.
“Everybody stepped up, everybody came to play,” Couch said. “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
UM will have a short break before resuming workouts in the summer.