The Miami Hurricanes improved to 3-0 with their 36-33 overtime win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.
What looked like it was going to be an easy win for Miami nearly turned into a terrible defeat. The Hurricanes were outscored by the Cornhuskers 23-3 in the fourth quarter of play. After entering the fourth with a commanding 20-point lead, the Hurricanes found themselves tied with under a minute to go. Ultimately, Brad Kaaya would take a knee in the final 33 seconds and send the game to overtime.
Miami would pick off the opening pass of overtime after Nebraska started with the ball. Corn Elder would come up with the interception which he then returned for 47 yards. A 15-yard penalty against Nebraska was also tagged onto the play for unsportsmanlike conduct. Miami would kick a game-winning field goal to end the contest shortly after.
It did not take long for the Hurricanes to get things going in the win as they had a 17-0 lead after only one quarter of play. UM would take a 20-3 lead into the locker room at the half, and was clearly dominating both sides of the ball at the time.
When the teams came back onto the field to start the second half, things continued at the same pace. The Hurricanes started the half with the ball and a little over a minute later, the school had seven more points. Joseph Yearby put that one into the end zone with a 41-yard run which was his longest of the day.
Kaaya had a decent day with 379 yards passing and was 25 for 42 on his attempts in the air. The sophomore now has five touchdowns this season in three games, and has only thrown one interception. That pick came in the fourth quarter of this one with his team well ahead in the game at the time.
The defense stepped up for UM as well with another pair of interceptions in addition to the aforementioned OT pick. Artie Burns had a pick early, while Deon Bush stole one away in the third quarter. The Hurricanes kept constant pressure on Nebraska's offense and rushed quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. into poor decisions. Burns now has one INT in each of Miami's three games.
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Miami will take next week off before resuming its schedule on October 1st in Cincinnati against the Bearcats.
