Miami football starting QB tough to decipher

The starting quarterback for the Miami football team is tough to decipher after comments made by head coach Manny Diaz following the Hurricanes victory over Virginia on Friday night.

Neither redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry or redshirt freshman Jarren Williams has been exceptional enough to claim a strong case to be the starting quarterback for the Miami football team. Perry was sensational in the Hurricanes near comeback against Virginia Tech last week and serviceable in a 17-9 victory over Virginia Friday night.

Playing for an ineffective and injured Williams in the last two games, Perry is 44-72 for 604 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Perry has run 18 times for two yards and a huge TD in Friday’s game that basically clinched the victory. He is a bigger threat in the running game than Williams and has a stronger arm.

Williams is more accurate and the Miami offense has been more consistent. The Hurricanes might be able to give both QBs playing time on Saturday is a game Miami is expected to dominate. That is no sure thing this season. Miami was supposed to do the same against Central Michigan and Virginia Tech and struggled.

During his weekly segment on the Joe Rose Show, Diaz spoke to Rose and co-host Zach Krantz about Perry’s performance in the last two games, who might start Saturday against the Yellow Jackets and the hurdles Williams have to clear to regain his position as the first-team QB for the Miami football team.

"“It’s two parts to it — it’s [if he’s] healthy and ready to bounce back, in essence. When you’re the quarterback, everyone is watching everything you do. The idea of getting back in there and getting back on the horse and saying, ‘Hey, let’s ride.’ I think once he’s ready for that, then we’ll be ready to go.Jarren Williams is our starter, but it’s still up to Jarren to come back from issues he’s been dealing with and also come back with the adversity of what he faced in the Virginia Tech game and to prove to everybody he’s ready to go. If for whatever reason he’s not, we have all the faith in N’Kosi to get it done.”"

The answer seemed clear that Diaz is leaning to Williams, but it is also ambiguous about which way that the first-year Miami football head coach and his offensive coordinator Dan Enos was leaning as to who will start on Saturday. The parameters that Diaz placed for Williams are subjective for him and Enos.

Willams reportedly did not play on Saturday because of a shoulder than has been hammered this season. The Hurricanes redshirt freshman QB was pulled against Virginia Tech last week following three interceptions on seven pass attempts. Perry relieved him and nearly led Miami back from a 28-0 deficit to win.

Williams returned to practice on Sunday after Diaz gave the team Saturday off. Diaz spoke about Williams’ healthy during his weekly press conference with the Miami football team beat reporters and what to expect during the week of practice leading up to Georgia Tech.

"“He did a little bit [Sunday] night and number one it is about having confidence in himself that he is back and he has all his physical capabilities around him. Then it will be getting back into prep mode. We will find out Tuesday because Sunday was just a light practice. We will see.”"

As the Hurricanes continue their week of practice the likelihood is that Diaz and Enos will name the starter no later than Thursday. They have been consistent with wanting the team and QB to have time to mentally prepare for who is starting. Diaz stated they would pick a QB and ride him as much as possible. We could see a QB battle.