As of early Friday afternoon, the Miami football team has yet to name a starting quarterback. With less than 24 hours until kickoff expect the starting signal-caller to be a game-time decision.
Miami football head coach Manny Diaz stated earlier in the week that the Hurricanes were aiming towards Thursday to announce their starting quarterback for Thursday. Thursday came and went without an announcement. Miami named N’Kosi Perry the starting QB for the last two weeks on Wednesday.
Perry and redshirt freshman Jarren Williams both enter Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh with shoulder injuries. Williams has been from the chronic hits he had taken throughout the season. Perry started in Williams’ place for the last two weeks because of Williams’ injury. Perry separated his non-throwing left shoulder last week.
The QB for Miami has been greatly upgraded this season due to the tutelage of Perry and Williams by new offensive coordinator and QB coach Dan Enos. Miami is 29th in passing averaging 279.6 passing yards per game, 28th with a 65.4 completion percentage and 32nd with a 151.21 passer rating.
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Perry and Williams bring different strengths to QB. Perry is more mobile and has a bigger arm. Williams is far more accurate. Williams is on pace to set the Miami completion percentage for a season at 71.4. He has thrown for 1,086 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Perry has completed 60.9 871 yards eight TDs and one interception. He is also a bigger threat to run. Perry has 26 carries for 17 yards. That includes yards lost on sacks. Williams 33 carries for a loss of 63 yards. Perry started against Pittsburgh in 2018 but was abysmal in a 24-6 Miami victory.
Perry was 6-24 for 52 yards and ran five times for 46 in last season’s victory. Pittsburgh has a dominant pass rush. The Panthers lead the nation with 5.14 sacks per game. That is nearly a sack per game better than SMU who is second. Perry’s big arm and threat to run might keep the Pittsburgh front seven more honest.
Diaz said that both QBs are healthy and ready to play on Saturday. A sizeable portion of the Miami fanbase wants the Miami football team to give third-team QB Tate Martell a chance to play and see what he can do. Martell transferred to Miami in the offseason with a lot of fanfare.
"“N’Kosi came in and finished the game a week ago, so both those guys are cleared and ready to play,”"
Perry has boosted the team overall more in his career than Williams has. The Hurricanes are 5-4 with Perry as a starter and 2-3 with Williams. Perry relieved Williams after the redshirt freshman threw interceptions on each of the first three drives against Virginia Tech. Williams 1-3 last week in relief of Perry.