Miami football versus UVA features ACCs reception leaders

Malik Washington of Virginia and Xavier Restrepo of Miami are leading the ACC in receptions by a wide margin. Washington has 56 receptions and Restrepo 54 after seven games. Restrepo and Washington will play on the same field when the Virginia and Miami football teams play on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.

The closest receiver in the ACC to Washington and Restrepo, Jamari Thrash of Louisville is third with 39 receptions. Washington leads the ACC with 56 receptions and 783 yards while adding six touchdowns in 2023. Restrepo is third in the ACC with 600 receiving yards. Thrash is second with 639 receiving yards.

After transferring from Northwestern, Washington is having his best season. After recording four receptions for 29 yards in the season opener versus Tennessee, Washington has had at least 97 receiving yards in every game since then. Washington has 47 receptions for 635 yards and five TDs over his past five games.

Washington had season highs of 12 receptions in Virginia’s 31-27 win at North Carolina last week and  170 yards and two TD receptions in a 24-21 loss to North Carolina State on September 22. Malachi Fields is the secondary receiver for Virginia with 32 receptions for 431 yards and two TDs.

Restrepo has had at least five receptions in every game this season and has three 100-yard games. Restrepo added 96 receiving yards in the 41-31 loss to North Carolina earlier this month. Clemson held Restrepo to a season-low 26 receiving yards on seven receptions with Miami playing conservatively last week.

Miami and Virginia are in the bottom half of the ACC in pass defense. Miami is 11th in the ACC allowing 234.0 passing yards per game and Virginia is ninth allowing 223.4. The Miami football team is second in the ACC averaging 288.0 passing yards per game and Virginia is seventh averaging 243.4.

Tyler Van Dyke is expected to return at quarterback for Miami after missing the Clemson game last week. The Miami football team had a season-low 151 passing yards with Emory Williams at QB versus Clemson. The season low with Van Dyke at QB was 220 yards passing in a 48-7 win at Temple in rainy and windy conditions.

Virginia had a season-low 106 passing yards in a 49-13 loss to Tennessee in the season opener. The Cavaliers have had at least 200 yards passing in every other game this season. Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett have each played in four games at QB for Virginia in 2023. Muskett has started in the last three games.