Miami suffers serious injury blow vs. Ole Miss after only 2 plays

It looks like the Hurricanes will have to get it done in the Fiesta Bowl without their big man on the defensive line.

Defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. started against Ole Miss after being declared a game-time decision on the final availability report. However, the 6-foot-3, 325-pound space eater lasted only two plays before he tried to leave the field on his own and was eventually helped to the sidelines. Miami usually doesn't offer injury updates during the game, and it's uncertain if Moten will be able to return.

Going into the game, defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said that he was very confident that Moten would be able to play after reports on the junior from Fort Lauderdale were trending in the right direction.

"I'm very confident Moten will play," Hetherman said earlier in the week.

If Moten can't return, it's a significant loss for the Hurricanes. Not only does Moten occupy space and handle double teams, but he can also provide a pass rush on the interior and has 4.5 sacks this season. His biggest value, however, is taking on blockers so Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor can be free to rush the passer. 

Miami does have some depth on the front line and on the next defensive series it was senior nose tackle David Blay and sophomore defensive tackle Justin Scott on the interior.  Scott, a former five-star prospect out of Chicago, was the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting class. He has appeared in 13 games this season and has 22 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. 

The Hurricanes also announced that cornerback Damari Brown will miss his third consecutive game with a lower leg injury. When healthy, Brown has been one of the best players in the secondary and has allowed catches less than 53 percent of the time he's been targeted (52.8%).