As Hurricanes get one key starter back, another is out for Miami’s road game at Cal

Impeccable timing graced the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes entering their game against the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday.

The University of Miami tempered bad news with good news Saturday, as a young Canes star returned from a long injury absence to regain his starting spot after a veteran transfer was deemed out with an undisclosed injury.

Reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Rueben Bain Jr. returned to the starting lineup at defensive end, while Marshall transfer Elijah Alston sat out with an injury sustained last week against Virginia Tech.

Bain made an immediate impact, getting a tackle for loss on the Hurricanes’ first defensive play. Cal ultimately went three and out.

Bain started in the 2024 opener at Gainesville against Florida, but was out of the game after three plays with “a soft tissue issue,’’ per UM coach Mario Cristobal, and took the field Saturday for the first time since then.

Alston, a 6-2, 256-pound redshirt senior, started the past four games opposite Tyler Baron after Bain was hurt but left the Virginia Tech game with an undisclosed injury.

Alston came into Saturday with 15 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 3 ½ tackles for loss, an interception and quarterback hurry.

Besides Bain, defensive tackle Simeon Barrow and safety Jaden Harris also returned from injuries Saturday. Barrow entered the game with 14 tackles, 2 ½ tackles for loss and 2 ½ sacks after starting the previous five games. Harris also left in the second half last week against Virginia Tech.

Rivers still out

Fifth-year junior left tackle Jalen Rivers, who thrilled the program by returning instead of turning pro, was injured in the UF opener and was still out Saturday. Markel Bell, the 6-9, 340-pound junior transfer out of Holmes (Mississippi) Community College, has started every game in his absence.

Also still out: cornerback Damari Brown and offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez, both of whom have been sidelined since the season opener against Florida.

Tracking Xavier Restrepo

Hurricanes fifth-year senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo entered Saturday with 156 catches, 2,139 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in his Miami career. The total catches are fourth, receiving yards ninth and receiving touchdowns tied for ninth in school history.

And Restrepo has a chance to keep climbing those lists. He is 22 receiving yards away from jumping all the way up to sixth all-time in UM history, jumping Travis Benjamin (2,146 career receiving yards), Mike Harley (2,158 career receiving yards) and Leonard Hankerson (2,160 career receiving yards) in the process. With 84 receiving yards, he would jump Stacy Coley for fifth.

Moving up on the other lists this week would likely take a little more work.

Restrepo needs 11 catches to tie Coley for third in career receptions and two touchdown catches to tie Phillip Dorsett for eighth in that category.