Miami Hurricanes once again without several starters for home game vs Ball State

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes once again were without starting left tackle Jalen Rivers on Saturday for their home game against the Ball State Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium due to an undisclosed injury.

Rivers has not played since UM’s season opener against Florida. Mario Cristobal said last week after Miami’s win over Florida A&M that Rivers, a fifth-year junior, was “a little bit banged up” and that does not think the injury is “too serious.”

In his place, Markel Bell started on Saturday against Ball State, just as he did against Florida A&M last week.

“Markel has earned the opportunity to play, and he played well the other night,” Cristobal said Monday. “He got called for a holding [early in the game], but that was an extended play that involved a lot of different angles. Tough situation for him. But he’s powerful. He’s athletic. He has confidence. His teammates trust him. ... Nothing but upside there. He’s just going to continue to get better.”

Added offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson: “As the game went on, I thought he played better and better. He made a couple of mistakes early, which obviously you can understand that. He’s been super solid in camp. The dude is really talented. As the game went on, you saw that his comfort level set in.”

Miami’s full starting offensive line on Saturday: Bell, left guard Matt McCoy, center Zach Carpenter, right guard Anez Cooper and right tackle Francis Mauigoa.

In addition to Rivers, defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. and cornerback Damari Brown are also not playing for a second consecutive week after getting injured against Florida.

With Bain out, the Hurricanes went with Tyler Baron, Akheem Mesidor, Simeon Barrow and Elijah Alston to start on the defensive line for a second consecutive game.

In the secondary, it was Daryl Porter Jr., D’Yoni Hill and OJ Frederique Jr. starting at cornerback, with Mishael Powell and Jaden Davis at safety.

Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa and Wesley Bissanthe started at linebacker.

Cristobal thanks fans for weathering delay

After the game was pushed back nearly two-and-a-half hours due to multiple lightning delays, Cristobal made his way to midfield to thank the fans who stayed at Hard Rock Stadium to see the game.

After originally being scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff, Miami-Ball State didn’t begin until 5:55 p.m.

Lightning first surfaced around the stadium at about 3 p.m. as the teams were beginning to take pregame warmups. Fans already at the stadium were asked to seek shelter in the concourse until given an all clear.

Teams returned to the field at 4:15 p.m. to complete warmups for what was anticipated to be a 4:45 p.m. kickoff but the latest round of lightning struck shortly after both teams finished warmups at about 4:30 p.m.

The third round of warmups began at 5:38 p.m., eight minutes after Cristobal took the field to thank fans and 17 minutes before the game finally began.

The NCAA requires a minimum of a 30 minute delay if there’s lightning within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.

If another lightning strike hits at any point during the delay, the clock restarts.

The Hurricanes weren’t the only local football team impacted by weather. The start of the annual “Shula Bowl” between FAU and FIU was delayed from its originally scheduled 6 p.m. start time in Boca Raton.

Honoring 1989

The Hurricanes at halftime on Saturday will honor the 1989 national championship team on the 35th anniversary of their title.

Led by coach Dennis Erickson, Miami went 11-1 that season, capped by a 33-25 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Hurricanes’ lone loss of the season was a 24-10 defeat at Florida State to drop UM from No. 2 in the country to No. 7. Miami then rattled off five consecutive wins to cap the season, including ranked wins over then-No. 14 Pittsburgh, then-No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 7 Alabama and winning by an average of 22.4 points.

Local ties

Ball State has one player on its roster from South Florida in sophomore wide receiver Jamarion McDougle. The 6-0, 171-pound receiver is a Deerfield Beach native who started his prep career at Deerfield Beach High before transferring to TRU Prep Academy in Miami Gardens for his senior year. McDougle was honorable mention All-County by the Miami Herald as a junior.

McDougle began his college career at Butler Community College, where he caught 20 passes for 273 yards and five touchdowns before transferring to Ball State.

This and that

▪ Miami’s captains for Saturday against Ball State: Quarterback Cam Ward, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, offensive linemen Mauigoa and Cooper, and defensive linemen Tyler Baron and Akheem Mesidor.