‘We can’t let him score’: Game-saving tackle puts Hurricanes’ Elijah Arroyo in limelight

Elijah Arroyo saw the interception take place on the other side of the field and had one thought cross his mind.

“We can’t let him score,” Arroyo said.

The Miami Hurricanes were already down 10 points at that time to Virginia Tech midway through the third quarter when Cam Ward’s pass was picked off by the Hokies’ Kaleb Spencer on the far sideline.

Arroyo had flashbacks to last season. Just like this Hurricanes team, the 2023 group started a perfect 4-0. And then they dropped their Atlantic Coast Conference opener in embarrassing fashion — a fumble in the final minute against Georgia Tech when a kneel down would have won the game instead led to a Georgia Tech game-winning drive — before “things went downhill,” as Arroyo put it, to the tune of a 7-6 season.

“I was like, ‘No, we can’t lose this game. I’ve got to do anything I can,’” Arroyo said.

So the redshirt junior tight end hustled. He sprinted down the field, reaching a maximum speed of 21 mph according to coach Mario Cristobal, to tackle Spencer before he reached the end zone. Four plays later, the Hurricanes forced a turnover on downs when they sniffed out a fake field-goal attempt. Miami proceeded to outscore Virginia Tech 21-7 the rest of the way to escape Hard Rock Stadium with a 38-34 win on Friday to stay undefeated.

“That effort, that’s something to be kept forever,” Cristobal said. “That’s something to be shown to your teams forever. I’m sure people across the country are using that example to show their team. When we find an example like that, we always show it to our team. You want to show them good examples, no matter who does it.”

Added offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson: “That was one of the most amazing plays that I’ve seen in my career,” Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “If he doesn’t run that guy down, then that’s a touchdown because he’s going to cut it up and nobody’s there. They didn’t score on that drive, so that single-handedly kept us in the game.”

Arroyo has been receiving national praise for the rundown. ACC Network analyst and former Virginia Tech receiver Eddie Royal called it “winning football.” Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, referred to the tackle as one of the plays of the year.

Moments like this were a long time coming for Arroyo. After catching just five passes as a true freshman, Arroyo has been limited by injuries the past two years. A former four-star prospect out of Texas, the tight end has never truly had the chance to showcase his talent on the field.

Five games into this season, Arroyo has finally shown the college football world a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing.

In addition to the hustle on the tackle, Arroyo caught two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter against Virginia Tech. The catches of 45 and 43 yards are the two longest of his college football career.

On the season, he has 11 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Of his 11 catches, seven have gone for at least 20 yards — only Utah’s Harold Fannin Jr. has more among tight ends, with eight. Arroyo’s 24.73 yards per catch ranks second most in the nation among players with at least 10 catches, behind only Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams (28.88 yards per catch)

“The people in this building, they always had that confidence in me,” Arroyo said. “They kind of knew that I could do what I’ve been doing. It’s really no surprise to anybody in this building. But I’m excited that now everybody else gets to see it. I’m just trying to finish the season strong.”

Added Cristobal: “It’s incredible. It’s awesome for him. It’s awesome for the team. That guy is — man, we’re very fortunate to have a lot of awesome guys on the team. He’s one of those guys that, man, you want your own son to be like that guy. That guy’s the ultimate team player. He’s been through a lot. He’s seen ups and downs and now he’s hitting his stride, and he’s seeing things go this way. Couldn’t be happier for the guy, and that guy’s legitimately just really, really hungry for team success.”