2023 Pinstripe Bowl – Miami vs Rutgers
posted December 12
The Game
Yes, guy.
It’s the final chance to see YOUR Miami Hurricanes in action this season as they battle the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Yankee Stadium in the Pinstripe Bowl. Miami definitely had their ups and downs along the way but finished the regular season with a road blowout win over Boston College. They boast triumphs over Texas A&M and Clemson and their only inexplicable loss came at the hands of Georgia Tech, and we should all remember how that game ended **. Rutgers started out 6-2 and quickly achieved bowl eligibility only to lose their final four games in a row to end the regular season at 6-6.
** SIMPLE JACK coaching, yo
The Details
Miami -1.5 Rutgers (41)
MEGALOCKS LINE – Pick em
“Vegas” Implied Projected Score: Miami 21.25 Rutgers 19.75
Miami offense vs Rutgers defense
The Hurricanes have displayed a balanced (#44 FBS rushing, #36 passing) but inconsistent offense over the course of the season and things won’t get any easier in this game as they’ve got a lot of guys that have quit and hit the transfer portal and/or opted-out of the bowl game. With starting QB Tyler Van Dyke out of the picture (19-12 TD to INT) and backup Emory Williams out for the season due to injury it’ll be up to 3rd stringer Jacurri Brown to lead the way. Brown hasn’t thrown a pass this season and he was MEH in limited action in 2022 (3-3 TD to INT). Brown has decent mobility and the Canes have a deep set of RBs to utilize although there aren’t any home run hitters in the group. WR Colbie Young is no longer with the team but is still appears as tho they’ll have their top-two WRs in Xavier Restrepo (993, 5 TD) and Jacolby George (851, 8 TD) for this one. The Rutgers stop unit has been fairly stingy (#19 total defense, #43 run D, #26 pass efficiency D) but they allowed 35/22/27/42 in their final four games, and keep in mind that their offense doesn’t do much to help them out, so it’s possible that Miami can wear them out a bit if they can stay on the field for a few long stretches.
Rutgers offense vs Miami defense
The Scarlet Knights have trouble doing anything thru the air (#124 passing offense) behind QB Gavin Wimsatt (48%, 9-8 TD to INT) but they’ve got a really good rushing attack that can get cooking at times. RB Kyle Monangai is one of the best in the Big Ten (1,099, 5.1, 7 TD) and Wimsatt is the team’s #2 rusher (488, 9 TD). Normally we’d say that this is a nightmare match-up for the Rutgers offense as Miami sports one of the best rushing defenses in the nation (97 YPG, #10) but the Hurricanes will be without several key pieces on defense making it a bit of a mystery in terms of how much success Rutgers will have running the football. The Rutgers WR group actually has a bit of upside but we’re not sure we trust the QB to get the ball to those doods consistently.
Trends, Intangibles and More!
This will be the Hurricanes first bowl appearance since 2020 when they fell to Oklahoma St 37-34 in the Cheez-It Bowl……They haven’t tasted bowl victory since beating WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA in the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl (W 31-14)…..Rutgers’ last bowl victory came back in 2014 when they defeated North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl (W 40-21)…..Rutgers HC Greg Schiano is 5-2 SU in bowl action….Miami HC Mario Cristobal is 3-3 SU in bowl games…..This will be his first shot with the Canes…..Rutgers ranks #15 in the Phil Steele special teams rankings…..Miami clocks in at #27…..You don’t need a weatherman, or better yet, a WEATHER HOTTIE to tell you that the game will almost certainly be played in cold and gross conditions.
Summary
The word on NARRATIVE STREET is that Miami will lay down like dogs because the weather won’t suit their south Florida tastes. While that may be true, this team still appears hungry despite all the quitters that have left the roost, and they’ve got the ability to ground and pound with the rushing attack. We prefer them to win and cover this game but it still feels like a tossup given how many new faces will be starting in this one. Haven’t gotten to the window yet but will advise if we change our mind.
Conclusion
No leanage
‘Official play’ implies this pick is one of our favorites of the week (perceived value, match-up, coaching, trends, etc.). We’re currently playing these picks for the same amount as the leans but it’s up to you how you want to manage your bankroll. Please see the Week in Review posts for more detail.
‘Lean’ implies we are placing a wager on the game.
‘No leanage’ implies we won’t have any action on the game.
Team totals – We list the implied number based on the point spread and total when our analysis is posted. If a team total ends up being an official play we will post a widely available number at the time of pick release.