Mario Cristobal, Revamped Staff Give Canes Faithful Something to Cheer About at Spring Game

The Miami Hurricanes had their first spring game under the direction of newly hired Head Coach Mario Cristobal, and the returns are positive.

The summer heat was on at Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale for the University of Miami’s Spring Football Game this Saturday. That didn’t stop thousands of fans from packing the stands in a sellout for the afternoon contest. Folks have been eager to get a glimpse of the Hurricane’s new head coach, Mario Cristobal, in action and wondered what they could expect from the team’s annual intersquad game.

Saturday’s glorified scrimmage was just that, a scrimmage. There were a lot of drops, several fumbles, and a mountain of miscues. All of this, though, should not worry the Hurricanes fan base too much. These are all things to be expected at any spring game and let’s not forget Miami has had a mere 15 practices under the new regime. The team also plans to continue working the transfer portal in hopes of luring a few more players to their program who can contribute from Day 1.

Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal during his first spring game as the Head Coach of the Hurricanes

Collier Logan

While the game may have been sloppy, what stood out about Saturday’s spring showcase was the atmosphere surrounding the team. Cristobal has conjured up quite an aura around this Hurricanes program and has engaged the community in the culture of the team. The crowd in DRV PNK Stadium was buzzing and fans were genuinely excited about their team’s prospects for the first time in a while, it seemed as though something was in the air. Could it be hope? Only time will tell what Cristobal and this Hurricanes squad have in store, but they will surely have the support of all Miami-Dade behind them.

Quotes to Consider

The energy in the crowd truly helped the players, one particular defensive end even brought it up after the game concluded. “I’ve never gotten to experience a spring game like this because when I came in, it was Covid,” said redshirt sophomore defensive end Chantz Williams. “For me, this was almost like a game. I had a great time, honestly. I fed off the energy and I hope next year, the fans come out because the whole team feeds off it. Seeing the young guys come out and making plays, doing what they’re coached to do, seeing people progress and let loose in the game today was huge.”

Beyond the aura in the stadium, there's also the nuances of actual football. Hurricanes signal caller Tyler Van Dyke commented after the game, “As an offense, I think we ran the ball well, but I think I missed a few throws that I’d really like back. That’s just learning the new offense and getting more comfortable with that,” said Van Dyke, who led the offense to a 31-27 win over the defense. “I’m going to work on it over the summer, but I think overall, we had a good day completing passes and throwing the ball well.”