Having just received a top ranking from the College Football Playoff committee and still remaining as one of the last three unbeaten teams left in college football, everything seems to be going great for Miami.
That was, until earlier Wednesday.
Per reporting from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Hurricanes star wide receiver Malachi Toney suffered a high ankle sprain during a practice. He’s set to undergo surgery with the goal of returning in time for the beginning of the CFP, as most recoveries from high ankle sprains require at least four weeks of rehabilitation.
In the meantime, Miami will have to figure out a way to make up for the loss of 73 catches, 1,027 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, as Toney was well on his way to the Heisman Trophy celebration in New York and had been terrorizing opposing defenses throughout the season.
While waiting on Toney’s return, the Hurricanes have the luxury of being able to suffer a loss with little impact on their CFP standing, although they’d like to remain atop the pack if possible.
The primetime matchup with Notre Dame now looms even larger this weekend, but Mario Cristobal’s team will return home for its final 3 contests, with Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College all set to visit Coral Gables.
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
