Hurricanes tight end Will Mallory may not have traversed 11,000 miles to become a Hurricane like Hedley, but the Jacksonville native said this week that he, too, created memories that will last a lifetime during his time at Miami.
“There’s a lot and thinking back, I don’t know, it’s hard to pinpoint one. But I think just the whole reason why you do this and the most important thing is the people involved, whether that’s the players, coaches, support staff. And all the people that I’ve gotten to interact with and had the pleasure of meeting and being around over the last five years [are] what [have] made this journey,” said Mallory, who has a team-high 33 catches for 435 receiving yards. “So, I can’t really pinpoint one special moment. I think it’s just the relationships that I’ve made, you know, that’ll last me a lifetime [and that] are the most important things.”
Hedley, Mallory and the rest of the Hurricanes (5-6, 3-4 ACC) head into Saturday’s game knowing they have the opportunity ahead to create even more memories.
Miami, which has endured its share of ups and downs this season and is coming off a hard-fought loss at seventh-ranked Clemson, can secure bowl eligibility with a win over conference foe Pittsburgh (7-4, 4-3).
The Panthers enter the game on a three-game win streak and are led by one of the nation’s top running backs, Israel Abanikanda.
The junior leads the nation in scoring with an average of 11.6 points per game and is one of 10 national semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top running back. He’s also a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.
Despite missing Pittsburgh’s game against Syracuse because of an injury, Abanikanda has rushed for 1,320 yards and 18 touchdowns. He leads the nation in total touchdowns with 19 and is second nationally in all-purpose yards per game (168.6).
Pittsburgh’s defense, meanwhile, has been a force all season long.
The Panthers have scored five defensive touchdowns this season, a number that ranks second in the nation. In last week’s win over Duke, it was a defensive touchdown that made the difference, with Pittsburgh’s Brandon Hill returned a fumble 30 yards for a score that ultimately helped give the Panthers a 28-26 win.
Additionally, Pittsburgh has totaled 39 sacks, a number that ranks third nationally.
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