Miami Falls to Oklahoma State in Cheez-It Bowl After D'Eriq King's Knee Injury

Barely two weeks removed from a 62-26 blowout loss to North Carolina, the No. 18 Miami Hurricanes entered the Cheez-It Bowl with a "bad taste in their mouths," according to head coach Manny Diaz.

They'll carry that into the offseason after No. 21 Oklahoma State defeated them 37-34 on Tuesday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Sophomore quarterback Spencer Sanders found freshman wide receiver Brennan Presley for a pair of 30-plus-yard touchdowns as the Cowboys leaped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and he added another five-yard pass in the fourth to stave off a Hurricanes comeback that saw them score 19 unanswered points.

For the Hurricanes, junior quarterback N'Kosi Perry filled in for D'Eriq King, who went down with a knee injury in the second quarter, and nearly engineered a comeback win for the Hurricanes.

Both teams finish the season at 8-3.

Notable Performers

• Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma State: 305 yards, four touchdowns (27-of-40); 45 rushing yards
• Brennan Presley, WR, Oklahoma State: 118 yards, three touchdowns (6 receptions); six rushing yards
• Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami: 96 yards, two touchdowns (eight receptions)
• N'Kosi Perry, QB, Miami: 228 yards, two touchdowns (19-of-34); 10 rushing yards

Miami Loses D'Eriq King

Hurricanes quarterback D'Eriq King has lacked consistency throughout his college career.

And just as he finally seemed to find it after a standout transfer season at Miami, committing over the weekend to return to the team for another year rather than declare for the NFL draft, he was injured in the second quarter of Tuesday's game.

With 4:06 left in the first half, King was helped off the field with what appeared to be a right knee injury. He posted 113 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-13 passing with 18 rushing yards on eight carries before he exited.

King transferred to Miami in January after parts of four seasons at Houston, where he played wide receiver and quarterback before he tore his meniscus as a junior in 2018. He returned the next season but redshirted after four games.

At Miami, he found that stability he had lacked, and it benefitted the Hurricanes. Entering the Cheez-It Bowl, he posted 2,573 yards and 22 touchdowns with five interceptions, good for a 63.6 completion percentage that was a school record. He also ran for four scores and 520 yards.

"Make no mistake, D'Eriq is coming back because he wants to win," Diaz told reporters. "He can certainly accomplish goals and throw for these many yards and do these type of things, but D'Eriq comes back because he wants to win. And it means a lot because that means he believes we can win."

Cowboys Have Long-Term Depth on Offense

Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard didn't play in the Cheez-It Bowl after opting out to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft.

It was a major loss for the Cowboys, since Hubbard was the leading rusher in the entire FBS last season, but they've managed to find their footing considering they had to finish the final three games of the regular season without the Canada native. They went 2-1 in three games without Hubbard, their only loss coming by seven points to TCU on Dec. 5.

But he's not the only player the Cowboys could be without next season. The team's top two receivers, Tylan Wallace (922 yards, six touchdowns) and Dillon Stoner (573 yards, four touchdowns), and third-leading rusher, LD Brown (437 yards, two touchdowns), are all seniors.

Looking ahead, Tuesday proved the Cowboys could continue their success in the near future.

They had balanced production from across their lineup, but one player stood out above the rest as a possible long-term solution.

Freshman Brennan Presley, who largely played on special teams snaps heading into Tuesday, carried the Cowboys to the win. His two first-quarter touchdown receptions helped push the Cowboys to a 21-0 lead.

His fourth-quarter score sealed the win for the Cowboys in record-setting fashion.

He ended the night with 118 yards and three touchdowns on six receptions.

That Sanders-Presley combination could be dangerous for opposing teams in 2021.

What's Next?

The Hurricanes could be kicking off 2021 against a defending national champion. They'll face Alabama—which is set to play in the College Football Playoff semifinal Friday—on Sept. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Oklahoma State will open the season at home against Missouri State on the same day.