Williams Celebrates Record Performance
By Christy Cabrera Chirinos
HurricaneSports.com
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Jarren Williams wasn’t quite sure what his fellow quarterbacks meant.
When N’Kosi Perry and Tate Martell approached Williams on the sideline late during Miami’s 52-27 win over Louisville on Saturday and told him he’d made history, Williams was skeptical.
Given the fact that Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks Gino Torretta and Vinny Testaverde have commanded past Miami huddles, as have greats including Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Steve Walsh, Ken Dorsey, Craig Erickson and Brad Kaaya, Williams wasn’t sure his teammates were right when they told him his six touchdown passes were a new Hurricanes single-game record.
“I really just thought they were talking, but then they confirmed it and I was like, ‘Oh, snap,'” Williams said with a laugh. “That’s a blessing really. I just thank the man above for providing me with the opportunity.
“But that’s why you come to The U. You come here to set records. If you don’t have that mindset, you shouldn’t be here. Guys come here to be great and do things that others haven’t. That’s the standard at Miami.”
It turns out Williams, a redshirt freshman who was named the Hurricanes starter in August, didn’t just add his name to the Miami record book with his 15-of-22, 253-yard performance against the Cardinals.
He tied the ACC’s single-game touchdown mark, one held by the likes of Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Pitt’s Tom Savage, Virginia’s Dan Ellis, Florida State’s Chris Weinke, Duke’s Steve Slayden and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, one of Williams’ role models who accomplished the feat twice during his Tigers career.
Not bad for a 19-year-old who’s endured a few ups and downs since arriving at Miami, including most recently a shoulder injury that took its toll on him earlier this year and a tough three-interception outing against Virginia Tech last month.
“Being young and being down here, of course it’s going to be a little emotional sometimes. You don’t know how to kind of handle things sometimes. But, I’m learning. I’m becoming a better man every day,” Williams said. “Coach [Manny] Diaz and Coach [Dan] Enos, they’ve always been in my corner and supported me, through the ups and downs. My parents and my sister, the team. I mean, I have a lot of people in my corner so when things do get bad, they’re always there to pick me up and be supportive.”
While Williams’ support system has helped him navigate some of the challenges he’s faced during his first season as a starter, teammates and coaches say he’s also done the work necessary to improve.
His effort paid off two weeks ago in Pittsburgh when, with the Hurricanes down a score in the final minutes, Williams engineered a 9-play, 62-yard drive that culminated when he connected with K.J. Osborn on a 32-yard touchdown pass that lifted Miami to a 16-12 win,
Then, last week on the road at Florida State, Williams was 21-of-37 for 313 yards with touchdown passes of 39 yards and 56 yards to Jeff Thomas and Dee Wiggins, respectively.
“I’m just proud of him. The way he carries himself, the way he comes to practice Sunday night into Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, he’s being that leader for us. He’s taken a big step,” said junior receiver Mike Harley, who had six catches for a team-high 116 yards and two touchdowns. “You can tell. It’s maturity, trust and just putting in hard work. He sacrifices his time to watch extra film. He calls us and is like, ‘Hey, man, let’s watch some film together.’ He’s helping us out on the field. That’s his job and he’s doing it well.”
Added Diaz, “That series [at Pittsburgh] turned around our season. For me, with Jarren, it really is understanding what it really means to be, week in and week out, a big-time quarterback at the University of Miami and how that goes in terms of preparation, the little things and the details. I think that the way he has prepared since that day has been at a different level. I continue to reiterate that we can win a lot of games with N’Kosi Perry. N’Kosi has done a fantastic job, but Jarren has had a little something extra. I think that we are starting to see that little something extra.”
But even with all that Saturday brought him – from the single-game touchdown mark to the praise from teammates and coaches – Williams insists he is not satisfied.
The Hurricanes still have two regular-season games left on their schedule. A bowl berth looms, too. And Williams is already thinking about those – for him and the Hurricanes.
“I feel like everybody’s playing at a high a level. We just have to keep doing better. I still don’t think we are where we need to be,” Williams said. “And the good thing is, each week, you can see the grind. You can see the guys really wanting to get better. We have a good thing going and we just have to keep it going.”
