Miami threatened to bench its starting receivers. Mike Harley responded with a career day

A text message came across each wide receiver’s cell phone before the Miami Hurricanes headed to practice Tuesday. All three starting spots were up for grabs, coaches informed them via their group text, and just about anyone on the roster would have a chance to win them.

Miami listed nine different wideouts as co-starters on its Monday depth chart and the Hurricanes would name starters based on practice performance. After back-to-back ugly performances against the No. 1 Clemson Tigers and Pittsburgh Panthers, the Hurricanes needed to find a fix against the Virginia Cavaliers.

“I reacted to it like, OK, I have to step up,” wide receiver Mike Harley said. “Honestly, I shouldn’t be in that position coming in as a veteran, but coaches got to make some changes and some guys got to make plays.”

Harley said he and the rest of receivers responded with their most serious week of practice yet, and it translated Saturday. Quarterback D’Eriq King bounced back from back-to-back games with fewer than 225 passing yards to throw for 322 in Miami Gardens. Harley was his go-to target, catching 10 passes for 170 yards — the most in a single game by a Miami player since 2014 — and a touchdown. After the No. 11 Hurricanes leaned so heavily on tight ends all throughout the season, their wideouts combined for 18 of Miami’s 21 catches and 265 of its 322 receiving yards.

For the first time all season, the Hurricanes (5-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast) won 19-14 because of King’s connection with his wide receivers.

“All those guys made not just even good plays,” coach Manny Diaz said. “They made great plays down the field.”

Miami still stuck with the same three starters Saturday. Wide receivers Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins started out wide, and Harley manned the slot.

Pope had three receptions for 48 yards and made perhaps the most impressive catch by a Hurricanes receiver so far this season. Wiggins caught three passes for 36 yards and helped ice the game in the final minutes by drawing a defensive pass interference. Harley was at the center of everything, though, and it began Sunday.

Harley entered the weekend with just 17 catches for 174 yards. Miami’s leading receiver was Brevin Jordan, who missed nearly half of the Clemson game and the entire Pittsburgh game. Even with the star tight end sidelined last Saturday, the Hurricanes’ wide receivers combined for just seven catches and 109 yards. Miami, once again, won in spite of them.

On Sunday, the Hurricanes returned to practice in Coral Gables and Harley, the lone senior in the receivers corps, gathered the group.

“Our back is against the wall,” he said he told them. “The whole world’s challenging us, so we have to step up to the plate coming into this game.”

On Tuesday, wide receivers coach Rob Likens and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee turned up the pressure, and Miami’s wide receivers needed it.

“We were always taking the shortcuts,” Harley admitted. “We weren’t staying after practice, catching Jugs — we would just do the bare minimum.”

On Saturday, it paid off almost immediately.

On the first play of the game, tight end Will Mallory, starting with Jordan still sidelined, made a contested catch along the right sideline for a 32-yard gain. Harley followed it with a 43-yard touchdown catch, burning Virginia’s secondary to reel in King’s pass at the goal line. The Hurricanes jumped ahead 7-0 in just 28 seconds and never trailed at Hard Rock Stadium.

“I was like, OK, it’s time now to put the foot on the gas and get the young guys behind me,” Harley said, “and make King have confidence to throw the 50-50 balls.”

On Miami’s third drive, Pope made a diving grab along the right sideline, getting one foot down in bounds to pick up 38 yards on a third-and-8. In the third quarter, Harley made one 28-yard catch and another 20-yard catch to convert a pair of third-and-longs, using his speed on crossing routes. In the fourth quarter, Wiggins made a leaping catch along the right sideline, tapping a toe down in bounds for a 26-yard gain to help set up a touchdown.

Harley and Pope both had their longest receptions of the season, and Wiggins had his second longest. Harley admitted it was impossible to ignore the outside criticism they faced throughout October.

“People tag you, say certain stuff, but you’ve got to stay mentally strong because nowadays the media can really break you and hurt your confidence,” Harley said. “I’ve been in this program for four years and I know how the outside get, so my thing is that I took that and got motivated.”

Between the outside noise and internal pressure, Harley and Co. had no choice but to perform better against the Cavaliers (1-4, 1-4) this weekend.

Their jobs were on the line. Some added pressure was exactly what they needed.

“It’s college football — big time college football. Anybody can play,” King said. “You’ve got to be worried about guys trying to take your job, in a good way. I think competition brings out the best in a lot of people.”