Jamari Ford’s big night propels Miami Northwestern past Jones
ORLANDO — It didn’t take very long for Jamari Ford to remind everyone just how explosive and dynamic he is.
The Miami Northwestern senior scored two of his three touchdowns in the first quarter as the Bulls beat Jones 42-24 on Saturday night in a Kickoff Classic at Camping World Stadium.
Ford scored on consecutive touches in the opening quarter — a fourth-down run followed by a punt return for a touchdown where he made several would-be tacklers miss.
“I made a great impression,” Ford said. “I knew that was going to happen. That’s nothing new. If they wouldn’t have thrown me out of the game, I would have had five.”
Ford was ejected after receiving his second personal foul of the game in the third quarter. Both penalties were celebration penalties after touchdowns.
“I’m not going to lie” he said. “I’m playing at Camping World. Who knows if I’ll ever play here again? Those videos I’ll get from tonight, those will forever be with me.”
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The 5-foot-6, 164-pound Ford is a multi-purpose running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and as evidenced by his second touchdown, make plays in the return game.
He’s received several offers throughout his recruitment but said Buffalo was the lone school to extend an official offer in August.
“Right now, that’s the only official I’ve got,” he said. “I’m not too worried about that. I’m worried about the season. I’m focusing on the main goals first. That will come later.”
MALIK BRYANT ADJUSTING TO LINEBACKER
Jones senior linebacker Malik Bryant (Miami commit) also made a quick impact Saturday as he forced a fumble on Northwestern’s opening drive.
After almost exclusively playing edge rusher in the spring, Bryant primarily was used as a linebacker on Saturday. He did a nice job of reading and reacting as well as shedding blockers to get to the ball carrier.
Jones was in on several tackles and had at least two stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also had a quarterback pressure in the first quarter.
“The transition is pretty smooth being that I’m an athlete,” Bryant said. “They’re trying to use my versatility. They know that’s what I’m going to play at the next level so they’re trying to get me prepared for that.
“I’m comfortable on the inside, outside, the edge. Being in a position to make plays is where I’m comfortable.”
QUICK SLANTS
Jones continues to use senior Dylan Wade in multiple roles. In addition to playing tight end, the Maryland commit was used at quarterback in wildcat packages and also played on the defensive line. Wade scored a rushing touchdown and added a two-point conversion run.
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Jones senior wide receiver Derrick Rogers (Maryland commit) caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter.
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Northwestern senior receiver Andy Jean (Florida commit) caught two passes. Bulls senior tight end/receiver Adam Moore, who has more than 20 offers, caught pass on fourth down in the second half to put Northwestern in the red zone.
Jones senior cornerback Jayden Gillens scored on a punt return in the second quarter. Gillens’ offers include Kentucky, Ole Miss, USF, FAU and FIU.
The game had several delays. Lightning in the area pushed kickoff back approximately 45 minutes. The lights at Camping World Stadium completely went out in the third quarter, causing another lengthy minute delay.
