Miami positioned itself as the early season favorite in the ACC with a 41-17 rout of Florida on Saturday.
The No. 19 Hurricanes outplayed the Gators in nearly every facet as Miami’s revamped roster showed the recipe for a College Football Playoff berth.
Former Washington State QB Cam Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in his first start with the Hurricanes, while Xavier Restrepo had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Miami led 24-10 at halftime and broke the game open with two third-quarter touchdowns. The Gators drove 75 yards in six plays to start the second half, and the drive was capped by running back Mark Fletcher’s 1-yard touchdown run. Six minutes later, Ward found Jacolby George for a 28-point lead.
While Miami’s offense picked apart Florida’s defense, Miami’s defense kept Florida in check even without star defensive end Rueben Bain. He left the game after suffering an injury on the first possession, but the Hurricanes’ defensive line was able to provide consistent pressure without him. That group included Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron, as he entered Miami’s backfield with ease during the second half.
Florida’s only highlight came in the second quarter, when Montrell Johnson ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run. Other than that, the Gators did little until the game spiraled out of control and they were forced to play rookie quarterback DJ Lagway in the second half after Graham Mertz was taken to the locker room following a hit after an interception.
The ACC is wide open for the Hurricanes
Week 1 is prime for overreaction, and Miami is a team prone to doing so, too. But here’s why what happened Saturday may not be an overreaction at all.
Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson have already lost. The Seminoles lost in Week 0 to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech lost in overtime Saturday at Vanderbilt and Clemson was dominated once again by Georgia in a 34-3 loss that showed how far the Tigers have fallen from the top of college football in recent years.
Miami has been the ACC’s most impressive team so far. And it’s not even close. NC State, another preseason favorite atop the conference, earned a win on Thursday night, but the Wolfpack found themselves trailing FCS Western Carolina in the second half before eventually pulling away for a 17-point victory.
If Miami can’t win the ACC this year with this talent, when will it?
In addition to Ward, the Hurricanes added running back Damien Martinez from Oregon State (15 carries for 65 yards), and Houston transfer Samuel Brown had three receptions in his Miami debut. The defensive line has talent and depth thanks to the transfer portal. Most importantly, Miami figures to have an incredibly manageable schedule.
The Hurricanes face Virginia Tech and Florida State at home and don’t have Clemson or NC State on the schedule. The toughest road game figures to be a trip to Louisville on Oct. 19 after a bye week. Given the way Miami looked on Saturday, this team should win 10 games.