The Miami Hurricanes come into this game as the seventh-ranked team in the nation and are coming off of their best season in years.They came this close to upsetting Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship, before losing 27-21.
The team did have some questionable losses, which have been their downfall over the past few seasons.They lost to Louisville at home in a game that was very bad for Carson Beck.
They also lost on the road to SMU.However, they were outstanding in the playoffs.Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.
(Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)This year will face some challenges, of course.They no longer have Beck under center, so that’s going to be an adjustment at the very least.
The team has Darian Mensah coming from Duke, where he threw 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions with almost 4,000 passing yards.That’s impressive work.
He seems to be mostly a pocket passer and doesn’t rely on his legs to extend plays, so the offensive line will need to give him time, especially early as he builds rapport with his team.Stanford already has a game under its belt and has a bit of an advantage over the Hurricanes because the Cardinal is used to game speed.That doesn’t always mean anything, but it is at least worth noting and considering.
The Cardinal beat the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors last week, but that game was significantly closer than you would’ve expected given the final score.Stanford won 37-27, but this was after blowing a 16-point lead.
They were down four with about 3:12 before scoring a touchdown and returning a fumble for another score.Stanford Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren gestures during the fourth quarter against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Aug.29, 2026.
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)Overall, the team looked pretty good outside half of the f...