With the heartbreaking loss to Syracuse dropping the Miami Hurricanes to 10-2 their probabilities on the School Soccer Playoffs have been dropped at zero. With no hope on the postseason the Hurricanes each participant and fan entered choice Sunday with a mixture of boredom and disappointment. That being mentioned Miami soccer does have yet another recreation to play and it is going to be the Pop Tart Bowl towards Iowa State.
The Hurricanes performed with hearth all season requiring a number of double digit level comebacks, taking part in in five-one-score video games they usually bought burned twice in losses to Georgia Tech (7-5) and Syracuse (9-3). These two in-conference losses dropped Miami to 3rd within the ACC behind Clemson and SMU and with out taking part in within the convention championship in addition to a scarcity of signature ranked wins Miami was left on the surface trying because the CFP’s second crew out of playoffs.
The story for Iowa State is somewhat totally different. The Cyclones completed 10-3 and barely made it to the Large-12 championship the place they misplaced handedly to Arizona State 45-19. They’re led by way of the air by redshirt Sophomore Rocco Becht and the dynamic duo of senior receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel who each eclipsed the 1000 yard mark however they’re Iowa State’s solely two receivers who’ve greater than 300 yards. Defensively they battle on the bottom permitting 5 yards per carry and a complete of 179 per recreation. They’re a lot better towards the cross as qb’s solely full about 53% of their passes for somewhat over 160 yards per recreation. With Miami’s struggles towards the cross this season in addition to their reliance on the air recreation the Cyclones ought to current an attention-grabbing problem.
Within the coming weeks it is going to be very attention-grabbing to see how this Hurricanes roster appears to be like going into the Pop Tart bowl. Miami’s roster is suffering from many draft eligible prospects. Cam Ward, Xavier Restrepo, and Tyler Baron simply to call a number of. Like many different prospects in recent times they might shift their focus in direction of making ready for the skilled degree as an alternative of taking part in within the bowl recreation. The switch portal may very well be one other massive think about Miami’s gameday roster. Sophomore operating again Chris Johnson Jr. and switch quarterback Reese Poffenbarger are simply two notable names who’re already anticipated to switch. Between these NFL prospects and transfers coach Cristobal may get an opportunity to check Miami’s depth and check out the way forward for the crew as he appears to be like to construct off the success of this yr.
Offensively the potential connection between sophomores Emory Williams and standout receiver Isaiah Horton, with the freshman speedster Jordan Lyle out of the backfield is one thing Miami can sit up for if the Canes upperclassmen determine to sit down. Miami’s protection did battle in spots however does have some brilliant spots with its youth. Rueben Bain is one who desires to finish the season robust, after a robust freshman yr accidents despatched him right into a sophomore hunch. Him together with freshman cornerback OJ Frederique confirmed flashes as a lockdown boundary nook, and 5 star freshman defensive lineman and eleventh ranked prospect of the 2024 class Justin Scott are potential cornerstones that Miami desires to see finish the season on a excessive notice.
Although it may not be the way in which Miami desires the season to finish, a bowl win can be an enormous step for a crew who has 2 bowl wins since 2006. The Pop Tart Bowl between the Canes and Cyclones will happen in Tenting World Stadium in Orlando on December 28. It was the positioning of Miami’s final bowl win in the course of the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl.