The Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles will renew their annual rivalry on October 4 in Tallahassee. And like each different 12 months, it’s vital sport and a litmus take a look at for the season for the Hurricanes. And sure, it doesn’t matter if FSU is 2-10 or 10-2; it’s nonetheless the sport that issues essentially the most for Miami yearly, together with 2025.
Happily, the schedule units up effectively for the Canes going into this sport, as Miami will have already got been battle examined twice at house towards Notre Dame and Florida. Additionally, the Canes could have a bye the week earlier than and the week after the sport towards Florida State, so the Canes can get totally rested and have an additional week to organize. In the meantime, the Noles have a Friday night time sport on 9/26 at Virginia, so a slight benefit to Miami there.
So, what are the Canes going up towards this 12 months after they stroll into Doak Campbell Stadium on 10/4? Absolutely a greater model than the 2-10 one which Miami rolled 36-14 at Arduous Rock Stadium final 12 months…. proper? (Bueller?)
FSU offense vs. Miami protection
Florida State will already be considerably higher at an important place on the sector, having secured former Boston Faculty QB Thomas Castellanos within the switch portal. Castellanos is somebody who could make performs along with his arm, however he’s a slippery participant who ran 14 occasions for 73 yards towards Florida State’s protection final 12 months in a 28-13 BC win in Tallahassee. He additionally threw for 106 yards and a couple of scores. He’ll be a transparent improve over the DJ Uiagalelei and Luke Kromenhoek fiasco of 2024, however…
….who’s going to catch the ball for them? And block? As our Justin Dottavio famous, FSU is changing 4 OL starters and doesn’t have the caliber of playmaker that they’ve had in years previous, to place it properly. They don’t have a lot continuity both, as 8 of their projected 11 starters are incoming transfers, which may take time to gel. And so they’re changing each coordinators. I can see extra rising pains coming in Tallahassee.
Miami’s protection, in the meantime, additionally introduced in new coaches (new DC Corey Hetherman, S Will Harris, and CB Zach Etheridge), however as actually heinous as Miami’s protection was final 12 months, significantly on the again finish, I’ve a tough time seeing this as something however an enormous shot within the arm. Add Xavier Lucas, Zechariah Poyser, and others into the unit, and Miami’s greatest downside space seems set to take an enormous step ahead in 2025. I like the place Miami stands on this facet of the ball much better than I did 6 months in the past, and the Canes must be higher outfitted than when the season ended to deal with FSU’s offense
Miami offense vs. FSU protection
I really feel like FSU at all times has dudes on their protection, and so they did sufficient final 12 months to present the Hurricanes’ offense a little bit of a problem for a lot of the sport final 12 months earlier than Miami turned it right into a laugher within the fourth quarter. However I’m undecided what to anticipate with this group with a brand new DC and 4 or 5 new potential starters throughout all three ranges of the protection by way of the portal. Former Cane Darrell Jackson, Jr. is again and may serve with former Nebraska DL James Williams as a pleasant duo up entrance. They’ve three returning on the again finish in Okay.J. Kirkland, Shyheim Brown, and Earl Little, Jr., so there’s some continuity and expertise there.
However I nonetheless like Miami right here with their large and bodily offense line to manage the sport up entrance and knock open holes with grinding drives. We nonetheless don’t know what the passing sport shall be like, however if you’ve obtained an excellent offensive line with a lead-pipe lock first spherical decide at deal with, that’s not an insignificant edge.
Method-too-early sport prediction: Miami 30, FSU 19
It is going to be one other grinder, because the Noles proceed to hold round with Castellanos being sufficient of a handful to maneuver the ball and maintain some drives. Nonetheless, the Canes put on down FSU within the fourth quarter and put the sport out of attain late in a troublesome highway win that Miami followers won’t complain about.