Within the return sport of the home-and-home collection, the Miami Hurricanes will host the USF Bulls in week 3 of the 2025 soccer season. This non-conference sport is a key sport for the Canes, who can have already confronted Notre Dame within the opener, and host rivals Florida the week following this sport.
As ever, it is a key sport for USF, who will look to make a splash with an underdog win towards a much bigger, quicker, stronger, higher crew, and a “get-the-job-done” sport for Miami, who will undoubtedly be closely favored and anticipated to win this sport.
This would be the eighth sport ever between these groups. Miami enters with a 6-1 file towards USF (with the lone loss being the ultimate straw earlier than Randy Shannon’s firing). Miami went as much as Tampa and beat USF 50-15 final 12 months, the most important margin of victory on this collection. Whereas USF was capable of finding some yards between the 20s, they had been largely saved off the scoreboard, and Miami was in a position to cruise to a lopsided victory.
USF is led by head coach Alex Golesh, a spread-offense guru in his first flip as a head coach after nice success as OC at Tennessee. Golesh has led USF to consecutive 7-6 information in his first 2 years on the job, however remains to be on the lookout for a breakthrough win towards a P4 crew. USF performed Alabama to a 17-3 sport (that was very shut for 3.5 quarters) in 2023, and that’s the closest they’ve come to a breakthrough.
Below Golesh’s management, USF is a an offense-first outfit. QB Byrum Brown leads the way in which, using his dual-threat capability to stretch the sector along with his arm, and damage defenses who ignore him along with his operating capability. Brown burst onto the scene with a strong season in 2023 (practically 3,300 yards on 65% completions with 26 TDs and 11 INTs passing and 800 yards and 11 TDs speeding), however took a significant step again in 2024.
Battling a number of accidents final season, Brown had fewer than 300 yards speeding and 850 yards passing in 6 video games. Brown is reportedly absolutely heathy for the 2025 season, and his return to the shape he confirmed in 2023 will probably be important for USF to take a step ahead on the sector this season.
USF returns its complete offensive line for 2025, and the hope is that continuity is useful for them to take a step ahead.
On protection, USF largely runs a 3-3-5, and return 8 starters on that facet of the ball. They allowed practically a quarter mile on 5.8 yards per play final 12 months, which is one thing that the Bulls will look to enhance upon, however that Miami will look to take advantage of as soon as once more.
Once you have a look at this matchup on each degree — roster expertise, offense, protection, particular groups, teaching — Miami has a large benefit. Sure, they might want to exit and play to the usual to curtail USF’s up-tempo offense and exploit their undersized protection, however that needs to be a good simple activity for a crew of Miami’s anticipated caliber.
Final 12 months, after a little bit of a gradual begin, Miami scored on a protracted Cam Ward TD cross simply earlier than the half, after which ran away with issues within the 2nd half, ending with a 5 TD win. This 12 months, I’d count on a 3+ landing win for Miami to get one other (hopefully third) win on the resume earlier than the Canes flip their consideration to the Florida Gators for week 4.
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