The Miami Hurricanes will kick off year 3 of the Mario Cristobal era in hostile territory. They will travel to Gainesville, Florida to take on their in-state rival, the Florida Gators. The first two years under Cristobal have been a mixed bag, evening out at a .500 record of 12-12 with one bowl appearance.
Miami enters the 2024 season ranked 19th in the nation, carrying a considerable amount of hype with it. However, that has been the case for many Hurricanes teams over the past two decades with little results to show compared to the expectations. Still, many believe this Miami team is the squad that will buck that trend.
The ’Canes were marred by inconsistent quarterback play which held back an otherwise fairly complete roster as injuries plagued the season for both starter Tyler Van Dyke and backup Emory Williams.
This offseason, the Hurricanes looked to the transfer portal for improvements at the position and came away with one of the best transfers in the country, Cameron Ward from Washington State. Ward will be joined in his first season in Miami by another splash in the transfer portal by the ’Canes in former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez.
Ward and Martinez, alongside returning star receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George and a talented offensive line highlight what looks to be an explosive offensive unit. The Hurricanes also do not lack talent on the defensive side with star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and Middle Tennessee State transfer Marley Cook headlining a promising group.
The Hurricanes are flooded with talent and experience on both sides of the ball, and if everything goes to plan, Cristobal’s third season leading the ’Canes could be the one that puts Miami back in the national spotlight.
Meanwhile, the Florida Gators have been a far cry from the SEC contender they used to be, as they have not posted a winning season since 2020, and expectations are low for the upcoming season. Most analysts agree that the Gators could be in for a tough season in 2024.
Still, there are some bright spots for Florida that could give the Hurricanes some issues. Quarterback Graham Mertz was incredibly efficient in his first season at UF, tossing 20 touchdowns to only three interceptions.
Miami’s defense was stout last season but showed cracks in their armor at times to quarterbacks, notably allowing 273 yards and four touchdowns to North Carolina’s Drake Maye and 308 yards with three touchdowns to Louisville’s Jack Plummer. If Miami’s defense does not come to play next Saturday, Mertz could pick them apart with precision as he rarely turns the ball over.
Florida’s most notable roster change came at the running back position as Trevor Etienne transferred to Georgia, leaving the backfield open for senior Montrell Johnson Jr. The veteran back tallied over 1,000 scrimmage yards last season along with six touchdowns while splitting touches with Etienne. With a larger role now, Johnson looks prime for a huge statistical season.
While the Hurricanes’ rushing defense was solid throughout most of the season, they faltered at times, allowing their opponents to rush for over 100 yards six times over their last eight games of the season. The Gators will likely lean on their rushing attack if they are to challenge Miami in week one.
Another factor in this matchup is the crowd. It is considerably tougher to win on the road in college football no matter the opponent and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is notorious as one of the loudest and most difficult environments for opposing teams in all of college football. The Gators’ crowd has propelled them to some notable upsets over the past few years despite the lack of team success as a whole, notably against No. 7 Utah in 2022 and No. 11 Tennessee last season.
Regardless of Florida’s roster and expectations this year, the Hurricanes will need to come prepared for the noise and atmosphere if they wish to escape with a win on the road.
Kickoff for next Saturday’s season opener is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be aired on ABC.