For the first time in fifteen years, the Miami Hurricanes are a top ten team in college football two games into the season. And yet, they remain focused on the task at hand: winning one game at a time. With the Ball State Cardinals coming to town on Saturday, Head Coach Mario Cristobal is not playing down the Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent.
“[Miami’s] been preparing for a veteran offensive team but a very talented defensive team in Ball State,” Coach Cristobal told reporters at his weekly press conference. “They do a lot of good stuff and they have a lot of good players, so we’re looking forward to our opportunity this Saturday.”
The Hurricanes put on a clinic on both sides of the ball last week in the home opener at Hard Rock Stadium, where they torched the Florida A&M Rattlers, 56-9. Star quarterback and Heisman candidate Cam Ward threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as well as rushing for a score. Fifth-year senior Xavier Restrepo had over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. But perhaps the most impressive part of the victory this past weekend was the defensive dominance.
Tyler Baron, the transfer from the University of Tennessee, bullied the Rattlers’ offensive line, accumulating three sacks. The Hurricanes had five sacks in total, with the other two courtesy of Elijah Alston and Justin Scott, respectively. Additionally, the ‘Canes had three interceptions thanks to spectacular plays from Adarius Hayes, Cam Pruitt and Wesley Bissainthe. This kind of output from the defensive side of the ball produced numerous scoring opportunities for the offense and ensured a game that was never really in reach for Florida A&M. A similar performance against the undefeated Cardinals could further cement Miami’s status as one of the top teams in the country.
Speaking of Ball State, 2023 starting quarterback Kiael Kelly has switched to defensive back, leaving the team as an enigma heading into this year. Some questions were answered last weekend, as the Cardinals defeated FCS power Missouri State behind 262 yards and four touchdowns from new quarterback Kadin Semonza.
Coming into the season ranked at number nine in the MAC Coaches Poll, the expectations for Mike Neu’s squad should perhaps be tempered.Furthermore, the Mid-American Conference cannot be overlooked by any stretch. Last Saturday, the Northern Illinois Huskies upset the number five Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. While perhaps Northern Illinois presents a stronger team than Ball State, the ‘Canes must learn a lesson from the ‘unlucky’ Irish and put their best foot forward on Saturday.
Outside of Semonza at quarterback, watch out for Eastern Kentucky transfer Braedon Sloan at running back. He had over 100 yards rushing last week, as well as six catches for 46 yards out of the backfield. The ‘Canes occasionally had trouble containing Montrell Johnson Jr. of Florida in their first game, and a dual-threat running back could present issues for the vaunted ‘Canes linebacking unit.
As the Hurricanes look to prove themselves on the national stage, it is important for them to make their presence known regardless of opponent. It would be easy to overlook the Cardinals.
as Miami takes on the impressive South Florida Bulls team in Tampa next weekend, and discipline and focus must be on display for the Hurricanes from the opening kick.
The Hurricanes and Cardinals are set to duke it out on Saturday, September 14th, with kickoff time set for 3:30 PM EST at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.