Following a dominant performance last week against the Ball State Cardinals, the eighth-ranked Miami Hurricanes look to continue their strong play as the team travels north to face the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls.
This is the first matchup between the ‘Canes and the Bulls since 2013. Miami won the most recent matchup, winning 49-21 in Tampa. UM leads the in-state battle 5-1.
The 2-1 Bulls are coming off a road win against Southern Mississippi, in which their offense ran for 369 yards. South Florida’s rushing attack is averaging 268.7 rushing yards per game, good enough for eighth in the nation.
The week before, the Bulls hung around for over 45 minutes against No. 4 Alabama, staying within one point for over three quarters. Alabama pulled away in the fourth, winning 42-16.
“It doesn’t take what three or four clips watching them play against the University of Alabama for everybody to realize how good of a team that really is,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said to reporters. “We’re excited for a great challenge.”
USF is led by junior quarterback Byrum Brown. The dual threat signal caller does it all for the Bulls, being the team’s leading passer and rusher. In three games this season, Brown has thrown for 448 yards and run for 254 and has thrown for 448 while tallying two touchdowns as a runner and a passer.
In 2023, Brown joined Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as the only quarterback in the nation with 3000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards. Containing USF’s ground game will be a major focal point for Miami.
The Hurricanes’ run defense has been stout through the first three games of the season and will need another strong performance on Saturday. The ’Canes allow 65.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 12th in the nation.
UM’s offense will be spearheaded once again by Washington State transfer quarterback Cam Ward, who has thrust himself into Heisman conversations early on this season.
With Ward under center, the Hurricanes are averaging 53 points per game and throwing for 405 yards per game, good enough for fifth and second in the country, respectively. Ward this season has completed 73 percent of his passes, throwing for 1035 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. South Florida head coach Alex Golesh sang his praises for the senior quarterback.
“He’s really special,” Golesh told reporters. “I mean, man, he can make every throw on the field. Moves around in the pocket extremely well, really confident. You watch all three games, and he’s a really, really confident young man. Without knowing him, he looks like he’s got incredible command of the offense, and everybody’s in sync.”
Ward’s connection with fifth-year senior wideout Xavier Restrepo has been a vital piece for Miami’s offense. After a 2023 campaign that placed the wide receiver on the All-ACC First Team, Restrepo hasn’t slowed down. In three games this season, Restrepo has 14 catches for 263 yards and four touchdowns.
UM is expected to walk into another tough atmosphere on Saturday. On Sunday, the University of South Florida’s X account reported record-breaking student ticket purchases, enough to open the 300-level of Raymond James Stadium for the first time this season. The crowd on Saturday night could hit upwards of 60,000 people. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN.