The No. 2 ranked Miami Hurricanes will face a tough test this week as the Louisville Cardinals come to town for a Friday night showdown. The Cardinals are 4-1 on the season and all year have received AP Poll votes, just narrowly staying around the outskirts of the top-25 and present a number of challenges that Miami will have to face.
Friday’s matchup will be a test for Miami’s secondary, most notably its cornerbacks, to slow down Miller Moss and receiver Chris Bell. Moss, Louisville’s transfer quarterback from USC, is a prototypical pocket passer with great touch, accuracy, and more than enough arm strength to make all the throws around the field.
His go-to guy, Chris Bell, has so far been a perfect complement to that style. Bell, at 6’2 220 pounds, is a phenomenal outside receiver with very strong hands, ball tracking skills, and a great combination of size and speed that also makes him great after the catch. Over the last two games, the two have put up big numbers against ACC competition, with Bell averaging 12 catches and 152 yards while posting three touchdowns. On the perimeter, it is going to be a big game for ‘Canes’ cornerbacks OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas to keep the two from taking over the game.
So far this season, Miami has been able to handle the other team’s number one receiver. Chas Nimrod from South Florida is the only wide receiver to hit over 100 yards against the Hurricanes, and through three quarters, UM held Florida State’s Duce Robinson to just 34 yards, as well as forcing a fumble.
So far this season, the Hurricanes’ rotation of perimeter corners has done more than a fine job at limiting big plays and stifling the opposition’s best weapon. But Bell is going to be the best receiver they have played all year. That group now once again has to prove it’s up for the challenge.
Miami, as it have every week, will have to rely on its defensive line to wreck havoc. The Hurricanes have a Heisman candidate in Reuben Bain Jr. that could once again take over a game against a struggling Louisville offensive line. So far this season, the Cardinals offensive line has allowed 13 sacks on the year, including five sacks against Virginia. With Moss not being a mobile quarterback, Miami should be able to continue taking the pressure off its secondary by getting to the quarterback quickly.
UM can also take advantage of the gunslinger Moss in the turnover battle, as the UL quarterback sometimes struggles with being too careless with the ball. Since becoming the full-time starter at USC in 2024, Moss has thrown 14 interceptions in 13 games, and more often than not, the turnovers come from defensive pressures. Against UVA, Moss was almost tackled to the ground on a third-down pass. Instead of taking the sack and punting, Moss blindly launched the ball straight to a Cavalier defensive back who returned it for a touchdown.
Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman took advantage of this last year, when he called the defensive plays at Minnesota. In a game against Moss and USC, the Gopher defense brought home two interceptions and held the quarterback to 200 yards and one touchdown. With the Hurricanes’ ability to consistently generate pressure with only four defensive linemen, Moss could be in trouble and could make some mistakes as a result.
So far this season, Miami and Hetherman’s defense have been able to force turnovers consistently. Against FSU and Notre Dame, the Hurricanes defense combined for five total interceptions, making things tough on two solid offenses. True freshman Bryce Fitzgerald and fifth-year safety Jakobe Thomas have led the way in the UM secondary that has produced nine total turnovers on the year and have a chance to add to that against Louisville this weekend.
While the Cardinals do have a talented running back in Issac Brown, who burned UM on a 43-yard scamper last year, they haven’t shown much of a willingness to stick to the run. This season, Louisville sits 13th in the nation in pass attempts per game at 38.4, but over the last two games, the Cardinals threw the ball an average of 49.5 times against their two ACC opponents.
Miami, with a dominant front, has only allowed 2.82 yards per carry and might be able to force Louisville into a passing game if the ‘Canes break open the game early. Without the mobility that Tommy Castellanos brought last game for FSU, the electric edge duo of Bain and Akheem Mesidor should be able to make some trouble for Moss.
Miami’s ability to build the lead is going to rely on the offense continuing to stay hot. Last game, the Hurricanes’ offense was phenomenal through the air as Florida State sold out to prevent the run game from firing on all cylinders. The Seminoles were punished by quarterback Carson Beck airing the ball out to CJ Daniels and Malachi Toney for four total touchdowns and several explosive passing plays.
This week, it could be a return to the ground game for the Hurricanes, as the Cardinals have had an excellent passing defense, limiting opposing offenses to just 150 passing yards per game. On the ground, teams haven’t had much more success, as the Cardinals have allowed 3.28 yards per carry and 111 yards per game. In these last two games for Louisville, that has gone down to just 84 rushing yards per game.
Miami has to watch out for Clev Lubin on the edge, who has totaled four sacks and 24 total pressures. In the interior, defensive tackle Rene Tonga has played well, tallying 14 pressures and three tackles for loss. Louisville’s secondary has some solid pieces on that end as well, led by cornerback Jabari Mack and defensive back Antonio Watts, combining for three interceptions on the year.
UM will need a balanced attack to take down a Louisville team that overall has been solid on the defensive end. With no glaring holes, Miami can’t rely on one facet of offense, whether it be the passing game like they did against FSU or the run game like they did against Florida.
On offense, the Hurricanes should see some more Jordan Lyle. While he did play some snaps last week, Lyle, with another week of health, could be an x-factor to watch out for. Lyle’s speed and elusiveness allows for the Miami’s offense to add an outside run game that hasn’t been utilized fully.
The Hurricanes, as they have all season, will likely tailor the game plan to the flow of the game. Whether it’s a big passing day from Beck or a big game on the ground, what Miami does on Friday will be determined by what Louisville decides to stop. Regardless, the Hurricanes have one of the best offensive lines in the country, and have a group that is able to push teams around consistently. No matter what area the Cardinals try to stop, the Hurricanes offense should still be able to flourish.
More important than anything is the need to stomp out the Cardinals when the Hurricanes get the chance. Throughout this season, the ‘Canes have played with fire late in games, allowing teams to stick around despite Miami’s dominant play. Games against Notre Dame and Florida State have shown the offense or defense sputtering for large portions of a game and allowing teams to come back.
Louisville has shown resilience in multiple games this year, facing deficits and making comebacks against JMU, Pittsburgh, and Virginia. The Hurricanes will look to their game against USF, where the ‘Canes put away the Bulls and wouldn’t let them come back at any point. The Cardinals are a pass-heavy team that can make explosive plays happen fast. Miami needs to stay on its toes and prevent this game from once looking like a blowout, then turning into a shootout that goes down to the wire.
The Hurricanes and Cardinals will play for the ‘Schnellenberger Trophy’ on Friday Oct. 17 in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.