225 days ago, Miami’s season ended on its own field, with red and white confetti shooting into the skies above Hard Rock Stadium.
Now, the Hurricanes are ready to write a new story. Each game and each week represents a new chapter. Chapter One begins Friday, Sept. 4, against Stanford in Palo Alto, as the Hurricanes begin their quest to return to the mountaintop of college football.
“This game has had our attention since January,”Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal said at his press conference on Monday.
At the center of Miami’s next chapter is Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah. He comes into the season having high expectations after throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship.
Mensah comes into the season sporting numerous accolades including ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, and Manning Award Watch List.
“He’s [Mensah] proactive in making sure he’s ahead on the game plan,” Cristobal said. “He’s got a ton of energy, and I think he appreciates the intensity with which we come at him to prepare him.”
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson will look to get the most out of his redshirt junior quarterback by distributing the ball among Miami’s long list of explosive receivers.
Malachi Toney returns for his sophomore season, having put on 10-15 pounds of more muscle. Paired with the Freshman All-American wideout is Duke transfer Cooper Barkate, sophomore Joshua Moore, and South Carolina transfer Vandrevious Jacobs in the mix.
One of the bigger questions surrounding Miami’s offense is its new-look offensive line. The Hurricanes lost four of their starting offensive line last year and will rely on veterans Matthew McCoy and Samson Okunlola to fill the roles of Markell Bell and Francis Mauioga.
Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal is also expected to have true freshmen Jackson Cantwell and Ben Congdon slot into the starting offensive line. Cantwell is the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year and was ranked among the top recruits in the country.
Mirabal has done a great job developing the trenches in years past, and it will be intriguing to see how his group fairs on Friday.
The Hurricanes’ offense will look to exploit a Stanford defense that struggled in its 37-27 Week Zero win over Hawai‘i.
Leading 23-7 entering the fourth quarter, Stanford allowed Hawai‘i to mount a late comeback attempt, as the Rainbow Warriors scored 20 points in the final quarter. Hawai‘i’s comeback bid ultimately fell short when quarterback Micah Alejado fumbled in the final minutes.
Miami last played Stanford in Hard Rock Stadium during the 2025 season where the Hurricanes scored 42-straight points to soundly defeat the Cardinal 42-7.
Stanford only had 144 yards of total offense compared to Miami’s 404. It was a big night for running back Mark Fletcher as he rushed 108 yards and three touchdowns.
The 2025 matchup marked the first ever game between the two programs.
The Cardinal is led by Michigan transfer quarterback Davis Warren. Warren is coming off a career-high 310-yard passing performance, completing 22 of 34 attempts with one touchdown. It was also the first time he eclipsed the 300 yard mark in his career.
Stanford totaled 483 yards of offense, led primarily by tight end Benji Blackburn, who recorded five receptions for 49 yards. The 6-foot-6 junior is a Miami, native who attended Christopher Columbus High School.
The Cardinal ran a fast tempo offense that kept Hawai‘i on its toes most of the night, led by junior running back Micah Ford.
Ford rushed for 99 yards on 25 attempts and had three touchdowns. The lead back for the Cardinal missed the 2025 matchup against the Canes because of injury but will be ready for Friday’s contest.
Miami’s defense will look to be ready for Stanford, led by a veteran group of players. The Hurricanes will enter the season without defensive standouts Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, who both were selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“We want to try to make teams one-dimensional,” Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said. “We want to get behind the sticks. We want to get advantages to get the pass rush to them, to get them off track on third and long. We got to play hard and we got to make sure we’re stopping the run.”
A cross-country road trip is never easy, but Miami will have to be prepared for the challenge as it gets its longest trip of the season in Week 1.
The chase for title No. 6 begins Friday night against Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.
