For ‘Canes football, no matchup this season will mean more than when they play against Florida State on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

The two teams have played each other once a year for the past 54 years, and the ‘Canes lead the series all-time 35-32. However, the undefeated ‘Noles are the No. 4 ranked team in the nation and are looking to protect their home when kick-off occurs at 8 p.m.

Here’s what four members of The Miami Hurricane’s sports section are predicting for the game:

Wrigley Kordt:

No. 4 Florida State remains undefeated, while Miami has lost three of its last five games. The ‘Canes come into Tallahassee as 14-point underdogs, and with the way the ‘Canes have played as of late, that might be a generous line against their long-time rival.

One of Miami’s (many) weaknesses during its underwhelming stretch has been the secondary. While All-American safety Kamren Kinchens has made splash plays, the rest of the defensive back room has been inconsistent at best.

Enter wide receiver Keon Coleman. The third-year wideout leads the ACC in receiving touchdowns and has a case for being the nation’s best wideout not named Marvin Harrison Jr. Miami will need to key in on Coleman, but with the secondary’s struggles against significantly lesser receivers, I’m not sure the ‘Canes will be able to hold back the Seminole offense.

Overall, I don’t see Miami ending Florida State’s perfect record, and I don’t even see it being much of a fight.

Prediction: Florida State 35, Miami 14

Quinn Sheehan:

A once 4-0 Miami team full of optimism has dropped three of its last five contests, now sitting at 6-3.

In last week’s game against NC State, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and the offense looked completely out of sync, only mustering six points against the Wolfpack. Van Dyke, who began the season with a bang, has disappointed in his first two games back from injury, as he has thrown five interceptions and has yet to throw a touchdown since his return.

Meanwhile, the Florida State Seminoles look like one of the best teams in the country and have already clinched a spot in the ACC title game. The undefeated Seminoles have looked top-notch for most of the season, with convincing wins over teams like LSU and Duke.

Their explosive offense, led by quarterback Jordan Travis, has looked excellent and consistent all year, as Travis has totaled 26 touchdowns with only two interceptions.

While this Miami team is better than the squad that was embarrassed at home by FSU last season, playing such a well-balanced team on the road may prove too much for the ‘Canes. The Hurricanes will have to play an almost perfect game to have a shot against the Seminoles, which seems unlikely based on how the offense has recently performed.

I expect Miami to be in for another rough one against its rivals to the north.

Prediction: Florida State 41, Miami 13

Ian Graves:

Heading into this rivalry matchup against the undefeated Florida State Seminoles (9-0, 7-0 ACC), Miami needed to come in with momentum. Still, after losing three out of its last five, the ‘Canes season is crumbling at the worst time.

Tyler Van Dyke’s recent struggles may only get worse this week against a Seminole defense that comes into this week ranked No. 15 in scoring defense, allowing just 17 points per game. Questions remain about who will start the game at quarterback for Miami, as Coach Cristobal has not announced a starter. Still, whether that is Van Dyke, Emory Williams, or Jacurri Brown, I do not think the score will be heavily impacted.

Moving over to the defensive side of the ball, forcing turnovers is essential if the ‘Canes want to pull off this rivalry upset. However, slowing down the No. 9 ranked Florida State offense, scoring almost 40 points per game led by elite quarterback Jordan Travis, will likely be even more of a challenge than putting points on the board themselves.

Unfortunately, Florida State is the better team and will show that on Saturday.

Prediction: Florida State 33, Miami 17

Delaney Brody:

The ‘Canes face their toughest test of the season traveling to Tallahassee to face the undefeated and fourth ranked Seminoles. Heisman hopeful Jordan Travis, leads a balanced offense ranked 7th nationally in both points per game (39.6) and yards per play (6.8). The balanced attack averages 5 yards per rush (16th) and 9 yards per pass (18th). Defensively, FSU is 10th in the country giving up a paltry 17 points per game. While FSU pass defense is strong in its secondary, where they are second nationally in opponent completion percentage at 48%, they are only a middle of the pack run defense giving up 4 yards per rush.

For Miami to have a chance at the upset, they need to run the ball successfully with their quartet of backs Henry Parrish Jr., Don Cheney Jr., Ajay Allan, and Mark Fletcher Jr. control the ball and the clock and keep FSU’s potent offense off of the field. The other key is for the ‘Canes to win the turnover battle, which means Tyler Van Dyke has to cut down on the interceptions and make quick throws to Xavier Restrepo. If they do this then Miami’s strong defense can keep them in the game and give the ‘Canes a shot of pulling off the huge upset.

Ultimately, I believe that the ‘Noles have too much on both sides of the ball and have too much to play for with the football playoff in the balance to stumble against its interstate rival. Miami’s terrific defense will do its best to keep it close, but FSU will pull away in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Florida State 31, Miami 16

‘Canes travel to Tallahassee seeking revenge against #4 Ranked Florida State

In the world of college football, very few rivalry games are as intense as the Miami Hurricanes (6-3, 3-4 ACC) and the Florida State Seminoles (FSU) (9-0, 7-0 ACC). With the two teams meeting every year for the past 54 years, the battle between the two programs is one that players mark on their calendars years in advance.

“Everybody comes to Miami because they want to play in the big games like FSU,” Miami offensive lineman Jalen Rivers said. “It’s a game everyone tunes into every year.”

This year’s matchup will be the 67th game between the two programs, a rivalry that brings the best out of both teams. Among these matchups, 32 came down to a one-score difference, a three-point margin determined 19, and nine won by one singular point. The Hurricanes own the all-time bragging rights in the matchup, with a 35-32 lead over the ‘Noles.

Last year’s rendition of the rivalry was one for the history books, in all the wrong ways for the Hurricanes. With a sold-out Hard Rock Stadium crowd for the first time all year, FSU wallopped Miami, routing them in a 45-3 blowout. The Hurricane offense turned the ball over four times, and the passing attack finished the game with a poor 67 yards, while the Seminoles would score 38 unanswered points en route to their second straight win against Miami. Now, as the ‘Canes gear up for their 67th all-time matchup against the ‘Noles, it may be their most challenging.

The fourth-ranked Seminoles enter the rivalry game undefeated, dominating every team in their way. Senior quarterback Jordan Travis and Michigan State transfer wide receiver Keon Coleman have led the way for the FSU offense. Travis has been one of the premier quarterbacks in the country, throwing 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions this season. Coleman, a projected 1st round pick in this year’s draft, has been one of the best wideouts in college football, tallying 538 yards and nine touchdowns so far.

Coleman, at 6-foot-4, has been a nightmare for opposing defenses and will be a tough challenge for a Hurricane’s defense whose top defensive backs, Jaden Davis and Daryl Porter Jr., went down against N.C. State a week prior. In his weekly press conference, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was optimistic about Porter’s availability this week and confirmed that Davis is good to go for Saturday.

Miami will need their offense to play like it did at the start of the season if they want to win this week. In the season’s first four weeks, Miami averaged over 43 points a game. Since ACC play, however, the Hurricane offense has looked dormant, averaging 22 points a game. Some of these offensive struggles have fallen on the burden of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

“Most of it probably has to do with trying to do too much. Just let the defense dictate where the ball goes,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “I thought we would have hit a couple more shots on [N.C. State] and we didn’t hit any.”

Van Dyke struggled mightily against a solid N.C. State defense, throwing three interceptions and leading the offense to no touchdowns in their 20-6 defeat in Raleigh. Van Dyke now leads Power 5 quarterbacks in interceptions this season, with 11. With Miami’s field general throwing eight picks in his last four games, Coach Cristobal wouldn’t name the starting quarterback for Saturday’s game.

“From a game planning standpoint and a team dynamic standpoint, I wouldn’t use this forum to discuss a personnel move especially at that position,” coach Mario Cristobal said.

The last time an unranked Miami Hurricanes team went into Tallahassee and defeated a ranked Seminoles squadron was 2009 in a 38-34 scoring frenzy. Down for most of the game, Miami pulled ahead with about 1:53 left in the 4th quarter on a three-yard touchdown from then Hurricane running back Graig Cooper, following a Travis Benjamin 40-yard catch from Jacory Harris. FSU, led by quarterback Christian Ponder, would drive to the two-yard line with five seconds left. On the game’s last play, Ponder would find an open Jarmon Fortson, who failed to hold on to the ball while falling to the ground, sealing a thrilling victory for the ‘Canes. It would be FSU coach Bobby Bowden’s last game of the rivalry as he retired at the end of the season. The Hurricanes hope history can repeat itself with a win in Tallahassee.

The Hurricanes matchup with the Seminoles of Florida State will occur at Doak S. Campbell Stadium at 3:30 P.M. The game will air on ABC.

The Miami Hurricanes have a tough decision this Saturday when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the fourth-ranked Florida State Seminoles: Who should start at quarterback?

The ‘Canes have three realistic options. They can go with the struggling starter in fourth-year junior Tyler Van Dyke, a true freshman with only a single game of starting experience in Emory Williams, or their former four-star sophomore Jaccuri Brown, who hasn’t seen the field yet this year.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has yet to give any updates on who the starter against FSU may be. “From a game-planning standpoint and a team dynamic standpoint, I wouldn’t use this form to discuss a personal move at that position because it affects so many different things,” said Cristobal at his presser on Monday. “What I will say is that we are always competing at every position. We are always assessing, and we are always making the decisions that give us the best chance to win.”

So, what QB gives the Hurricanes the best chance to win on Saturday afternoon?

This season, Van Dyke has been the team’s starting quarterback for every game except one. In those games, Miami is 4-3. Van Dyke looked like a rockstar in his first four games of the season. The Connecticut native amassed over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns while only throwing one interception. Since the meltdown against Georgia Tech, Van Dyke’s play has been less than inspiring. Ten interceptions in the last three games, all in similarly underthrown manners, leave fans and coaches concerned. This is arguably Van Dyke’s worst stretch of his career, heading into arguably the biggest game of his career.

In Williams’s only game starting, he collected 151 yards passing with one interception and one touchdown. The Florida native completed 73% of his passes while throwing it 33 times. This was in a challenging game at home against an excellent Clemson defense. The playbook limited Willaims, as Dawson called, a plethora of short screen and intermediate routes Williams could execute. Overall, Williams looked solid in his only non-garbage time play this season. Not enough to demand a starting role, but enough to instill confidence in him as a backup.

We have not seen any game action from Brown so far this season. Brown did get into some games last season, though. As a freshman, Brown threw the ball 45 times for 230 yards. While also tossing three touchdowns to go along with three interceptions. It’s not the prettiest stat line, but it did include a game against Georgia Tech where Brown was 14 of 19 for 136 yards and three scores. Undoubtedly, Brown is the most athletic quarterback that the ‘Canes have, but also the one they seem to trust the least.

Miami’s offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson, says he wants consistency from all three of Miami’s quarterbacks. “Consistency,” said Dawson. “The same thing every week.”

At this point, Miami has yet to have an excellent answer for what to do at the quarterback position. In the past few weeks, the only things consistent about Van Dyke’s game is that he’s been injured and inaccurate. Williams flashed some ability to get the job done but still is just a freshman. Brown is a wildcard at this point. Could he lead the ‘Canes to glory? Yes. Could he also show the ‘Canes to a self-sabotaging demise? Yes.

Someone has to be the starter against the Seminoles. So who is it going to be?

The case for Van Dyke: The ‘Canes have been ride or die with Van Dyke all year. Van Dyke has played well and played poorly. As of late, it’s been poorer than usual, but he’s also the most experienced player they have in their QB room. Van Dyke has shown he has the skills to lead his team to victory. The struggling quarterback may not be playing the best right now, but he’d have an opportunity to make up for all of it to topple the Seminoles at home.

The case for Williams: The freshman looked composed as a starter in a prime-time game at home. While he was limited by his playbook for most of the night, he was efficient and accurate when dealing. Williams guided his team to victory against a tough Clemson team. The Florida native was not the reason the ‘Canes lost that game, but not quite why they won.

The case for Brown: Brown’s chances to start are near the chance of snowfall in Tallahassee on Saturday. That does not mean that the choice doesn’t garner some attention. Brown has a skillset that would bring a different dimension to the ‘canes offense. Brown’s skills with the ball in his hands should not go unnoticed. The Georgia native could bring an element that no team would have been able to scout against. If the ‘Canes want to roll into the heart of Seminole country and surprise them, Brown should be under center come game time.

The Verdict: There is no way that van Dyke does not start against the Seminoles unless he’s not medically cleared to play. Van Dyke is their leader, and while he has not played well as of late, he’s shown he can do it in big games. Emory Williams is far too green to be asked to hold up against 80,000 screaming Seminole fans in one of the most important games of the year. If the Miami coaching staff did not trust Brown to play against Clemson at home, they wouldn’t trust him to play against the Seminoles on the road. It would be exciting, but sort of in the way that a horror movie is exciting.

No matter who is under center when the ‘Canes take the field on Saturday, it will be complicated to come out of Doak Campbell Stadium with a victory. The Florida St. offense is scary, and they will score a lot. Miami will likely need to go score-for-score with them to stay in the game. Van Dyke gives the ‘Canes the best chance to do that.

While he’s seen better days, he’s still the best option for Miami to sail the proverbial ‘Canes ship into stormy Seminole waters. Miami’s fate will be determined by just how well Van Dyke performs. You know what they say: the captain often goes down with his ship.

Miami headed into its week ten matchup against NC State, hoping to build off a two-game ACC winning streak. Instead, the Hurricanes were no match for the Wolfpack in a close-knit 20-6 loss.

“We know we can be a really good football team,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “We’ve shown it in spurts. We have to make sure we do our best job as an organization to get better.”

The loss puts Miami at 6-3 and 2-3 in conference play before heading into the season’s last three games.

While Miami’s ACC championship hopes dwindle, the loss gives Miami a chance to look back at some of the team’s flaws before the big rivalry game in Tallahassee against Florida State this upcoming Saturday. Let’s get into the takeaways from last Saturday’s defeat.

Miami outplayed their opponent but still lost again.

The biggest takeaway from last Saturday is that Miami lost a game they should have won, and not for the first time this year.

NC State made the big plays when they mattered most, and Miami did not. There have been multiple games where the Hurricanes have complete control but can’t put down the hammer. On Saturday, Miami had more total yards, more first downs, and 19 first downs to NC State’s 12. The defense stepped up when needed, and the offense put themselves in a position to score but couldn’t finish the job on most drives.

Turnovers are what cost Miami. Other than a late interception when the game was out of reach, the other three turnovers either surrendered points for Miami or led to NC State getting on the scoreboard.

Multiple times this season, Miami’s had the opportunity to take controllable leads but have failed to do so due to the inability to finish off drives and costly errors. In a low-scoring game where mistakes matter most, Miami made too many mistakes.

The defense should keep up their production

The Hurricane’s defense has had its ups and downs this season, but Saturday was a much-encouraged outing. The first three quarters were dominant, and in total, the Wolfpack only had 231 total yards and went 3 for 11 on third down.

The defensive line has stepped up since the bye week, led by the play from true freshman Rueben Bain Jr. The unit added two more sacks against the Wolfpack, and overall, the defense has improved each week, with the young players continuing to get better.

The offense has lost its rhythm

The formula for success on offense was clear and worked for Miami in the first half of the year: Establish the run, get the ball out quickly to playmakers in space, and mix in some deep passes. New offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson also brought a sense of unpredictability within the play calling, which wasn’t seen last season and benefited the offense this year. Most importantly, Miami was finishing off drives with cementing touchdown runs or long passes. Since the game against Georgia Tech, that same magical flow deemed dominant is now somewhat lost.

While Saturday was the worst the offense has played, the past five games are a small sample size of the big problems happening within the unit. Tyler Van Dyke has not done much, but don’t put all the blame on the gunslinger because, overall, the offensive as a whole has been questionable.

“I think it’s not just pointing a finger at [quarterback] Tyler [Van Dyke]. I think, offensively, there are things we need to do better. The passing game certainly hasn’t been what it needed to be, especially when we started the season so strongly. … Sometimes, the routes are covered, smothered a little bit. Protection has been fairly good for the most part. … It’s a little bit of everything. We’ve got to coach it better. We’ve got to get our guys to perform better. We’ve got to design a couple things that might help us see things a little bit more clearly. But it’s a little bit of everything,” coach Cristobal said regarding the offense.

And Cristobal is correct; it does feel like a little bit of everything. The offense has been underproduced and has a different spark than it did. But these next few weeks can allow Dawson’s unit to find its identity again. If Miami can get back to establishing the run and mixing in the past, they will discover more future success.

The Tyler Van Dyke we saw early in the season is nowhere to be found.

In a spot where Tyler Van Dyke needed to lead the team, the quarterback threw 21 for 38, no touchdowns, and three interceptions in his worst game of the year. Van Dyke is 1-3 in his last four starts and has thrown at least two interceptions in each game. Compared to the beginning of the year, where Van Dyke threw for five touchdowns 374 yards on 70% completion, his second half has been a disaster.

Whether it is a confidence thing or a scheming issue, it may be time for the Hurricanes to move on from the Tyler Van Dyke experiment. While Van Dyke may have the tools to be a successful college quarterback, he hasn’t been able to put all the pieces together at Miami and is just not getting the job done.

If Van Dyke can regain confidence and return to where he was, the offense should stick with him. But a change of pace might be suitable for this team, and Emory Williams could be a safer option.

Miami has their two biggest games of the season coming up against No. 4 Florida State and No. 11 Louisville, and no doubt these will be the most challenging teams they have faced. Meanwhile, there can be a lot of positives that can come with the final stretch. Miami can benefit from dealing with adversity, and the loss to NC State will be a wake-up call. Their next game against FSU will take place Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium, with kickoff at 8 p.m.