On today’s episode of Eye of the Hurricane, Jules takes us through a review of the first episode of the new season of Dancing With the Stars, which features UM alumna Alix Earle.
The price tag of your morals
For most students, waking up may consist of scrolling through social media, catching up on their favorite gossip channels or checking the daily news. In that sea of endless content, something is bound to catch the reader’s attention, potentially filling them with anxiety or rage.
They may be inclined to leave reactions, comments and even send the post to others because of how absurd they feel after seeing the content.
But this is just an ordinary day for the social media feed. Social media is causing division, and this division has become a business.
Social media is a complex business, designed to keep customers invested. A physical example of this is Times Square. Perhaps what keeps people hooked is seeing these giant screens filled with advertisements. Social media does something similar; it keeps viewers invested in exactly the way advertisers want. Through features like likes, comments and reposts, engagement is driven up. This engagement is what makes the whole experience possible.
The hard truth is that everyone likes feeling validated. We like when others agree with what we believe. It gives value to our thoughts and feelings in what seems to be a world that doesn’t care for them.
Now, what if social media advertisers can manipulate that to expand a market? Out of all of these things, what can businesses do to unite a group into one place, make them loyal, and make it seem as if we care for them? The classic: a common enemy.
There isn’t a better way to drive engagement than putting an outsider as ‘the villain’ so people become more invested. With this divide, social media can push attention to advertisers, analysts and politicians.
This has been happening across many of the dominating companies. For example, a team of Facebook researchers once warned the company that their “algorithms are exploiting the human brain’s attraction to divisiveness.” Their response was to do nothing about it, and the research was seen as irrelevant and shut down.
Doesn’t that raise some eyebrows?
It was also discovered that after Elon Musk took over Twitter, the algorithm was modified to push his tweets to the top of the feeds of others. This is an even better example of this is how fast many of these newcomers have grown by exploiting the political divide, promising an environment where their users can feel well-validated.
How would the algorithm react if viewers started seeing just one side of the political spectrum? Predictably, content quickly multiplies until it becomes an endless stream of validation for what was already seen. No counterarguments, just more support for the same thing. Subsequently, more ads are shown per video.
The result is an echo chamber, a digital space where your own beliefs are constantly echoed back to you by the algorithm and other users. When an idea is always repeated and no one is allowed to disagree, it creates a fake sense of agreement that can be easily used by others. This manufactured unity makes the group’s biases highly predictable, allowing both secondary actors and the platform itself to capitalize on them.
People are not just users on social media, but increasingly the ammunition in a war for our attention. The business model of social media does not want us to find common ground, because conflict is more profitable than consensus. We must recognize that the anger we feel online is often manufactured for political or financial gain. This is not specific to the right or left, but applies everywhere and with anything.
The next time you feel a spike of anger from online outrage, pause and analyze the situation. Most importantly, do not let something designed to capture your attention manipulate you for purposes that do not care about you. Your opinions are valuable; don’t let it be twisted into something fabricated for a business.
Political violence needs to end now
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was publicly assassinated at Utah Valley University, on Wednesday, Sept. 12.
Kirk, 31, had built Turning Point USA into the nation’s largest conservative youth organization with more than 3,000 chapters across the country. He was renowned for mobilizing voters, including the block of conservative Gen Z male voters who came out in droves for President Donald Trump last November. He is survived by his wife Erika and their two young children.
Kirk’s death underscores a sobering reality: political violence has been on the rise and for the sake of the nation and common humanity, we must come together to stop it.
The public assassination has sparked outrage from prominent figures on both sides of the aisle.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who filmed a podcast with Kirk in March, called the violent act “disgusting”. Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who found himself the target of an anti-semetic arson attack in April, called for “moral clarity” and that there is no place for political violence in America. Liberal TikTok influencer Dean Withers broke down on a live stream when he heard the news of Kirk’s death, despite their history.
The four living former U.S. Presidents each gave their condolences to Kirk’s family. President Trump has ordered all flags to fly at half mast in honor of Kirk through Sunday, Sept.14.
This heinous act is just the latest in a string of politically motivated attacks over the last several years that have targeted not only activists like Kirk, but also judges, state senators and congressmen.
Two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses were shot and killed in shocking home assassinations. A former Wisconsin judge was also killed in his home back in 2022. There was also a series of letters laced with ricin poison sent to former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Perhaps most infamously was the attempt on President Trump’s life last year at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania which killed a crowd member.
While politicians condemn the act now, the key to preventing more of these attacks is to come together, in spite of our differences.
Part of the blame can be placed on us, the media. The 24 hour news cycle has rewarded us as journalists with shock value. The race to be the first to show the news of tragedy and horror has become bloodshed for profit.
Experts also suggest that when coverage focuses excessively on the perpetrator — their identity, manifesto and motives — rather than the broader sociopolitical issues or the harm done to victims, it normalizes or glorifies violence.
Political divisions are also fueled by the internet. No bigger culprit of this are algorithm based platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. If one likes a video calling Charlie Kirk a Nazi or saying hateful things about AOC, similar content gets generated for the user. This engagement fuels the creators of said content to make more of it, thus wedging an even bigger divide.
The vicious and public execution of Charlie Kirk is not just another isolated tragedy. It is a sign of a republic under siege. Political violence doesn’t just take lives, but undermines the people’s faith in institutions and most importantly in each other’s common humanity. It silences others and leaves the participation of discourse to those who are willing to endure threats and put their lives on the line, just as Kirk did.
The responsibility to end political violence does not lie with law enforcement alone. Leaders must reject incendiary rhetoric, communities must guard against dehumanization and the media must resist the urge to turn violence into a spectacle.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once warned: “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.”
Are we too obsessed with tracking?
I remember watching the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” and noticing how the Italians in the movie didn’t have an internal monologue in their head, pushing them to always do more. They enjoy life differently without the “hustle culture” Americans have gotten so accustomed to. In the film, Luca Spaghetti casually says that, “Americans know entertainment, but don’t know pleasure.”
While I was writing a review for the movie on the Letterboxd app, I began to question if he was right. I’m cataloging this movie, but am I truly enjoying it?
Americans have become obsessed with tracking, but these apps inspire people to do more, like pursue more hobbies, build communities and strive to achieve or experience new things. Life is impossible to quantify. It’s not like the more runs you log or the more movies you’ve watched means you’ve lived more.
I am part of a group that has added a plethora of apps on my phone to track almost everything. I personally track the books I read on Goodreads, the movies I watch on Letterboxd and I review all the restaurants I go to on Google Maps.
I love the satisfaction of completing a book and clicking the button on Goodreads to share my opinions and review. It almost encourages me to read more–so I can track more and feel accomplished.
This generation has become obsessed with productivity and proving to everyone that they are fulfilled. One could argue that we have always been this way, but now we just have so many platforms to showcase it.
Some people may even think that all of these tracking and reviewing apps are just another way people find a dopamine hit and get the validation we want. This may be true, but all these apps inspire us to pursue our hobbies, introduce us to different perspectives, connect with our community and squeeze the most out of life.
Is there a certain point we need to draw a line though?
On my calendar, I track how many days I exercise. When it’s over four days, I’m content and feel accomplished; on those busy weeks when I get under three workouts, I stress about my progress. The running app Strava has become so popular that I see people constantly posting how long they ran each day. There are too many apps like My Fitness Pal that make it easy to track everything you consume.
According to NPR, almost one in three Americans use a wearable device to track their fitness.
These apps do have positive effects, but they almost limit our experience when we no longer slow down and go at our own pace. It’s a rare experience to browse through a library to find a book by a random new author without consulting Goodreads or BookTok for approval. Sometimes these apps cage our experience by encouraging us to follow the crowd instead of fortuitously discovering things on our own.
Society needs to be more thoughtful with its consumption. We need to take the time to think critically about what we do on our devices, and whether it truly makes you happy or if it is a tracking obsession giving you a quick dopamine release. I am definitely not encouraging you to stop tracking–please do continue tracking if it makes you happy. I will surely continue discovering new movies and adding to my watchlist on Letterboxd, and I know you will too.
Let’s all just make sure that these apps don’t define who we are or limit our organic enjoyment of life. We can’t let tracking everything consume us; we need to learn when the tracking is taking over and how to delete these apps when they become unhealthy. Keep in mind that happiness is not quantifiable, and fulfillment is something only you can feel; no app can tell you that (accurately at least).
Hurricanes move up to No.2 in AP Poll
The Miami Hurricanes climbed the rankings again this week after stomping the Florida Gators, 26-7. UM now sits at No. 2 in the latest AP Poll— their highest position since 2017.
The Hurricanes defense dominated the Gator offense, holding them to only seven points. The Florida passing game was disastrous with quarterback DJ Lagway throwing for only 61 yards, no touchdowns and only completing 12 out of 23 throwing attempts. Miami’s 3rd down defense was impeccable, stopping the Gators on all of their 13 attempts.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was a rough day for Miami quarterback Carson Beck. While the young season has been great for Beck, with many sites having him as the Heisman favorite going into the weekend, he only threw for 160 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
With Beck having an off night, the running backs needed to step up and they answered the call.
Junior Mark Fletcher Jr. and redshirt sophomore CharMar “Marty” Brown had themselves a night with Fletcher rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown and Brown rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns along with 53 yards receiving yards, making him Miami’s top receiver of the game.
After their 4-0 start, UM will look to avoid what happened last time they were ranked No. 2, when they lost to unranked Pittsburgh late in the 2017 season.
Miami is on bye next week, but after that will be their toughest test of the season, facing No. 8 Florida State in a Top-10 matchup in Tallahassee. The game will likely attract College Gameday for their second Miami game of the season.
Hurricanes volleyball sweep FIU on the road, move to 10-1
Currently ranked No.3 in the ACC, the Miami women’s volleyball team secures a dominant victory against local rival FIU. On Saturday, September 20, UM traveled to the Ocean Bank Convocation Center to face the 6-6 panthers.
In the opening set, Miami fell into an early deficit. However, junior Ava Carney and senior Dalia Wilson combined for 16 kills to spark a comeback, giving the Hurricanes a 25-19 win.
The second set was far more competitive, featuring 12 ties and extended rallies. Miami’s front line proved the difference maker late, pulling ahead to close it out 29-27 in thrilling fashion.
The final set of the matchup followed a different script, as the Hurricanes quickly re-established control. Graduate student Lilou Stegeman and freshman Jazmin Vergara dominated at the net, contributing a string of blocks that sealed the match, 25-17, totaling 3-0 for Miami.
Additionally, other notable performances include Senior Flormarie Heredia Colón pacing the Hurricanes with 17 kills, graduate student Lilou Stegeman adding seven blocks, and redshirt sophomore Ariana Rodriguez delivering five aces.
With their best start in more than a decade, the ‘Canes aim to keep the momentum going as they open conference play on Sept. 26 with an away game at Georgia Tech (5‑4). The ACC race is tightening, with undefeated Clemson (12-0), No. 2 Boston College (11-1), and Miami all competing for the top spot.
Trench bullies: Takeaways from Miami’s gritty win over UF
It wasn’t pretty, but the No. 4 ranked Hurricanes took down the Gators in a gritty victory that was won in the trenches.
This marks UM’s second win against Florida in the last two seasons as the ’Canes now look towards the bye week with some things to clean up.
Miami’s pass rush looks better than ever
Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor only finished a half sack each, but they consistently put pressure on UF quarterback DJ Lagway throughout the entire game, making him feel uncomfortable both inside and outside the pocket.
In addition to Bain and Mesidor’s contributions, Miami’s pass rush against the Florida offensive line was aided by some unlikely sources.
Safety Jakobe Thomas hit gold on a safety blitz in the first half while sophomore Marquise Lightfoot and senior Mohammed Toure chipped in with a sack each as well.
With a dominant front four that can generate pressure against any offensive line in college, it isn’t necessary that Miami needs to blitz to get home to the quarterback.
Bain and Mesidor by themselves are typically enough to generate pressure against any college football offensive line.
“It’s easy to get a good pass rush when you have two of the best pass rushers in the country,” said Toure postgame.
That being said, if head coach Mario Cristobal can continue to diversify Miami’s pass rush with a combination of different blitz schemes, then they may be able to take their already incredible defense to new heights.
Miami’s passing game takes a major step back against a staunch Gators defense
While Carson Beck and the Hurricane offense didn’t have to do much against a struggling Gators football team, their lack of effectiveness in the passing game was certainly concerning.
They impressed in their first three weeks of this season with explosive chunk plays downfield and terrific efficiency, but much of Miami’s magic seemed to disappear against the Gators.
Beck has been fantastic to start his journey as a Hurricane, but his performance against the Gators was marred by inaccuracy and poor decision making. Miami’s star quarterback finished with just 160 yards and an interception on 17-30 passing, a far cry from his performance in Week three where he finished with over 300 yards and three touchdowns.
The blame for UM’s passing game struggles can’t all be placed on Beck, however.
Even though Miami’s receiving core is remarkably talented and deep, they didn’t generate nearly enough separation against the UF secondary, especially in the third quarter where Beck threw for just 12 yards.
To be fair, the Gators defense has looked outstanding against the pass to begin the 2025 season. Following a solid performance against USF quarterback Byrum Brown in Week 2, Florida conceded just 220 yards to LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier while picking him off once as well.
Going into the bye week and preparing for a road matchup against FSU, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson will hope that the Hurricanes offense rediscovers its potent air attack. It will be needed to match up with the high-powered Seminole offense.
Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown are Miami’s Batman and Robin
On a day where the Hurricane passing game was largely ineffective, Miami’s dynamic running back duo propelled the Miami offense up and down the field, racking up nearly 200 yards on the ground. Overreliance on throwing the football may have been an issue for the 2024 Miami Hurricanes, but it isn’t for this team.
Fletcher continued his outstanding form against the Gators, rushing for over 100 yards for a second consecutive game while finding the endzone as well. The junior year back has been an absolute workhouse for the Hurricanes, carrying defenders on his back while churning for extra yards.
Brown can sometimes be overshadowed as Miami’s backup behind Fletcher, but he was arguably the star of Miami’s rushing attack against the Gators.
Brown not only finished with 80 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but also led the team in receiving with 53 yards on four catches.
He even broke off a spectacular long touchdown run late in the second quarter where he broke through a pile of Gators defenders, but it was called back due to forward progress — a call Cristobal deemed a mistake by the referees.
While running duos are typically composed of one physical and one quick back, both Fletcher and Brown bring an element of tough running to the Hurricanes offense. Both are fast but aren’t known for their agility, instead bruising through defenders to break off big runs.
“They’re running hard, they’re running angry,” said offensive lineman Markel Bell.
As the season continues on, the one-two punch that Fletcher and Brown provide for this Hurricanes offense will allow them to dominate time of possession and simply run teams out of the building.
No. 4 Miami runs past Florida, 26-7, in Sunshine State showdown
Under rainy skies at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night, No. 4 Miami took on Florida for a battle of the Sunshine State. In a defensive clash, the Hurricanes scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, ousting the Gators 26-7.
Up 13-7, midway through the fourth quarter, Miami had the ball at its 20-yard line, looking for one final drive to put the Gators away. After an offensive struggle in the second and third quarters, the ’Canes relied on their physicality in the trenches.
The seven-minute drive spanned 13 plays, much in part to Miami’s running game featuring Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar “Marty” Brown. Brown came up huge with 22 receiving yards and 15 rushing yards, which was capped off with a leaping two-yard touchdown run to give the Hurricanes a 19-7 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
Brown was phenomenal all night for the ’Canes, finishing the game with 18 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The North Dakota State transfer was also the leading receiver in the pass game with 53 yards on four receptions.
“The way we show up every day and compete with each other in the running back room is brotherhood,” Brown said.
Fletcher Jr. went back-to-back games with over 100 yards rushing, ending the game with 116 yards on the ground. The junior running back also scored a one-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 25-7 and put an exclamation point on the victory.
Coming into Saturday night’s matchup, Florida had only given up two touchdowns. Miami more than doubled that by scoring three, all on the ground.
The Hurricanes made their money in the fourth quarter, going for a methodical put-away touchdown drive and then forcing a turnover on downs. With less than three minutes to go, Florida receiver Eugene Wilson III dropped a pass on 4th and 12, effectively ending the game.
UM’s offense struggled mightily in the third quarter, opening the door for UF to come back into the game down 13.
After holding the Gators to four rushing yards in the first half, Florida running backs Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson cut up the Miami defense in its first drive of the second half. Baugh, the sophomore, scored UF’s only touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run.
The third-quarter struggles continued for Miami after Carson Beck threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive into the hands of Cormani McClain, a former Miami commit.
It was an uncharacteristic performance from Beck, who was held to 160 yards against a poised Florida defense.
“I have the utmost respect for them [Florida], and that defense is really good,” said Beck.
Despite some trouble, Miami’s pass defense was outstanding. Gators signal-caller DJ Lagway had issues throwing the ball all night. The sophomore quarterback only amassed 61 passing yards and completed 12-of-23 attempts.
Florida was 0-for-13 on third downs, and Lagway was sacked four times.
Coming into the game, the Miami defensive line had a 92.0 PFF grade, which is ranked second in the country. Additionally, UM holds the fourth-best pass rush grade with 89.8.
Graduate linebacker Mohamed Toure impressed for the second straight week, eclipsing ten total tackles, five solo, and a sack.
Sophomore tight end Elija Lofton was second in receiving yards with 43 yards. Throughout the first three games, it’s been seen that Beck has not targeted his tight ends as much, but Lofton paid dividends tonight.
Following Saturday’s win, the ’Canes have won nine of their last 11 matchups against the Gators. The last time UF won in Miami was 1985. However, the two programs have yet to schedule any future matchups against each other. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal believes this rivalry game should be an annual spectacle.
“We don’t get to play these guys again,” Cristobal said. “This game should be on the schedule every year; it’s a shame that it’s not.”
The last time the Gators beat the ’Canes in Miami was 1985
Miami has a bye week upcoming, but Cristobal preached that there are still ways to go.
“We’re focused on doing our job and doing right and playing for each other and for the University of Miami. We’ve come miles, but we have miles and miles to go,” Cristobal said.
The bye week will provide opportunities for players to recover, yet still go out and work day in and day out to get ready to face Florida State in Tallahassee on Oct. 4.
Miami soccer defeat VCU 2-0 at home
The University of Miami’s women’s soccer team played their final non-conference fixture at Cobb Stadium on Thursday against Virginia Commonwealth University. The Hurricanes bested the Rams 2-0, taking home their sixth victory of the season.
Consecutive losses to Wake Forest and Duke instilled Miami (6-3-1, 0-2 ACC) with a sense of frustration coming into this gameweek. However, rather than this frustration developing into disillusionment, it materialized as forward-thinking motivation, causing the Hurricanes to triumph energetically.
The Hurricanes were continually on the front foot against VCU (2-5-2), especially finding joy in the wide-spaces. Miami gained the lead almost immediately, as a through ball to Brie Severns and a subsequent cutback to Ciara Alarcon saw the ball neatly placed into the bottom left corner. Following the goal, Miami went from strength-to-strength throughout the first half, rarely facing any sniff of danger from VCU’s offense.
Miami’s second goal arrived in a very similar fashion to the first, as a long ball from UM’s back line found Ciara Alarcon out on the right-flank, allowing her to square the ball across the box for Éabha O’Mahony to strike it home at the back post.
The pattern between the goals demonstrates a growing efficacy of the players implementing head coach Ken Masuhr’s coaching.
“We scored two goals that came from the very foundations of our program,” Masuhr said, highlighting the squad’s growing on-pitch cohesion.
Such positivity surrounding the replication of in-practice possessional play has significant positive implications for this season. If Miami can continue to build on these ideas from practice, there is great scope for the team to surpass last season’s 15th-placed ACC finish.
Furthermore, Miami’s strong possessional display platformed the team accomplish another clean sheet, taking their tally to five this season. This shutout was aided by an 81st minute save by Lauren Rodriguez, who was consistently reliable in the few times she was tested this game.
Miami’s performance was excellent by all metrics, as they took this VCU team by the collar throughout the 90 minutes. However, the majority of the Hurricanes’ non-conference games have been marked by this dominance, which has not yet been replicated in ACC play. Therefore, while there are many positive signs to take from this midweek fixture, Miami still must strive to assert themselves in competitive play.
Miami face another challenging fixture against Louisville this Thursday, September 25th, at 7 p.m., as the Cardinals sit fourth in the ACC with a 2-1 conference record. Though this game marks another difficult date on the Hurricanes’ calendar, if Miami can find a way to take their non-conference momentum into this campaign, there is a real possibility that they take home their first points of the season.
A Boogie Wit da Hoodie to headline 2025 Homecoming concert
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie will headline the University of Miami’s 2025 Homecoming concert. The concert will take place on Nov. 4, at the Watsco Center on the UMiami campus.
The chart-topping Bronx rapper is known for hits like “Drowning”, “Look Back at It,” and “Still Think About You”. With platinum albums “The Bigger Artist,” “Hoodie SZN,” “Me vs. Myself” and a recent feature on the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack, A Boogie has cemented his place as one of hip-hop’s most dynamic voices.
But for Miami, he’s more than just a headliner, he’s a regular. A BoogieWit Da Hoodie has long had a soft spot for the 305, frequently performing at local clubs like LIV, Story and E11EVEN, often popping up for surprise sets and late-night appearances.
As the news lit up the jumbo screens at Hard Rock Stadium, the crowd erupted in a wave of ecstatic roars and screams. Students jumped to their feet, towels whipping through the air and excitement rippled through the stands.
With the ‘Canes facing SMU that same week, the spotlight will be split between the game and the stage, but if tonight’s eruption of cheers is any clue, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie might just steal the show.
Get your ticket at the University bookstore today. You can also get tickets through the University’s official student portal and Watsco Center box office on Oct. 1. Students are encouraged to check emails from homecoming.miami.edu and @umiamihomecoming on Instagram for updates on opening acts, ticket tiers and exclusive giveaways.
If the stadium’s reaction was any preview, this show won’t just sell out, it’ll go down in Hurricane history.
Miami Volleyball Takes Down FGCU 3-1
At the Knights Sports Complex on Friday night, UM volleyball overcame an early 1-0 deficit before rattling off three straight against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, winning its ninth straight victory.
Miami now improves their record to 9-1 on the year while FGCU falls to 5-5.
Miami was led by senior Flomarie Heredia Colon, who left the Eagles without answers on route to an impressive 21 kill performance.
Sophomore Ariana Rodriguez and senior Dalia Wilson played key supporting roles in the Hurricanes victory with 37 assists and eight blocks respectively.
The ‘Canes found themselves in a tightly contested battle in the first set, keeping it close until FGCU went on a quick 10-4 run to take the set win 25-19.
FGCU came out hot at the beginning of the second, jumping to a 6-2 lead. However, the middle of the set was dominated by Miami as they found themselves leading the Eagles 21-14.
Miami seemed to let up their guard towards the end of the set as FGCU stormed back to cut the lead to just two. Unfortunately for the Eagles, their efforts ended in vain as the Hurricanes maintained their composure and tied the game 1-1 off the back of a Dalia Wilson kill.
UM carried their momentum into the next set, grabbing an early 6-0 lead and forcing the Eagles to take a timeout. Despite FGCU head coach Thais Baziquetto-Allen’s best efforts, the Eagles never came close to regaining the lead, as Miami finished off the set handily 25-15.
Miami found themselves challenged by FGCU’s attack at the beginning of the fourth, but finished the game strong to take the final set 25-16.
UM will face off next at FIU on Saturday, looking to win its tenth straight game.
TMH Staff predictions for Miami’s rivalry matchup versus UF
Sebastian Font, Co-Sports Editor
The Hurricanes come into this matchup red-hot off a 49-12 win over USF, and hope to take down the Gators for the second year in a row.
But this game is so much more than rivalry bragging rights.
This is a do or die game for the Florida Gators, not only for their season, but for their staff and organization as a whole.
Florida head coach Billy Napier is on the hot seat after his 1-2 start to the year, and the shine of former five-star DJ Lagway is beginning to fade after his rough start to the season. Both will look to turn the narratives around against one of the top teams in the country this Saturday.
The first possession for the Gators could be telling for how this game will unfold. If Florida is able to get a bit of confidence with an opening drive, this could be a typical four quarter rivalry matchup. But if Florida comes out flat, this game could get ugly quickly.
Either way the Hurricanes are too solid for the Gators to complete the upset, and between the two game scripts, expect the latter.
Final Score: Miami 42, Florida 16
Jayden Gonzalez, Co-Sports Editor
Following a 3-0 start, including two wins against top-20 opponents, No. 4 Miami has the full attention of the college football world.
With ESPN’s “College Gameday” coming to Coral Gables and a primetime matchup against an in-state rival, expectations are high for the Hurricanes this weekend.
If Miami wants to enter its bye week undefeated, the defense — led by Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor — will need to make Florida quarterback DJ Lagway uncomfortable. Against LSU, the sophomore threw five interceptions in a 20-10 loss.
If the Hurricanes apply similar pressure that the Tigers did, a raucous Hard Rock Stadium could force the Gators into another spiral.
On offense, as long as quarterback Carson Beck stays upright, he should have no trouble running Miami’s attack against a team he has plenty of history with. If the Hurricanes maintain the level of play they’ve shown through the first three weeks, Saturday could turn into a rout.
Final Score: Miami 38, Florida 17
Zach Cohen, Senior Staff Writer
From College GameDay to a primetime Saturday matchup, it doesn’t get any better than this.
A storied rivalry: Miami vs. Florida.
In what is set to be an exciting Saturday, both in Coral Gables and Miami Gardens, the Hurricanes will have the upper hand come gametime.
Florida has struggled, losing to USF, whom Miami crushed. And most recently, UF fell to LSU in a game where DJ Lagway threw five interceptions.
However, the Gators’ defense was poised, only giving up 20 points to the No. 3 team in the country.
Miami’s secondary needs to hold up against Lagway as he likes to throw the ball down the field, looking to flip the script on his poor start to the season,.
But if the Hurricanes offense can come out flying again, a hard-earned victory is in the cards.
Final Score: Miami 38, Florida 23
Brendan Cafferty, Staff Writer
With both Miami and Florida coming into this week four matchup in very different situations, the expectations each team has for themselves are, too, unalike.
As the ’Canes have tallied two ranked wins in just three weeks, they hope to continue their undefeated reign against the 1-2 Gators, notching another Florida school under their belt.
UF, trying to salvage their season, could view this game as an opportunity to climb back into the rankings as well as boost morale for their fanbase by knocking off an impressive rival.
Ultimately, this game will come down to who is more dominant on the defensive side of the ball, and with UM’s impressive D-Line, DJ Lagway’s chances trying to find space and move the ball will be more limited than Carson Beck’s and the Miami offense.
Final Score: Miami 33, Florida 13
Bella Armstrong, Contributing Writer
Going into this weekend, it’s a matchup of two Florida goliaths—and a battle for in-state bragging rights.
UF football has long been coveted as a powerhouse, but its recent fall from the Top 25 courtesy of the South Florida Bulls is a sort-of relegation unbeknownst to the Gators. In short, the team is losing steam—and its confidence is rattled.
The No. 4 Miami Hurricanes will capitalize off of this, as UM continues to dominate. Currently 3-0, the Hurricanes are the only team in college football still undefeated after facing multiple ranked opponents—and they’ve made it look convincing.
Sure, the Gators will want to use their recent losses as fuel for the comeback of the season, but with a team as airtight as the Hurricanes starting lineup, that hope seems more like a fantasy.
With Carson Beck at the helm, Mark Fletcher Jr. bulldozing through enemy lines, and a monstrous defense, Florida will have to fight for every yard and every point. It will be brutal.
Under the lights—and immense pressure—of Hard Rock Stadium, it will be an uphill battle for the Gators from the opening snap.
Miami won’t just clear the Gators, they’ll own football in Florida.
Final Score: Miami 32, Florida 16
Anirudh Kannan, Contributing Writer
This Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, another chapter will be written in the deeply rooted history of Florida vs Miami football.
The Gators season hasn’t exactly gone as planned with two losses already on the young season, including an ugly 18-16 loss against South Florida. Their offensive has struggled immensely barring a 55 point performance against LIU.
Meanwhile, Miami is red hot, following up an impressive win against Notre Dame with comprehensive victories against Bethune Cookman and USF.
Florida’s defense has the potential to make things interesting this Saturday, only allowing 36 points across their first three games. But right now it feels like Miami’s offense has too many weapons for any team in college football to contain.
Rivalry games can sometimes produce shocking results, but this simply won’t be one of them.
Final Score: Miami 31, Florida 13
Omar Pinto, Contributing Writer
The Hurricanes storm into week four looking like arguably the nation’s best.
At 3-0 with multiple ranked wins and two Heisman contenders in Carson Beck and Rueben Bain Jr., Miami’s offense is averaging over 40 points per game and providing a physical punch on the defensive side.
Florida, meanwhile, limps into Hard Rock Stadium at 1–2, fresh off a road loss to No. 3 LSU where quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions. Their other loss came in a 18-16 upset at home to USF, who Miami easily thrashed 49-12.
Still, the Gators defense has been a bright spot, allowing just 12 points per game thus far. For Florida to have any chance, Lagway must protect the ball and hope the defense can somehow contain Miami’s surgical offensive attack.
Rivalry energy might keep it close early, but the Hurricanes are simply better than the gators in all facets of the game.
Final Score: Miami 42, Florida 20
Olivia Attalla, Contributing Writer
All eyes are on the Miami Hurricanes with College GameDay rolling into town this weekend.
Carson Beck has been a human highlight reel this season with his arm talent, and has flied up the rankings for Heisman hopefuls. And as a whole the Miami Hurricane are one of the top leading teams in the country.
On the other side, UF is coming out of two back to back losses. Their quarterback DJ Lagway is struggling after throwing five interceptions against LSU last week, not to mention their coaching situation isn’t the best.
Based off the Gators current run of form, it won’t be nearly enough to stop Miami unless their defense steps up from the beginning and somehow manages to slow down the Hurricanes high-powered offense.
Miami will take the win convincingly and send the Gators back to the swamp empty handed.
Final Score: Miami 37, Florida 21
