On today’s episode of Eye of the Hurricane, Jamison and Sophia discuss the best and worst possible days a student could have in Miami.
Miami moves up to No. 4 in Week 4 AP Poll ranking
The Miami Hurricanes rose to No. 4 in the latest AP Poll following their dismantling of then No. 18 South Florida — their second ranked win in just three weeks.
This marks the first time since 1993 the ‘Canes have two ranked wins in their first three games, and they now stand as the only undefeated team in college football with multiple ranked wins.
Miami was led once again by star quarterback Carson Beck, who threw for 340 yards, three touchdowns, and had a 82% completion rate. Running back Mark Fletcher also dominated, as he thundered through the Bulls for 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
So far this season, the offense is firing on all cylinders behind offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s scheme. Carson Beck has been surgical tossing the rock, with an 82% completion rate, 889 yards, and seven TDs.
Beck owes some of his success to his receiving core, which has also been elite thus far. CJ Daniels has been making highlight catches every week, with three touchdowns on the year already. The true freshman duo of Malachi Toney and Joshua Moore have also stepped up. Toney has been a safety blanket for Beck, consistently being a reliable target. Moore, on the other hand, caught two touchdowns against USF, including an incredible 39-yard jump ball touchdown catch. Moore became the first UM true freshman with multiple TD catches vs. an FBS opponent since 2013.
The defense, which was Miami’s downfall a year ago, has stepped up significantly. Defensive end Ruben Bain Jr. has led the ‘Canes on his side of the ball, being the only defensive lineman in the ACC with both a sack and an interception through three games. The secondary has also been lockdown, thanks to sophomore OJ Frederique Jr. and true freshman Bryce Fitzgerald who already has two picks on the year.
With the team firing on both sides of the ball, the Hurricanes have proved they are a true National Championship contender through their first three weeks.
They will have a chance to rise even higher through the rankings next week, as No. 3 LSU takes on No. 13 Ole Miss, and No. 2 Penn State takes on No. 6 Oregon.
In the current AP Poll top-25, Miami is slated to have one other remaining ranked opponent when UM heads to Tallahassee against No. 7 Florida State on Oct. 4.
Miami will need to stay locked in on their own matchup, as they will play host for the fourth week in a row, this time to their rivals the Florida Gators. All eyes will be on them, as ESPN’s College Gameday comes to Coral Gables for the first time in eight years. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Miami soccer loses 1-0 in slugfest with No. 2 Duke
For 72 minutes, University of Miami soccer team withstood wave after wave of relentless Duke pressure, clinging on to a scoreless result against the No. 2 program in the country. But the Hurricanes were finally tempered late in the second half, as a Blue Devils breakthrough with 17 left to play proved to be decisive in a hard-fought 1-0 home defeat on Sunday afternoon.
With the loss, the ‘Canes have now dropped to 0-2 in ACC play since their conference opener on Wednesday, both coming against national heavyweights in Wake Forest and Duke, who each appeared in last year’s Final Four.
“I’m disappointed to not get any points from these first two ACC matches,” Miami head coach Ken Masuhr said postgame. “I am not one for moral victories, but to open the schedule with two Final Four teams from 2024 and make them earn every blade of grass throughout each match offered a lot of positive from our group.”
Duke asserted firm control over Miami from kickoff, setting the tone early by controlling the tempo and dictating play in and around the middle third. The Blue Devils’ midfield dominance facilitated a flurry of chances on the offensive side, bombarding UM’s back line and outshooting the Hurricanes 15-4 on the day, putting seven on goal.
Against the rhythm of play, the ‘Canes almost capitalized on a counter-attacking opportunity that would have seen them jump out to an early lead against the visiting side four minutes in. After regaining possession, Outside back Taylor Maxwell ventured quickly up the right channel in space before whipping in an angled cross towards the far post that forward Teegan Melenhorst was able to latch onto but couldn’t steer on target.
For the rest of the first half, Goalkeeper Emily Bredek found herself under siege, with Duke’s onslaught of attack calling her to action on four separate occasions. The Old Dominion transfer was unbreachable, registering four saves and going full stretch for a gravity-defying diving stop in the 31st minute to keep it level heading into the break.
In the second half, the pressure only intensified for the home side, with the visitors tightening their grip over the match and pinning Miami deeper into their own third, generating the first seven shots of the half.
The Blue Devils finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, when freshman Lauren Martinho lofted a corner kick to the head of defender Cameron Roller, who redirected it inside the six-yard box. Forward Mia Minestrella arrived at the ball before substitute goalkeeper Atlee Olofson, scoring from point-blank range with the outside of her right foot. Minestrella’s team-high sixth goal of the season was the difference in the Blue Devils’ victory.
Duke nearly doubled their lead 10 minutes later, when freshman Jocelyn Travers surged into the penalty area and blasted an attempt top-shelf that clattered off the crossbar.
UM threatened to equalize with three shots in the final 10 minutes, but all were secured by goalkeeper Caroline Dysart as Duke held on to collect its fifth clean sheet on the season, prevailing over Miami for the eighth time in a row.
The Hurricanes (5-3-1, 0-2 ACC) will now hit the road for four consecutive games. Masuhr and his squad will aim to get back on track in their non-conference tilt against VCU on Thursday in Richmond, Va.
Takeaways from No.5 Miami’s ranked win over No. 18 USF
The No.5 Miami Hurricanes showed out for an electric 49-12 win over the No.18 USF Bulls, and didn’t waste any time on offense as they put up seven touchdowns on the day.
Every aspect of the ’Canes gameplan came out firing as Miami solidified their top-five ranking and turned towards a prime-time matchup against Florida in week 4.
The true freshman Joshua Moore gave the Canes momentum
After a five minute opening drive, Carson Beck completed an 8 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Joshua Moore to open the scoring for Miami.
And after forcing a punt from the USF offense, Miami drove down the field once again.
With three minutes to go in the first quarter, Beck hit Moore for another touchdown – this time a 39 yard.
On two catches as a true freshman, Moore led the team to a 14-0 start over USF. This momentum shut down the Bulls early on, which allowed the ’Canes to continue their winning streak, despite USF’s strong defense coming into the game.
Moore threatened to get his first collegiate touchdown last week versus Bethune-Cookman, and his development could prove crucial in the Hurricane wide receiver room.
“He’s gifted beyond measure,” Cristobal said. “Josh really shined tonight.”
Miami has it all this year
So far, Miami looks strong on both sides of the ball.
Beck may seem like he’s the star of the show but with support from his receiver’s CJ Daniels, Malachi Toney, and Moore, alongside an unwavering defensive, this team is looking like they can take on anyone.
Miami’s offense has barely dropped off from last year’s record breaking group and on the defensive side, the team has come a long way from last season. Last year, quarterback Cam Ward was individually a standout player and asset for the team. He had offensive players like Xavier Restreppo and Jacolby George to back him up, but overall, Ward’s performance helped elevate the team’s outcomes.
This year, not only does Miami have a notable quarterback, but also a strong offensive and a defensive team to back him up. In the first half, Miami’s defense held USF to just 18 rushing yards, which would’ve been a much higher number last year, regardless of the outcome. Adding the defense into the mix only pushes Miami into a more dominant spot and reassures that they can beat higher ranked teams without wavering.
Weather delay, no problem
Just because the ’Canes came off strong in the first quarter doesn’t mean the Bulls, who posed as a strong defense coming into the game, couldn’t have come back out in the second as a united front.
Just before the inclement weather delay, USF closed the game to 14-6 after a pair of field goals.
But right after coming back onto the field after an almost two hour delay, the Hurricanes asserted their dominance with another pair of touchdowns.
Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 38 yard run for a touchdown and a Beck rushing touchdown brought the ’Canes to 28-6.
Following the win, UM head coach Mario Cristobal wanted to make it clear that this team isn’t here for the rankings, accolades, or “noise,” stressing that Miami didn’t want to be a part of USF’s upcoming narrative.
“We just want to get better, we’ve got a really awesome group of dudes that really just don’t care about anything outside of Miami,” said Cristobal.
20sUnfiltered: Air It Out
From your device to the studio…all of your own sent in questions and situations will be aired out on this week’s special episode of 20’s Unfiltered Air It Out…
Hurricanes top Illinois in Four Sets, improve to 7-1
The University of Miami volleyball team defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday afternoon, 3-1, at the Linda Herman Classic. The match completes their trip to Normal, Ill. as UM took care of business with a pair of wins up north.
The final scores of the match were 25-21, 23-25, 25-15 and 25-17. Miami tallied 58 kills, 36 digs, nine blocks and 13 aces. The standout of the match for the ’Canes was their usual star, senior Flormarie Heredia Colon, who notched 24 kills and seven aces.
Set one started well for the Hurricanes, as they held a 4-1 lead after an ace by redshirt sophomore Ariana Rodriguez. Miami maintained its lead through the middle of the set as the team led 15-12 after a kill by freshman Amina N’Diaye. Not long after, Illinois went on a 3-0 scoring run capped off with an ace by senior Averie Hernandez to tie the set at 17 apiece. The ’Canes countered the Fighting Illini run with one of their own, winning the next five points to bring their lead to 22-17. The Hurricanes never gave the lead back as they finished the set with a kill by senior Dalia Wilson to give Miami the 25-21 set victory, starting off the match 1-0.
The start of set two was rough for Miami with Illinois starting off with a 9-3 lead. However, the Hurricanes were able to fight their way back with a 5-0 run, which consisted of a kill and two aces by Heredia Colon, to bring Miami within one for a score of 9-8. The remainder of the set was a back-and-forth battle with UM gaining the lead off an ace by N’Diaye to make the score 14-13. Going into the final stage of the set, the score was tied at 20. While the ’Canes made it close, they would end up losing the set, 25-23, on a Wilson service error tying the match 1-1.
The beginning of set three was all Heredia Colon for Miami. Three of their first four points came in the form of a Heredia Colon kill and they started off with a 4-1 lead. The Fighting Illini would tie the game at five soon after, but that would be the closest they would come to leading the set as UM dominated the rest of the way. Miami put on a show, going on a series of runs that would ultimately give them a substantial set three win, 25-15, along with putting themselves a set win from victory.
The fourth and final set began neck-and-neck, with neither side obtaining anything greater than a two point lead throughout the first half of the set. It was tied up at 13, looking as if the set would come down to the wire. That was until the ’Canes went on an 8-1 scoring run, featuring three Heredia Colon aces, to give Miami a commanding 21-14 lead late in the set. The end would not come long after that, as back-to-back kills by Rodriguez capped off the set win for the Hurricanes with a score of 25-17, along with the match victory of 3-1.
With the win, the ’Canes (7-1) turn their attention to hosting the 305 Invitational, where they will be playing Coastal Carolina (6-2) on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
ESPN’s College Gameday heads to UM for Miami-Florida matchup
Fans of Hurricanes football had plenty to celebrate tonight with their 49-12 win over No. 18 USF coming as the Florida Gators floundered against the LSU Tigers. Miami fans now have plenty more to celebrate as College Gameday is coming to “The U” for the rivalry matchup between the Hurricanes and the Gators.
Announced just hours after the conclusion of Miami’s dominating win over the Bulls, ESPN’s iconic College Football traveling pregame show will, for the ninth time, make its way to Coral Gables. Miami was featured last year when the show traveled to California for the Hurricanes’ showdown against the Golden Bears, but the University of Miami hasn’t hosted since 2020, when UM took down Florida State 52-10. In 2020, though, Covid restrictions prevented the set from having its usual flair. So it will be Gameday’s first appearance on campus since 2017, for Miami’s 41-8 win over Notre Dame.
All-time, the Canes are 7-1 when they hosted Lee Corso and crew. Miami won’t see the now-retired college sports icon, but fans can still expect an electric environment when the 11-time Emmy Award-winning program arrives next weekend.
Last time the UM campus hosted, the set was placed on the Lakeside Patio, and so that’s likely where fans will have to head and catch the show. Fans can expect the festivities to begin hours before the show’s 9am start time, as people are known to line up and camp outside the set through the night before. Kickoff for the game is set for 7:30pm next Saturday, so Miami fans will still have plenty of time to get ready and get out to Hard Rock and fill up the stadium. With the Hurricanes drawing a crowd of nearly 67,000 for both the Notre Dame and USF games, this one will likely be no exception.
While Miami’s last two appearances on the program have been successful, they’re facing a Florida team desperate for a win. The Gators are currently 1-2 after dropping their matchup against LSU this week, as quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions, but rivalry games like this are never easy. Miami should expect a fight from Florida, and more importantly, they cannot get caught up in the lights, the cameras, and the action.
Maddie Scheier makes Hurricane history at Southern Showcase
After their opener got cancelled last week at FAU, Hurricanes Cross Country made their way to John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Southern Showcase. In a field of 480 runners, leading the way for the Canes was junior Maddie Scheier, making history.
For the Women’s 5k, Scheier clocked a time of 17:04.5, breaking the Hurricanes record in the event. She beat the previous record set by Daphnee Lavassas in 2022 of 17:10.9 by a little over six seconds. Last season, Scheier showcased that she had the ability to take the top spot for Miami, climbing her way up throughout last year. She ended last season at seventh all-time in the 5k, at 17:44.22, and throughout the last year has brought her time down by 40 seconds.
Out of the 54-team field, Miami’s women’s team finished 14th. Alongside Scheier, who placed 12th in the race, Miami had two other women who placed in the top 100: sophomore Emma Hencock and freshman Lilian Deskins placed 79th and 81st, respectively, with just nine-tenths of a second between the two. Hancock had a time of 17:59.0 and Deskins a time of 17:59.9.
In the Men’s 8k, the team placed 12th of a 51-team field with 459 runners participating. Miami was led by freshman Sukai Truxal, who ran a time of 24:47.0, placing 58th. Making his debut for the Hurricanes, Truxal launched his name into the all-time leaderboards, now seventh all-time. Not too far behind him, Colten Morris, the grad transfer coming over from Robert Morris, placed 73rd at 24:56.8, good for the ninth fastest time in school history. Rounding up Miami’s top placements around the top 100, freshman Alex Severson placed 95th, and just at 101 sat junior Michael Castillo.
Miami will next head to Tallahassee for the Seminole Invite in just a couple of weeks on September 26.
“There’s no weak link”: No. 5 Miami topples No. 18 USF 49-12
Coming off of their dominant 45-3 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, the Miami Hurricanes hosted the No.18 South Florida Bulls at Hard Rock Stadium in a top-20 showdown.
Despite a 100-minute long rain delay in the second quarter, the Hurricanes never lost their momentum, taming the red-hot Bulls in a 49-12 rout.
USF entered Saturday’s contest as the early Cinderella story of college football, taking down the then-ranked No.25 Boise State and No.13 Florida to open the season. The Bulls sought to be the first team since the 1987 Miami Hurricanes to win three straight games against ranked opponents.
That dream was short lived as the Hurricanes out-muscled and out-smarted the Bulls on all sides of the ball.
The Hurricanes scored seven touchdowns, and combined with the fortitude of Miami’s defense that limited the Bulls to 18 rushing yards in the first half, UM was a force to be reckoned with right from kickoff.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw for a total of 340 yards, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 120, and wide receiver Keelan Marion led the team in receiving yards with 81.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the people on this team. We have good people that are genuine,” Beck said. “It allows you to have fun on the field.”
True freshman wideout Joshua Moore shined as he scored his first two touchdowns as a Hurricane, cementing himself as quite the weapon in UM head coach Mario Cristobal’s roster.
“He’s gifted beyond measure,” Cristobal said. “Josh really shined tonight.”
Beck relied on CJ Daniels early on, but it was his eight yard pass to Moore that scored the first touchdown of the game. After nine plays and 75 yards, this touchdown secured an early lead over the Bulls.
And after stifling the USF opening drive, the Hurricanes cruised past the Bulls with another touchdown drive ending in the hands of Moore — a 39 yard touchdown which sent the Hurricane faithful into a frenzy.
USF kicker Nico Gramatica, who won the game for the Bulls in the final moments versus Florida, tried to start some form of momentum for USF with back-to-back field goals.
A weather delay during the 2nd quarter postponed the game over an hour, but Miami returned to the field with a renewed sense of brutality. With two touchdowns after the delay, the Hurricanes entered halftime with a dominant 28-6 lead.
The first of the two came from a rapid 1 minute and 11 second drive which culminated in Fletcher’s 38-yard rushing touchdown.
“We have a faceless opponent, and we play Hurricane football,” Fletcher Jr. said post-game.
And after a brilliant interception from freshman Bryce Fitzgerald, with two back-to-back running plays, Beck scored UM’s fourth touchdown of the game from the two-yard line with a bootleg rush.
A series of turnovers characterized the start of the second half.
Beck threw his first interception of the season, only for Miami’s defense to bail him out with a turnover of their own.
Defensive back Jakobe Thomas forced a fumble out of USF’s Byrum Brown, and linebacker Chase Smith completed the recovery for Miami to regain possession.
On a 13 yard run, Fletcher scored Miami’s fifth touchdown of the night, pushing the score to 35-6.
USF opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown, but the Hurricanes marched down the field with two touchdown drives to extend their lead 49-12.
Miami’s near perfect performance tonight keeps their win streak alive, reminding everyone that this is Miami’s house—and the Bulls are not welcome.
“There is so much talent on both sides of the football,” Beck said. “There’s no weak link.”
Following its second ranked victory of the season, Miami will host its in-state rival Florida Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC). ESPN’s College Gameday will head to Coral Gables in anticipation of the matchup.
Jamming with Jules: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend”
In today’s Jamming with Jules episode on Eye of the Hurricane, Jules gives us a breakdown of her opinion on Sabrina Carpenter’s newest album, “Man’s Best Friend.”
Neurologist no longer employed by UM after sharing post about Charlie Kirk’s murder
Correction/ clarification: This story was updated after Michelle Bravo contacted The Hurricane on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to clarify and correct the fact that she was not fired from her job at the University. Reliable UM sources also confirmed that Dr. Bravo resigned from her position. UM has still not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Dr. Michelle Bravo, a former neurologist at UM’s Miller School of Medicine, is no longer employed by UM as of Saturday, Sept. 13, after the University was made aware of a post she shared on X about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The post read, “What was done to Charlie Kirk has been done to countless Palestinian babies, children, girls, boys, women and men not just over the past two years of the ongoing genocide, but decades. And whenever it happened, and it’s on camera and we all saw it, Charlie Kirk came out to say: ‘I love this, I want more of this. The people who did this are great and I love them and they should keep doing it forever.’ As Malcom said, the chickens have come home to roost.”
The Miller School of Medicine Instagram account @umiamimedecine and the UMiami Health System account @umiamihealth released a joint statement on Saturday, Sept. 13 condemning the post Dr. Bravo shared and confirming that she is “no longer employed” by UM.
“The University of Miami regrets unacceptable public commentary made by one of our employees. This individual is no longer employed by our institution. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right,” the statement said. “At the same time, expressions that condone or endorse violence or are incompatible with our policies and values are not acceptable.”
The Instagram account @stop_antisemitism posted about Dr. Bravo’s statement on X, screenshotting it and including an image of her UHealth profile. Dr. Bravo’s profile has already been removed from UHealth’s website and appears as unavailable.
At the time of publication, the post on @stop_antisemitism has more than 6,500 likes and almost 1,000 comments.
One user cited that the post is especially concerning given the large Jewish population in Miami. User @beatrizshafran also noted that the Miller School of Medicine was named after a Jewish family.
Numerous other comments tagged UM and demanded that Dr. Bravo be fired.
“@umiamimedicine how can Dr. Bravo take care of your patients properly when she thinks killing another human being is acceptable???!” commented @myc218.
@andiepstein commented “@umiamimedicine this is so out of bounds. She should not have any place in your institution.”
The University has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
‘Canes volleyball survives five-set battle with Ole Miss, improves to 5-1
The Miami Hurricanes overcame a mid-match collapse to outlast Ole Miss in five sets Wednesday night, winning an ACC-SEC matchup to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Miami (5-1) controlled the opening two sets, 25-18 and 25-20, behind 29 kills from its front line, while the Rebels (3-3) managed just 21.
Ole Miss responded in the third set, taking advantage of seven Miami service errors. Outside hitter Shayla Meyer produced a crucial ace, and Gabi Placide added four kills in a 25-20 win.
As Miami looked to finish off the Rebels going into the fourth set, a point-for-point battle commenced between the teams.
Senior outside hitter Flormarie Heredia Colon reigned in seven kills on 12 attempts for Miami, while the Ole Miss fourth set star was Placide, who put up five kills on 14 attempts.
With a 24-17 lead in the fourth set, UM looked all but ready to celebrate. However, the Rebels rallied, scoring seven consecutive points to even the match at 24. Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara used two timeouts as an attempt to slow down the Ole Miss surge.
The Rebels never slowed as three service aces from Meyer gave Ole Miss a 26-24 win, tying up the match at two and sending the teams racing to 15 in the fifth and final set.
As the fifth set commenced, the crowd was loud for leadoff server, Jazmin Vergara, the Hurricanes’ 6’2” outside hitter.
Miami controlled the early action as the ‘Canes unleashed a barrage of kills, taking an early 7-4 lead and forcing Ole Miss to call timeout.
As the scoreboard read 8-5, the Hurricanes’ coaching staff erupted in disagreement over an out-of-bounds call, challenging the decision. After a review, the referees reversed the call, giving Miami the momentum needed to win the match.
Of the remaining six points the team needed to secure their fifth win of the season, four of those were kills wracked up by Heredia Colon, who was Miami’s best player on Wednesday.
As the final point of the match elapsed, redshirt sophomore setter Ariana Rodriguez, sent a high ball behind the ten foot line for Heredia Colon in the backrow, earning the senior hitter her 7th kill in the set, and 26th on the night.
For Rodriguez, the kill marked her 46th assist of the night, accompanying her team-high three service aces and four solo blocks, part of the combined 26 for the team.
The crowd exploded with the pent up energy from the almost 3 hour game and celebrated with the team as the Hurricanes’ volleyball program advanced to 5-1 on the season.
Miami looks to continue their winning streak on the road in the Linda Herman Classic, facing Illinois State on Friday night and Illinois midday Saturday.