Hurricanes Aim for Revenge This Saturday Against Their Biggest Rival
Miami fans might not be ecstatic with how the season has gone for them, but only one game truly matters at this point. That game happens to be this weekend, as the Florida State Seminoles head into Hard Rock Stadium to face the Hurricanes.
While the Seminoles enter the game as touchdown favorites, this rivalry has shown it can go any which way.
When it comes to the Seminoles, there are a handful of players the Hurricanes need to prepare themselves for. With that list, quarterback Jordan Travis tops it. Cristobal regards him as "one of the most explosive football players in college football" ahead of this matchup.
Travis has been impressive this season, with nearly 2,300 of offense and adding 16 touchdowns to that. Miami fans are aware of his skill, as he delivered the crushing fourth down conversion last year that helped put the Seminoles over the top. Expect Miami to direct plenty of attention to limiting Travis, but his impact will be made on this game.
Other players to note for the Seminoles include Johnny Wilson, a big-play threat for this offense. Amongst the top 15 in college football in yards per catch, Wilson will be a major area of concern for a Hurricanes' secondary that has been vulnerable to big air plays.
Nobody else on the receiving core brings any eye-popping stats to the table, but the top three receivers on this team have all displayed a big-time performance this season.
Defensively, Kalen DeLoach has been impactful all across the defense this season at linebacker. He is second in sacks on the team with three and first on the team with six passes defended. Look towards him to be a problem in the middle of the field.
Furthermore, this defense doesn't have many other players with eye-popping stats. While Jared Verse leads the team in sacks, most of his production came early in the season. This defense is just great as a unit, holding opponents to 21.9 PPG.
Miami will likely have to score above that mark to win this matchup, given Florida State's offense has been stellar the past few weeks.
Turning the page to the Hurricanes, the health of Tyler Van Dyke may very well sway the outcome of this game. While Jake Garcia has shown flashes this season, Van Dyke and his experience have to be the preferred option in this matchup. However, the status of Van Dyke remains underwhelming, with Garcia and Jacurri Brown likely to be the options at quarterback.
The young signal-callers are helped by the return of veteran receiver Xavier Restrepo, though, who took the field against Virginia in a limited role.
With Miami's offense having question marks across the board, the Hurricanes' defense will need to deliver a high-level performance to give themselves a shot. It starts on the defensive line, as will need all they can get from Leonard Taylor and Akheem Mesidor. Both have been productive this season and can help limit this Seminoles offense.
The focus will be on the secondary, though, as the unit's performance can win or lose Miami the football game alone. Eyes will be on Tyrique Stevenson to keep the Seminoles' pass catchers from winning over top. Kamren Kinchens will also have the spotlight on him, as his ability to create turnovers can keep the Hurricanes in this game.
Records aside, both teams will bring the best versions of themselves to the field this Saturday. With the bright lights shining for an ABC, 7:30 PM ET kickoff, players know they can change the course of their careers with a big night.
Mario Cristobal bleeds the orange and green, and he'd like nothing better than to start his Miami coaching career with a win over the Seminoles.
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