The Miami Hurricanes are now 7-0 after a shootout win over Louisville on the road this week. Miami is 7-0 for the first time since 2017 and is finding ways to win, even if it means winning ugly. The Canes scored 52 points yesterday and are now averaging 48.3 points per game, giving them the second-highest scoring offense in the nation behind the Indiana Hoosiers. After a massive rivalry win, here are my major takeaways about Miami Hurricanes Football after winning arguably the toughest game left on their schedule:
Cam Ward Is The Best Player In The Nation
Forget the Heisman; this man deserves to go number one overall in the NFL draft. To say Cam Ward has been fantastic this year is a severe understatement. He had another excellent game yesterday, once again throwing for 300+ yards for his seventh consecutive game and adding four touchdowns without a pick. No matter how many times momentum shifted in that game, especially in the third and fourth quarters on the road, Ward answered. For the year, he already has 24 touchdowns with 2,538 passing yards, 190 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns. He is on pace to break every single-season passing and touchdown record in Miami Hurricanes history. His mental makeup is unshakable, and his arm talent isn’t just elite for the college level—it’s already on par with the top-tier NFL quarterbacks. Ward is special, and whatever holes Miami may still have are erased when he is on the field
Zaquan Patterson Should Start
It was another rough outing for the secondary. Teams are attacking the middle of the field because they know that Miami’s secondary, especially the safeties, are struggling. Harris, in particular, continues to take bad angles and has allowed big runs, including another one this past week against the Cardinals that went for a touchdown. The missed tackle rate for the safeties has been around 20%. Miami’s next game is against ACC bottom-feeder FSU, and it would be a perfect opportunity to give as many snaps as possible to Zaquan Patterson or start him outright. Patterson held his own against the Cardinals, playing 20 snaps and earning a 74.2 PFF grade. I think Lance Guidry should start him and let him get real game experience.
Welcome Back Rueben Bain Jr.
Bain had another monster game for Miami. He finished the day with a clutch sack in the fourth quarter, two tackles, and 10 pressures. He was all over the play that led to Raul Aguirre’s defensive touchdown and is continuing to improve in year two. Miami’s pass rush is one of the best in the nation, featuring an NFL-caliber trio of Rueben Bain Jr., Elijah Alston, and Tyler Barron.
Simeon Barrow Is All-ACC Caliber
Barrow continues to impress and had yet another standout game for Miami. He finished with six tackles, one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble, earning a PFF grade of 80.1, the second-highest defensive grade on the team behind Bain. His forced fumble was the reason Miami’s defense scored that defensive touchdown against the Cardinals, giving them a two-touchdown lead in the first half. Barrow is playing so well that he might be the best defensive player Miami has this year, in a room that includes Tyler Barron and Rueben Bain Jr.
Miami’s Running Game Is Strong
We know the Canes have an amazing passing offense and that the wide receivers are excellent (Restrepo, Brown, Horton, and George all scored touchdowns, with both Restrepo and Brown going over 100 yards each). But Miami’s running game has been elite as well. The Canes ran for 222 yards and scored two touchdowns on 6.0 yards per carry. The team is averaging 188.9 rushing yards per game and ranks as the 38th best rushing offense in the nation. Damien Martinez had one of his best games for the Canes, with 12 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown, leading the team with a PFF grade of 88. The Canes have a three-headed monster in Allen, Martinez, and Fletcher that is a nightmare for defenses to prepare for.
Miami is an ascending program. It’s not perfect, but the trajectory of improvement is clear. Mario Cristobal’s vision of turning the Canes around and changing the culture is now evident in year three. There are still obvious weaknesses in this team, especially in the secondary, and tackling remains an issue for the linebackers and safeties. But as the Canes continue to win, high-level blue-chip recruits and big-time transfers will follow. The Canes are poised to have players drafted in the first round this year. Ward is on pace to be, at minimum, a top-five pick and is a top-three Heisman candidate. It will be easy to attract any portal quarterback to come to Miami; in fact, they will be lining up to play for Cristobal. I expect this year to pay off in huge dividends for the future of the program, as Miami is easily going to surpass the 10-win mark this year and play for the ACC championship, with a good shot at winning it. This success will catapult the program into adding another massive influx of blue-chip talent for the 2025 season, where we will see the Miami Hurricanes football program return to its glory days.
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