The #19 Miami Hurricanes open the 2024 season on the road, inside The Swamp, to play the Florida Gators.
It’s one of the most anticipated opening games in recent UM history. It’s also against an old rival and played in front of some of college football’s most raucous fans. The Canes bring one of their most talented rosters in years.
Coming off a 7-6 season, Mario Cristobal and his staff want to break through. They add transfers like quarterback Cam Wad (Washington State), running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State), wide receiver Sam Brown (Houston), center Zach Carpenter (Indiana), defensive tackle Simeon Barrow, Jr. (Michigan State), and safety Mishael Powell (Washington), among others, to a veteran team to make a run at the College Football Playoff.
There are still questions about whether Miami will win the big game. The UM versus UF matchup is the first chance to prove the Canes are for real in 2024.
UF enters 2024 after going 5-7. There are many question marks around the Gators but they possess talent on both sides of the football. Having linebacker Shemar James and safety Jordan Castell back in the lineup should help the defense while adding Elihjah Badger (Arizona State) at receiver will aid the offense. Playing at home will certainly help as well.
Miami At Florida Game Day
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 3:30
TV: ABC
City: Gainesville, Fla.
Stadium: Ben Hill Griffin
Betting Odds
The odds are fairly consistent across multiple sports books. Here’s what FanDuel has as of Monday, Aug. 26.
Spread: Miami -2.5 (-122); Florida +2.5 (+100)
Moneyline: Miami -152; Florida +126
Player Passing Yards: Miami’s Cam Ward over/under 256.5 (-114); Florida’s Graham Mertz over/under 244.5 (-114)
Injury Note
Florida running back Montrell Johnson, Jr. had a minor knee injury and subsequent surgery during the early portion of fall camp. His complete status is unknown but it’s hard to project him being completely healthy for the game against Miami.
Miami Versus Florida Series History
The Hurricanes hold the series lead over the Gators by a tally of 29 to 27 according to the UF Athletics Page. From the last 10 games played during an on-and-off again series, Miami leads 7-3. Those 10 games span from 1985 to 2019, including two bowl games.
The Quarterback Comparison
There’s much discussion about the quarterbacks and their contrasting styles of play. Ward tends to place the football in harm’s way but he’s also a dynamic playmaker. Mertz is more careful with the football but not as likely to make special throws after extending a play outside the pocket as Ward.
Both signal-callers are proven to be able to get hot and torch an opposing defense. Here are their 2023 statistics from CFB Stats.
Ward: 323/485, 66.6%, 7.7 yards per attempt, 25 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
Mertz: 261/358, 72.9%, 2,903 yards, 8.1 yards per attempt, 20 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Position Battles To Watch
Miami’s defensive front is loaded with talent and comes off a season with 35 sacks. For UF, it allowed 39 sacks, per CFB Stats . If the Canes dominate the Gators in the trenches Billy Napier and his squad will struggle to begin 1-0.
Another interesting matchup will be the UF wide receivers – led by Eugene Wilson III and Elijhah Bader – versus UM’s secondary. The Canes need to shore up the backend of the defense after too many lapses in 2023. Badger and Wilson are big-play threats that must be respected.
The Gators are in a similar position as UM when playing defense, as Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Brown, Isaiah Horton, and Ray Ray Joseph are some of the talented receivers for the Canes. UF will have to defend the pass better as Pro Football Focus shows the Gators allowed 13.9 yards per reception and ranked 112th in coverage rating last year.
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