The undefeated Miami Hurricanes are heading into their biggest test of this season so far. On Saturday, Miami will face off against ACC foe Clemson in South Carolina in front of a primetime national audience.
Miami comes into the game with a 4-0 record overall with a 2-0 mark in conference play. Meanwhile, Clemson is 3-1 and 2-0 in the ACC. Miami is entering the game virtually unchallenged in four games, while the Tigers have won three consecutive games after losing to LSU in the season opener.
This game will also mark the first time that Miami faces Clemson since 2020 when the Hurricanes defeated the Tigers 47-10 in Miami Gardens.
MENSAH AND THE MIAMI OFFENSE FACE A TOUGHER TEST
The offensive capability of Miami has become one of the best attributes of the team in their first four games, and has garnered national acclaim.
Quarterback Darian Mensah has completed 94 of 106 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns without a single interception. He has also completed nearly 89% of his passes while helping Miami average more than 600 yards of total offense per game.
Malachi Toney has been one of Mensah’s main targets, and is easily one of the most watched wideouts nationally. Toney has recorded 24 receptions for 409 yards and four touchdowns through four games.
The Hurricanes will now face a Clemson defense that has shown the ability to create problems for opposing offenses. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Clemson’s defensive talent is one of the biggest challenges Miami will face.
“They have probably a handful of first-, second-round players,” he said. “And when you look at the skill set of defenses, when they have that many NFL players, typically they’re pretty good, right?”
Miami’s offense has been able to score at least 40 points in three of its first four games, but Clemson will provide a different level of competition.
The Tigers have forced multiple turnovers in each of their last two games and held California to just 10 points in last week’s road win.
CLEMSON’S RUNNING GAME ADDS ANOTHER CHALLENGE
While much of the attention surrounding Clemson has been on freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds, the Tigers have also found success on the ground.
Running back Gideon Davidson is coming off a 159-yard, two-touchdown performance against California. Davidson has shown the ability to turn small openings into big plays, something Miami’s defense will have to account for throughout the game.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Davidson’s ability to run through contact makes him a difficult player to bring down.
“Tremendous contact balance. He can accelerate,” he said. “He runs behind his pads, runs through tackles, rarely gets tackled by the first guy, explosive.”
Miami’s defense has allowed just 35 points through its first four games, but Clemson will test the Hurricanes in both the passing and running game.
The Tigers have also been more productive offensively since their season-opening loss to LSU, making their rushing attack another area Miami will have to prepare for.
MIAMI DEFENSE PREPARES FOR FRESHMAN QUARTERBACK
Clemson’s offense will be led by Reynolds, who has taken over the starting quarterback position as a freshman.
Reynolds has thrown for more than 500 yards this season and has also shown the ability to make plays with his legs. His ability to extend plays outside of the pocket will be an important part of Miami’s defensive game plan.
Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said Miami’s defense will need to stay disciplined when trying to pressure Reynolds.
“We got to hit the quarterback,” he said. “We got to get after him. We got to try to collapse the pocket. We got to be really detailed in our rush lanes. We got to be really detailed in our blitz plan.”
Miami’s defensive line has been one of the team’s strongest units early in the season, but getting pressure without allowing Reynolds to escape the pocket will be important.
The Hurricanes will also have to keep Davidson from creating explosive plays on the ground. If Clemson can consistently run the ball, it could take pressure off Reynolds and allow the Tigers to control the pace of the game.
A NEW CHALLENGE IN DEATH VALLEY
Saturday will be Miami’s first major road test against an ACC opponent this season.
The Hurricanes have already played on the road at Stanford and Wake Forest, but Clemson will present a different challenge.
Memorial Stadium is one of the most recognizable home-field environments in all of college football, and Miami will have to handle the atmosphere while facing a Clemson team that is also unbeaten in conference play.
Miami enters the matchup ranked No. 4 nationally. Clemson is unranked, but will be looking to hand the Hurricanes their first loss while keeping pace near the top of the ACC.
For Miami, the game will come down to whether its high-powered offense can continue its production against Clemson’s defense and whether the Hurricanes can limit the Tigers’ rushing attack and keep Reynolds from extending plays.
The Hurricanes have handled every opponent in front of them so far this season. Clemson will be the next test.
