With convincing home wins in each of the past two weeks, the Miami Hurricanes believe they’ve finally started to see a tougher, more connected team emerge.
And the College Football Playoff committee appears to agree.
Miami checked in at No. 13 in this week’s CFP rankings, released on Tuesday night, and have moved up the ladder from each of the first two releases. While a playoff berth is far from assured, the Hurricanes, who landed at No. 15 last week, are surging at the right time, and they believe they’ve finally found an identity just as the season reaches its defining stretch.
The tone inside the program changed the moment last weekend’s dominant 41-7 win over North Carolina State at Hard Rock Stadium ended.
“The best part is the energy, the attitude,” coach Mario Cristobal said Monday. “Going right back to work with a great start today, there’s a lot of stuff to improve upon.”
Miami’s rise has come despite losing key starters, with injured veterans stepping up as leaders and keeping the team’s culture strong. The Hurricanes (8-2, 4-2 ACC) will need to keep that momentum up in the season’s final two weeks, starting with Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech.
DOMINANT DEFENSE DELIVERS AGAIN
Miami’s turnaround has been fueled by its defense, which has looked dominant since the Hurricanes’ 26-20 loss to SMU on Nov. 1.
Their approach is built on one core principle: Stop the opposing team’s run game. Miami has rotated freely and established its defensive rhythm early, with the opening series of last week’s game against the Wolfpack setting everything in motion.
“I think that kind of set the tempo for the defense for the rest of the day,” defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said Monday. “It’s been on all three levels different guys stepping up and having a really good game.”
Coming from a unit that prides itself on communication, the Hurricanes have been working behind the scenes to peak at the right time.
“You can see guys working together and talking, it’s showing up more and more on film,” he said.
RESURGENT BECK TAKES COMMAND
Miami’s offense has erupted over the last six quarters, even though nothing radical has changed.
Quarterback Carson Beck has taken command of this team and pushed it toward the playoffs. The journey hasn’t been easy for the Georgia transfer. He’s had to learn a new progression-based system while also working his way back from major elbow surgery.
“His overall grasp of what we’re doing in the pass game has just been over the top,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Monday. “He went eight months without throwing a football.”
The breakthrough for the Hurricanes came after their disappointing loss to the Mustangs. Since then, the staff has emphasized easing the pressure, resetting mentally, and rediscovering the joy in the game.
“I left that game and I’m like, ‘he’s about to start playing his ass off.’ The balls were going to the right place at the right time,” Dawson said. “Getting people to relax and have fun, that’s part of our growth as an offense.”
HOKIES UP NEXT
It doesn’t get any easier this week in ACC play. As the Hurricanes approach the final curve of the season, they’ll head north to Blacksburg, Virginia, for a matchup against the Hokies (3-7, 2-4). Though Virginia Tech is not headed to a bowl, there is renewed optimism there this week, after the program hired former Penn State coach James Franklin to take over the team next season.
Saturday’s game at Lane Stadium is set for 12 p.m. ET, and will air on ESPN.
