Breaking Down the Canes' 2024 Schedule
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Even before the calendar flipped to January, the work of preparing for the new season – one that was still more than nine months from starting – was already underway.
Now that a new year and a new semester have begun, that preparation has only intensified.
Last month, the Hurricanes signed a top-notch recruiting class that is widely regarded as one of the best in the nation. Earlier this month, new faces were welcomed on campus. And already, off-season workouts are happening, and the clock is ticking toward the start of spring drills.
All of it is part of getting ready for the fall and a football season that, for Miami, will feature new conference foes, familiar in-state rivals, and a little bit of long-distance travel.
The Hurricanes will kick the season off on the road against an SEC opponent – though they’ll stay in the Sunshine State when they head north to face rival Florida in Gainesville. Later in the year, Miami will welcome another Florida rival – Florida State – to Hard Rock Stadium.
The ACC opener will come on a Friday night, when Virginia Tech comes to Hard Rock in late September and a week later, the Hurricanes will travel west for their first conference road game when they take on new ACC member California in Berkeley.
There will be challenges, big plays, and the Hurricanes hope, plenty of moments to remember.
Here’s a breakdown of the Hurricanes’ 2024 full schedule, which was released by the ACC on Wednesday.
Aug. 31, at Florida
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville
The third season of the Mario Cristobal era will begin with a matchup that will have college football fans across the state – particularly in Coral Gables and Gainesville – buzzing.
The Hurricanes and Gators, two of Florida’s traditional Big Three programs, will renew their long-standing rivalry and meet for 56th time – and first time since 2019 – when they open their respective seasons in Gainesville.
Florida enters the year looking to bounce back from a tough 2023 campaign that saw the Gators lose five straight to end the season before finishing with an eventual 5-7 mark.
Quarterback Graham Mertz, a transfer from Wisconsin who suffered a season-ending injury in Florida’s Nov. 18 loss to Missouri, announced late last year he intended to return to UF, giving the Gators’ offense an instant boost.
Mertz threw for a career-high 2,903 yards last season and led the SEC with a 72.9 completion percentage. He also had a career-high 20 touchdowns to just three interceptions.
Also expected back for the Gators is running back Montrell Johnson, Jr., who had a team-high 817 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
The Hurricanes hold a 29-27 lead in the all-time series against Florida and are 12-9 in games played in Gainesville.
Sept. 7, vs. Florida A&M
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami will open its home slate at Hard Rock Stadium against another familiar in-state foe: Florida A&M.
The Hurricanes and Rattlers have met 11 times, with the Hurricanes winning the last 10 of those matchups and scoring an average of 51.1 points in those games.
FAMU posted a 12-1 record last season while playing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and finished the year with a pair of big wins: a 35-14 victory over Prairie View A&M in the SWAC Conference Championship and a 30-26 victory over Howard in the Celebration Bowl.
The Rattlers, though, will have a new leader when they come to Hard Rock Stadium.
Former head coach Willie Simmons, who led FAMU from 2018 through the 2023 season, resigned earlier this month to join the coaching staff at Duke. His former associate head coach, James Colzie III, is currently the Rattlers’ interim head coach, though, reportedly, five head coach candidates are scheduled to interview with FAMU leadership in the coming days.
The new coach is set to inherit a roster that will likely feature several transfer additions with college experience, including former FAU quarterback Daniel Richardson, former Clemson tight end Sage Ennis and former Florida State cornerback Demorie Tate, all of whom signed with FAMU in December.
Sept. 14, vs. Ball State
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami and Ball State don’t have a ton of shared history and this game will mark the programs’ first meeting.
The Cardinals are coming off a 4-8 season, but they did win two of their last three to close out the year. Their final game of the 2023 season, coincidentally, was a 17-15 loss to Miami (OH), a team the Hurricanes beat 38-3 in their opener last year.
Ball State is led by former Cardinals quarterback Mike Neu, who is in his ninth season and was a part of the program’s MAC championship teams in both 1989 and 1993. Redshirt senior Marquez Cooper, a Kent State transfer, is expected back in 2024 after leading the Cardinals with 1,043 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Also expected back is dual-threat quarterback Kiael Kelly, who completed 53 percent of his passes and threw for 577 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 724 yards and seven scores.
With Cooper and Kelly leading the rushing attack, Ball State averaged 171.5 rushing yards per game in 2023. That ranked third in the MAC.
Sept. 21, at USF
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
After a two-game homestand, Miami will hit the road again, though again, the Hurricanes won’t have to go too far or face an out-of-state opponent.
Miami and USF will square off for just the seventh time in program history and the first since the Hurricanes defeated the Bulls 49-21 at Raymond James Stadium in 2013. Miami holds a 5-1 lead in the all-time series, but they’ll face a program that is coming off a big turnaround season.
Last fall under first-year coach Alex Golesh, the Bulls went 7-6 and posted a six-win improvement from 2022. They finished the year with a 45-0 win over Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl and set 12 team records and 16 individual records during their resurgent campaign.
Quarterback Byrum Brown became the first 3,000-yard passer in program history and set USF’s single-season passing touchdown record with 26. He also rushed for 809 yards and 11 touchdowns and was, along with Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, one of just two players nationally to throw for at least 3,000 yards and run for at least another 800 yards.
Sept. 27, vs. Virginia Tech
Hard Rock Stadium
After opening the season with matchups against four non-conference opponents, Miami will kick off ACC play with a Friday night game against a familiar foe: former Coastal Division and Big East rival Virginia Tech.
The Hurricanes and Hokies have met 40 times in their storied history, with Miami posting a 25-15 mark in those games and going 14-7 in games played at home. The Hurricanes have also won three straight against the Hokies, including most recently, a 20-14 victory over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in 2022.
The Hokies are coming off a 7-6 season and closed the year out winning six of their last nine games, including a 41-20 victory over No. 23 Tulane in the Military Bowl. It was Virginia Tech’s first bowl win since 2016.
Head coach Brent Pry and the Hokies expect to return up to 20 starters from last year’s team, including quarterback Kyron Drones, who was named the Military Bowl MVP after rushing for a Virginia Tech bowl-record 176 yards against the Green Wave. He finished the year throwing for 2,085 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 58 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 818 yard and five touchdowns.
Also expected back for the Hokies are a pair of second-team All-ACC selections, defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland and running back Bhayshul Tuten. Powell-Ryland, a Florida transfer, led the Hokies with 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He also notched 40 tackles. Tuten, meanwhile, had a team-high 863 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Oct. 5, at California
California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley
The Hurricanes will get their first experience with the new-look ACC – and their first trip out west in conference play – when they travel 3,034 miles to face new ACC member California in Berkeley the first weekend of October.
The Bears – a former member of the PAC-12 – received invitations to join the ACC last year and will become full members in August. They’ll welcome Miami, NC State, fellow new ACC member Stanford and Syracuse to Berkeley this fall, while traveling to face the likes of Florida State, Pittsburgh, fellow new ACC member SMU and Wake Forest in their inaugural ACC season.
Cal posted a 6-7 record in 2023 and closed the year by winning three of its last four in conference play and like Miami, had several young players contribute in a big way. Linebacker Cade Uluave was named the PAC-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on multiple Freshman All-America teams after collecting 66 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Offensively, the Bears should get a spark with the return of running back Jaydn Ott, a first-team All-PAC-12 selection who had 229 carries for 1,260 yards and 11 touchdowns last season – all career highs. He also had 21 catches for 141 yards and finished the year with a career-high 1,501 all-purpose yards.
Miami and Cal have met four times, most recently in the 2008 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. The all-time series is tied 2-2.
Oct. 19, at Louisville
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville
The Hurricanes and Cardinals will meet for a second straight year and the 16th time overall. Miami leads the all-time series 11-4-1 and picked up a 47-34 win in its last trip to Derby City in 2020.
Last fall, though, Louisville came to Hard Rock Stadium and edged the Hurricanes, 38-31. The Cardinals went on to advance to the ACC Championship Game, finished as the conference runner-up and posted a 10-4 record in coach Jeff Brohm’s first year. It was Louisville’s first 10-win season 2013.
The Cardinals will now look to build on that success and will have some help with the return of two defensive stalwarts, defensive end Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley. Last fall, Gillotte – a first-team All-ACC selection – totaled 45 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, while Riley – an All-ACC honorable mention – had 45 tackles, two interceptions and broke up eight passes.
And while Louisville will lose two of its top offensive playmakers – running backs Isaac Guerendo and Jawhar Jordan – to the NFL Draft, the Cardinals added 24 mid-year transfers during the Early Signing Period.
Oct. 26, vs. Florida State
Hard Rock Stadium
A week after traveling to face last year’s ACC runner-up, the Hurricanes will return home to host the reigning conference champion: rival Florida State.
The Seminoles are coming off a 13-1 season in which they just missed the College Football Playoff, despite winning the ACC title. The Seminoles will lose multiple playmakers from that squad, including, most notably, quarterback Jordan Travis. But like many teams across the nation, Florida State has turned to the transfer portal to help reload.
The Seminoles have added a number of high-profile players to their roster ahead of the 2024 season including former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, former Georgia defensive end Marvin Jones, Jr., and former LSU wide receiver Jalen Brown. Also joining the Seminoles are several former Alabama contributors including defensive back Earl Little, Jr., wide receiver Malik Benson, offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson II, running back Roydell Williams, and linebacker Shawn Murphy.
Uiagalelei is expected to take the starting spot vacated by Travis and last season, completed 180-of-315 passes, and threw for 2,638 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Hurricanes and Seminoles have turned in their share of classic matchups during their storied rivalry, including last year’s thriller at Doak Campbell Stadium, where Florida State edged Miami, 27-20.
The Hurricanes still hold a 35-33 lead in the all-time series.
Nov. 2, vs. Duke
Hard Rock Stadium
The Hurricanes will continue their brief homestand with a matchup against another former Coastal Division foe: Duke.
The Blue Devils notched one of the biggest early-season upsets of the year last fall when they knocked off then ninth-ranked Clemson in their season opener. Duke wound up finishing with an 8-5 record and closed the season with a pair of wins, including a 17-10 victory over Troy in the Birmingham Bowl. It was Duke’s fifth straight postseason win.
But the team will be in transition this fall, after former Blue Devils coach Mike Elko was hired as the new coach at Texas A&M. Elko was replaced at Duke by former Miami coach Manny Diaz.
Former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy, who saw limited playing time in Austin, transferred to Duke during the offseason and is expected to compete with redshirt freshmen Henry Belin IV and Grayson Loftis for the starting job. Loftis went 2-2 in Duke’s final four games of 2023, throwing for 707 yards in those games.
The Hurricanes and Blue Devils have met 20 times, with Miami holding a 15-5 lead in the all-time series, including six wins in games played in South Florida.
Nov 9, at Georgia Tech
Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta
The Hurricanes will, again, hit the road and again face another former Coastal Division rival when they travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech in early November.
It’ll be the Hurricanes’ first trip back to Atlanta since a memorable 35-14 win in 2022 in which quarterback Jacurri Brown and former Hurricanes safety Kam Kinchens put on a show. In that win, Brown – a Georgia native making his first collegiate start – threw for three touchdowns, while Kinchens had a program-record three interceptions.
Georgia Tech won the teams’ most recent meeting last fall at Hard Rock Stadium after Christian Leary caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Haynes King with one second remaining to lift the Yellow Jackets to a 23-20 victory.
King went on to finish the season completing 62 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns. His average of 218.6 passing yards per game ranked sixth among ACC signal callers, while his total passing yards ranked fourth in the ACC.
Miami and Georgia Tech are tied, 14-14, in their all-time series.
Nov. 23, Wake Forest
Hard Rock Stadium
The Hurricanes will close out their home slate with another ACC showdown, this one against Wake Forest.
It’ll be the teams’ first meeting since 2013, when Miami edged Wake Forest 24-21. The Hurricanes have won seven straight against the Demon Deacons, with their last loss to Wake Forest coming in 1944.
The Demon Deacons will be looking to bounce back after a 4-8 season that saw them close out 2023 with five straight losses. That potential bounce-back will come with a new signal caller under center, after quarterbacks Mitch Griffis and Santino Marucci both entered the transfer portal.
After their departures, Wake Forest added former Louisiana Tech and Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier to the roster. Bachmeier started eight games for the Bulldogs last season and threw for 2,058 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions.
Also among those expected to make an impact in Winston-Salem next fall is redshirt junior linebacker Dylan Hazen, who had a team high 86 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
Nov. 30, at Syracuse
JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse
The Hurricanes will close out the regular season by making their first trip to Syracuse since 2002, when both teams were still in the Big East. Miami won that game 40-7, has won six straight against the Orange and holds a 16-7 lead in the all-time series.
Syracuse posted a 6-7 record last season and closed the year with a 45-0 loss to USF in the Boca Raton Bowl. Before that, though, the Orange won two of their last three regular-season games, including a 28-13 win over Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium.
Former Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown was named the Orange’s new coach in late December and is expected to be joined in New York by several former Georgia players including receivers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes and offensive lineman Joshua Miller.
Also joining the Orange this fall is former Texas A&M defensive lineman Fadil Diggs and former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who went 11-1 as a starter for the Buckeyes last season and threw for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns.
