Breaking Down the Canes' 2025 Schedule

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The work of getting ready for the new season is well underway.

Since returning from winter break and starting a new semester earlier this month, the Hurricanes have been in the weight room and on Greentree, navigating their offseason conditioning workouts.

They’ve welcomed new teammates, coaches and staff to campus, including defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, who joins the Hurricanes after a solid 2024 campaign at Minnesota and is now charged with revamping a unit that is looking to improve after some struggles late last year.

And now, Miami’s players and coaches know more about the journey that awaits them in the fall when the 2025 season kicks off at Hard Rock Stadium on August 31.

There will be matchups against a series of longtime foes, including one that finished as the runner-up in last season’s College Football Playoff. And there will be showdowns against three in-state rivals that will be looking to avenge losses to Miami and end the Hurricanes’ reign as Florida’s top program, a crown the Hurricanes earned in 2024 after notching wins over four different Sunshine State opponents.

There will be crucial conference matchups against ACC foes and three late-season road trips that could go a long way in helping determine Miami’s postseason fate.

But as they navigate the fall, the Hurricanes will do so knowing they won’t have to travel as much as they did in 2024. Miami will play eight of its 12 games at Hard Rock Stadium – where it didn’t lose a game last season, and the Hurricanes won’t leave the state until November.

Here, a more in-depth look at the season ahead…

Aug. 31, vs. Notre Dame
Hard Rock Stadium

For the second straight year, the Hurricanes will open the year with a high-profile, non-conference matchup and there’s no doubt Miami would love to repeat its success from last year’s high-profile, non-conference opener.

This time, instead of traveling to Gainesville, the Hurricanes will be on their home field and instead of playing longtime rival Florida, they’ll face longtime rival Notre Dame.

The Irish, who are coming off a 14-2 season, advanced to the championship game of the College Football Playoff earlier this month but came up short in their quest for a national title, falling to Ohio State, 34-23, in the championship game.

That loss snapped a 13-game win streak that saw the Irish notch victories over six ranked opponents, including top-10 teams Indiana, Georgia and Penn State.

And while the Irish are expected to return 14 starters from last year’s team, they will have to find a new signal caller with quarterback Riley Leonard exhausting his college eligibility.

The Hurricanes and Irish have met 27 times, with Notre Dame holding an 18-8-1 edge in the all-time series. But the last matchup – one played at Hard Rock in 2017 – was all Miami. That night, the Hurricanes notched a 41-8 win in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd.

Sept. 6, vs. Bethune-Cookman
Hard Rock Stadium

Miami will continue its nonconference slate – and four-game homestand to open the season – with a matchup against another familiar foe: Bethune-Cookman.

The Hurricanes and Wildcats have faced off seven times since 2011, with Miami winning all of those games, including most recently, a 48-7 victory in 2023. In those games, the Hurricanes have outscored the Wildcats 351-57.

In 2024, Bethune-Cookman posted a 2-10 record with their two victories coming against Mississippi Valley State and Grambling State.

Running back Dennis Palmer had an impressive freshman season, rushing for 706 yards and five touchdowns in just nine games. He earned second-team All-SWAC honors and twice last season earned recognition as the SWAC Newcomer of the Week Award. He finished the year with a 178-yard, three-touchdown performance against FAMU in the Wildcats’ season finale.

Sept. 13 vs. USF
Hard Rock Stadium

Last September, the Hurricanes traveled to Tampa to face in-state foe, USF. This year, the Bulls will come to South Florida looking to avenge one of their biggest losses of 2024.

In last year’s showdown, the Hurricanes scored 50 points and held the Bulls scoreless in the second half. That 50-14 loss to Miami started what would be a three-game slide before USF rebounded to finish the year 7-6 with quarterback Bryce Archie taking over the offense in the wake of an injury to dynamic signal caller Byrum Brown.

Which quarterback will be under center in September remains uncertain, but both have shown their ability to lead the Bulls offense. In 2023, Brown became the first quarterback in program history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season. And last year, after being pressed into duty, Archie – who also pitches for the Bulls’ baseball team – threw for 1,914 yards and nine touchdowns. He ran for another 129 yards and two more touchdowns. The Bulls posted a 5-3 record in the eight games he started, including a 41-39 five-overtime win over San Jose State in the Hawai’i Bowl.

Miami and USF have met seven times, with the Hurricanes holding a 6-1 lead in the all-time series. This year’s game will mark the first time USF has traveled to Miami since 2012, when the Hurricanes won a 40-9 matchup at Hard Rock Stadium.

Sept. 30, vs. Florida
Hard Rock Stadium

The Hurricanes will close out non-conference play with yet another matchup against an in-state foe they faced last season.

After traveling to Gainesville last year, the Hurricanes welcome the rival Gators to South Florida. The game will mark Florida’s first visit to Hard Rock Stadium since 2013, when Miami outlasted the Gators to earn a hard-fought 21-16 win.

In last year’s game, former Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward silenced a crowd of more than 90,000 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns and leading Miami to a 41-17 win.

And while the Gators went on to drop four more games in 2024, they finished the year on a four-game win streak, capped by a 33-8 win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.

During that stretch, Florida received solid play from freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, who finished the year throwing for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns and is expected to be a central part of the Gators’ offense in 2025. He’ll be joined by a top-10 recruiting class, too.

Miami and Florida have met 57 times during their longstanding rivalry, and while the Hurricanes hold a 30-27 lead in the all-time series, the winner of this year’s matchup will take the lead in games played in Miami. Currently, that is tied at 14-14.

Oct. 4, at Florida State
Doak Campbell Stadium

The Hurricanes will start the month of October with their first road trip of the season and their first conference game of the year.

And they’ll travel to Tallahassee to face rival FSU to do it.

The Seminoles are coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in history, posting a 2-10 record that included losses to both of their biggest rivals: Miami and Florida.

Head coach Mike Norvell, in an effort to get things turned around, overhauled his coaching staff, bringing in Tony White from Nebraska to serve as defensive coordinator and Gus Malzahn from UCF to serve as offensive coordinator.

Florida State also landed a top-20 recruiting class that Norvell is hoping can make an impact sooner, rather than later. Meanwhile, the Seminoles added 16 newcomers via the transfer portal, including quarterback Thomas Castellanos.

Last season at Boston College, Castellanos threw for 1,366 yards and 18 touchdowns. Also joining the Seminoles are wide receivers Squirrel Thomas, who was previously at Tennessee and Duce Robinson, who was previously at USC. Defensively, two former Cornhuskers are joining White in Tallahassee: edge rusher James Williams and linebacker Stefon Thompson.

With last year’s 36-14 win over the Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes extended their lead in the all-time series against FSU to 36-33. Miami also holds the edge in games played in Tallahassee, 16-12.

Oct. 18, vs. Louisville

Hard Rock Stadium

The battle for the boots continues.

For the third straight year, Miami and Louisville will duke it out for the right to bring home the Howard Schnellenberger Trophy, a bronzed pair of cowboy boots worn by the legendary coach whose influence helped shaped both programs into what they are today.

Louisville won the newly created trophy in 2023 with a 38-31 win over Miami during its last visit to Hard Rock Stadium and last fall, the Hurricanes brought the boots back to Coral Gables with a 52-45 win over the Cardinals in Louisville.

Though Louisville loses quarterback Tyler Shough and several defensive starters from last season’s nine-win team, expectations are still high for the Cardinals, who are already projecting as an early preseason Top 25 team.

Louisville has added 21 transfers to its roster, including former USC quarterback Miller Moss, who in his three years with the Trojans completed 72 percent of his passes and threw for 914 yards.

Moss and the Cardinals offense return two of their top playmakers from last season’s team: wide receiver Chris Bell and running back Isaac Brown. Both had an impact in last year’s game against Miami. Brown had 79 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the loss, while Bell had 77 receiving yards. Brown went on to earn second-team All-ACC honors at season’s end.

Oct. 25, Stanford

Hard Rock Stadium

After flying west last season to face California, one of the ACC’s newest members, the Hurricanes will host another one of those new members this year: Stanford.

The Hurricanes and Cardinal have never met, but that will change in late October when Stanford comes calling.

The Cardinal are coming off a 3-9 season, though one of their three wins came in their ACC debut: a 26-24 victory at Syracuse. Later in the year, Stanford earned a top-25 win when it defeated then-No. 22 Louisville, 38-35.

This season, the Cardinal will look a bit different after two quarterbacks, Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson, transferred from the program. Daniels threw for 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, though he was briefly replaced in the lineup by Elijah Brown. Brown, though, had his struggles as well and Daniels eventually finished the year as the Cardinal’s starter.

Stanford has added 28 newcomers to the roster including 10 transfers with college football experience. Among them are running back Tuna Altahir, who had a team-high 718 rushing yards at Eastern Washington last year, and receivers David Pantelis from Yale and Caden High from NC State.

Also hoping to make a difference for Stanford, which finished 15^th in scoring in the ACC last year and hasn’t posted a winning season since 2020? Former Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, who joined the staff as the program’s general manager this offseason.

Nov. 1, at SMU

Gerald J. Ford Stadium

The Hurricanes will have three crucial road games in the month of November and the first is a biggie: traveling to Dallas to face an SMU team that advanced to both the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff last season.

In its first year as a member of the ACC, SMU – led by former Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee – posted an 11-3 record and went unbeaten in regular-season conference play.

And while the Mustangs will lose a handful of key playmakers, including first-team All-ACC honorees running back Brashard Smith and defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte, they return quarterback Kevin Jennings.

Last season, Jennings earned third-team All-ACC honors after throwing for 3,245 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for another 354 yards and five touchdowns. The Mustangs, who averaged 429.5 yards of offense last season, are also expected to add 35 newcomers, including 14 with college football experience.

The Hurricanes and Mustangs have met just once, in 1955. The Mustangs won that game in Dallas, 7-3.

Nov. 8, Syracuse

Hard Rock Stadium

After their trip to Texas, the Hurricanes return home to continue conference play with a matchup against the Orange.

Last November, the Hurricanes saw their ACC Championship Game hopes end in Syracuse after the Orange rallied for a 42-38 comeback win in the regular-season finale for both teams. Syracuse went on to finish the season 10-3 with a 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

But like most teams in college football, the Orange are expected to look different this fall. Quarterback Kyle McCord, a second-team All-ACC selection who threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns is preparing for the NFL Draft, as is running back LeQuint Allen, who totaled 1,542 all-purpose yards.

Syracuse signed 34 incoming freshmen and added six players via the transfer portal.

The Orange and Hurricanes have plenty of history, dating back to their days in the Big East and have met 24 times. Miami has won 16 of those matchups and had won six straight until last season’s showdown in Syracuse.

Nov. 15, NC State

Hard Rock Stadium

The Hurricanes will close out their home slate, and honor their seniors, on Nov. 15 when they host the Wolfpack at Hard Rock Stadium. It’ll mark NC State’s first visit to South Florida since 2021, when the Hurricanes secured a 31-30 win after a late game-saving stop from then-freshman safety Kam Kinchens who kept State from converting on what would have been a drive-extending crucial first down.

The Wolfpack saw their four-year streak of winning at least eight games come to an end last fall when they posted a 6-7 mark. NC State lost three of its last four, including a 26-21 loss to East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

Head coach Dave Doeren made changes to his staff during the offseason, promoting quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Kurt Roper to offensive coordinator and naming D.J. Eliot the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Quarterback CJ Bailey – a sophomore out of Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood – returns after completing 65 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. That marked the second-highest yardage total and touchdown total for an NC State freshman.

And while receiver KC Concepcion – a former ACC Rookie of the Year – left the program, the Wolfpack return running back Hollywood Smothers, who totaled 571 receiving yards, and tight end Justin Joly, who had a team-high 661 receiving yards.

The Hurricanes and Wolfpack have met 18 times, with Miami holding an 11-6-1 lead in the all-time series.

Nov. 22, at Virginia Tech

Lane Stadium

After closing out its home slate, the Hurricanes will end the year with back-to-back road games, the first coming against another familiar foe: Virginia Tech.

The Hurricanes and Hokies history dates back to their time in the Big East and the programs have faced off 41 times, the most recent coming last fall.

The Hurricanes rallied from a 10-point deficit against Virginia Tech last September to secure a 38-34 win. It marked Miami’s fourth straight win over the Hokies and pushed the Hurricanes’ lead in the all-time series to 26-15.

The Hokies will be looking to avenge that loss when they welcome Miami to what should be a chilly Blacksburg in late November.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 6-7 season that ended with a 24-10 loss to Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In that game, Virginia Tech managed just 223 yards while facing a Golden Gophers defense led by Hetherman.

Quarterback Kyron Drones – a cousin of Ward’s – returns to lead the Hokies offense. Despite missing four games with an injury in 2024, Drones completed 61 percent of his passes and threw for 1,562 yards and 10 touchdowns. He accounted for another 336 rushing yards and six scores and showed his versatility more than once, including when he caught a touchdown pass in the Hokies’ 21-6 win over Georgia Tech.

Nov. 29, at Pittsburgh

Acrisure Stadium

Miami will close out the regular season far from home when it travels to face Pittsburgh.

It will mark the teams’ first meeting since 2022. Before not facing each other in 2023 and 2024, the Hurricanes and Panthers had met yearly going back to 2013 and the Hurricanes hold a 29-12-1 lead in the all-time series.

The Panthers started last season with seven straight wins before closing the year out with six straight losses. Quarterback Eli Holstein became the first Panthers signal caller to win his first seven starts since Dan Marino accomplished that feat in 1979. But a leg injury sidelined Holstein late in the year and took a toll on the Panthers’ offense.

Holstein, who earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors five times before getting hurt, is expected back this fall and will be looking to improve on his 2,228 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

The Panthers, who ranked 12^th in the ACC in total defense after allowing an average of 378.2 yards per game, added five new defensive players via the transfer portal including former Oregon edge rusher Jaeden Moore and former Ohio State safety Jayden Bonsu.