Canes Step Into College Football Spotlight
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Desmond Howard may have won the Heisman Trophy while playing at Michigan, but on Friday morning as he stood outside the Donna C. Shalala Student Center on Miami’s campus, the ESPN college football analyst couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s a home game for me,” laughed Howard, a Miami resident. “So, that’s even more incentive for me to pull for our show to come here anytime we possibly can. And obviously, Miami’s playing very well right now. Mario Cristobal has these guys playing at a high level and it’ll be an exciting game tomorrow night at Hard Rock [Stadium] against a rival.”
Before the fourth-ranked Hurricanes take the field for that matchup against the rival Gators though, Miami – as a whole – finds itself right in the middle of the college football spotlight with both ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and the ACC Network’s ACC Huddle set to broadcast from the heart of UM’s campus on Saturday morning.
The two shows will highlight college football matchups throughout the country, but there’s no doubt Miami’s showdown against Florida will be at the center of the conversation.
That conversation is possible, in large part, because of how the Hurricanes have played through the early part of the season.
Miami has notched wins over Notre Dame, Bethune-Cookman and USF to open the year and both the Irish and Bulls were ranked in the AP Top 25 when those games were played.
Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck leads the nation in completion percentage; Miami’s offense has outscored its three opponents 121-39 and its defense has forced six turnovers.
Miami has risen steadily in the polls and a growing number of college football analysts – including those who will be on campus Saturday – believe the Hurricanes have the potential to contend for berths in both the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
“I had questions [about Miami]. I’m not going to backtrack. I had questions about Carson Beck, whether he would fit, how healthy he would be and all of that, and this really seems to be a great place for him,” said GameDay host Rece Davis. “Now, the returns are early. The sample size is small. I understand that. But he’s looked really good. Receivers have been terrific. The offensive line is just outstanding. [Francis] Mauigoa is ridiculous. He’s so good. I think the defense will be able to get pressure. And I just said to [ESPN analyst] Kirk [Herbstreit] a minute ago, I don’t have them ranked number one right now, but I thought about it last week long and hard and I think they are one of the few teams that through this early part of the season that has made a case that they could be worthy of being ranked number one in the country.”
Added ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain, “I think what is the most exciting about Miami right now, you turn on the tape for Ohio State, you turn on the tape for Texas, Alabama, Georgia, obviously Clemson and you can find something. You can find a weakness. You can’t find that with Miami. I think they are the most complete team in college football. I think they’re the best team, right now, in college football. Obviously, that’s led by Carson Beck and the things that he’s done, and I think people are very excited and maybe even taken aback a little bit about who he, what he’s bringing to the table. … The running backs are playing out of their mind. The offensive line is being exactly who we thought they would be. The most surprising thing is probably the defense. … so inconsistent [last year]. Nick Saban said it was the reason they were held out of the playoff, held out of a national championship-type of game. They look fantastic. … They’re playing at a very high level, and I love to see that.”
As effusive as the praise was for the Hurricanes, Howard, Davis and Mac Lain all cautioned that if Miami wants to remain in the championship conversation, it has to make sure its success is sustained success.
That means focusing on opponents on a week-by-week basis and leaders stepping up to make sure no one gets caught up in the spotlight, even as it begins to shine brighter.
“They’ve got to stay focused. I mean, it’s not rocket science,” Howard said. “You’ve got to stay focused. You’ve got to have great team leadership. You’ve got to keep holding your players accountable and stay focused.”
It’s a message that has been preached throughout the week – and the season at Miami.
And for the Hurricanes, right now, that means focusing on a Florida team that might be struggling but will bring a roster full of talented playmakers to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
“The only thing that matters to us, right now, is being focused on our job and not letting anything get in the way or anyone get in the way of us doing our job,” Cristobal said earlier this week. “It’s that simple.”
