From the Desk of Dan Radakovich
Dear Canes Community,
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend and had the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. It promises to be a December to remember for Miami Athletics as our football and volleyball teams gear up for postseason play and our basketball teams hit the hardwood for 12 games to close out the calendar year.
Playoff Worthy
The Canes turned in an emphatic performance in our regular season finale at Pittsburgh Saturday, dominating the Panthers 38-7 for our 10th win of the season. It marks the first time Miami has posted double-digit wins in consecutive seasons since 2002-03.
Eight of our 10 wins have been by 17 or more points, and over the last four games Mario Cristobal’s squad has outscored the opposition 151-41. The offense has been clicking on all cylinders and the defense has been at its ferocious best. In short, if you’re in the eye test business the Canes have the look of a College Football Playoff team.
Miami is 12th in the current CFP rankings, the latest of which will be revealed tomorrow night. There are a cluster of two-loss teams (plus 11-1 BYU) that sit between eighth and 13th. The Canes have the most statistically balanced team amongst that group – ranking 12th in total defense and 29th in total offense.
The Canes rank sixth in the latest Sagarin rankings, ahead of seven SEC teams with either one or two losses – Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Texas and Oklahoma. Miami has five wins over teams in Sagarin’s Top 40.
Miami also ranks seventh in ESPN’s FPI’s rankings – ahead of one-loss Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and BYU — and boast five wins over FPI Top 40 teams. Only Oklahoma and Alabama have more (and the Crimson Tide lost by two touchdowns at 5-7 Florida State). The Canes are ninth in the latest SP+ rankings, ahead of two-loss Utah, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Oklahoma (and BYU).
I served on the CFP committee for four years, so I know firsthand what a difficult job it is. You spend weeks ranking teams, discussing strengths and weaknesses, parsing through data points and — most importantly – watching games.
Remember those two-loss teams I mentioned? We beat one of them. I was there — many of you were, too. It was an electric night at Hard Rock Stadium when Miami defeated Notre Dame to kickstart this terrific season. Moments like that are what makes college football such a compelling sport.
Let’s ensure those moments matter.
Volleyball Dancing
Our 14th-ranked volleyball squad reverse swept No. 19 North Carolina 3-2 in Chapel Hill Saturday to concludes its regular season with a 26-5 record – its best since 2011. Flormarie Heredia Colon continued her sensational season with 36 kills against the Tar Heels. She leads the nation in kills, 78 ahead of her nearest competitor.
The Canes earned their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and will travel to Lawrence, Kan., as a fifth seed against No. 12 Tulsa in the first round. Good luck to head coach Keno Gandara and the Canes!
Linking Canes Football Past to Present
Wide receiver Malachi Toney has had a sensational year, leading the Canes with 84 receptions and breaking the school record for receiving yards by a freshman (970). You might have noticed the patch on his No. 10 jersey that recognizes one of our all-time great quarterbacks, George Mira, Sr. For the second straight season current UM players have worn jerseys that were originally retired and now honor those who wore them before. Linebacker Raul Aguirre also wears Mira’s No. 10. Defensive lineman Artavius Jones wears No. 42 that was previously worn by running back Jim Dooley. Defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald and wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw wear Gino Torretta’s No. 13 and defensive lineman Hayden Lowe wears Vinny Testaverde’s No. 14. This jersey policy offers a great opportunity to link our football program’s rich history with our current players.
Latest News
Our men’s basketball team is off to a 6-2 start after defeating Georgetown 78-65 in last week’s ESPN Events Invitational. Malik Reneau paced the Canes with 23 points against the Hoyas and he is off to a stellar start this season, averaging 20.8 points per game. Jai Lucas’ squad hits the road tomorrow night for a stern test at Ole Miss in the ACC-SEC Challenge. Tipoff is 9 p.m. on SEC Network. Tune in to cheer on the Canes!
Our women’s basketball squad dropped a hard-fought contest to No. 24 Oklahoma State Saturday in the Cayman Islands Classic. Gal Raviv scored 50 points over two games in the tournament. The Canes next host Kentucky Wednesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge. It’s Pajama Party Night and former Canes Haley and Hanna Cavinder will be returning to Watsco Center to participate in a special giveaway. Tipoff is 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Click here to secure your tickets!
Graduation Success
The NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rates last month and our student-athletes posted a four-year rate of 94 percent, which matches our school record from 2023.
This marks the 10th consecutive year and 13th year in the past 14 that Miami has earned a four-year average rate of 90 percent or higher. Six individual programs posted perfect scores of 100 percent: baseball, men’s diving, golf, soccer, women’s tennis and volleyball. Football posted its second-highest score (91) in program history. Golf and men’s diving have scored 100 percent every year since the GSR’s inception in 2005, and volleyball earned its 13th consecutive perfect rate.
I am proud of our student-athletes for their continued efforts in the classroom. These latest GSR numbers signify their commitment to earning a degree, and the strong support and guidance they receive from our coaches and academic services staff throughout their journey at Miami.
Centennial Year
We are approaching the close of the university’s centennial year and as aways athletics has played a major part in the year-long recognitions and celebrations. We created “100 Student-Athletes Stories,” a weekly online series celebrating 100 of Miami’s most successful and influential student-athletes across all sports. Click here to check out the entire list of stories.
We also published 100 Years, 100 Games: The Greatest Football Games in Miami Hurricanes History looks back at a century of UM football from the program’s humble beginnings to its rise as a college football power. This 162-page book, written by Carter Toole with a foreword by Jimmy Johnson, captures the history, theater and legacy of University of Miami football and serves as the perfect holiday gift for any Canes fan. Click here to purchase!
Our Canes Community remains stronger than ever thanks to your generosity. Happy Holidays and Go Canes!
– Dan Radakovich
