ACC releases football schedule: Miami Hurricanes get FSU, Clemson and Pitt in November
They say November is the month to remember in college football — and it certainly will be a month of intrigue for the Miami Hurricanes.
The 2022 University of Miami football schedule was released Monday for Mario Cristobal’s first season as Hurricanes head coach, and except for one early bye week, there’s barely time to breathe.
Here’s where one’s eyes likely jump after the Sept. 17 nonconference game at national contender Texas A&M: Nov. 5 at home against the Florida Seminoles, Nov. 19 at perennial national contender Clemson and a regular-season finale against ACC Coastal Division defending champion Pittsburgh in the warmth of Hard Rock Stadium.
Pittsburgh, which finished No. 13 in the final 2021 AP standings, and Clemson, No. 14, are UM’s only two opponents that were ranked among the top 25.
Those three games in November make it a potentially daunting month that could determine the outcome of the ACC and set the stage for the 2022 ACC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Game times have not yet been announced.
The Hurricanes, who finished 7-5 in 2021 but will likely be a Top-25 preseason team with ACC Rookie of the Year Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback, open their schedule with four nonconference games already announced: Sept. 3 at home against FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman (2-9 in 2021); Sept. 10 at home against Southern Miss (3-9); Sept. 17 at the Aggies (8-4) in College Station and back home Sept. 24 against Middle Tennessee (7-6).
The lone bye week comes next on Oct. 1, then it’s eight consecutive weeks of ACC opponents — with no Thursday or Friday games this year.
UM opens its ACC slate Oct. 8 at home against North Carolina (6-7).
From there it’s Oct. 15 at Virginia Tech (6-7); Oct. 22 at home against Duke (3-9); Oct. 29 at Virginia (6-6); Nov. 5 at home against FSU (5-7); Nov. 12 at Georgia Tech (3-9); and the potential whoppers at Clemson (10-3) in South Carolina and home for senior day against the defending Coastal Division champion Panthers (11-3).
UM, 6-6 all-time against Clemson, last traveled to Memorial Stadium on October 10, 2020, when the No. 1 Tigers dominated the No. 7 Hurricanes 42-17 in front of a Covid-restricted crowd of 18,885.
The battle at Virginia should also be a good one, as quarterbacks Van Dyke and Brennan Armstrong, among the best signal callers in the nation, will be on center stage in a game that Miami lost last year when its 33-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the left upright as time expired to give the Cavaliers the 30-28 victory.
ACC Network analyst and former Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt noted during the network schedule reveal that it was worth considering that former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who coached Van Dyke, has left for SMU. Cristobal still hasn’t named Lashlee’s successor.
“There’s a new guy who’s going to be working with Tyler,’’ Richt said. “So, how’s that going to affect him? We know how great he can be, but will he be as great as he was a year ago with the guy that was calling the plays a year ago?”
And Richt, who was the offensive coordinator at FSU several years ago and played for Miami in the early 1980s, naturally couldn’t resist from commenting on their Nov. 5 meeting.
“That is a game you must win — on both sides,’’ Richt said. “If you want to say your season was a success, you must win that game, and win it on a consistent basis.’’
The absence of any Thursday or Friday games — or any weekday games, for that matter — means that UM won’t have any short weeks of preparation. However, it also means the Canes won’t have any longer rest periods after those weekday games, when the team would typically get more time to prepare for the next opponent or possibly an extra day or two off.
Sept. 3: Bethune-Cookman; Sept. 10: Southern Miss; Sept. 17: At Texas A&M; Sept. 24: Middle Tennessee; Oct. 1: Bye; Oct. 8: North Carolina; Oct. 15: At Virginia Tech; Oct. 22: Duke; Oct. 29: At Virginia; Nov. 5: FSU; Nov. 12: At Georgia Tech; Nov. 19: At Clemson; Nov. 26: Pitt.
McClendon leaves UM for Georgia
Miami Hurricanes wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon left Oregon earlier this month to follow Cristobal to Coral Gables.
Now McClendon has left Cristobal to coach wide receivers at national champion Georgia, where he played. Georgia announced the hiring on Monday morning.
National Signing Day is Wednesday, and Cristobal now must add receivers coach to the UM coaching vacancies that include offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, among others. He already has hired offensive and defensive line coaches, a running backs coach and strength and conditioning coordinator.
McClendon, 38, on Jan. 5 replaced former UM receivers coach Rob Likens, who followed new SMU head coach and former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to SMU. McClendon is known as a strong recruiter.
McClendon, a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs, graduated from Georgia in 2005. During his tenure, the Bulldogns won three SEC Eastern Division titles and two SEC championships.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 7:56 PM.
