A warning about watching UM-Notre Dame. And Canes personnel talk
Some Miami Hurricanes notes, as we close in on Sunday’s opener against Notre Dame at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC Miami):
▪ It’s inevitable that some Hurricanes fans who are oblivious to South Florida’s recent ABC affiliate switch will panic when they flip on their television sets on Sunday night and cannot find the UM-Notre Dame game.
A public service message: Do not be one of those people.
As many viewers know, WPLG 10 and ABC divorced this year, and ABC programming now airs on a digital channel owned by Sunbeam, which is WSVN 7’s parent company.
As of Aug. 4, South Florida’s new ABC affiliate — called ABC Miami — is available in high definition on Channel 18 on DirecTV, AT&T-uverse, Breezeline, YouTube TV, Hulu, Fubo and DirecTV Streaming. That’s where Sunday night’s UM-Notre Dame will air.
Comcast Xfinity is airing ABC programming in high definition on Channels 446 and 1018 and in standard definition on Channel 18. Hotwire is carrying ABC Miami on Channel 403 (high definition) and Channel 3 (standard definition), while Blue Stream will carry ABC Miami on Channel 3 (HD). Those are the channels that will carry UM-Notre Dame and all ABC programming.
And viewers without cable or satellite service can watch ABC over-the-air, in high definition, on Channel 18.1 or 7.2. All major cable and satellite providers have added ABC Miami except Dish Network; negotiations are ongoing.
ABC Miami will carry a local pregame show, “We Got U Covered,” at 6 p.m. Sunday, with WSVN 7’s Josh Moser anchoring.
As for WPLG 10, the station is now carrying primarily news, as well as a college football package of HBCU (historically Black College and University) games, and other fare.
Four streaming services — YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu and DirecTV satellite — have dropped WPLG. But Comcast, the market’s dominant provider, continues to carry WPLG, as do cable systems Breezline, DirecTV satellite and Dish.
FYI: ABC/ESPN assigned its No. 2 team, Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy, to Sunday’s game. The network’s lead team (Chris Fowler/Kirk Herbstreit) will work LSU-Clemson on Saturday. Both games are on ABC.
Poyser ready
▪ UM’s first offseason portal commitment of the offseason — coveted Jacksonville State safety Zechariah Poyser — thought he would be playing for defensive coordinator Lance Guidry and defensive backs coach Chevis Jackson.
But then Guidry was dismissed and Jackson left for the Buffalo Bills.
“When I first got here, coach Jackson and coach Guidry were here,” he said. “I was nervous, but it all worked out. Thank God. I trust coach [Mario] Cristobal. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t trust the head” coach. “I never had thoughts of re-entering the portal.”
Poyser had 75 tackles, three interceptions and eight tackles for loss for his Conference USA championship squad. He had dozens of offers in the portal, including UF, LSU, Auburn and Georgia. He has boosted his weight from 185 to 200 since arriving on campus in January.
“I was a Miami fan growing up,” Poyser said, noting he enjoyed watching UM safeties Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaquan Johnson, Kam Kitchens and Sheldrick Redwine.
Among the things he says he does well: “I’m a great communicator.” Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has consistently said that the UM defense must communicate better than it did a year ago.
Among the challenges with facing Notre Dame’s offense, beyond its elite talent at running back and receiver and an offensive line built around top recruits: the uncertainty of what to expect with new quarterback CJ Carr, who appeared in only one game (without throwing a pass) as a freshman last season. That could work to the Canes’ advantage if they can rattle him in his first college start.
“It’s a challenge because we don’t have that much film on him,” Poyser said this week. “It’s Notre Dame, [so]... he has to be some sort of good.”
Thoughts from Cristobal
Look for UM’s offense to be more traditional with Carson Beck at quarterback. Cam Ward was an improviser at times, checking out of running plays to passing plays, and it worked because of his unique skills.
The offense will look more traditional with Beck.
One of his strengths is “getting us out of bad plays,” Cristobal told Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. on his first TV show of the season. “Sometimes it’s getting rid of the football when something is not there.”
▪ Cristobal said No. 2 quarterback Emory Williams “has been excellent, and his teammates have taken big-time notice. It would have been easy to not put forth the effort and forge forward [this past offseason].”
But instead, “he took a deep dive into himself and realized last year’s approach cannot be this year’s approach.”
▪ Cristobal told Zagacki and Bailey that offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson “continues to evolve. We want to stay on the cutting edge and refuse to have people get an edge on us. And if they do, we have a way to get to something else to be more effective.”
▪ Cristobal said veteran wide receiver transfers CJ Daniels, Keelan Marion and Tony Johnson “have blended really well with the guys we have returning. It’s a really good blend, older and younger guys.”
The younger guys are returnees Jojo Trader, Ny Carr, Chance Robinson and Ray Ray Joseph and freshmen Malachi Toney, Joshua Moore and Daylyn Upshaw.
“Chance Robinson is finally healthy and looking really good out there,” Cristobal said. “Ny Carr is doing some really good things.”
Marion, who averaged 17.6 yards per catch in two years at Connecticut before transferring to BYU, “has the unique ability to blow the top off the [coverage],” Dawson said.
“He has true game-breaker speed. A lot of times, guys like that struggle with intermediate routes and he doesn’t. He has the ability to run the whole route tree. He can be out there in any situation in any play call. He’s really had a really good camp. I’m excited to watch him play.”
▪ Cristobal said the tight end room — led by Elija Lofton and Tulane transfer Alex Bauman — “made a decision they’re not going to have a drop-off. [Elijah] Arroyo, Cam McCormick passed on a lot of good stuff, DNA, culture stuff.”
▪ The feedback on Hetherman has been very positive, both publicly and privately.
“He’s a detailed guy, great teacher,” Cristobal said, praising his level of “detail and preparation” and noting “there’s not a moment wasted” with him.
UM defensive line coach Jason Taylor said Hetherman “has been great to work with. He’s done a really good job of rallying the players around him. We’ve corrected a lot of what we feel we need to address in the offseason.”
Here’s what we’re hearing on UM’s defense.
Here’s what we’re hearing on UM’s offense.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
