No. 5 Miami finding ways to focus on the task at hand. This week, it’s No. 18 USF
The Miami Hurricanes have been good about keep their focus solely on what’s ahead of them. What they accomplished in the past isn’t going to help them this week nor is looking ahead to what might be bigger challenges or grander goals.
But the next three games for the No. 5 Hurricanes (2-0), starting with the No. 18 USF Bulls (2-0) on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium (4:30 p.m., the CW Network), will all feature a similar overarching storyline.
Miami plays USF, the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles in consecutive games, with an off week separating the UF and FSU contests. While each counts as one game in the win or loss column, there is still something to be said about the competition and rivalry that comes with in-state matchups, especially considering what is at stake for all four teams.
Miami, FSU and USF are all undefeated and ranked through two weeks of the season, with FSU at No. 10. The Gators, meanwhile, are 1-1 entering a road game with No. 3 LSU with coach Billy Napier seemingly back on the hot seat after UF lost 18-16 to USF last week.
“They’re as meaningful as you can imagine,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. “To me, any time you play in state, they’re rivalry games, naturally. And they last for an entire year. So the fan bases, the alumni, they’re all juiced up. The energy brought to the stadiums is awesome. The intensity on the field is felt right away and through the game. And in rivalry games, you know how those go: You’re never all the way in it and never all the way out of it. You’ve got to play all the way four quarters, 60 minutes until that clock says zero, and overtime if necessary. So certainly, a lot of energy behind our program, the momentum behind it. So we’re looking forward to a great opportunity on Saturday.”
That opportunity will be a chance at another early ranked win against one of the best stories early this season to pad Miami’s resume for the College Football Playoff. USF already has two ranked wins against then-No. 25 Boise State and then-No. 13 Florida to and eyes a third consecutive upset win to start its season.
And the Hurricanes knew not to take the Bulls lightly even before USF’s strong showing after the way the matchup between the teams unfolded last year. USF held its own through the first half against Miami before the Hurricanes pulled away for an eventual 50-15 win at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
“Obviously, a ton of respect for USF their coaches,” Cristobal said. “They’re playing as good a football as just about anybody in the country. The way they beat two Top 25 opponents, [they’re] playing at a high level, really explosive football team, disruptive, high energy, physical, tough, well disciplined.”
It will be another test for the Hurricanes as they continue with the season.
“We got done through the first two weeks and I feel like we prepared really well and executed really well,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “That’s going to be the game plan going into this week as well. Just prepare, prepare, prepare and then when it’s our opportunity to go out there on Saturday, go execute and take care of business.”
USF’s run against ranked teams
USF became just the fourth team since the start of the AP poll in 1936 to win its first two games of a season against ranked opponents while being unranked itself.
The Bulls are also the first team since 2020 to begin a season by facing three consecutive teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, when Arkansas and Missouri both did it in the COVID-impacted season. The last team to do it in a non-COVID year: Miami in 2009. The Hurricanes faced four consecutive ranked to start the year, going 3-1 in that stretch before ultimately finishing the season 9-4.
The last team to open 3-0 against three ranked teams: The Hurricanes in 1987 on their way to their second of five national championships.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM.
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