CFB: Miami vs. Florida State preview

When Florida State hosts Miami Saturday night, it might signal a resurgence of one of the best rivalries in college football. Both programs have coaches who have their respective programs competing at the top of college football again. They’re in very different places, though.

Miami alum Mario Cristobal has steadily built the Hurricanes since taking over in 2022. They are coming off a 10-win season in which they produced the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in Cam Ward, but their defense kept them from reaching higher heights.

Florida State is on a similar trajectory under Mike Norvell. They improved every year in his first four years before going 13-0 in the regular season in 2023 and winning the ACC Championship.

That all came crashing down last season when they went 2-10. That sparked plenty of roster churn and changes at both coordinator positions, and they came into the season as one of the biggest unknowns.

They responded to those question marks by upsetting then No. 8 Alabama 31-17 in week one, controlling the line of scrimmage. They then breezed through two easy opponents before an upset loss in double overtime at Virginia last week.

Miami also started its season with a bang by knocking off then-No. 6 Notre Dame and blowing out then-No. 18 South Florida two weeks later.

They seem to have fixed the defensive problems, as they rank seventh in the country in scoring defense through the first month. They also rank in the top 10 in rushing defense, allowing just 76.2 yards per game on the ground, including holding Notre Dame with one of the best backfields in the country to just 93 yards.

That will be the matchup to watch against a Florida State offense built on running the ball. They’re currently second in the country in rushing yards per game at 336.

Both running backs Gavin Sawchuk and Ousmane Kromah, and quarterback Thomas Castellanos are averaging over five yards per carry. But if Miami shuts that run game down, can Castellanos make enough plays through the air?

On the other side, Miami brought in Carson Beck at quarterback after starting two years at Georgia. Many felt he would be a first-round draft pick this past year before turnover issues set him back.

He started off his Miami career well with a big game to get the win over Notre Dame. But those same turnover issues have started to resurface again this year. How much will be put on his shoulders, though?

Miami won its last two games thanks to its running game, and Florida State struggled to stop the run last week in its loss to Virginia. The front for the Seminoles will have to look more like it did in week one against Alabama.

Looking at both sides, though, this game might come down to which quarterback makes the big plays. Who should be trusted more with that responsibility?

Jacob Rudy is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jar7371@psu.edu.