What to know about the Hurricanes ahead of the Stanford football matchup

This article has been provided by Omar Pinto, a staff writer with The Miami Hurricane — the official student newspaper of the University of Miami — in collaboration with The Daily.

Sitting at 5-1, the ’Canes come into their game with the Stanford football ranked No. 9 in the country, having fallen seven spots after their shocking 24-21 loss to Louisville at home.

Despite their brutal loss, the Hurricanes are still considered a strong team in college football and will be looking to bounce back strong this week.

Their loss against Louisville was mainly pinned on former Heisman front-runner Carson Beck. 

Beck took himself completely out of contention for the trophy last week and sealed Miami’s fate with a miserable four- interception performance, including one on the potential game-winning drive.

Despite his shortcomings last week, Beck has had a stellar season overall, racking up 1,487 yards, 11 touchdowns and a 157.4 passer rating on the year. Beck earned these statistics against some tough competition, as the ’Canes have taken down three ranked opponents this year.

The Hurricanes also boast a few other stars on the offensive side of the football. True freshman Malachi Toney has been incredible this season, proving to be one of the best freshmen in the nation.

Through just five games, he has 38 receptions for over 500 yards and has made countless splash plays. Toney was arguably the only reason Miami even had a chance against Louisville with his do-it-all performance last week.

Veteran wide-out C.J. Daniels and running back Mark Fletcher are the other two names to remember on Miami’s offense. Daniels is a sure-handed receiver who always has a chance to make a catch as long as the ball is in the air; he went viral weeks ago after a spectacular one-hander in the end zone against Notre Dame. 

Fletcher encompasses the opposite style of play. He’s a bruising back who would prefer to run you over but has some surprising juking ability as well. He already has six touchdowns on the year and will be looking to add to that total this week.

Defensively, Ruben Bain Jr. is the name to remember. Bain was listed by ESPN as the No. 1 player in college football who has the ability to take over a game completely on his own.

University of Miami X-factors of the week

The Running Backs

Going up against a Stanford defense that has allowed 143 rushing yards per game, the Hurricanes will look to get their backfield going in this one. Besides Fletcher, the ’Canes have ChaMar Brown and Jordan Lyle, two very solid backs. Brown has 225 yards and five touchdowns this year, while Lyle, who has been hurt most of the season, will be looking for a breakout game. Saturday is the perfect opportunity.

Akheem Mesidor 

Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown is making his first start on Saturday, and this Miami D-line should be licking their lips. The Cardinal will make it a point of slowing down Miami star rusher Ruben Bain, which should open things up for his over-shadowed pass-rushing partner, Akheem Mesidor. 

Mesidor has 3.5 sacks on the year and has quietly been a force on the defensive line. However, he did appear injured during the Louisville game, despite playing 52 snaps on the line, which could impact his output. 

Expect Mesidor to be a problem on Saturday if he’s a full-go.

University of Miami’s keys to the game

Establish the run

Miami should try and exploit Stanford’s flimsy run defense in this one. If they can get their backs going, they could run away with this one.

Let Carson Beck get some confidence back

Coming off such a disappointing showing last week, the ’Canes have a good opportunity against a Stanford secondary allowing 200-plus pass yards per game to get Beck back into rhythm. 

Expect the Hurricanes to let Beck rip a few deep balls early. His confidence will be big if the Hurricanes want to stay in playoff contention.

Rattle Elijah Brown

Elijah Brown is making his first career start — the Miami defense should be salivating. If they can hit Brown hard early and rattle him, it’s hard imagining a world where the ’Canes lose.

Miami vs. Stanford: A quick history

• Saturday’s matchup marks the first time the Hurricanes and Cardinal will meet on the field.
• Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is 2-2 against the Cardinal, dating back to his time as Oregon head coach (2018-2021).
• Stanford is 2-1 all-time against teams from the Sunshine State.

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