A year ago, the Syracuse Orange scored one of the best wins in program history against the Miami Hurricanes. Fran Brown’s team overcame a 21-0 deficit to beat the Hurricanes and keep Miami out of the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
Unfortunately, it looks as though the other shoe is about to drop. Saturday, Brown will take the team to South Beach to face the Hurricanes, who will be hungry for redemption. We know from our preseason look at Miami that Mario Cristobal’s team had high hopes heading into the season. Let’s take a look at where the Canes stand heading into Saturday’s game.
Where is Miami ranked?
The Hurricanes debuted at No. 18 in the first College Football Playoff rankings this week. That matches where they sit in both the AP and the Coaches Polls. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be good enough to make the CFP. Plus, after holding the top spot for a long stretch, Miami has dropped to No. 6 in our weekly ACC power rankings.
Where is Miami in the standings?
Despite still being a top-25 team, the Hurricanes are just 2-2 in ACC play. That puts them in seventh place in the conference standings, as there are five teams with just one loss in league play, as well as the Virginia Cavaliers, who remain unbeaten in ACC games.
What did Miami do last week?
Miami’s postseason hopes may have received irreparable damage last week when the Canes lost to SMU 26-20. The Hurricanes held the lead four separate times in that game, but allowed the Mustangs to tie or take the lead every time. The game eventually went to overtime, with Carson Beck throwing an interception on Miami’s possession. SMU responded with a touchdown to pull off the upset.
SMU takes down No. 10 Miami in overtime for its first home win against a top-10 team in 51 years‼️ pic.twitter.com/qF7hgq9Gzj
— ESPN (@espn) November 1, 2025
Who is Miami’s quarterback?
Carson Beck has been Miami’s quarterback in 2025. The transfer from Georgia took over for reigning Heisman winner Cam Ward. The fifth-year player began the season as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, although his performance has been inconsistent. Beck has a modest 14 touchdown passes and a concerning nine interceptions this season. That includes two picks last week and four in Miami’s other loss to Louisville. The Canes brought in an experienced quarterback like Beck to get them over the top, but he’s failed to make that happen.
Who are Miami’s other stars?
While the Hurricanes have tons of star power, there are some key players out due to injury this week. That includes second-leading receiver CJ Daniels, star cornerback OJ Frederique, and potentially leading rusher Mark Fletcher. However, Syracuse still needs to worry about Malachi Toney, who leads Miami with 52 catches for 632 yards.
On defense, the Hurricanes still boast one of the best pass-rushing duos in the country. While his numbers this season may not reflect it, Rueben Bain is considered by many to be the top edge rusher available in the 2026 NFL Draft. Akheem Mesidor isn’t far behind as a pro prospect, even if that duo has only combined for 5.5 sacks this season.
What is Miami’s biggest flaw?
It’s hard to find a glaring flaw on such a talented Miami roster. When the Hurricanes have lost this season, they’ve often played a role in their own downfall. Most notably, Beck has thrown six interceptions across the two games the Canes have lost. Penalties have also played a role in those losses. At times, the Miami secondary has also looked vulnerable when the pass rush hasn’t gotten to the quarterback, as SMU’s Kevin Jennings threw for 365 yards against the Canes last week.
How does Syracuse beat Miami?
It might take a minor miracle for the Orange to pull this one out. The fact that Steve Angeli still leads the team in passing yards despite not playing in five straight games tells you everything you need to know about the Syracuse offense. Whether it’s Joe Filardi having a bounce-back game or a return to Rickie Collins, the Orange must find a way to create some semblance of a threat in the passing game.
The fans rush the field here at the JMA Dome after Syracuse finishes a 42-38 win over No. 6 Miami. Fran Brown has a 9-3 record in his first year as head coach. Orange fans with a lot to celebrate here. pic.twitter.com/b5GiLx8AJA
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeMedia) December 1, 2024
Defensively, Syracuse has done enough to at least stay competitive early in games. With a downtrodden Miami team that had its CFP hopes crushed last week, the Orange might be able to keep things close if the Hurricanes come out uninspired. As mentioned, Beck has been vulnerable to turnovers at times this season. But it doesn’t matter how well the Syracuse defense plays if the offense can’t find a way to get on track.