First Look: Miami’s 2023 Football Schedule
Time to take a look at the 2023 Miami Hurricanes football schedule. There are four games the Canes should win, four that Miami better not overlook, and four that certainly possess the biggest challenges.
Least Difficult Games
Bethune-Cookman – With Ed Reed taking over the head coaching duties for the Wildcats, it was natural for the Hurricanes to schedule a game as soon as possible. It still should be a game that Miami wins going away. This past season, Miami defeated Bethune-Cookman 70-13.
At Temple – The Owls have been awful the past three seasons, going a combined 7-24. This needs to be a game where Miami comes out and handles its business by staying focused on the task at hand, and then the backups are playing in the fourth quarter of a blowout.
Miami of Ohio – An offense that ranked 113th out of 131 FBS schools held back the RedHawks last year. Until the offense has been fixed, it is hard to imagine that the “battle of the Miamis” will be anything other than a one-sided victory for the Hurricanes.
Virginia – The Cavaliers were a disappointing 3-7 last season, and the Transfer Portal has not been kind either. On offense, quarterback Brennan Armstrong transferred to North Carolina State and wide receiver Billy Kemp has left for Nebraska. The defense gave up 24 points per game, ranking it 49th, but lost cornerback Fentrell Cypress II to a transfer to Florida State. Hard to see Virginia above .500 next season, and it may not reach a bowl game once again.
Middle of the Pack
Georgia Tech – This game presents the category that head coaches like Mario Cristobal probably hate: a team that gets little respect but has enough talent to win. Georgia Tech went on the road and beat two ranked teams – Pittsburgh and North Carolina – after now head coach Brent Key took over in Atlanta during the final eight games of the 2022 season.
There are questions on both sides of the football, but the Yellow Jackets were much more sound after Key took over. Additionally, Alabama wide receiver Christian Leary transferred to Georgia Tech.
At Boston College – This game might be the least challenging of this group, but then again, if it’s a contest later in the season when weather can make an impact, that’s a different story. Plus, the Eagles return young quarterback Emmett Morehead after he began to take over for now departed quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who transferred to Pittsburgh.
Louisville – Another program in transition, but one that’s returning a former player as head coach, and that’s Jeff Brohm. He did a quality job at Purdue, a really difficult place to win. Brohm’s specialty has been utilizing a pro-style passing attack. That point helped lure California quarterback transfer Jack Plummer, a big-bodied traditional pocket passer that threw for 3,095 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year.
Look for the Cardinals to be one of the better ACC offensive teams moving forward. If the Cardinals are even decent on defense, they could surprise in 2023.
Texas A&M – Does anyone know what to expect from the Aggies? Yeah, probably not. They have been one of the most disappointing teams in college football the past few years. Loads of talent signed to play in College Station, Texas, but now a bunch of that talent has transferred out. The biggest issue has been quarterback play, and there does not appear to be a clear answer for Jimbo Fisher’s offense behind center. The best offensive player will likely be wide receiver Evan Stewart. He led the Aggies with 53 receptions for 649 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, getting edge defender Fadil Diggs back to full strength gives the Aggies one of the nation’s more talented overall defensive lineman. The bigger issue might be cornerback where the Transfer Portal hurt the Aggies.
Prime Matchups
At Florida State – Toughest game on the slate. The Seminoles might be a preseason top 10 team. Quarterback Jordan Travis will likely be a Heisman Trophy candidate after throwing for 3,214 yards, 24 touchdowns, and five interceptions, plus running for 417 yards and seven more scores. Wide receiver Johnny Wilson is a rising star that caught 43 passes for 897 yards, a 20.9 average, and five touchdowns.
Just as important on defense, defensive end Jared Verse returns after 47 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. Of course, this game takes place at Doak Campbell Stadium. It will be rockin’ when the Canes come out onto the field. If Miami can find a way to win this contest, it would be a signal that the program has truly taken a major step forward.
At North Carolina State – There are questions about quarterback after Devin Leary left for Kentucky, but MJ Morris might be the answer behind center after throwing seven touchdowns to just one interception. Running back Jordan Houston should be the main guy to get the football, and he’s good as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.
The best news for the Wolfpack, they will bring back All-American linebacker candidate Payton Wilson. He’s going to be a fifth-year senior and has 265 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four interceptions during his career. Finally, this game will be on the road at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina State has gone 18-2 during the past three seasons at home.
Clemson – Ready for the Cade Klubnik era? The sophomore quarterback takes over after former signal caller DJ Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State. There’s been a step back on offense overall, but there are high hopes for Klubnik. Plus, running back Will Shipley returns after 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns. The bigger question, can the Tigers find a receiver for Klubnik to rely on beyond rising sophomore Antonio Williams? He went for 56 receptions, 604 yards and four touchdowns last season. Williams is a future NFL player.
Defensively, Clemson has quite a few talented players returning, but defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive ends Myles Murphy and KJ Henry, plus linebacker Trenton Simpson, all declared for the draft and were prime players.
Cornerback needs to make strides with its highly-recruited prospects from the past couple of years. That’s especially true after Fred Davis II transferred to UCF. Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukas, two sophomores, could be the players to watch at cornerback.
At North Carolina – Best bet to win the Heisman Trophy could be Tar Heels signal caller Drake Maye. He threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Just a redshirt sophomore this next fall, he also ran for 698 yards and seven scores. Elijah Green leads a balanced group of running backs after running for 558 yards and eight touchdowns. At receiver, the speedy Antoine Green comes back after 43 receptions, 798 yards and seven scores.
Defensively, the Tar Heels do need to improve. They gave up 436.5 yards per game, ranking No. 116 in the nation. It does not help that cornerback Tony Grimes transferred to Texas A&M either. Along the defensive line, Kaimon Rucker will lead the way after 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3.5 tackles for loss.
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