When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
TV: The CW
Coaches: Allex Golesh, (16-12 career record, third season at South Florida); Mario Cristobal (87-76 career record, 24-16 record at Miami; 15th season, fourth at Miami).
Line: Miami is favored by 17 1/2 points
Weather: 83 degrees, 54 percent chance of rain
Quick slant: The Hurricanes start a series of three straight games against FBS in-state rivals — beginning with upstart USF on Saturday (followed by UF and at FSU). The Bulls entered the AP poll for the first time since 2018 after pulling off back-to-back upsets against Boise State and Florida.
About No. 5 Miami (2-0): The Hurricanes cruised to a win over FCS Bethune-Cookman last week, but now the tougher grind of their schedule starts. As expected, the offensive and defensive lines have paved the way for UM.
About No. 18 USF (2-0): The Bulls are off to an excellent start, upsetting a pair of ranked teams. The two wins have garnered national attention for Golesh and the Bulls, and now the entire country is keeping an eye on them.
Three things to watch
1. Although USF has pulled off two big wins, they did not secure those victories in the trenches. Last week against Florida, the Bulls had only three quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Miami’s offensive line is likely better than the Gators’ offensive line, so quarterback Carson Beck should have time in the pocket to throw. While USF struggled to get pressure, the Hurricanes’ offensive line has allowed Beck to be sacked just once.
2. Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is an explosive player. The starting quarterback completed about 64 percent of his passes for 263 yards and a touchdown against UF, and he added 66 rushing yards. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound quarterback is hard to tackle. He has six runs of 10 or more yards this season and has forced five missed tackles. The UM defense will have a hard time bringing him down.
3. Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. has been one of the nation’s best defenders through two games. The junior lineman has nine tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception in the first two games. Pro Football Focus has given him a 94.7 defensive grade, which is the highest mark for a Power 4 defensive player with 25 or more snaps this year.
