When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
TV: ACC Network Extra
Coaches: Bethune-Cookman: Raymond Woodie (5-19 career record, third season at Bethune-Cookman)
Miami: Mario Cristobal (86-76 career record, 23-16 record at Miami; 15th season, fourth at Miami)
Weather: 81 degrees, 49 percent chance of rain
Quick slant: The Hurricanes picked up a massive win last week, beating then-No. 6 Notre Dame at home. The win has garnered national attention for Miami, which moved up to No. 5 in this week’s AP poll.
About No. 5 Miami (1-0): The Hurricanes come into this game on a short week, having played against the Fighting Irish on Sunday night.
About Bethune-Cookman (0-1): The Wildcats suffered a big loss in Week 1, falling 42-9 against FIU at Pitbull Stadium.
Three things to watch
1. The Hurricanes should overmatch the Wildcats on Saturday night, so this game is a chance to work out whatever kinks the UM staff saw in its win over Notre Dame. Miami played a good game against the Fighting Irish, but they did blow coverages on one key play and went three-and-out several times. There are still things to correct before the Hurricanes face USF and in-state rivals Florida and Florida State.
2. Miami put former five-star prospect Samson Okunlola on the offensive line for 32 snaps in its win over Notre Dame. The touted lineman spent his first two years at UM mostly on the bench, but when he got in the game last week, he was arguably the Hurricanes’ top lineman. Pro Football Focus gave Okunlola an 84.2 pass-blocking grade, which was the best grade on the team. He could be an interesting part of Miami’s O-line this year.
3. Saturday’s game should be a blowout in Miami’s favor. It would be surprising if many of the starters are still playing in the fourth quarter. That gives the Hurricanes an opportunity to give some of the young players a chance to get some snaps. Keep an eye on freshmen like running back Girard Pringle Jr., offensive lineman SJ Alofaituli, linebacker Kellen Wiley and safety Bryce Fitzgerald as players who could make big plays late in the game.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/04/um-gametime-bethune-cookman/
