Miami and SMU appeared to be trending toward an Atlantic Coast Conference championship game matchup last season before the Hurricanes fell out of the conference title picture.
The teams will finally get their chance to face off Saturday when the Mustangs host the No. 10 Hurricanes. In their only previous meeting in 1965, SMU beat Miami 7-3 in the Orange Bowl in Miami.
The Hurricanes (6-1, 2-1 ACC) and Mustangs (5-3, 3-1) each need the victory to realistically remain in the race for the conference title. Miami is alive in the battle to earn a College Football Playoff berth as well.
The Hurricanes bounced back from their first loss by routing Stanford 42-7 at home last Saturday, scoring 35 second-half points.
SMU needs its own recovery game after a disappointing 13-12 road loss at Wake Forest last Saturday.
Miami is quite familiar with the Mustangs, who are coached by former Hurricanes offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and reached the CFP last season before losing to Penn State in the first round.
Four former Hurricanes are on the Mustangs’ roster, including receiver Romello Brinson and former Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a backup to SMU starter Kevin Jennings (ACC-leading 17 passing TDs).
“Really impressive football team,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said during his press conference Monday.
It’s been a more difficult season for SMU this year, which got worse after the Mustangs put together what Lashlee called “their worst offensive performance” since he joined the program in 2022.
SMU’s 12 points were its lowest in a regular-season game since Sept. 9, 2023, against Oklahoma. The Mustangs turned the ball over three times and were held to 246 total yards.
“It’s not even close, hands down,” Lashlee said about SMU’s offense against Wake Forest. “That’s my responsibility from play calls to prep, the adjustments, all those things.”
SMU, which finished last season No. 8 in the nation in scoring at 36.5 points per game, ranks 50th this season as its average has dropped to 31.4.
Lashlee expects his offense to have a major challenge on its hands against Miami’s defense. The Hurricanes rank eighth in the nation in scoring defense, ninth in rushing defense and 24th in passing defense and are holding teams to 14.1 ppg (eighth in nation).
“It’s the most complete team we’ve played since I’ve been here,” Lashlee said. “They’re national championship-good on defense. They’re really, really good.”
Miami’s offense, which struggled two weeks ago in a 24-21 home loss to Louisville in which quarterback Carson Beck threw four interceptions, saw a revival of its ground attack against Stanford.
The Hurricanes scored five rushing touchdowns, including three by Mark Fletcher Jr., who leads the team with nine scores on the ground.
Star freshman receiver Malachi Toney continues to impress. Toney leads the Hurricanes with 43 catches and 562 receiving yards through seven games and ranks third in the ACC in receiving yards per game (80.3) and fourth in receptions.
C.J. Daniels’ six touchdown catches are tied for the most in the ACC.
“It’s so funny because nobody knew what he was going to be, but I remember just telling all my family and friends about what he was going to be able to do for us this year and that we definitely had a secret weapon,” Beck said Tuesday.