Miami

Preview: Florida State Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes

The #10 Hurricanes will host the #23 Seminoles on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium

The Miami Hurricanes will host the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami enters the important game ranked tenth in the national. FSU is ranked 23rd and has already lost twice this season. The Hurricanes are off to a hot 4-0 start and can continue the momentum with a big win at home.

Despite the records and rankings, this is a game that UM enters with no certainty of victory. Many believed FSU would rank higher than UM at the time of this game and the schools are not far apart despite the two losses. Head coach Mark Richt is off to a solid start and this will be his first taste of the UM-FSU rivalry as the head coach of the 'Canes. 

Richt went 2-2 against the Seminoles as a backup quarterback for  Miami from 1979 until 1982, while going 6-9 against Miami while an assistant coach for FSU during two different stints.

A looming Hurricane Matthew has led to some concerns about the game, but as of Wednesday it is still set to kick off as planned. The storm's track could potentially change those plans in the coming days. Hard Rock Stadium was built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, but the conditions could prove dangerous to the players and the fans.

Mark Walton has been dominant on the ground for UM with eight rushing touchdowns in four games. Walton has amassed 445 yards on 63 carries and is a big reason for Miami's perfect record. The sophomore needs to keep that momentum going in this one and take some pressure off Brad Kaaya.

Kaaya has done well this year himself with 8 TD and three interceptions in the four games. UM's quarterback has 935 yards in the air and has been relatively efficient on his passes. In last year's loss to FSU, Kaaya was strong and it will likely take a similar effort. Having Walton move the ball could be the difference maker, as Miami only compiled 20 rushing yards in the 2015 loss.

As is the case in all games, defense is going to be a critical aspect as well. This year has been a tale of two defenses for the schools. Miami is only allowing 11 points per game, while FSU has allowed 35.4. With the Hurricanes averaging 47 points a game and the Seminoles 41.4, something has to give in this one.

Saturday's game will get started at 8:00 p.m.

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