One of the top offenses in the entire country will take center stage when No. 6 Miami hosts rival Florida State. This season could not be more different for the Sunshine State rivals. Miami is undefeated and positioned as a contender for the ACC and national championships behind star quarterback Cam Ward. Online sports betting app DraftKings has Ward listed as a +250 bet to take home the Heisman Trophy in December. Florida State, meanwhile, is off to its worst start since before Bobby Bowden was hired (1975, to be specific) after falling to 1-6 overall and 1-5 in ACC play in a loss at Duke last week.
Miami leads the all-time series 35-33, but it has lost the last three games, with coach Mario Cristobal still searching for his first win against the Seminoles. Florida State narrowly beat Miami 27-20 last season in Tallahassee and absolutely laid the hammer down their last time in Hard Rock Stadium, winning 45-3. There are big-picture goals in play Miami in 2024, but those will fade into the background on Saturday night as this team looks to get one back against its in-state rival.
Miami vs. Florida State: Need to know
Cam Ward putting together a historic season: Miami quarterback Cam Ward became the first player in school history to record seven straight 300-yard passing games when he threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 52-45 win at Louisville. Ward has now thrown for at least 300 yards and at least three touchdowns in every single game this season, which has him positioned first nationally in passing touchdowns (24) and passing yards per game (362.6), second in passer rating (183.45) and third in yards per attempt (10.3).
Florida State's defense playing well through offensive struggles: The Seminoles enter the weekend ranked No. 132 in total offense (276 yards per game) and No. 132 in scoring offense (15.0 points per game), but the Florida State defense has had some bright moments. The Seminoles are the third-best red zone defense in the ACC and last week held Duke to just 70 yards passing and 180 total thanks in part to a season-high eight pass breakups. It was the fewest passing yards allowed by an ACC team against a power conference opponent this season.
Xavier Restrepo closing in on big names in the record book: Miami's history is filled with some all-time talents at wide receiver, and senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo is carving out a spot next to them with a big performance in 2024. Restrepo broke the record for most 100-yard receiving games in school history (10) last week against Louisville, and now he's just 21 yards away from passing Michael Irvin for No. 3 on the school's all-time receiving yards list. With 2,403 receiving yards already, Restrepo is well-positioned to pass not just Irvin but also No. 2 Reggie Wayne (2,510) and Miami's all-time leading receiver, Santana Moss (2,547).
How to watch Miami vs. Florida State live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium -- Miami, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Miami vs. Florida State prediction, picks
Given the way this series has gone recently and how Florida State poured it on last time this game was played in Miami, I don't see any reason for the Hurricanes to take their foot off the gas pedal. There's a number that Miami's offense can hit easily that Florida State simply isn't built to match right now, and even an average showing from Cam Ward should still be able to score enough to cover the betting line. Pick: Miami -21
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