Miami has been red hot to start the 2024 college football season, streaking to a 4-0 record for the second straight season and looking to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2017 as the Hurricanes aim to remind everyone they're gunning for the upper echelon of the sport once again. Standing in the way is old foe Virginia Tech in a Friday night spotlight game to kick off ACC play.
The Hurricanes have steadily climbed the rankings through the season's opening month, starting the year at No. 19 in the AP Top 25 poll and rising to No. 7. Oddsmakers have Miami as the new favorite to win the conference and a popular pick to advance to the College Football Playoff. Now it's up to Mario Cristobal's group to capitalize on the opportunity for a breakthrough season, which would be much-needed for the head coach who carried a 12-13 record heading into Year 3 at his alma mater.
For Virginia Tech, the opportunity to play spoiler is also a chance to create a spark in a season that has not started as the Hokies had planned. Pegged by many as a dark horse in the ACC given their returning talent and a strong finish to 2023. They have already come up short in one-score losses to Vanderbilt and Rutgers in the team's 2-2 start. For whatever disappointment might lingerm there is a clean slate in conference play. And a win against Miami could restart the optimism for a breakthrough year for Brent Pry in Blacksburg.
How to watch Miami vs. Virginia Tech live
Date: Friday, Sept. 27 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium -- Miami Gardens, Fla.
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Miami vs. Virginia Tech: Need to know
Cam Ward is one of the stars of 2024: The ACC Preseason Player of the Year has absolutely lived up to expectations through four games. Ward currently leads the nation with 14 passing touchdowns guiding an offense that ranks No. 2 in the FBS (605 yards per game). He is the first quarterback in Miami history to throw for 300 yards and three three or more touchdowns in his first four starts of the year.
Hokies find their strength in the ground game: Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten racked up 122 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries in last week's loss against Rutgers, boosting his season average to 97.8 yards per game (third in the ACC). Tuten has now eclipsed 100 yards rushing in five of his last six games going back to last season. He's a major bright spot for a Hokies team suffering through some slow starts against power conference opponents.
A modern East Coast college football rivalry: The series officially dates back to 1953 and includes a collection of classic games throughout the 1960s and 1980s, but the Miami-Virginia Tech rivalry as we know it now was born in the Big East. The 2023 season -- the ACC's first without divisions -- marked the first time since 1992 that Miami and Virginia Tech did not play each other in the regular season. Overall, Miami leads the series 25-15 and won the last three meetings. But since 1992 that count is 16-15 with three of the last four decided by one score or less.
Miami vs. Virginia Tech prediction, picks
Miami has fallen short on preseason expectations in the past, but most of those teams did not have a dynamic quarterback like Cam Ward. The Hurricanes were already built up at the line of scrimmage and now they have a difference maker under center. Given that advantage, I'm not expecting a letdown or a disappointment in the ACC opener. Instead, the expectation is a statement win. Pick: Miami -17.5
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