Miami Football: 2017 Game-by-game predictions
The Toledo Rockets and Miami Hurricanes meet for the first time since the 1987 regular season. The Hurricanes won that matchup 24-14 in the only meeting on the football field between these teams.
The Rockets could call 2016 a success. They finished with a 9-4 record, scoring 38.0 points per game, 19th in the FBS. Their defense wasn’t the worst either. Their 25.7 points per game allowed ranked 48th in the FBS last season.
The up-and-coming MAC squad went 6-2 in conference last season, falling just short of the conference crown. They played in the Western Michigan Broncos’ shadow for most of the season. The Broncos finished 8-0 and as the 2016 MAC Champions.
Their 2017 squad returns five starters from last season’s prolific offense. Starting quarterback Logan Woodside returns after throwing for 4,129 passing yards and 45 passing touchdowns last year. Running back Kareem Hunt will be hard to replace but Terry Swanson should be prime for a breakout season.
The Hurricanes are a different beast from the ACC. Toledo may put up a fight early but Miami could run away with this one before it’s all said and done. It will be an interesting road test but the Hurricanes should pass with flying colors, much like last season.