Miami Football: 2017 Game-by-game predictions
The Syracuse Orange and Miami Hurricanes meet for the first time since the 2013 season. The Hurricanes have won the last five games, dating back to 1998. Second-year head coach Dino Babers returns most of his squad from 2016 (20 of 22 starters).
The Hurricanes should be ready to make a push for the ACC crown by the time they meet the Orange on October 21. Although the opponent is in the Atlantic Division, the Hurricanes face a tough stretch of games after Syracuse.
They will only have two road games in November but still face have to face some of the tougher teams in the Coastal Division. Many media outlets have the Hurricanes as early favorites to win the Coastal but they’ll need to win games they’re supposed to win.
October was a rough month for Miami in 2016 (1-4). They bounced back in November and could have higher expectations by the time their game with Syracuse arrives. On the flip side, Syracuse went 0-4 in the month of November in 2016.
If the Hurricanes can shut down the Orange in the passing game and show they’ve got a formidable secondary, they’ll be on their way to a special season. Graduate transfer cornerback Dee Delaney, an All-American FCS player from the Citadel, is expected to make an impact. He should have stepped up by now.