Miami football finally returns to the field to play Toledo in Week 4. Can the Hurricanes shake off the rust against the MAC favorites?
The people of Miami have had other things on their minds the last two weeks. The Miami football team having to cancel or postpone a couple games was minor compared to the flooding and wind damage of one of the largest and most powerful hurricanes in history. As South Florida attempts to return to some sense of normalcy, the appropriately named Canes take the field once again against the Toledo Rockets.
No. 14 Miami (1-0) last played in their season opener against Bethune-Cookman. The Hurricanes handled the FCS opponent with relative ease in a 41-13 win. Junior Malik Rosier threw for three touchdowns. Running backs Mark Walton and Travis Homer both rushed for more than 100 yards while averaging more than nine yards per carry. Walton had two rushing touchdowns.
Miami’s Week 2 game at Arkansas State was canceled for fear the team would not be able to make it back because of Hurricane Irma. The rivalry game against Florida State scheduled in Week 3 was postponed to keep resources focused on the cleanup. The two will meet Oct. 7 in Tallahassee.
Toledo (3-0) is coming off a 54-51 shootout win over Tulsa. Senior quarterback Logan Woodside threw for 458 yards and six touchdowns. Woodside is 12th in the country in passing yards per game. He took the Rockets from their own 25 with 2:47 left to set up the game-winning 33-yard field goal as time expired.
Miami and Toledo last played in 1987 at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes won that meeting 24-14 as part of their undefeated championship season.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Miami vs. Toledo game:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 23
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Miami, Fla.
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
TV: Raycom Sports Network
Live Stream: ACC Sports Network
Keys to Victory
The Hurricanes are in a weird spot. This is essentially their second season opener. This one is against a far more talented opponent. Toledo was picked to win the MAC before the season started. Mark Richt saw his offense thrive in their first game against Bethune-Cookman. The defense looked surprisingly shaky. They gave up 350 yards, 8-of-17 third downs, and 2-of-2 fourth downs. It will be interesting to see if Manny Diaz was able to sure up the defense when their practice schedule was so interrupted. Toledo will definitely test his adjustments.
The Rockets need to turn this game into a shootout. Toledo averaged 46 points in their first three games, 16th most in the country. Defensively, the results have been far less impressive. The Rockets are 89th in the country in defensive scoring at 29.3 points per game. If this turns into Miami grinding the ball into the ground with Mark Walton and the front seven pressuring Woodside, it is going to be a long day for Toledo.
Prediction
Miami will win this game, but how interesting it will be is up to its defense. Walton will have another big day. Tulsa ran for 423 yards against Toledo last week. The Rockets gave up more than 100 yards in both previous games as well. The Miami secondary is a question mark and Woodside’s ability to take advantage of it will determine how long this one stays tight. The Hurricanes are 13.5-point favorites.
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The only way to pull off the upset, barring a huge turnover advantage, is to jump out to an early lead and force Rosier to put the ball in the air. Ultimately, Richt will stay conservative and a steady diet of Walton will have the Rocket defense gasping for air by the fourth quarter.
Final Score: Miami 42, Toledo 28