SMQ: The best games from each week of the 2019 college football season

Week 0: Florida vs. Miami (in Orlando)

There were two big games in the Week 0 festivities, and both were thrillers from the outset. Hawaii’s takedown of Arizona earns honorable mention this week, but the big story of Week 0 was the matchup of Sunshine State rivals Florida and Miami for a neutral-site game in Orlando. Meeting for the first time since 2013, the tilt between the Hurricanes and Gators was destined to be an instant classic.

The two teams lived up to the billing. Miami took a 13-7 lead into the locker room at halftime, looking poised to win for the eighth time in nine games in the series in Manny Diaz’s first game at  the helm. Florida, though, regrouped at the intermission and scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter to retake the lead they last held in the first quarter.

The Turnover Chain came out four times, as Feleipe Franks threw two interceptions and the Gators coughed up two fumbles. Franks, though, also threw two touchdown passes and went 17-of-27 for 254 yards through the air.

In the end, Florida set themselves up to play out another 10-win season while Miami fell short of preseason expectations. The divergent trajectories of these two teams can blur how good this game was in real time, but it was entertaining from start to finish and kicks off our best games of 2019.

Honorable Mention

• Hawaii 45, Arizona 38