No. 7 Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida A&M: TV info, odds, keys
· Yahoo Sports
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
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Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
TV: ACC Network
Coaches: Mario Cristobal is 36-19 at UM, 98-79 overall; Florida A&M’s Quinn Gray Sr. is 1-1 at Florida A&M, 25-12 overall
Line: Miami is favored by 56.5 points
Weather: 83 degrees, 47 percent chance of rain
Quick slant:Miami kicks off its home slate after a blowout road victory against Stanford. The Hurricanes dominated the Cardinal on both sides of the ball, holding Stanford to two field goals while quarterback Darian Mensah tossed five touchdowns.
About No. 7 Miami (1-0, 1-0 ACC): Miami had a strong season opener on Friday as Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney put on a show at Stanford. Although the running game started slowly, the Hurricanes’ offense is humming to start the year.
About Florida A&M (1-1): The Rattlers are in their first season under Gray, who led Albany State to the FCS playoffs last year. FAMU is coming off a 5-7 season.
Three things to watch1. At first glance, the Hurricanes’ pass rush might have looked a little underwhelming in Week 1. Miami had one sack (by Armondo Blount) against Stanford, even though the Cardinal’s line was dealing with multiple injuries to key players. But the Hurricanes also drew multiple holding penalties as Stanford struggled to contain Miami’s rushers. Against an FCS opponent this week, the Hurricanes will likely have more success rushing the passer.
2. Miami’s running game also got off to a slow start, averaging 3.8 yards per carry against Stanford. Star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. led the running backs with 40 yards, while Marty Brown added a rushing score. Cristobal described the rush attempts as “muddy.” It will be something to keep an eye on as Miami’s revamped offensive line goes up against a competitor it should be able to handle.
3. The Rattlers are playing on short rest this week; they played in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The team stayed in Miami instead of traveling back and forth to Tallahassee, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The Rattlers will be paid well for its inconvenience. Miami will pay FAMU a $720,000 payout for the game and will pay an additional $40,000 for the Florida A&M’s band, the Marching 100, to attend, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The Rattlers have 28 South Florida players on the roster. Gray, the head coach, was a star at Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High, and running backs coach Toriano Morgan coached the Panthers. Cornerbacks coach Sam Madison was a standout for the Miami Dolphins.