Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes at Syracuse … how to watch, start time, game notes & more

NO. 7/8 MIAMI (10-1, 6-1 ACC) AT SYRACUSE (8-3, 4-3 ACC)

GAMEDAY INFO

Date: Sat., Nov. 30, 2024
Time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
Stadium: JMA Wireless Dome (42,784)
Television: ESPN
Talent: Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport
Radio: 560 WQAM
Talent: Joe Zagacki, Don Bailey, Jr., Josh Darrow
Series History: Miami leads, 16-7
Miami / Miami Gardens: Miami leads, 9-3
Syracuse: Miami leads, 7-3
Neutral Site: Syracuse leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Miami won, 27-19 (Oct. 21, 2017)

GAMEDAY NOTES

QUICK HITS

• The Miami Hurricanes wrap up their third regular season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., Nov. 30 at Syracuse. Kickoff from the JMA Wireless Dome is set at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

• Miami is off to a 10-1 start for the first time under Cristobal. The Hurricanes are coming off a 42-14 win over Wake Forest on Nov. 23, finishing off a perfect regular season at home for the first time since 2017.

• Last time out, QB Cam Ward moved into first place in single-season passing yards at Miami – he now has 3,774, surpassing Bernie Kosar’s 1984 record.

• WR Xavier Restrepo was named one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award last week; he leads Miami with 979 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

• With a win Saturday over Syracuse, Miami would clinch a spot in the 2024 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte – only its second ever appearance.

NOTABLE

• Miami is looking to wrap up its impressive 2024 regular season when it travels to Syracuse on Saturday, Nov. 30. With a win over the Orange, the Hurricanes will clinch a trip to Charlotte for their first ACC Championship Game trip since 2017 and only second in program history.

• Bolstered by the addition of several impressive newcomers and anchored by a talented group of returning veterans, Miami was ranked No. 19 in both preseason polls – and checked in at No. 7 in the LBM Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the Associated Press poll on Nov. 24.

• Among Miami’s top newcomers is Ward, who was named a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award on Tuesday. Selected to nearly every major award watch list, Ward became the first quarterback in Hurricanes history throw for 300 yards in seven straight starts. He is considered a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. 

THE MATCHUP

• #7/#8 Miami wraps up the 2024 regular season – its third under head coach Mario Cristobal – on Sat, Nov. 30 at Syracuse. Kickoff for UM’s first trip to Syracuse since 2002 is 3:30 p.m. from the JMA Wireless Dome on ESPN.

• The Hurricanes lead the all-time series with the Orange, 16-7, including a 7-3 lead in games played on the road in the series. The two ACC opponents have not met since the 2017 season – a 27-19 home victory for Miami.

• Miami is looking to post 11 wins in a season for the first time since 2002, when the Hurricanes finished 12-1.

A LOOK BACK: MIAMI CAPS PERFECT HOME SLATE

• Last time out, the Hurricanes finished off their first perfect regular season at Hard Rock Stadium since 2017, toppling visiting Wake Forest, 42-14, on Nov. 23 to complete a perfect 6-0 record in home games in 2024.

• With one regular season game still remaining, QB Cam Ward moved into first place in program history in single season passing yards in the win over the Demon Deacons. Ward, who threw for 280 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, now has 3,774 yards this year – surpassing Bernie Kosar’s previous 1984 standard (3,642).

• In addition to the yards mark, Ward set Miami’s single-season completions record against Wake Forest on 15- yard connection to WR Xavier Restrepo – his 263rd of the year, moving past Kosar. He has 268 on the season.

• DB Mishael “Meesh” Powell had a pick-six in the win – the first by a Miami player since Kam Kinchens had one vs. Virginia in 2023 – while the Hurricanes totaled six tackles for loss, five sacks and one fumble recovery.

• WR Jacolby George hauled in two touchdowns and RB Jordan Lyle had 115 yards on seven carries with a TD.

MIAMI RANKED IN TOP 10 OF EVERY MAJOR POLL

• Following a 42-14 win over Wake Forest last time out on Nov. 23, Miami moved up two spots to No. 8 (from No. 10) in the LBM Coaches Poll and up three spots to No. 8 (from No. 11) in the Associated Press top 25 rankings.

• The Hurricanes checked in at No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings on Nov. 5, projected as the No. 3 seed as winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference. UM dropped to No. 9 in Nov. 12 CFP rankings (No. 3 seed).

• Mario Cristobal’s highest-ranked team as head coach came on Nov. 3, when UM was ranked No. 4 in both polls.

• Following a 56-9 win over Florida A&M on Sept. 7, Miami cracked the AP top 10 for the first time since Dec. 6, 2020 (No. 9). Following Miami’s win over FSU on Oct. 26, UM cracked the AP top 5 for the first time since 2017.

• Bolstered by the addition of several impressive newcomers and anchored by a talented group of returning veterans, the Hurricanes were ranked in the top 25 of both preseason polls – checking in at No. 19 in both polls.

• Miami spent four weeks in the top 25 of 2022 (preseason, Sept. 6, Sept. 11, Sept. 18 polls) and also cracked the top 25 rankings of both polls for four weeks in 2023 (Sept. 10, Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1). It has been in the rankings of both polls for the entirety of the 2024 season up to this point.

RECORD-HOLDING ‘X’ HAS BILETNIKOFF IN SIGHT

• With an eight-catch, 146-yard performance vs. Duke on Nov. 2, WR Xavier Restrepo passed Reggie Wayne (2,510) and Santana Moss (2,547) for the most receiving yards in Miami history. He now has 2,696 career yards.

• Restrepo was named one of 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award on Nov. 19; he is 21 yards away from becoming the first Hurricane player in program history to post 1,000 yards or more in a season twice (979). Restrepo burst onto the scene with a 1,092-yard season in 2023, when he finished with a single-season record 85 catches.

• With four catches against Georgia Tech on Nov. 9, Restrepo also moved past Mike Harley (182) for the most catches in program history. He now has 191 career receptions – including a team-high 60 receptions this year.

• With a six-catch, 99-yard performance vs. USF on Sept. 21, Restrepo became the 10th Hurricane in program history to eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards. Restrepo has more 100-yard games than any UM receiver ever (11).

• In 2024, Restrepo has soared past Mike Harley (No. 8), Leonard Hankerson (No. 7), Stacy Coley (No. 6), Lamar Thomas (No. 5), No. 4 Michael Irvin (2,423), No. 3 Reggie Wayne (2,510) and No. 2 Santana Moss (2,547).

• Earlier in October during Homecoming weekend, Restrepo was tapped into the Iron Arrow Honor Society – the highest achievable honor for a member of the University of Miami community. He is a Biletnikoff Award candidate.

EXCEPT FOR ONE: HEISMAN CANDIDATE CAM WARD

• Miami added one of the top quarterbacks in the country in the January transfer window, signing QB Cam Ward after two dominant years at Washington State. Ward, who began his career at FCS program Incarnate Word in 2020, started all 25 games of his Washington State career across 2022 and 2023. He finished his time at Wazzu with 6,963 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions, and also added 13 rushing touchdowns in his two years with the Cougars. He is now among the favorites to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

• Ward was named a finalist Tuesday for the Davey O’Brien Award, honoring the nation’s top quarterback, and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award honoring the nation’s top player.

• At the FBS level, Ward has 20 career performances of 300-or-more passing yards (including seven straight to start this season, the first UM quarterback to ever have seven consecutive 300-yard games). 20 is fourth-most among active FBS players, trailing only Dillon Gabriel (25), Will Rogers (23) and Seth Henigan (22).

• Ward (34) now has more touchdown passes than any quarterback in Miami in a single season, surpassing Steve Walsh’s previous UM standard of 29, set in 1988. A fifth-year senior, Ward (17,645) is now in third place on the NCAA’s all-time, all-division passing list, trailing only Case Keenum (19,217) and Dillon Gabriel (17,931).

• Ward’s 1,035 yards through the air in his first three games were the second-most in program history over a three game start to the season, trailing only Craig Erickson’s 1,126 in 1990. He passed Gino Torretta’s 1991 start (989) with 346 in a 62-0 win over Ball State. Ward exited the first four games early with UM sporting substantial leads.

• In his first start as a Hurricane, Ward threw for 385 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 26-for-35 passing in a road win over Florida. The 385 yards were the most by a Hurricane quarterback in the first start of his Miami career in the modern era of Hurricanes Football (since 1979). He added 33 rushing yards on three carries.

• He was the first Miami quarterback to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a season opener since Ken Dorsey did so at Penn State in 2001. Ward was named ACC Quarterback of the Week and Maxwell Award National Player of the Week for his performance against the Gators. He was also named Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week, a member of the Davey O’Brien Award “Great Eight” and a Manning Award Star of the Week.

• He passed for 2,260 yards and an FCS-leading 24 touchdowns against four interceptions with two rushing touchdowns in six games during the shortened 2020–21 FCS season, which was played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in Division I FCS.

• Ward was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year in a poll of conference media at the league’s annual “ACC Kickoff” event in Charlotte. Before transferring to Washington State, Ward was named Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year in his final year at UIW (2021), totaling 4,648 passing yards and 47 touchdowns.

• A native of West Columbia, Texas – with a population of 3,700 – Ward was a “zero star” recruit out of high school. Though he starred in high school, he threw for only 1,070 yards as a junior and had 12 passing attempts per game as a senior due to the program’s focus on running the football.

UM ON HUNT FOR 1ST 11-WIN SEASON SINCE 2003

• With a 42-14 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 23, the Hurricanes made it 10 wins for only the second time since 2003 and first time since 2017. The Canes have not won 11 games since 2003, when they finished 11-2 overall.

OFFENSE RANKS #1 IN EXPLOSIVES, 500+ GAMES

• Miami is ranked No. 1 in plays of 10-or-more yards (221) and No. 2 in plays of 20-or-more yards (83). Of the 83 plays of 20-or-more yards, 66 are passing – second-most in FBS. Of the 199 plays of 10-or-more yards, 158 are passing – second-most in FBS. UM had only 48 passing plays of 20-or-more and 129 of 10-or-more yards in 2023.

• Miami is No. 1 in FBS in games of 500-or-more yards (9), ahead of North Texas (6), Clemson (5) & Ole Miss (5).

MIAMI IS THE BEST SECOND-HALF TEAM IN NATION

• Miami is ranked No. 1 in FBS in scoring differential in second halves entering the final week; UM’s +16.27 scoring difference is ahead of Ohio State (+14.36), Notre Dame (+12.00), Indiana (+11.91) and Penn State (+11.0).

ARROYO ENJOYING CAREER YEAR, TEs SHINING

• A season after the entire group finished with 154 receiving yards and one touchdown in 2023, Miami’s tight ends have emerged as go-to options for QB Cam Ward in 2024. In the season opener vs. Florida, Elijah Arroyo had a career-high 89 yards on four catches, Cam McCormick opened the game’s scoring with his first touchdown as a Hurricane, and freshman Elija Lofton had two catches for 38 yards vs. the host Gators in a lopsided win.

• Through 11 games, Miami’s tight ends have totaled 758 yards on 45 catches with nine touchdown catches. In a win over FSU, Arroyo threw the first touchdown pass of his career on a trick play to Ward. Arroyo ranks fifth on Miami with 26 catches for 482 yards with five touchdowns, which is tied for third-most touchdowns on Miami.

UM GOES “THREE-AND-OUT” LESS THAN ANY TEAM

• Against FBS competition, Miami’s offense has gone three-and-out on just 5.17% of drives this season, which ranks as the best mark in the country. Only two other teams in the nation have a three-and-out percentage of less than 10% on offense – No. 1 Miami (4.76%) and No. 2 LSU (7.84%). The Hurricanes average 3.16 points per possession – the best in FBS – and average 1.59 plays per point, the second-most efficient FBS mark (Indiana, 1.58).

MIAMI ONE OF JUST TWO IN TOP-15 OF BOTH O&D

• Miami ranks in the top 15 of both total offense (#1) and total defense (#14) entering Week 14 of college football – the only other school who also made the list was Tennessee. Miami ranks No. 1 in the ACC in both stat categories.

O-LINE NAMED JOE MOORE AWARD HONOR ROLL

• The Hurricanes’ offensive line was one of 22 groups named to the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award honoring the nation’s top unit. Despite missing two players who started the opener for a stretch of five games, the Hurricanes made the cut for the second straight year. Mario Cristobal’s OL won the award at Alabama in 2015.

CONTROLLING THE CLOCK: CANES TOP 10 IN FBS

• While Miami’s offense has been among the most prolific in the country through the first 11 games of the season, the Hurricanes have also methodically controlled the clock this year. UM ranks No. 8 in FBS in time of possession.

UM RANKS AMONG TOP IN ACC IN “MIDDLE EIGHT”

• In the “middle eight” rankings – which tracks the scoring in the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half, considered a critical juncture – UM was No. 16 under Mario Cristobal in 2022-2023.

• Miami has remained strong this year; UM is No. 30 in FBS and No. 3 in ACC in middle eight this year (+2.4). From 2014-2019, teams that won the “middle eight” minutes of the game at the FBS level won 74% of the time.

50-BURGER: CANES MAKE IT FIVE GAMES OF 50+

• Miami scored 50 points for the third straight game on Sept. 21, topping USF 50-15. The last time Miami had a season featuring three offensive outputs of at least 50 points was 2001 – when it won the national title. Miami had never scored 50 points in three consecutive games prior to this season. UM is No. 1 in FBS in scoring offense.

• The Hurricanes eclipsed the 50 point mark for the fourth time at Louisville – the first year Miami has ever posted four game performances in a single season in Miami history. They made it five games with a 52-31 win over Duke.

DEFENSIVE LINE AMONG MOST PROLIFIC IN FBS

• Several of Miami’s most important offseason additions came on the defensive line, when DT Simeon Barrow, DE Tyler Baron, DT CJ Clark and DT Marley Cook all arrived via transfer portal, and DL Akheem Mesidor returned from injury. That formidable group joined returning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year DL Rueben Bain

• Baron, who has started 10 of 11 games, is 18th in career TFLs among active players with 36.0. Baron has 18.0 career sacks – which ranks among the top 25-highest active career total among all FBS players. The Knoxville, Tenn., native started once again and put together only the 10th three-sack game over the last 20 years by a UM player vs. Florida A&M. He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. the Rattlers.

MIAMI AMONG MOST EFFICIENT SCORING TEAMS

• Even as the nation’s most prolific offense, the Hurricanes have managed an impressive level of efficiency. Against FBS Competition:

• The Hurricanes score points on 58.62% of their offensive possessions – the best-mark in the nation. Miami scores touchdowns on 46.55% of possessions, which also represents the best mark in all of FBS.

• Miami’s 5.17% three-and-out percentage on offense is by far the best such mark in the nation.

• The Hurricanes’ 18.10% punt percentage on all offensive drives is the lowest such mark in the nation

• The Hurricanes’ 3.16 points-per-possession average is the best mark in the country.