For the first time since 2002, the Miami football team is No. 1 in the country. After the top-ranked team crashed out in each of the past two weeks, what do the Hurricanes have to do to hold onto that position against Pittsburgh?
UM (6-0, 4-0 in ACC) very nearly missed its chance when it needed double overtime (as well as two desperation heaves to be officiated in its favor) to stave off upset-minded Florida State. Darian Mensah went 23 of 34 — throwing nearly as many incompletions than he did over his first four games combined — for 326 yards and three touchdowns in the 43-35 win. And while he did throw the game-winning TD to Malachi Toney, it was the stellar sophomore receiver who tossed the 2-point conversion to cap a night in which he accounted
for 185 total yards.
Pitt (5-2, 2-2) got off to a roaring start with five straight wins before quarterback Mason Heintschel's season-ending knee injury led to a two-game losing skid. It's unknown which QB the Panthers will turn to against Miami: fifth-year senior Holden Guriner, who threw for 219 scoreless yards with two interceptions vs. North Carolina, or freshman Corey Dailey, who completed 44% of his passes for a TD and two picks last week at Boston College.
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Here's when the Hurricanes and Panthers square off this week.
Miami football schedule: Hurricanes' next game
Miami, ranked No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday in their Week 8 game. The game will air on ESPN with streaming options including Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
What time is Miami vs Pittsburgh?
The Hurricanes and Panthers kick off at noon on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Miami vs Pitt prediction
Never mind that Pitt is without its big-armed rising star of a quarterback for the rest of the season. The Panthers are still a dangerous team because of their hard-nosed run defense, the only one in the nation that's allowed fewer rush yards per game than Miami's. Only two teams have run for more than 100 yards on them, and only three have run for more than 35.
But those numbers are padded a bit by opponents — four have rushing offenses ranked below 80th in the nation — and circumstance: The 61st-ranked UCF run game, the highest Pitt has faced yet, played in a horrid downpour that turned the field to soup. Mark Fletcher Jr. might not be 100%, but freshman Javian Mallory has proven capable of carrying the load for the nation's No. 13 rushing attack, taking 13 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns against FSU.
A balanced pass rush has put up 17 sacks on the season, tied for 19th best in FBS, so the Hurricanes will have to shore up its pass blocked that got exposed by the Seminoles. And if Bryce Fitzgerald, Xavier Lucas and the Canes' other injury-plagued defensive backs can't get closer to 100%, Cataurus Hicks is still lurking out wide. That said, it's hard to trust either Guriner or Dailey to pull what could be the upset of the year.
Prediction: Miami 38, Pitt 20
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When is Miami football vs Pitt? Time, date, TV, prediction for Week 8 game
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