Miami football survived a Friday night full of injury scares and escaped Winston-Salem with a win. Now they get one more break from ACC play and, somehow, their first Saturday date in seven games.
The Hurricanes (3-0, 2-0 in ACC) host Central Michigan with a slew of question marks after their tighter-than-expected 33-20 win Sept. 18 at Wake Forest. Darian Mensah may have flirted with the FBS record for consecutive completions to start the time, but by the end, he and the Canes couldn't manage as much as a first down after injuries to top running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown, Heisman candidate Malachi Toney, fellow receiver Joshua Moore and tight end Elija Lofton. Miami was already down their two starting cornerbacks, and expect to be
again this week.
Coach Mario Cristobal will get some of those offensive engines back against CMU, which beat Wyoming 24-10 last week to improve to 2-1. That's good news as the Chippewas are built on their defense, ranking second in the MAC in allowing about 308 yards per game and third with just under 20 points per game. The offense runs around running back Angel Flores, who averages 104 yards per game.
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Here's when the Hurricanes and Chippewas square off this week.
Miami football schedule: Hurricanes' next game
Miami, ranked No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, hosts Central Michigan on Saturday in their Week 4 game. The game will air on The CW with streaming options including Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
What time is Miami vs Central Michigan?
The Hurricanes and Chippewas kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Miami vs Central Michigan prediction
The injury news in the wake (pardon the expression) of the Wake Forest game was a mixed bag. Toney and Fletcher are expected to be back, but Cristobal said Sept. 21 that Brown and Moore, both important depth pieces in the run and pass game, respectively, are out for the season. Brown's loss especially hurts; not only was he the No. 2 back for UM last season, he also finished fifth on the team with 20 catches. The North Dakota State transfer's ability to power through tacklers can't be easily replaced, leaving that sole responsibility up to Fletcher and freshman Javian Mallory, who plowed through Florida A&M for 142 yards and two TDs but who could manage only 23 yards on seven carries against Wake.
Miami struggled through five straight three-and-outs after Toney got dinged in the third quarter, and CMU has given up only 154 passing yards per game (22nd in the nation). If the offense looks like that again, this could lead to some finger-biting. If Fletcher and Toney really are back at full strength, this should be another cake walk. The Chippewas have a strong run game, but Miami has the nation's No. 4 run defense, and that hasn't taken any hits ... yet.
Prediction: Miami 31, CMU 9
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When is Miami vs Central Michigan? Time, date, TV, prediction for Week 4 game
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