Game Details
- Matchup: 2 Miami Hurricanes vs. Louisville Cardinals
- Date: Friday, 10/17/2025
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium
- TV: ESPN
Recent History
- Last matchup: October 19th, 2024 at Louisville; Miami 52 – Louisville 45
- All-time series record: Miami 12 wins – Louisville 4 wins – 1 Tie (1950)
- First game was on November 11th, 1933: Miami 33 – Louisville 7
- The Hurricanes’ record against the Cardinals in Miami: 6-1-1
Miami Hurricanes Outlook
Offense: The offense had its breakthrough game, in terms of a vertical passing attack, against Florida State, and flashed how great this offense can be when everything clicks. It’s led by Carson Beck, who has been phenomenal for the Hurricanes thus far. He’s shown a veteran presence and poise that radiates through the offense. Beck is completing 73% of his passes and has thrown for over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has caught the attention of NFL scouts with his resurgence in Miami.
Malachi Toney
and CJ Daniels have been nothing short of amazing for the Canes and are arguably the best wide receiver duo in the country. Toney has recorded 29 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. He has a 137.8 passer rating when targeted, which leads the receiving room. Daniels has 23 receptions for 269 yards and five touchdowns. Both have been reliable targets for Beck and will continue to be the primary targets in Miami’s passing attack, which has been getting better each game.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Mark Flethcher Jr. is the highest-graded offensive player for Miami with an elite 83.4 grade. He has 78 carries for 429 yards and five touchdowns. Fletcher is averaging over five yards per carry and has been a force in the running game. His running mate has been just as impressive, as CharMar Brown has 57 carries for 210 yards and four touchdowns. He is more of the bruising running back, but both have been great. One of the reasons is the dominant offensive line, led by the future first-round pick Francis Mauigoa. The line has been dominant in every game this year, and I expect no different against a defensive line that is suspect against the run. Markel Bell, Anez Cooper, and company should be dominant at the point of attack once again and lead this offense to another 100+ yard rushing game with ease.
Defense: There are so many people on this defense to point out and talk about. It’s been an absolute treat to watch Corey Hetherman’s unit play football this year. We’ll start with a legitimate Heisman candidate, and that is Rueben Bain Jr. Words can’t describe the year and the impact he has every single game. PFF has deemed him the most outstanding player in all of college football, and it’s hard to argue that. He is paired with Akheem Mesidor, who has been just as dominant on the defensive line. They are primed to have another massive game against a struggling Louisville offensive line.
The linebackers have been swarming to the ball and playing violently. Mohamed Toure and Wesley Bissainthe have been playing great as the two main linebackers for this defense. Hetherman has emphasized the importance of communication since his arrival a few months ago, stating that they are doing it at a high level.
The secondary has answered some questions that many had about this room. It starts with S Jakobe Thomas, who has been an absolute gem of a player for the Hurricanes. Thomas is everyone on the defense, constantly making the offense work for everything. Whether he is lining up in the box or elsewhere, they have to know where he is, or else he can wreck the game. True freshman S Bryce Fitzgerald has been phenomenal, recording three interceptions through five games. Keionte Scott has been great as the primary nickel corner, and OJ Frederique Jr, Damari Brown, and Ethan O’Connor have held their own out in the boundary. This secondary has been playing fast and is a physical group, which complements the rest of the defensive unit well. Hetherman’s defense is genuinely one of the best in the country.
Louisville Cardinals Outlook
The Louisville Cardinals are a lot better than most perceive them to be. They have a 4-1 record and rank as the 14th-best overall team in PFF, just ahead of Notre Dame. I understand that those grades aren’t the end-all, be-all, but they are a great team, and this Miami team understands that.
It starts with their defense, which PFF highly values. They have graded the Cardinals’ defense as the fifth-best overall defense in the country, the 27th-best run defense, and the second-best pass rush in the country. And yes, they have them ranked ahead of the Canes’ pass rush. It starts with Clev Lubin, who leads their team in sacks and pressures on defense. He has started the year off strong, and others around him have fed off of him, too. Rene Konga has played exceptionally well alongside Lubin, as they are actually the two-highest graded players on the defense for PFF, too. Other notable players on the defense that have made an impact and that Miami needs to account for are LB TJ Quinn, S Antonio Watts, EDGE Wesley Bailey, and CB Tayon Holloway.
They are led by the Brohm brothers on offense, which includes head coach Jeff and offensive coordinator Brian. They are some of the best coaches in the country and have had a very respectable offense year after year. They brought in transfer Miller Moss to be the quarterback, and despite his statistics not being eye-popping, he has played well for them. He has recorded over 1,300 passing yards for seven touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. His main target is one of the best wide receivers in the country, Chris Bell. The season totals thus far for Bell consist of 35 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns. Just in the last two games, he has recorded 22 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Bell has been a force in the passing game, and that won’t change on Friday night. He’ll get his numbers as he is a very talented pass catcher. It’ll be up to Miami to contain him and make the others beat them. Caullin Lacy is the other receiver for Moss, but doesn’t present the same problems Bell does, respectively.
Louisville’s offensive line is where the weakness is on this offense. They are not the best when it comes to protecting Moss and allowing the passing game to develop downfield, but the Cardinals’ rushing attack is very underrated. Isaac Brown, who is from Homestead High School, is the lead back and averages over seven yards per carry. He has rushed for over 300 yards and has three touchdowns on the season. If Miami’s defense can get Louisville into obvious passing downs, they can exploit the pass blocking of the Cardinals. To do that, they have to stop Brown and this rushing attack.
What’s at Stake
- Staying unbeaten: Obviously, if Miami loses, it would be the first defeat of the season, but it’s more about maintaining its status as one of the more dominant undefeated teams in the country.
- Being a contender and not a pretender: Every Miami fan understands that the Canes have had a long history of losing games they are not supposed to lose, especially ACC conference games. This would prove that this is not the same old ’Canes.
- ACC dominance: Staking your claim as the best and most dominant team in the conference.
Prediction
Friday night games are always weird in college football. That is when you see letdowns in the sport and upsets that you don’t expect to happen.
I do believe that this Miami team is wired differently this year. The preparation leading up to this game was crucial for Mario Cristobal, and he and his staff understand that the Louisville team walking into Hard Rock Stadium is a talented one.
With how the Florida State game ended, not necessarily finishing the way it was supposed to, this Canes team wants to prove that this year is different, both in terms of their mindset and how they want to finish games.
The Canes are double-digit favorites on Friday night, and I think it’s appropriate for this ACC matchup.
Final Score Prediction: Miami 34, Louisville 17