Florida doesn’t get a soft landing as the No. 1 team in the country. The Gators open the season Monday in Tampa against No.
14 Miami, and this one already feels heavier than the usual early-November warmup. Both teams are carrying NCAA Tournament expectations, and Florida’s top billing gets challenged immediately.
Todd Golden’s team does bring back a useful core. Four starters are back, including Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, which should give Florida some early stability.
But the Gators also have a problem that could show up fast: last season they hit only 31.2% from three-point range, one of the lowest marks in program history. If that number doesn’t improve, Miami has a path to make this opener uncomfortable.
The Hurricanes have their own shot-making edge to lean on. They connected on 34.9% of their threes last season, and that could matter if Florida’s perimeter defense isn’t sharp or if the Gators can’t find enough offense from outside. Miami also has plenty of size to throw at Florida inside, where Condon and Chinyelu will have to deal with Somto Cyril and Malik Reneau, who received an injunction to play another season.
There’s more depth around that front line, too. Miami brings back Shelton Henderson after a strong freshman season, and transfer guard Acaden Lewis joins the mix after averaging 5.3 assists at Villanova. That combination of size and playmaking gives the Hurricanes a real chance to test Florida on both ends.
Jai Lucas has already pushed Miami forward in a hurry. The Hurricanes went from 12 wins two seasons ago to 26 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth last year, and a win over the No. 1 team would put Lucas’ program squarely in the national conversation before the first full week of the season is over. Florida did beat Miami last November, but a preseason ranking won’t carry much weight if the Gators get beaten on the boards or dragged into a three-point shootout.
For Florida, this is a chance to show that last season’s postseason disappointment has sharpened the group. For Miami, it’s a chance to prove the rise is real. Either way, the season’s first major test arrives right away.
In Other News...
Miami Escaped North Carolina But One Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
Miami survived a Halloween scare in Chapel Hill, edging North Carolina 38-35 to snap a five-game skid in the series and pick up its first win there since 2017. The No. 1 Hurricanes needed plenty of offense to do it, with Darian Mensah throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76% of his passes, and Malachi Toney adding seven catches for 75 yards and two scores.
Still, the bigger takeaway may have been on the other side of the ball, where Miami had to lean on a late defensive stand to finish the job. Marquise Lightfoot came up with two sacks and a forced fumble in the closing stretch, a reminder that even in a win, the Hurricanes are still searching for more consistent answers when games tighten up late. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Escaped North Carolina But One Problem Should Worry Hurricanes Fans
Miami left Chapel Hill with a 38-35 win, but it was the kind of victory that still gives a fan base plenty to chew on afterward. Darian Mensah threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and Mark Fletcher, Jr. found the end zone both on the ground and through the air, giving the Hurricanes enough offense to survive a night when the game never felt fully under control.
Miamis late key plays were enough to close it out, yet the defensive issues that showed up against North Carolina are hard to ignore. The Hurricanes did enough to protect the win, but the way they had to do it will linger as the bigger concern, especially with tougher tests still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Fletcher Jr. Just Reached A Miami Milestone Few Ever Touch
Mark Fletcher Jr. keeps adding to a Miami rsum that already looked sturdy, and his latest score against North Carolina pushed him into a place few Hurricanes have ever reached. The senior running back found the end zone on a 31-yard receiving play, a fitting way to claim the programs all-time lead in total touchdowns and move past a standard that had been shared by Stephen McGuire and Edgerrin James.
For a player who has been a steady part of Miamis offense across four seasons, the milestone says as much about durability and consistency as it does about one big play. Fletcher has been one of the offenses most reliable pieces, and now his name sits alone atop a list that carries real weight in Hurricanes history, with the rest of his final season still offering chances to add to it. [Read more 🡒]