No. 4 Miami is headed to Clemson for a Saturday night stage that fits the stakes and the rankings.
The ACC showdown will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST on ABC, with the Hurricanes arriving in prime time after climbing to No. 4 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the AFCA Coaches polls released Sunday.
Miami is 4-0 after beating Central Michigan on Saturday, and it has already built the kind of profile that makes it the clear favorite in the conference race. The ESPN Football Power Index gives the Hurricanes an 87.4 percent chance to win at Clemson.
Clemson, meanwhile, has steadied itself after a brutal opener. The Tigers were hammered 51-10 by 11th-ranked LSU in their first game, but since then they’ve stacked up three straight wins: 22-7 over Georgia Southern, 28-20 against North Carolina and 24-10 at California on Friday. Even with that run, Clemson sits 47th in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
This one also comes with a rare wrinkle for the Tigers. Clemson will face Miami unranked for the first time since 2010, when 16th-ranked Miami went into Clemson and won 23-10. The series is even at seven wins apiece, and Miami’s most recent victory in the matchup came in overtime in 2023, a 28-20 result that snapped a four-game skid against Clemson.
The ACC picture adds another layer. Miami and Clemson are the only teams with two wins and no losses in the league in 2026, setting up a meeting between the conference’s early frontrunners.
The numbers tell the story of why Miami has separated itself so quickly. The Hurricanes are putting up 43.3 points per game and allowing 9.7 against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents this season.
They’re also averaging 499.7 yards per game and giving up 263.7. Clemson’s numbers are far more modest: 21.0 points per game, 314.0 yards per game and 22.0 points allowed against FBS competition, with opponents averaging 372.5 yards against the Tigers.
Miami has been especially stingy against the run. Against FBS opponents, the Hurricanes rank first nationally by allowing just 40.3 rushing yards per game.
Quarterback Darian Mensah has also been lights-out, leading the nation by completing 88.7 percent of his passes. He has thrown 14 touchdowns and has only 12 incompletions on the season.
Both teams are dealing with injuries, and the ACC injury report will be something to watch as the week goes on.
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