Week 4 in the ACC brings a full slate of games, and for Miami fans, the stakes are pretty simple: stay healthy, get the backups and younger players real snaps, and keep an eye on the league games that could shape what comes next.
The biggest one on the board is Clemson at Cal on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.
That’s the one that matters most from a Miami angle. Clemson is set up to be the first real test of the 2026 season for the Canes, with all due respect to Wake Forest.
The cross-country trip the week before hosting a top-six team is far from ideal, but that’s the reality of conference play now. Cal’s crowd could be lively late on a Friday, but Miami would rather see Clemson walk out with a win heading into next Saturday’s showdown.
There’s another game that could shape the ACC picture at the top: Wake Forest at No. 16 Louisville on Saturday at noon EST on ESPN.
Wake Forest has earned respect here - it’s a good football team, even if the roster talent isn’t on Miami’s level. Jake Dickert is a name to watch this offseason.
Still, Louisville’s offense has been rolling, and the Cardinals want to keep pushing toward a Charlotte meeting with Miami for the conference championship. That’s the side to pull for.
Virginia Tech heads to Boston College on Saturday at noon EST on ACC Network, and this one sets up cleanly for the Hokies. Virginia Tech handled Maryland last week, while BC has strung together wins over Rutgers and Maine.
As long as coach Franklin keeps his team from looking past this one to Pitt next Friday night, Virginia Tech should move to 4-0. A matchup of undefeated ACC teams next Friday night on ESPN would be a nice setup, and that starts here.
Pitt hosts Bucknell at noon EST on ACC Extra, and yes, that means the rooting math gets a little ugly. If you want that undefeated-versus-undefeated ACC matchup next Friday, Pitt needs to take care of business.
Bucknell never really had a chance here. Let’s go Pitt.
Florida State gets Central Arkansas at 3:00 p.m. EST on ACC Network, and the Seminoles’ October stretch is a wild one to read through: vs New Mexico State, bye, vs SMU, at Alabama, vs Central Arkansas, vs Virginia, at Louisville, bye, at Miami, vs Clemson.
Two bye weeks, a mini-bye after SMU, and lower-level opponents around two ranked teams. There’s no sympathy for Florida State in this corner, especially with Miami playing its first Saturday game of the season in Week 4, but the schedule is still brutal.
Central Arkansas is the pick.
Duke hosts William & Mary at 3:30 p.m. EST on ACC Extra, and Manny Diaz has the Blue Devils sitting at 3-0 and looking like they belong in the AP Top 25.
A win before the bye would be a nice step before Duke heads to Atlanta to face what’s described here as a not-so-scary Georgia Tech team. William & Mary may have shown up in one of these rooting guides before, but the football program isn’t exactly sticking in the memory.
Duke is the call.
Virginia takes on Delaware at 6:00 p.m. EST on ACC Network.
Delaware is 2-1, and the lone loss was a nine-point defeat at Vanderbilt, which is respectable enough. Virginia can’t just expect to show up and collect the win, especially after last week’s home loss to West Virginia - a result that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Tony Elliott’s group was supposed to be undefeated heading into next week’s showdown in Tallahassee, but there’s still time to recover. That starts Saturday evening.
At 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPNU, NC State hosts Appalachian State.
App State is 3-0 with wins over Maine, East Carolina, and Charlotte. NC State opened with a loss to Virginia, beat Richmond, then dropped one at Vanderbilt last week in one of the most horrific losses in the history of organized sports.
With Louisville and Wake Forest coming up at home after this, the Wolfpack can’t afford another non-conference stumble. How the team responds is anybody’s guess, but the hope here is for better.
No. 22 SMU gets Missouri State at 9:00 p.m.
EST on ACC Network. The Mustangs lost a close one at Louisville in a back-and-forth game, and mistakes ended up being the difference.
Kevin Jennings needs to be better; he’s a veteran, and the decision-making has to improve more consistently. Rhett Lashlee’s team has a few weeks before a seven-week conference grind to close the season, and this is where that climb starts.
The late game has Georgia Tech at Stanford, and the rooting interest lands with Stanford. There’s some uncertainty about Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza, and it’s also the kind of kickoff that might have people nodding off on the couch.
Stanford is still Stanford - smart kids who try really hard. That’s enough to make the call.
In Other News...
Indiana Title Game Finish Now Has A Controversial New Twist
Last years national championship still has people around Miami talking, and not just because of how it ended. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian recently added a strange wrinkle, saying President Trumps movement inside the stadium can interfere with coach communication headsets during games, a detail that has brought fresh attention to the fourth quarter of the title matchup between Indiana and Miami.
According to Sarkisian, the headsets went dead briefly after Trump left early, while Miami sources have described the disruption more narrowly and said it lasted only a play or two. However it is remembered, the timing adds another layer to a game already sealed when Miamis final drive ended with an interception, and it gives the Hurricanes one more unresolved footnote from a night they would like to have gone differently. [Read more 🡒]
Dre Jacobs Could Give Miami's Offense What It Suddenly Needs
Dre Jacobs spent the early part of the season working back from a lingering injury, which kept Miami from seeing exactly what it had in the receiver room. He flashed that speed and quickness in the recent game against FAMU, a reminder of why he drew attention before arriving in Miami and why he was able to put up notable numbers at South Carolina. Teammates have also spoken highly of him, another sign the Hurricanes view him as more than just depth.
Now the opening in Miamis receiver rotation is a little bigger with Joshua Moore gone, and Jacobs looks positioned to slide into a larger role. The timing matters, too, with Central Michigan next on the schedule and Miami looking for more reliable answers on offense. If Jacobs can turn that recent burst into something more consistent, it could give the Hurricanes the kind of needed lift they have been searching for. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Defense Faces A Very Different Test This Week
Central Michigan is bringing a very different kind of challenge into this weeks matchup, one that will ask Miami to be sharp at the point of attack from the opening series. The Chippewas have leaned hard into the ground game through their first three games, piling up far more rushing attempts than passes, and that approach reflects head coach Matt Drinkalls Army background and his comfort with a run-first identity.
For Miami, that means the focus shifts from chasing down a pass-heavy attack to controlling gaps, winning first contact and staying disciplined against a quarterback who also leads the team in rushing yards. The Hurricanes handled a MAC opponent well in their last such meeting by bottling up the run, and this game will be about whether they can bring that same edge against an offense built to keep the ball on the ground and the defense guessing. [Read more 🡒]