No. 7 Miami is set to launch its push for a national title Friday night, and the first stop is Stanford.
The Hurricanes head into 2026 with the sting of January still fresh after falling to Indiana in the national championship game. Now they open the season on the road against the Cardinal, who are 1-0 and will also be playing their ACC opener. Miami comes in as the preseason favorite to win the conference, while Stanford was picked to finish last in the ACC preseason media poll.
Mario Cristobal made it clear this is not the kind of opener Miami can sleepwalk through, even with the Hurricanes favored by more than three touchdowns.
"This game had our attention since January," Cristobal said on Monday afternoon. "We knew we had an opportunity to put our very best team against an excellent opponent.
You see a lot of NFL influences in the schemes that they run. ... What you saw was a team playing with a lot of energy and physicality."
Stanford already has one game under its belt, and it was anything but routine. The Cardinal beat Hawaii 37-27 at home last weekend, but they had to survive a wild finish after giving up a 16-point fourth-quarter lead and then scoring two touchdowns in the final two minutes to seal it.
That win came in the first game under Tavita Pritchard, the former Stanford quarterback who spent the last three seasons as quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Washington Commanders.
Stanford’s offense showed some punch in that opener. Micah Ford ran for 99 yards and three touchdowns, a major jump after he scored only four times on the ground all of last season. Davis Warren, a Michigan transfer, also gave the Cardinal a lift by completing 22 of 34 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown against the Rainbow Warriors.
The challenge for Stanford now is keeping that production going against a Miami defense that will bring far more speed and depth than Hawaii did. The Cardinal allowed 233 of Hawaii’s 322 total yards on three late scoring drives as the Rainbow Warriors erased a 23-7 deficit and grabbed a 27-23 lead before Stanford answered.
"We're excited about this upcoming week because it's another chance to learn about ourselves and grow," Pritchard said Monday. "It is about us and about what we do, but at the same time, you can't lose sight of the talent that's across the ball from you, the schemes they run and the personnel and making sure you can find a winning edge there."
This will be Miami’s first trip to Stanford. The teams met for the first time last season in Miami, where the Hurricanes rolled 42-7 on Oct. 25.
Mark Fletcher Jr. was a big part of that blowout, running for 106 yards and three touchdowns in a game that landed between Miami’s regular-season losses to Louisville and SMU.
Now Fletcher is back in a Miami offense that looks loaded again. The Hurricanes also feature sophomore receiver Malachi Toney, whom many view as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, who led the ACC in passing yards and passing touchdowns a year ago.
Miami’s defense took a hit with the departures of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL from the 13-3 team in 2025-26, but the Hurricanes still return a group that is expected to be one of the nation’s most dangerous. The front is led by tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. and defensive end Damon Wilson II, while cornerback Xavier Lucas and safety Bryce Fitzgerald headline the secondary.
In Other News...
Miami Is In A Recruiting Fight Fans Will Want To Watch
Miamis staff is already making an early push in the 2028 class, and one of the more intriguing names on the board is Lee, the versatile four-star from Loudoun Sports Academy in Virginia. He has been used all over the field as a receiver, rusher, defender and returner, which helps explain why Mario Cristobals group is treating him like a priority and not just another early offer.
The Hurricanes have only two verbal commits for 2028 so far, so every traction point matters as they try to keep building on the momentum of their recent recruiting success. Lee is drawing interest from multiple major programs, which means Miami will have to keep leaning on its pitch and its player development reputation if it wants to stay in the fight for a prospect whose versatility makes him especially appealing this early in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Still Has One Big Miami Line Decision To Make
Mario Cristobal still has one final piece to sort out on the offensive line before Miami lines up against Stanford, and its a notable one because the Hurricanes already have most of the unit settled. Center and both tackle spots appear spoken for, with Ryan Rodriguez, Samson Okunlola and Matthew McCoy expected to anchor those positions, giving the staff a clearer picture of the lines spine heading into the matchup.
The real competition is at guard, where true freshmen Jackson Cantwell and Ben Congdon are pushing for roles and Seuseu Alofaituli is expected to be part of the mix as well. Cantwell appears likely to start, while Alofaituli is also slated to cross-train at center, leaving Cristobal with one more decision to make as Miami tries to balance talent, versatility and early-season stability up front. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Fletcher Knows Miamis Run Game Faces A Real Week 1 Test
Mark Fletcher sounded like a back who has spent enough time around Miamis offense to understand what this opener asks of him. Ahead of the Week 1 matchup with Stanford, he talked about being ready to play, the kind of challenge the Cardinal present and the way the Hurricanes have prepared up front. He also pointed to teammate Javian Mallory and the offensive line as part of the foundation for a running game that wants to lean into Miamis usual physical identity.
For Fletcher, the discussion was as much about growth as it was about the first snap. He described how he has developed in the system and how the group is approaching the logistics of traveling for the game, details that matter when a team is trying to start clean on the road. Miami does not have the luxury of treating this as a tune-up, and Fletchers comments made clear the run game expects a real early test rather than a gentle warmup. [Read more 🡒]