No. 1 Miami gets its first test as the nation’s top team Saturday afternoon, welcoming Pitt into an ACC matchup that arrives with plenty of attention on both sidelines.
The Hurricanes are 6-0 and 4-0 in conference play, and this is the first time they have held the No. 1 spot since the 2002 season, when they later fell to Ohio State in the national championship game. Miami reached the top after a wild weekend of upsets around college football and on the heels of a grueling 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State.
Mario Cristobal made it clear Monday that the ranking is not the point.
"We are at the top of what? Last I checked, there has never been a trophy or parade for anybody halfway through the season," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Monday on the Joe Rose Show.
"We like being the hunter. We like being the alpha.
We don't believe in all that BS that comes with predictions and rankings. Let's just shut our mouths and go get better."
Pitt comes in at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC after a 27-21 loss at Boston College on Saturday. The Panthers have dropped two straight since quarterback Mason Heintschel was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and their quarterback situation remains unsettled heading into the trip to Miami.
Coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday that Holden Geriner and Corey Dailey will be evaluated in practice this week before a decision is made. Dailey started against Boston College and finished 11 of 25 for 193 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Geriner started the previous week in a 21-17 home loss to North Carolina and went 27-for-44 for 219 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Narduzzi also said playing both quarterbacks is on the table.
"There's no question. It's a lot easier when you say that guy's our guy. Makes it a lot easier," Narduzzi said.
Pitt’s defense had trouble containing the vertical game against Boston College, allowing four completions of at least 20 yards.
Miami, meanwhile, has looked more and more comfortable leaning on its ground game. Against Florida State, the Hurricanes averaged 5.8 yards per carry and piled up 257 rushing yards. Cristobal said Monday that second-leading rusher Mark Fletcher Jr., who has 373 yards on 68 carries, will be "good to go" against Pitt, and defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald is expected to be available as well after both were hurt against Florida State.
Cristobal said he was especially pleased with how Miami finished that game.
"Early on it was tough sledding, and then as the game went on, our guys up front started leaning on them and finishing blocks, and in the third and fourth quarter our time possession was 20 minutes and our yards per carry went from 3.5 to 6.5 yards," he said.
In Other News...
Miami Just Got A Huge Recruiting Chance It Couldnt Afford To Lose
A prized recruiting visit is headed to Hard Rock Stadium this weekend, and Miami has plenty at stake with it. DJ Jacobs, the five-star edge rusher in the 2027 class who is committed to Ohio State, is expected to be on hand for the Hurricanes' home game along with his younger brother Dawson Jacobs, a four-star defensive line prospect. Mario Cristobal and his staff have kept the door open with DJ, and the timing gives Miami another chance to make its case in front of two defensive prospects who could matter a lot to the programs future.
The visit comes at a useful moment for the Hurricanes, whose 2027 class has room for more movement after a recent decommitment. Miami has been trying to stay involved with DJ Jacobs while also working on the broader picture with the brothers, but their recruitment remains unsettled for now. For a program looking to turn visits into traction, getting both Jacobs brothers on campus gives the Hurricanes a chance they could not really afford to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Mourns A Former Hurricane Who Meant Far More Than Football
Miamis football family is grieving the loss of Bailey, a former Hurricanes standout whose impact stretched well beyond the field. Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs after his time in Coral Gables, he was remembered by former teammates for both the player he was and the person he became, with tributes underscoring how much he meant to the program long after his playing days ended.
The timing adds another layer to a week already full of emotion and accomplishment around the Hurricanes, with Malachi Toney earning the Paul Hornung Award for National Player of the Week after his performance against Florida State. Even in the middle of that recognition, the focus in Miami also remains on honoring a former Hurricane whose legacy carried real weight in the locker room and around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Rivalry Win Took A Dark Turn For Damon Wilson II
Miamis win over Florida State should have been remembered as another sharp-edged chapter in the rivalry, but it quickly carried into a much uglier space for Damon Wilson II. After the game, Wilson revealed that he had received alleged racist messages on Instagram from Kade McLendon, an employee of The Florida Bar, turning a celebratory night for the Hurricanes into one with an immediate off-field fallout.
The Florida Bar responded by placing McLendon on administrative leave and opening an internal investigation into the messages, which are said to violate the organizations social media policy. The inquiry is ongoing, and the Bar has said it intends to enforce its policies while also protecting due process rights, leaving the situation still unfolding even as the football result itself is long settled. [Read more 🡒]