The Best Path in No. 3 Miami Hurricanes Beating Florida State Seminoles?

MIAMI, Fla. – While the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes were on a bye last week, Louisville beat the Florida State Seminoles 44-20 and laid out a blueprint for a path to victory.

It’s a strategy that aligns well with head coach Mario Cristobal: establishing the run. 

Led by junior star Isaac Brown, the Cardinals dominated from the ground. The 21-year-old alone had 235 rushing yards on 17 carries and scored two explosive touchdowns:

- 97 yards in the second quarter

- 68 yards in the fourth quarter

Brown created most of the damage by using great speed to pass by defenders while barely allowing defenders to make a play. The Hurricanes have those similar traits in the running back room with Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory. In the last three games, they’ve combined for 383 rushing yards on 65 carries and scored six touchdowns – all on the ground.

The Hurricanes entered the 2026 college football season with arguably the nation’s deepest running back room. Even with the loss of CharMar “Marty” Brown for the rest of the season, the depth can still be considered unmatched. If speed continues to be a trait that exploits the Seminoles’ run defense, this could be the type of game for Girard Pringle Jr. to shine (despite the dark clouds and rainy weather). He has just 82 rushing yards on 22 carries and scored one touchdown thus far this season – logging just 54 offensive snaps.

Entering Saturday night’s matchup at Hard Rock Stadium, the Seminoles’ rushing defense ranks 102nd out of 138 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. They’ve allowed the third most yards on the ground (993) in the ACC. Even though the Hurricanes have the FBS completion percentage leader in quarterback Darian Mensah (84.2), establishing the run plays a role in opening the field for the passing game.

Junior running back Jordan Lyle is awaiting an opportunity to earn extended playing time. He served a team suspension earlier in the season, but has appeared in the last two games – Central Michigan and Clemson. Lyle has 16 rushing yards on six attempts thus far this season.

The Hurricanes are heavy favorites against the Seminoles, who enter the matchup with a 3-3 (ACC 1-2) record. Head coach Mike Norvell’s future is in question, but a blowout loss could be the final nail in the coffin. It’s the 71st meeting of the historic Sunshine State rivalry, with the Hurricanes holding a 37-33 edge.

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