Miami Hurricanes program is ready now under Mario Cristobal

A lot is at stake for the Miami Hurricanes head coach. This is a program that continues to look for relevancy in the world of college football. Furthermore, it’s a program that plays with high expectations from the past despite a lack of recent success. However, when the 19th-ranked team visited the Florida Gators, a lot of hope prevailed following the win. In the 41-17 victory in Gainesville, it was more than another lopsided victory.

This was a game in which an SEC team was embarrassed, and the Miami Hurricanes looked miles ahead of their opponent. Granted, it could easily end up that they played a team that is just not good. It’s unknown at this point how good or bad anyone is after Week 1. Regardless, a quality win on the road in such a dominant fashion is impossible to overlook. Being as dominant on both sides of the ball is something that should translate for the rest of the Miami Hurricanes season.

Additionally, particularly for the immediate future, the schedule is favorable. It’s conceivable that it won’t be until late October, when they play Florida State at home, that the Miami Hurricanes will be able to run the table. But in order to do so, some of the positives that were seen against the Gators will need to show up week in and week out. One of the strong suits on display was the battle in the trenches. For a team to get back to earlier glory, this development showed one of the great potential positives for the 2024-2025 campaign. Being able to pass protect and get a push while running the ball is essential.

But being able to play away from home and maintain a strong push throughout the game is not something that many teams can do. Again, it’s to be determined what to make of this in terms of a quality win or not, but either way, watching the lineman on both sides establish their presence showed how far this program has come. Tough-nosed football and the ability to pick up got-to-have yards in critical situations will always be the hallmarks of a winning team. So when anyone is able to go into ‘The Swamp’ and push around the other side for 60 minutes, it’s likely that the eventual ACC champion showcased the beginnings of their strength.

Cam Ward: Who the Miami Hurricanes need

And what’s more, even when protection broke down, Cam Ward proved his ability to navigate the pocket and scramble as needed. Additionally, the quarterback appears to be the perfect fit for this Miami Hurricanes team. He is someone who can be dangerous and is mobile, but he also has the ability to keep his eyes downfield and hit some of the dangerous weapons in stride. Every QB tries to do this, and many coaches speak of having this ability.

However, saying and wanting to play like this and then doing it against a high-level FBS opponent are two different things. Even if it turns out that Florida’s not up to the mark, they still have high-caliber athletes and individuals on defense. Watching Ward navigate the game, go through his progressions, and showcase multiple facets of his game was special to watch.

It shows flexibility and ability for coach Cristobal to be able to turn to later on as needed. It’s unknown how teams on the rest of this schedule will be able to put up a fight. But either way, challenges will present themselves. By having their current signal caller, the Miami Hurricanes will not only be able to win a lot of games but also be able to keep themselves in one’s by avoiding being one-dimensional.