Miami 2023 Football Schedule: Bowl Eligibility Determined After Week Four?
The ACC officially released its 2023 football schedule Monday. At this time last year, many thought Miami would be bowl eligible based on its opponents but unfortunately, the Hurricanes fell short of a bowl bid going 5-7.
With two coaches (Frank Ponce and Josh Gattis) departing, 19 players transferring out, and key starters (Tyrique Stevenson, DJ Ivey, Will Mallory, Lou Hedley, DJ Scaife) lost through graduation and the NFL draft, Miami will have to continue to rebuild this roster, identity, and culture in 2023.
In the last five years, Miami has gone 23-18 (56%) in conference play. So it's safe to predict that Miami will produce a similar record this season in the ACC. If Miami is able to get to .500 (4-4) in conference play, the first four games will loom large in getting to a bowl in year two of the Mario Cristobal era.
Here's a look a the first four opponents:
Sept. 1: Miami (OH)
Miami vs. Miami to start the season has a weird ring to it. The teams have only met three times with the Miami Hurricanes winning all contests. The final score of the last meeting was 54-3 in 1987. I would not expect a blowout of this magnitude by any stretch.
The RedHawks lost to Kentucky 37-13 to start the 2022 season but pulled out a gutsy three-point win over power-five opponent Northwestern in game four. Expect Miami to fall somewhere in the middle of those two contests.
Miami would likely have to deal with dual-threat quarterback Aveon Smith who rushed for 553 yards and scored six touchdowns in 2022. Smith went 5-4 as a starter after Brett Gabbert (brother of NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert) went down with an injury. Brett more of a pocket passer was third-team All-MAC in 2021.
Miami (OH) ranked 23rd nationally in scoring defense averaging just 23 points per game. The RedHawks lost in the Bahamas Bowl to UAB on the final play of the game to close out its season.
Sept. 9: Texas A&M
The Aggies had a very similar season to that of the Hurricanes in 2022. There were high expectations going into the season, but A&M fell flat to a 5-7 record.
The two teams met last season in College Station and the home team came away with a 17-9 victory. Bobby Petrino takes over as the new offensive coordinator which should improve the offense that averaged only 22 points per game (97th).
Petrino will have to find a new playmaker with running back Devon Achane off to the NFL. He finished his Aggie career with 2,376 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, 554 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns.
The Aggie defense kept them in games allowing only 23 points per matchup, and will need another strong performance in 2023 if they want to go bowling this year.
Miami only scored on average 19.4 points per game in 2022 (114th).
Sept. 14: Bethune-Cookman
This is the one game that Miami can go ahead and pencil in a W in the win column for the Hurricanes. Last year Miami opened the season against the Bethune Wildcats and thumped them 70-13.
Nothing suggests that the results will be any different here. NFL caliber tight end Kemari Averett should be selected in the upcoming 23 draft and Fort Lauderdale Dillard product Omari Hill-Robinson, returning for his senior season, was considered by many the best cover corner in HBCU football in 2022.
Bethune played three quarterbacks against the Hurricanes last season and they combined for 50 yards rushing averaging four yards per carry.
Sept. 23: At Temple
Temple is a team that struggles to score in 2022 (21.2 points per game) but still managed to average more points per game than the Hurricanes. The Owls went 3-9 with victories over Lafayette, UMass, and USF so this should be a win for the Hurricanes who have superior talent.
Temple did come on last season scoring 54 against USF and losing by just three to East Carolina 49-46.
This would be the first road game of the year for Miami which could always be tricky.
Prediction: Miami should go 3-1 after its first three games and if Miami goes 4-4 in conference play we're looking at a 7-5 regular season
Miami's Full Schedule
Sept. 1: Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 9: Texas A&M
Sept. 14: Bethune-Cookman
Sept. 23: at Temple
Sept. 30: Open
Oct. 7: Georgia Tech
Oct. 14: at North Carolina
Oct. 21: Clemson
Oct. 28: Virginia
Nov. 4: at NC State
Nov. 11: at Florida State
Nov. 18: Louisville
Nov. 24: at Boston College
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