It was a shorter press conference on Wednesday as Head Coach Mario Cristobal, Safety Kam Kinchens, and Defensive End Jahfari Harvey made the final media appearances for the Hurricanes ahead of the Florida State game on Saturday night.

The Florida State game is a yearly holiday for the Miami Hurricanes family and the year-to-year results give the onus to bragging rights to whichever teams take the victory. Last year, Miami lost a close one, 31-28, and many of the players on this current team experienced that loss.

Kinchens was asked about if the team reflected back on last year's game and the game-defining fourth and 14 conversion late in that game that eventually led to an FSU win:

"We don't really worry about that too much. You know, Florida State and Miami kind of holds it's own weight. There's no reason to look back at other games. Each [week] is to be 1-0 and that's what we plan to be."

Harvey was positioned with many of the same questions and touched on the mentality and excitement of the team heading into this rivalry game:

"Everybody is fired up to go in there and go play those boys at home. We're just fired up to play. We have waited a long time to play them boys. We just moving forward. We on this Saturday, we ain't think about last year or anything else in the past. We're worried about this Saturday, coming to play at home."

If the team can remain focused on 2022, and build off the positive momentum of the Virginia win last week, a result similar to 2019 could be in the cards.

Despite pulling out a victory last week, the offense suffered without quarterback Tyler Van Dyke leading the charge. In the three games prior to Van Dyke's injury, Miami was averaging over 375 passing yards per game.

Backup Jake Garcia was able to rack up just 125 yards through four quarters and four overtime periods. The return of Van Dyke will be critical for the offense to compete with FSU which has a top-20 offense of its own.

Cristobal provided a positive, but unclear update on his starting quarterback situation heading into the backend of the week:

"Tyler is practicing and getting better every single day, so we will have a decision closer to the game," and when asked if the injury has affected his arm he responded with: "Everything we've seen, it looks absolutely normal and strong, so we feel good about it."

With running backs Jaylan Knighton and Thad Franklin seemingly in the doghouse right now and out of the rotation, getting Don Chaney Jr. back would be a welcomed addition in this offense that is feigning for big play potential. It looks like that highly anticipated return could be in the cards before the end of the season:

"It's been a tough stretch for him, tough couple of years, and he looks good. What is his actual playing date? I can't say he would play this week or next but man, he looks like he's getting really, really close. I guess I'd throw out there, conservatively speaking, within three weeks. He's got a chance to play towards the last couple games of the season."

The second wave in the 2023 cycle that Cristobal referenced earlier in the season seems to be upon us. The commitments of five-star cornerback Cormani McClain and hard-hitting Oklahoma flip safety Kaleb Spencer. The additions of guys like Alonzo Highsmith and recruiting staffer Dennis Smith, seem to be instrumental in keeping this class in the top five range despite sitting at what many consider a disappointing 4-4 season.

Cristobal touched on the value of Highsmith and the recruiting staff:

"I think Alonzo is invaluable because he's been coming by Miami for a long, long time and he's a testament to the drastic changes that need to be made in terms of talent acquisition and evaluation. Also has a great feel for our culture. He's played in it. Also was witness to it along the way in the NFL where he's been...His role is a tremendous role, him and all those guys, Dennis Smith. These guys are relentlessly, relentlessly, evaluating not only our roster, our needs, but also what else is out there in college football, in high school, at the junior college level, and now even overseas. It just doesn't stop."

Many consider rivalry games, especially in-state, essential to winning key recruiting battles, and with the heavy list of visitors heading to Hard Rock Stadium, it is easy to see why that argument is made. Cristobal gave a different perspective on the process, and without diminishing the impact of Saturday, gave his staff's resume some focus:

"I think there's a lot of value in a lot of different things. I think most importantly is the track record of a staff, where they've been, what they've done, how they've won, who they've developed, how they've graduated, how they've treated people, how they do way after the fact when football's said and done, what their relationships are with those players that play for them. Our track record for our staff has always been excellent."

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