AT A GLANCE
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Where: Tallahassee, Doak S. Campbell Stadium Latest line: Miami favored by 2 ½ TV: ESPN Radio: 560-AM, 990-AM (Spanish) Weather: 69 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
Online: sunsentinel.com/um; @ khobi_price on Twitter
Stadium safety protocols: Doak S. Campbell Stadium is operating at full capacity. Spectators are expected to wear masks everywhere on Florida State’s campus, including at football games.
Quick slant: The Miami Hurricanes are riding a three-game winning streak heading into this year’s matchup of the UM-FSU rivalry. Miami has won the last four games of the series, which it leads, 35-30, including a 52-10 win last year at Hard Rock Stadium.
About Miami (5-4, 3-2 ACC):
Hurricanes quarterback Tyler
Van Dyke continues to impress since taking over the starting role at midseason, being named the ACC Rookie of the Week for the third consecutive time for his performance (22-of-34 passing for 389 yards and three touchdowns) in UM’s win over Georgia Tech. Miami’s averaging 34.4 points in ACC play, the fourth-best mark in the conference. The Hurricanes would be bowleligible for the ninth consecutive season with a win on Saturday.
About Florida State (3-6, 2-4 ACC): The Seminoles enter Saturday on a two-game losing streak, dropping their games to Clemson and N.C. State. FSU needs to win its final three games to be bowl-eligible.
Three things to watch 1. How will the Hurricanes handle the pressure from Florida State’s defensive line? UM’s offensive line has improved significantly, especially in pass protection, but it hasn’t faced a defensive front as productive as FSU’s since conference play started. The Seminoles, led by Georgia transfer defensive end Jermaine Johnson (10 ½ tackles for loss and 7 ½ sacks across nine games), rank top-45 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss per game.
2. Will Jaylan Knighton’s workload be reduced? The second-year running back had a career-high 32 carries in the win over the Yellow Jackets after having 22-plus touches (carries and receptions) in UM’s previous two games. True freshmen running backs Cody Brown and Thaddius Franklin Jr. played a combined eight snaps against Georgia Tech.
3. Will Charleston Rambo exploit FSU’s deficiencies as a pass defense? The Oklahoma transfer receiver has 23 catches for 431 receiving yards and three touchdowns in UM’s last three games and has been a key target for Van Dyke on deep pass attempts.