The fact of the matter is, all of us entered this season with an assumption that Clemson is the favorite for the ACC championship. But Miami has crashed that script like no other. Yes, they were a valid contender too, but the gap between Clemson and Miami was expected to be much bigger than what we are witnessing right now. Mario Cristobal started with 3-0, and Miami’s 27-24 win against Notre Dame was enough for fans to know where this season was headed. Carson Beck has been dismantling defenses ever since, as the Canes have climbed into the AP top five.
All of the credit for this transformation goes to Mario Cristobal. What we saw as last year’s breakthrough is now this year’s standard. Carson Beck also deserves his flowers. He has shown time and time again why he is the SEC quarterback everyone expected him to be. Now, before their rivalry game, the entire Canes staff is laser-focused on one thing and one thing only: blocking out external noise. The goal is to stay process-driven, compete daily, and let the results speak for themselves.
And that’s exactly the vibes we got from safety Jakobe Thomas. While talking on Locked On Canes, Thomas was asked what the mentality difference is in this week’s matchup vs the regular week. The answer? None. Jakobe said, “Everybody is coming for us for the same reason. So if you look at it as a rivalry, then your emotions start to get involved, and it’s no longer business. So we go into the building every day. Nameless, faceless opponents. We’re just here to work and be the best version of ourselves. Coach Cristoball really preaches that.” The point is, call it rivalry if you really desire, but emotions are the death of reason. They cloud judgment and turn a manageable game into chaos. Miami’s plan is to keep it businesslike against the Gators. And if past weeks are any hint, we know Miami can handle business.
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If you want proof that mentality works, then look no further than last week’s USF matchup. The Bulls rode the hype train with back-to-back upsets and finally sat at No. 18 in the AP polls. But Mario Cristobal’s boys were indifferent. They shrugged off the hype and won 49-12 with 579 yards on offense. A rather dominating victory against a ranked opponent, if you ask us. Carson Beck went 23-of-28 for 340 yards and three total touchdowns. Even after a weather delay, the Canes were laser-focused, like everyone was in a flow state. The demolition was surgical, like it was their regular business.
Moreover, Florida’s form hasn’t helped its cause at all. An upset to USF and then an underwhelming performance against LSU. The schedule is as tough as they come, and the seat Billy Napier sits in is getting hotter every passing week. But Miami won’t mistake that for a chill game. The mantra remains the same no matter who the opponent is. They are nameless and faceless. Miami will go out there, control the controllables, shrink space, and impose structure. We should be expecting a ferocious atmosphere and big play swings, but a much cooler Miami sideline that will be treating this game like they have treated the rest: just regular business.
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Rivalry fire meets Heisman buzz
There’s delightful news for Miami. In On3’s midweek Heisman poll, QB Carson Beck and DE Rueben Bain Jr have both climbed some spots, putting the Hurricanes in the national award conversation in both offense and defense. And Mario Cristobal is never the one to back off on support for his boys. He called Carson Beck a “genuine, real, strong, alpha.” Beck and the rest of the team will try to validate that praise and the poll when they meet Florida at home.
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This is nothing new to Beck; he knows the rivalry intimately from back in his Georgia days. Georgia-Florida is yet another celebrated battle. So, all he needs to do is switch red and black for orange and green. He has already experienced success during his meetings against Florida in Georgia, where he posted a total of 624 yards. When asked about the matchup, he said, “So in the Georgia-Florida game whenever we would win, obviously we’re playing in Jacksonville, but our tradition after the game would always be to go jump up in the stands with all the Georgia fans.”