The No. 7 Miami Hurricanes are set to open their season as significant favorites against the Stanford Cardinal in a Week 1 ACC matchup. Miami enters the contest as a 24.5-point favorite, reflecting high expectations for the team following a successful previous season.
Miami's offense is expected to be a major factor, bolstered by the addition of Darian Mensah. Mensah transferred to Miami after a breakout season with Duke, where he threw for 3,973 yards and a 34:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He will be joined in the backfield by running backs Mark Fletcher and CharMar Brown, who combined for over 1,500 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns last season.
Miami's time of possession, which averaged 33:43 last year, nearly eight minutes more than opponents, suggests their offense can control the game. The Cardinal's secondary faces a significant challenge against Miami's receiving corps, including Malachi Toney, who recorded 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman. Stanford's pass defense gave up 288 yards per game last season, the second-most in the FBS.
On the defensive side, Miami aims to build on last season's 34 sacks. Stanford's run game struggled considerably, ranking 133rd out of 136 FBS teams with a mere 2.6 yards per carry. The notes suggest Stanford is in a rebuilding phase, with six wins considered an achievement for the team.
The game is seen as a potential indicator of the ACC's upper and lower tiers, with Miami's discipline being a key factor for them to fully capitalize on their advantages. The betting line favors Miami at -24.5 points.