Breaking Down Miami’s Thumping Over Florida: 10 Takeaways

10. Clock is Ticking

You might not recognize the man in this picture, but he could be the most crucial figure in Florida’s immediate football future. This is University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, and the heat on him to make a move on Billy Napier will be turned up substantially over the next few weeks. Florida’s fans showed up, but for years, they have felt a reluctance and a lack of belief right from the outset. A coach already on the hot seat who loses in blowout fashion to a rival loses the fan base, and once you lose the fan base, there is very rarely a way back for that head coach. The schedule gets a bit easier as they play Samford, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State before a bye week. If Florida is 2-2 (or worse), does Stricklin make the move and begin his search? After the bye, they host an excellent UCF team, head to Tennessee, and then play Kentucky. Then there is another bye week and a brutal stretch to end the campaign. If Stricklin fires Napier, who he hires next could be the most meaningful decision anyone associated with Florida Gators football makes in the next few months.

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2. Xavier Restrepo Showcase

Much attention was paid to Miami’s transfer portal additions, but a returning wide receiver stood out as the best skill player on the field for either side. Slot receiver Xavier Restrepo had seven catches for 112 yards with a touchdown, and he served as the precision weapon Cam Ward went to when the ‘Canes needed a big play. Restrepo looks like a sure-handed WR1, and with Ward at quarterback, he could put up numbers worthy of an All-American campaign.

3. Cam Ward: Worth the Hype

Few players received as much hype during the offseason as Cam Ward. The transfer from Washington State was a coveted portal prospect who appeared to want to head to the NFL, but the feedback he received from scouts was not what he was looking for. He then announced he would stay in college and began seriously looking at his options. Miami quickly became the favored destination, and when the Hurricanes landed Ward, they invested in adding more pieces around him to make a push for a playoff bid. That seemed like a lot of hype and hope for a Washington State transfer, but Ward looked the part on Saturday afternoon. Perhaps the most impressive part was how he bounced back from an early mistake. Ward forced a pass back across the middle of the field, which was intercepted, putting Florida’s offense in excellent field position. Ward did not turtle up or get jittery; he settled in and threw for 385 yards with three touchdowns plus an additional 33 yards rushing, which felt like it could have been a bunch more if Miami had needed it to be. Ward is the kind of quarterback capable of pushing an excellent roster into elite territory.

Cam Ward Heisman Trophy Odds: +850

4. Martinez and the Running Game Shine

Mario Cristobal has previously leaned on the running game, often too much for Miami fans liking. On Saturday, he was willing to let it loose as Cam Ward threw the ball 35 times for 385 yards. That does not mean the running game was not solid. Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez ran the ball 15 times for 65 yards, an average of 4.33 yards per carry. That is not spectacular, but it was enough to keep the offense on schedule, as Martinez picked up solid gains every time he got the ball. His longest carry was only 17 yards, and you’d like to see more explosion, but he’s a great complement to the passing game orchestrated by Ward. Mark Fletcher was a solid backup and punched in the two touchdowns.

5. Miami is the Clear Class of the ACC

It has been a terrible two weeks for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State is now 0-2 and looked disinterested and uninspired in a shellacking against Boston College. Clemson got outclassed in the second half and blown out by Georgia. Virginia Tech, a sleeper ACC title contender for many, went to Vanderbilt and lost in overtime. North Carolina State was pushed by FCS Western Carolina. Miami blasting Florida has surged them to a position of clear favorite in the ACC. The Miami Hurricanes are now +170 to win the ACC, and Louisville is the only team that has looked capable of challenging them right now. It’s early, and many things will change, but as of now, Miami is clearly the league's class, and the ACC looks like a one-bid conference for the expanded playoff.

Miami ACC Championship Odds: +170

6. Swamped: Florida Looks Lost

The 2023 season was disappointing and concerning, but there was a lot of talk from Gainesville that the Florida Gators liked where the program was headed and felt good about the progress. Head coach Billy Napier expressed a lot of confidence that Florida was in a good place and in a position to surprise people in 2024. The schedule is brutal, and that would likely limit the win/loss record, but Florida was on the way up. Any positivity and hope has been squashed after 60 minutes of football against Miami. Florida was outclassed in every phase of the game, and their issues from last season continued to plague them during the opener. Untimely penalties, poor discipline, and head-scratching play-calling repeatedly surfaced and proved costly when the game was still being decided.

7. Is It Time to Pivot to Lagway?

Graham Mertz was a pleasant surprise in 2023, but the player we saw on Saturday against Miami looked like the one benched in Wisconsin. The senior was 11-20 for 91 yards with one interception, and he looked unsteady and indecisive in the pocket right from the outset. The only real hope for the future comes from five-star recruit DJ Lagway. Lagway’s recruitment was wild, and it might be time to pivot to him as the starter. If Lagway takes center stage and at least flashes potential for the future, it could be the hope Napier needs to show Florida fans his plan moving forward. The offensive line struggled (see next slide for more on that), and Lagway is more mobile than Mertz, so his skillset could be necessary for this offense.

8. Offensive Line Issues

Graham Mertz was only 11-20 during his time in the game but can hardly shoulder all the blame. Florida only had Eugene Wilson as a threat at wide receiver, and the running game struggled mightily outside of a 71-yard rush from Montrell Johnson. The offensive line was a significant issue in 2023, and Florida thought they had improved that unit in the offseason via transfer portal and player development. That optimism was unfounded as the Gators were repeatedly overwhelmed by Miami’s defensive front. You can only run what you can block, and Florida can’t block much of anything right now. That particular unit is going to be a crippling issue for the Gators all season long.

9. No Defensive Improvement

How is this the best Florida can offer on defense? The Gators were dreadful on defense in the back half of 2023, giving up 39 points to South Carolina, 43 to Georgia, 39 to Arkansas, 52 to LSU, 33 to Missouri, and 24 to Florida State (without Jordan Travis). They knew all offseason it was a flashing red light that needed to be fixed. Miami rolled into The Swamp and racked up 529 yards with 385 yards passing and 7.7 yards per play, and they could have scored 50 points very easily if they had chosen to. Florida is not a talent-poor program, and the players they have on the roster have the pedigree to be much better than what they have been, but this is what the defense has been for much of Billy Napier’s tenure, and it has been in freefall mode for seven straight games now! If they had any answers, you would think Napier would have implemented them by now.

10. Clock is Ticking

You might not recognize the man in this picture, but he could be the most crucial figure in Florida’s immediate football future. This is University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, and the heat on him to make a move on Billy Napier will be turned up substantially over the next few weeks. Florida’s fans showed up, but for years, they have felt a reluctance and a lack of belief right from the outset. A coach already on the hot seat who loses in blowout fashion to a rival loses the fan base, and once you lose the fan base, there is very rarely a way back for that head coach. The schedule gets a bit easier as they play Samford, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State before a bye week. If Florida is 2-2 (or worse), does Stricklin make the move and begin his search? After the bye, they host an excellent UCF team, head to Tennessee, and then play Kentucky. Then there is another bye week and a brutal stretch to end the campaign. If Stricklin fires Napier, who he hires next could be the most meaningful decision anyone associated with Florida Gators football makes in the next few months.

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