Mario Cristobal on Miami Hurricanes Overcoming Past Mid-Season Struggles
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MIAMI, Fla. – How familiar does this sound: the Miami Hurricanes start the season 5-0 and are projected to win the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Over the last couple of years, the mission appeared simple, but the journey made it difficult. In the 2024 college football season, the Hurricanes were 9-0 before facing Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in early November. After trailing 28-23 and with less than two minutes in regulation, quarterback Cam Ward had an opportunity to win the game; however, the former Heisman Trophy finalist was sacked and fumbled the football, as the Yellow Jackets recovered and secured the win.
Two weeks later, the Hurricanes faced a similar meltdown in a 42-38 loss to Syracuse, which eliminated them from ACC contention and the College Football Playoffs. It was a heartbreaking end to a promising season. However, it didn’t take too long for history to repeat itself. In the 2025 season, the Hurricanes started 5-0 with three wins over ranked opponents – Notre Dame, South Florida, and Florida State – then adversity struck. A couple of losses against Louisville and SMU put the Hurricanes in a similar spot.
Despite failing to make the College Football Playoffs automatically by winning the ACC, the Coral Gables program pushed for an at-large bid and won the final spot over Notre Dame, despite weeks of debate with the Selection Committee rankings.
The Hurricanes went on to reach the National Championship game – beating Texas A&M, former reigning champion Ohio State, and Ole Miss on the way.
It’s a similar situation this season, but the pressure is arguably greater than before. As the Hurricanes are currently in a bye week, there are only seven games left on the regular-season schedule. They are only an underdog against Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana, on Nov. 7. However, the Hurricanes can’t afford another hiccup.
When asked about past mid-season struggles, head coach Mario Cristobal mentioned how things can finish differently this time.
"Every year, you learn more," he said at Monday's media availability. "I feel like a couple of seasons ago, we were figuring out ways to get stronger in November and December. We found a way to modify practices and incorporate service periods that allowed us to remain physical, but not wear us down in the wrong kind of way. We jumped on that all offseason."
The Hurricanes only have two undefeated opponents ahead of this weekend:
Pitt Panthers (5-0) – Oct. 24
Duke Blue Devils (4-0) – Nov. 14
Both opponents are in the way of the Hurricanes’ path to winning the ACC for the very first time. They currently have the third-highest-scoring offense and the best scoring defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision. This remaining portion of the schedule will determine the Hurricanes’ fate in competing for a National Championship.
It starts with winning the ACC, then chasing a bigger goal.
More Miami Hurricanes News:
– UM's Starting Right Guard Max Buchanan Sidelined for the Foreseeable Future?
– No. 4 UM Scheduled to Host Five-Star Recruits Against In-State Rival
– Former Miami Hurricanes Signee Takes Game Visits With SEC Programs
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