When is Miami vs Stanford? Time, date, prediction for Week 1 college football game

We're almost there, Miami football fans. The Hurricanes take the field for the first time in the 2026 season this weekend, granted on a weird day for college football on the West Coast against ACC opponent Stanford.

That combination of words isn't as wild as last year's run through the College Football Playoff and all the way to the national championship game. Now Mario Cristobal is ready to secure the program's sixth title with quarterback Darian Mensah and jack-of-all-trades receiver Malachi Toney as his big stars. The restructured defensive front built around run-stuffing defensive tackle Ahmad Moten and former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson has a lot to live up to.

They'll get their first test against Stanford, who opened last week with an exciting 37-27 win over Hawaii. Davis Warren, who missed last season after tearing his ACL with Michigan, threw for 310 yards and a touchdown in his debut with the Cardinal, while Micah Ford ran for three TDs and came just shy of 100 yards. This will be Miami's first game in California since East Coast fans woke up to find Cam Ward had led a thrilling 25-point second-half comeback in 2024 over Cal.

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Here's when the Hurricanes and Cardinal square off this week.

Miami football schedule: Hurricanes' next game

Miami, ranked No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, visits Stanford on Friday in their Week 1 game. The game will air on ESPN with streaming options including Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

What time is Miami vs Stanford?

The Hurricanes and Cardinal kick off at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4 at Stanford Stadium.

Miami vs Stanford prediction

Congratulations to the Cardinal on winning their season opener, but boy was it close. Entering the fourth quarter up 25-7, Stanford saw the lead go up in smoke by giving up three straight touchdown drives. They marched down the field to retake the lead, then ran back a fumble for an insurance score that made the final score look better than it really was. That's not the best dress rehearsal for a top-10 team coming into town.

Stanford gave up the most passing yards per game in the ACC last year, very bad news when going up against the nation's second-leading passer from last season and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers (Toney and Cooper Barkate). Miami's new defense will be tested, and how they hold up against what could be a capable offense with Warren and Ford will go a long way in judging whether the Hurricanes will hold up without Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. But this shouldn't be too difficult.

Prediction: Miami 45, Stanford 13

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When is Miami vs Stanford? Time, date, prediction for Week 1 college football game

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