The Miami Hurricanes won’t play in this weekend’s ACC Championship game, but this program still has a lot on the line in December.
A 9-3 regular season finish might not sit well after a 7-0 start, but having gone 13-11 in two years under Al Golden with a 28-23 run the previous four, it’s a step in the right direction. Miami can close strong with a three-game win streak and reach its first 10-win season since 2003.
To end on a high note and set the tone for next year, it must start with the Hurricanes making the most of the next few weeks.
Bowl practices begin soon and Miami will have a month to get healthy and game-ready. Injured players are expected to return, while defensive coaches will also have extra time to prepare and strategize for an opponent, which isn’t a luxury during the regular season grind.
From there, the Hurricanes must do what it takes to shine in the bowl game.
Coming in off back-to-back wins, Miami looks like it will face Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, with an outside shot at taking on an SEC team in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.
The Hurricanes’ last bowl appearance was in December 2010, weeks after Golden was hired. The new leader watched from the press box as Miami was stomped 33-17 by Notre Dame. The loss was the third-straight postseason setback for the Hurricanes, whose most recent year-end victory came in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl over Nevada.
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