The Atlantic Coast Conference recently released its 2014 football schedule and the Miami Hurricanes will have their work cut out for them this fall.
Al Golden and his program wrapped last season 9-4, stumbling to a 2-4 finish after a gutsy 7-0 start. The Hurricanes certainly benefited from a lighter load in 2013, but that certainly won’t be the case when year four of The Golden Era rolls around.
Miami will begin next season right where it left off—staring down Louisville. The fresh-to-the-ACC Cardinals will host the Hurricanes under the lights on Labor Day night at Papa John’s Stadium in what is certainly a blessing-and-a-curse game for Miami.
Motivation clearly won’t be a factor after the 36-9 drubbing the Hurricanes took in the Russell Athletic Bowl, but will Miami have enough time to reload between meetings and fix last season’s mistakes?
Louisville will be without all-everything quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and head coach Charlie Strong, but the Cardinals are still loaded and welcome back offensive guru and former head coach Bobby Petrino, who will look to make a statement in his first game back in the saddle.
Miami enters the year with question marks at quarterback and both offensive and defensive line. There are also key players coming off of injuries that would’ve been better off easing into the season with lesser competition, but that’s not how things will play out.
With the Cardinals now a conference game and the first showdown officially an anti-cupcake matchup, the Hurricanes simply must survive and find a way. Get in, get out, steal a road win, exhale and regroup.
A lighter mid-September load will allow Miami to work out early kinks regarding Ryan Williams or Kevin Olsen at quarterback, while breaking in some new talent on defense. The Canes also need to ease running back Duke Johnson and wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott back into the fold, as all missed significant time last year.
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Brilliant scheduling geniuses up there in Greensboro (SMDH).