Miami (FL) Hurricanes vs Florida Gators Prediction & Picks - NCAA

Prediction published on 8/29/24, 3:30 PM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 8/31/24 at 10:09 AM in NCAA Picks

The Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators will reignite the fire of their rivalry on Saturday as two of Sunshine State’s most successful football programs go head-to-head at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. The Hurricanes will start the college football season as the No.19 ranked program in the nation. Miami has added several key pieces to their roster via transfer portal. Some of the transferees expected to play a significant role for Miami this season are quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State, wide receiver Sam Brown from Houston, and Damien Martinez from Oregon State. Returning for his third season is Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, who is expected to be on the hot seat throughout the rest of the season. Billy Napier will also return for his third season in Gainesville, hoping this will be the year where the Gators make their Bowl Game return after three consecutive years of missing the postseason event. In an effort to give his team a fresh outlook, Napier overhauled almost his entire coaching staff by hiring a new defensive coordinator, co-offensive coordinator, strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist. Florida will also count on senior quarterback Graham Mertz to lead them to greater heights this season after posting 2,903 passing yards on 72% passing rate with 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions last season.