FINAL: No. 19 Miami 41, Florida 17

WHAT HAPPENED: Miami quarterback Cameron Ward handed for 385 yards, three scores and keyed a unit that cranked out 529 yards of whole offense Saturday, because the Nineteenth-ranked Hurricanes silenced then emptied Spurrier/Florida Area with a lopsided 41-17 victory earlier than 90,544 principally stunned-and-bummed Gator followers. The loss was UF’s first in a house opener since 1989, snapping an NCAA-best 34-game profitable streak in kicking off the third season underneath Coach Billy Napier. It additionally was the Gators’ sixth straight defeat, relationship again to an Oct. 28, 2023 loss to No. 1 Georgia at Jacksonville. Ward, the heralded switch from Washington State, was spectacular in his UM debut. He accomplished 26 of 35 passes, with landing throws of 9, 24 and 23 yards, whereas additionally dashing three instances for 33 yards and immediately thrusting his title into early Heisman Trophy consideration. His UF counterpart, fifth-year senior Graham Mertz, might handle solely 261yards for his offense and confronted a much more menacing and engaged protection within the Canes, with the lone optimistic play of be aware a 71-yard landing sprint by Montrell Johnson Jr. that gave the Gators some second-quarter hope. It was short-lived. Mertz accomplished 11 of 20 passes for simply 91 yards and was sacked 3 times earlier than giving technique to freshman DJ Lagway, the 2023 Gatorade Nationwide Participant of the Yr, who went 3 of 6 for 31 yards with an interception in three collection of mop-up responsibility, however did lead a TD drive. On the sport’s second possession, Miami marched principally effortlessly to an 11-play, 84-yard landing drive, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Justus Boone on a third-and-10 incompletion that might have introduced on the field-goal unit. Three performs later, Ward shoveled an 8-yard scoring toss to tight finish Cam McCormick for a 7-0 lead barely midway by means of the opening interval. Earlier than the quarter ended, a Ward interception (his lone miscue of the day) arrange a 41-yard Trey Smack discipline objective that made it 7-3. These three factors had been canceled out on UM’s subsequent drive, a 9-play, 70-yarder, that ended on the UF 5 and completed with a 23-yard discipline objective by Andres Borregales. The Canes padded the margin after a failed fourth-and-5 gamble by Napier on the UM 42. One other roughing-the-passer penalty, this one on DJ Douglas, and 30-yard Ward-to-Isiah Horton completion arrange a Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 10-yard scoring run and 17-3 guests’ lead. After an change of punts, the Gators lastly gave the Swamp one thing to cheer about, as Johnson dashed round left finish for a 71-yard landing gallop to chop the lead in half at 17-10 with 3:32 left within the half. If solely the house crew might’ve taken it to the locker room then. As an alternative, Ward labored the clock for a pair first downs, then hit Elijah Arroyo for a 28-yard achieve to the UF 24, then two performs later fired a dime between the UF safeties for a 24-yard landing strike to Xavier Restrepo with 45 seconds left. It was 24-10, with UM cranking out 283 yards of first-half offense (to UF’s 145, half on one operating play). Miami acquired the ball to begin the second half, hit a 40-yard completion on the third snap, a 22-yarder on the fourth and was ultimately zone once more on the sixth, a 1-yard plunge by Fletcher for a 31-10 lead lower than three minutes in. For the Gators, it did not get any higher thereafter. 

WHAT IT MEANS: This one goes to have residual ramifications. The Gators should take care of a unfavorable narrative (“Noise within the system,” as Ron Zook used to name it) proper out of the 2024 field. So far as righting the ship, the Southeastern Convention opener towards Texas A&M in two weeks cannot get right here quickly sufficient. The win was Miami’s eighth over the earlier 10 conferences, relationship to 1986. The Canes now lead the all-time collection 30-27.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: For Ward, the Jayden Daniels comparisons are coming. In all probability a stretch, at the very least for now, however he definitely had a monitor document as an thrilling, joy-stick QB within the defunct Pac-12 Convention and the Gators made him appear like a Heisman candidate.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The 24-point margin of defeat was the biggest for Florida in a house recreation since Florida State received 27-2 on the “Swamp” on Nov. 28, 2015. Miami’s 41 factors had been probably the most ever surrendered by UF in a house opener.  

UP NEXT: The Gators (0-1) stay in non-league play, however step down in classification with a house date towards FCS Samford the night time of Sept. 7. The Bulldogs, out of the Southern Convention, opened their season Saturday at West Georgia. The final time UF and Samford performed it was, nicely, considerably irritating for Florida followers, however might have been a lot, a lot worse. The Bulldogs got here to the “Swamp” on Nov. 13, 2021 and rung up 531 yards, tallied six touchdowns and held a 14-point lead late within the second quarter earlier than the Gators woke up and finally received 70-52 on 464 yards and 6 touchdowns passing from Emory Jones. Eight days later, UF coach Dan Mullen was fired.