Miami football 2020 and 2018 5-1 starts are very different

The 5-1 starts by the Miami football team in 2018 and 2020 are very different in multiple ways.

The 2018 Miami football team began the season 5-1 after losing 33-17 in the season opener to LSU. Five straight wins that followed the loss to the Tigers only included two against Power Five teams. Miami defeated FCS Savannah State, Toledo, FIU, North Carolina and Florida State following the loss to LSU.

The 2020 Miami football team has also started the season 5-1. Four of the Hurricanes five games have been against Power Five teams. Miami began the season with a victory over UAB followed with wins over Louisville and Florida State, lost to Clemson before wins over Pittsburgh and Virginia the last two weeks.

LSU finished the 2018 season the highest-ranked team Miami played. The Tigers were ranked 17th by the ESPN Football Power Index. Miami finished 2018, 27th in the FPI following a 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl to finish with a  7-6 record. The Hurricanes lost four straight following the 5-1 start in 2018.

FIU finished 76th, Toledo 72nd, North Carolina 77th and Florida State 67th in the 2018 FPI. Of the four FBS teams Miami played during the 5-1 start in 2018 all but Florida State and UNC qualified for a bowl game. LSU defeated Central Florida 40-7 in the Fiesta Bowl, FIU ironically defeated Toledo 35-32 in the Bahamas Bowl.

The 2020 Miami football schedule has been much tougher than the Hurricanes’ first six games of 2018. Clemson tops the Miami opponents in the 2020 FPI ranking third. Louisville is 40th in the FPI, Florida State 77th, Pittsburgh 65th and Virginia 64th. The 2018 Miami strength of schedule was 53rd and is 36th in 2020.

Miami is currently 25th in the FPI. The Hurricanes finished the 2018 season averaging 28.8 points per game which was 66th out of 130 FBS teams. The Miami offense allowed 19.5 PPG to finish 18th. In 2020, Miami is averaging 32.8 PPG which is 42nd out of 101 FBS teams and allowing  22.2 PPG which is 27th.