Miami football six most likely bowl opponents

[fs_video id="yGf74bonvx-1643615-4471" source="sendtonews"]rnrnAfter finishing the regular season with a 7-5 record, the Miami football team will learn on Sunday what bowl they will be playing in later this month. The consensus projections have Miami playing in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl which has a 12:30 ET kickoff on New Year's Eve. Miami is also projected to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.rnrnThe Pinstripe Bowl will be played on December 29 with a 2:15 ET kickoff. Miami would play a Big 10 opponent in the Pinstripe Bowl and a Pac 12 opponent in the Sun Bowl. The Hurricanes have one appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl and two in the Sun Bowl. Miami has lost all three of those combined appearances.rnrnMiami will be appearing in a bowl game for the ninth straight season. The Hurricanes have lost seven of their eight appearances during the current streak and 10 of 11 bowl games overall. Miami's last postseason victory was a 31-14 win over West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando in 2016.rnrnMiami turned to Orlando last season and lost 37-34 in Champs Sports Bowl that was renamed from the Champs Sports Bowl. The Hurricanes have a 19-22 bowl record overall. Miami had a respectable 19-12 bowl record before the current stretch of 10 losses in 11 bowls began in 2008 with a loss to California in the 2008 Emerald Bowl.rnrnWith Tyler Van Dyke and numerous other freshmen thriving this season for Miami on offense, the Hurricanes hope to begin a new bowl streak in 2021. The weather could play a factor for Miami in El Paso or New York. Miami's last appearance in the Sun Bowl was played in a snowstorm against Washington State in 2015.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Sun%20Bowl%20versus%20Washington%20State" /]rnrn rnrn rn Washington State rnrnThe consensus bowl projections have Miami returning to El Paso against the same opponent they played in 2015.rnrnMiami and Washington State have changed drastically since the 2015 meeting. Mike Leach has moved on to Mississippi State. Miami is two and potentially three head coaches removed from 2015.rnrnLarry Scott was the interim coach for Miami for the second half of the 2015 season. Scott was replaced by Mark Richt.rnrnRicht lasted three seasons before being replaced by Manny Diaz. The job status for Diaz is currently in doubt with three to four weeks before Miami plays their bowl game.rnrnIf Diaz is let go before the bowl game and Miami plays in El Paso that would mark the third straight Sun Bowl appearance for Miami with an interim coach. The Hurricanes played Notre Dame in the 2010 Sun Bowl under interim head coach Jeff Southland who replaced Randy Shannon after the regular season.rnrnWashington State is 7-5 this season. Jake Dickert was elevated from interim to permanent head coach recently after leading the Cougars to a 4-3 record. Washington State is 7-5 overall this season. The Cougars are 69th nationally averaging 28.4 points per game. Washington State is 49th allowing 24.2 PPG.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Sun%20Bowl%20versus%20Oregon%20State" /]rnrn rnrn rn Oregon State rnrnBrett McMurphy of Action Network projects Miami to play Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.rnrnIf the Beavers and Hurricanes kickoff in El Paso on New Year's Eve it will be the first time that the teams have met. Oregon State is 7-5 this season under head coach and legendary Beavers quarterback Jonathan Smith.rnrn Smith left Oregon State as the all-time leader with 9,680 yards passing and 55 TDs. A three-year starter for the Beavers, Smith was coached by two-time Miami national championship coach Dennis Erickson. With Smith at QB and Erickson as head coach, Oregon State finished the 2000 season 11-1.rnrnThe Beavers ended the 2000 season ranked fourth, two spots behind Miami. In the final three seasons with Smith at QB, Oregon State was 24-12. In four seasons with Smith as the head coach, Oregon State is 16-27. This was the Beavers first winning season under Smith. This was the first winning season for Oregon State since 2013.rnrn Oregon State is 37th nationally averaging 32.8 PPG. The Beavers allow 25.9 PPG which is 63rd nationally. Oregon State is potent on the ground averaging 217.33 yards per game that is 14th nationally . The Beavers began the 2021 season 4-1 before dropping four of their final seven games.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Sun%20Bowl%20versus%20UCLA" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn UCLA rnrnBrad Crawford of 247 Sports projects Miami to play UCLA in the Sun Bowl. The Bruins and Hurricanes previously met in the 1985 Fiesta Bowl.rnrnUCLA won 49-45 in the first Miami bowl game under Jimmy Johnson. The loss was Miami's third in a row to end the 1985 season. Miami lost their first three bowl games under Johnson.rnrnMiami lost 31-8 at UCLA in 1995 and had the memorable 39-37 upset victory over the Bruins in 1998 in the "Edgerrin James Game." James ran for 299 yards for Miami to knock UCLA out of the BCS National Championship Game. UCLA has not come close to competing for a National Championship since 1998.rnrnThe Bruins are 8-4 in 2021. That is by far their best season under Chip Kelly. Kelly is 18-25 in four seasons in Westwood. Kelly was previously 46-7 as the head coach at Oregon from 2009 through 2012 at Oregon before leaving to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the first winning season for Kelly at UCLA.rnrnAnother shootout from Miami and UCLA should be expected if the matchup in El Paso happens. UCLA averages 36.5 PPG which is 16th nationally. The Bruins allow 26.8 PPG which is 75th in FBS. UCLA has an elite rushing offense averaging 215.08 yards per game to rank 17th nationally.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Arizona%20State%20Sun%20Bowl" /]rnrn rnrn rn Arizona State rnrnMiami could be headed further West than the Sun Bowl with the potential of playing Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego.rnrnThe Hurricanes last played in San Diego in 1992 when they defeated San Diego State 63-17 during the regular season. Miami has never played in the Holiday Bowl.rnrnThe Hurricanes and Sun Devils last played in 1997 with Arizona State earning a 23-12 victory in Tempe. Arizona State finished 8-4 in their fourth season under Herm Edwards. Edwards is 25-17 at Arizona State. The Sun Devils lost in the 2018 Las Vegas Bowl and won the 2019 Sun Bowl under Edwards.rnrnArizona State averages 29.7 PPG to rank 58th nationally. The Sun Devils allow 20.9 PPG to rank 25th led by defensive coordinator and former New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce. Arizona State is led by quarterback Jayden Daniels who has thrown for 2,221 yards and 10 TDs and run for 670 and six TDs.rnrnRunning back Rachaad White has 1,456 yards from scrimmage and 16 TDs. After a two-game losing streak to end October, Arizona State finished the season with wins in three of its last four games. The Sun Devils' sole loss was to Oregon State last month. Arizona State's biggest win was at UCLA in October.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Minnesota%20in%20Pinstripe%20Bowl" /]rnrn rnrn rn Minnesota rnrnIf Miami does not play in the Sun Bowl, they are expected to return to New York and Yankee Stadium for the second time to play in the Pinstripe Bowl.rnrnMiami has one other appearance in the Pinstripe Bowl losing to Wisconsin in 2018. Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated projects Miami to play 8-4 Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl.rnrnDespite long and historic histories for the Miami and Minnesota football programs, the Hurricanes and Golden Gophers have never played. Minnesota has won its last four bowl games dating to 2015. Since becoming the head coach in 2017, P.J. Fleck has led Minnesota to a 34-23 record.rnrnMinnesota has never played in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Golden Gophers did play in the Micron P.C. Bowl after the 2000 season at what is now Hard Rock Stadium. Minnesota's 8-4 record in 2021 is its best season under Fleck. Minnesota averages 26.1 PPG to rank 84th nationally and allows 18.2 PPG which is 12th.rnrnAfter losing 45-31 to Ohio State in their season opener, Minnesota has not allowed more than 27 points the remainder of the season. The Golden Gophers closer 2021 with six wins in their final eight games. Back-to-back losses to Illinois and Iowa last month were the only blemishes for Minnesota in the final two months of 2021.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Tennessee%20in%20the%20Duke's%20Mayo%20Bowl%20" /]rnrn rn rn Tennessee rnKyle Bonagura of ESPN has the projection keeping Miami closest to home. Bonagura predicts Miami to play Tennessee in the Duke Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. That would essentially be a road game for Miami Charlotte is only about 230 miles from Knoxville. Miami has never played in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.rnrnThe Hurricanes did play Clemson in the 2017 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. Tennessee has won two of the three meetings all-time with Miami. The Volunteers crushed the Hurricanes 35-7 in the 1986 Sugar Bowl. If Miami had won the game, the Hurricanes would have been National Champions.rnrnTennessee has improved significantly in its first season under Josh Heupel. The Volunteers average 38.8 points per game to rank ninth nationally. Tennessee allows 27.5 PPG to rank 79th. The Volunteers improved from 3-7 in 2020 to 7-5 this season. Miami would face a familiar face against the Volunteers.rnrn[story_link_next description="Miami%20consensus%20projections%20Pinstripe%20or%20Sun%20Bowl" url="https://caneswarning.com/2021/11/29/miami-football-consensus-projections-pinstripe-or-sun-bowl/" /]rnrnTennessee QB Hendon Hooker is a transfer from Virginia Tech who led the Hokies to victory at Hard Rock Stadium in 2019. Hooker completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,563 yards 26 TDs, three interceptions and added 560 rushing yards and five TDs during the 2021 season. Under Heupel, Hooker has blossomed.

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Miami football six most likely bowl opponents

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