National website states Miami football and FSU headed in different directions
The hiring of Mario Cristobal as head coach for the Miami football program has been praised nationally. Miami, Florida and Florida and Florida State will always be measured against each other. Florida will also be entering a new era after hiring Billy Napier from Louisiana to replace Dan Mullen as head coach.
As ACC rivals, Florida State and Miami are compared to each other more often. In their “College football: 22 way-too-early predictions for 2022 season,” Brad Crawford of 247 Sports stated “Florida State, Miami head in separate directions.” Cristobal has a good base to build on in his inaugural season this fall.
Any discussion about the outlook for the 2022 Miami football team begins with the return of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke is on the shortlist of Heisman Trophy candidates. After taking over as starter from D’Eriq King, Van Dyke completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In the final six games of the season, Van Dyke had an incredible run of passing for 300 yards and three TDs in each game. According to ESPN stats guru Chris Fallica, 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow of LSU is the only other passer to have the 300 and three TD streak in six games during the College Football Playoff era.
"22. FLORIDA STATE, MIAMI HEAD IN SEPARATE DIRECTIONS“Florida State will fight and claw its way to bowl eligibility during Mike Norvell’s third season, but Miami will garner the most buzz in the Sunshine State within the ACC by the end of the year.Mario Cristobal should be able to instill early swagger with the Hurricanes given Tyler Van Dyke’s emergence at quarterback and a September schedule that includes three games as double-digit favorites and a trip to Texas A&M sandwiched in-between.A date with Clemson is the only other nationally-ranked team Miami will face away from home in 2022.”"
Cristobal provides Miami with one of the biggest coaches in college football during a year that has had significant coaching moves. Cristobal moving from Oregon to the Miami football program came a few days after Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly shocked college football with their moves from Oklahoma to USC and Notre Dame to LSU.
Miami has a few marquee games on the schedule in the inaugural season under Cristobal. After beginning the season hosting Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi, Miami travels to College Station to play Texas A&M on September 17. The Hurricanes also play at Clemson and host Florida State late in the season.
Miami will find out the dates of its ACC games later this month. In his first season at Oregon succeeding Willie Taggart, Cristobal led the Ducks to a 9-4 record. Florida State head coach Mike Norvell is 8-13 in two seasons since succeeding Taggart with the Seminoles. Miami is set up for a good first season under Cristobal.