No. 17 Miami (Fla.) (1-0) at No. 18 Louisville (1-0), Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC).
Line: Louisville by 2 1/2.
Series Record: Miami leads 10-3-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Both schools seek to begin a 10-game Atlantic Coast Conference slate with a win. Miami looks to follow up last year’s 52-27 rout of Louisville, which the Cardinals can avenge with their fourth series win in five meetings. Both are coming off big non-conference wins: The Hurricanes topped UAB 31-14 last Thursday while the Cardinals ran past Western Kentucky 35-21.
KEY MATCHUP
Louisville’s receivers vs. Miami’s secondary. Sophomore Braden Smith and senior Dez Fitzpatrick each caught four passes for 110 yards in the opener, with Fitzpatrick scoring a 70-yard TD. Top returning receiver Tutu Atwell also had a team-high seven receptions for 78 yards. They’ll face a Hurricanes secondary featuring juniors Al Blades Jr., son of the late former UM standout safety, and D.J. Ivey. Each had three tackles against UAB, with Blades breaking up two passes.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Miami: QB D’Eriq King. The fifth-year senior transferred from Houston and faces high expectations after accounting for 6,346 yards of offense (4,925 passing) and 78 touchdowns (50 passing) in just 22 games with the Cougars. He debuted with 224 offensive yards and two TDs against UAB, including 141 yards and a TD on 15-of-23 passing.
Louisville: QB Micale Cunningham. The junior hit six targets on the way to throwing for a career-best 343 yards and three of his four TDs against WKU. Last season he passed for career highs of 2,065 yards and 22 TDs and established a program season record for passing efficiency at 194.45.
FACTS & FIGURES
Miami is 4-2 in Louisville. … Former Temple DE Quincy Roche registered his 27th career sack in his Hurricanes debut after transferring. … Miami rushed for 337 yards against UAB, including 134 by Cam’Ron Harris with two TDs on 17 carries. … Cardinals tight end Ean Pfeifer caught a 28-yard TD pass against WKU and became the program’s first player with TDs on his first three receptions. … Smith was named ACC receiver of the week and is the first Cardinal to debut with 100 yards receiving since Deion Branch (123) in the 2000 opener against Kentucky.
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