A disappointing loss last Friday vs. Louisville marked #9 Miami’s first loss of the season. Still, the team remains in contention for a College Football Playoff berth at 5-1. Now, the Hurricanes will attempt to bounce back at home against Stanford. The Cardinal earned a much-needed 20-13 win last week at home vs. Florida State. Can they carry that momentum into Saturday’s battle in South Florida?
Below is my prediction and pick for College Football Week 9’s game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Miami Hurricanes.
Miami enters this contest as 29.5-point favorites (-112) over Stanford, with the over/under set at 45.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stanford vs. Miami prediction, preview
Last Friday was a difficult pill to swallow for the Canes, who suffered a 24-21 loss at home. Still, the defeat against #19 Louisville had some positives. Despite quarterback Carson Beck throwing four interceptions, Miami only lost by three points. That amount of turnovers, while concerning, won’t be an every week occurrence. Granted, Beck has never been the most risk-averse passer. If the U wants to compete for a national title, he’ll need to be better.
This weekend’s contest could be the perfect get right spot for Miami’s offense. Stanford’s secondary has allowed 304.7 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, the ACC’s second-worst mark. The Cardinal did manage to hold Florida State’s high-scoring offense to just 13 points last week. However, Beck and company present more of a traditional challenge out of the pocket.
If the Cardinal are going to keep things close, they’ll need to keep up with the Hurricanes. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson has been shaky for most of the season. Through seven games, he’s thrown for 1,535 yards and seven touchdowns while tossing five interceptions. The senior left last week’s game in the second quarter with a knee injury, but is expected to play on Saturday.
A banged up QB isn’t exactly a recipe for success. Expect Stanford head coach Frank Reich to opt for more of a run-heavy approach. The duo of Micah Ford and Cole Tabb have combined for 737 yards and five touchdowns on 166 rush attempts (4.4 YPC). However, success on the ground could prove difficult against a tenacious Miami defensive front. Edge Rueben Bain Jr. leads one of the nation’s most formidable d-lines. The Hurricanes have given up 3.0 yards per rush this season, third-lowest in the ACC.
Stanford vs. Miami pick, best bet
With three wins over their last five outings, the Cardinal have built up a bit of momentum. That recent success will be put to the test against a Miami squad with postseason aspirations. After last Friday’s debacle, the Canes might give running back Mark Fletcher Jr. a bigger workload. On the flip side, Stanford is unlikely to let an injured Gulbranson throw the ball often. Add it all up, and you have all the ingredients for a Saturday night slugfest.
