The Miami Hurricanes open their 2026 season with the goal of taking that final step toward winning a national championship.
The start of that journey comes Friday night when the seventh-ranked Hurricanes visit Stanford (1-0) in what will also be the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
Miami, which lost to Indiana in the national championship game in January, is the preseason favorite to win the ACC while Stanford was picked to finish last in the conference’s preseason media poll.
While the Hurricanes are favored by more than three touchdowns, Miami coach Mario Cristobal warned against underestimating his team’s first opponent, which has already played its first game.
“This game had our attention since January,” Cristobal said on Monday afternoon. “We knew we had an opportunity to put our very best team against an excellent opponent. You see a lot of NFL influences in the schemes that they run. … What you saw was a team playing with a lot of energy and physicality.”
Stanford opened its season last weekend with a 37-27 home victory over Hawaii. The Cardinal relinquished a 16-point fourth-quarter advantage before scoring two TDs in the final two minutes to prevail.
The Cardinal are entering their first season under head coach Tavita Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback who served the past three years as the quarterbacks coach of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
Stanford running back Micah Ford ran for 99 yards and three touchdowns against Hawaii after rushing for only four touchdowns a year ago. He returns as one of the Cardinal’s primary offensive threats, along with quarterback Davis Warren, a transfer from Michigan. Warren completed 22 of 34 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown against the Rainbow Warriors.
Stanford will need more consistency from its defense against a Miami offense replete with playmakers. The Cardinal allowed 233 of Hawaii’s 322 yards on three late scoring drives that helped Hawaii turn a 23-7 deficit into a 27-23 lead.
“We’re excited about this upcoming week because it’s another chance to learn about ourselves and grow,” Pritchard said Monday. “It is about us and about what we do, but at the same time, you can’t lose sight of the talent that’s across the ball from you, the schemes they run and the personnel and making sure you can find a winning edge there.”
This will be the Hurricanes’ first trip to Stanford. The schools faced off for the first time last year in Miami, with the Hurricanes winning 42-7 on Oct. 25.
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns in that game, which was sandwiched between Miami’s two regular-season losses last season, to Louisville and SMU.
Fletcher is back as part of a loaded Miami offense that also includes sophomore versatile receiver Malachi Toney, whom many consider a Heisman Trophy candidate, as well as Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, who led the ACC in passing yards and passing touchdowns a season ago.
The Hurricanes’ defense lost two stars up front, Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, to the NFL from their 13-3 squad in 2025-26. Even so, Miami brings back a talented group many expect to be among the most dominant in the nation again, led by tackle Ahmad Moten Sr., defensive end Damon Wilson II, cornerback Xavier Lucas and safety Bryce Fitzgerald.
