When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cardinal Stadium
Latest line: Louisville by 2 1/2
TV: ABC
Radio: 560-AM, 990-AM (Spanish)
Weather: 63 degrees, 0 percent chance of precipitation
Online: sun-sentinel.com/um; @DavidFurones_ on Twitter
Stadium safety protocols: Louisville is allowing 18,000 fans. There will be socially distanced seating clusters.
Quick slant: With the SEC beginning play next weekend and a few postponements to this week’s schedule, the prime-time showdown is college football’s lone matchup between two ranked teams. It’s also the ACC opener for two teams vying for a shot at Clemson in this year’s conference title game.
About Miami (1-0): The Hurricanes are coming off a 31-14 win over UAB in the opener in which they ran for 337 yards. Last year against Louisville, they threw for six touchdowns in a 52-27 victory, but UM coach Manny Diaz has warned that last season’s result “means nothing.”
About Louisville (1-0): The Cardinals had a similar result against a Conference USA opponent in their opener, topping Western Kentucky, 35-21. Redshirt junior quarterback Micale Cunningham threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.
Three things to watch
1. Will Miami get its passing game going against Louisville? It wasn’t needed against UAB with the way UM ran the ball, but offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee would like to find more balance and quarterback D’Eriq King will look to provide more through the air after throwing for just 141 yards and one touchdown.
2. Can the Hurricanes contain Louisville’s electric playmakers in Cunningham, running back Javian Hawkins and receiver Tutu Atwell? Atwell, a Miami native that attended Northwestern High, had 142 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, against Miami last year, while Hawkins ran for 91 yards in that game as a freshman.
3. Will the Hurricanes rack up more sacks and force a turnover? They only had one sack against UAB as the Blazers were getting the ball out quick despite Miami applying pressures and hits on the quarterback. Louisville may run longer-developing routes down the field — which would create sack opportunities — as UM hopes to debut the fourth edition of the Turnover Chain on Saturday night.
