And more than once in the days leading up to their home opener, the Hurricanes have emphasized that they can’t wait to show their fans how much work they have done during the offseason and in training camp.
“Running through that smoke is going to be amazing. This is the opportunity of a lifetime that I’ve been wanting since I was a kid,” said Restrepo, who caught seven balls for 112 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over Florida. “I can’t wait to get back to playing at the Hard Rock and I’m excited for the fans. They’re a really, really, really important key to our success. They’re a huge help to us and it’s just incredible to bring those fans everywhere. Their support is just great. It really makes us play harder.”
While experienced Hurricanes like Restrepo have played a number of games at Hard Rock Stadium, Saturday’s season opener will be the first time that experience has been experienced by some of the newest faces on Miami’s roster.
Quarterback Cam Ward — who recently rushed for 385 yards and three touchdowns — will run through the smoke for the first time in his Miami career, as will running back Damien Martinez, wide receiver Samuel Brown, defensive back Meesh Powell, defensive linemen Tyler Baron and Elijah Alston, and freshmen such as defensive linemen Armondo Blount, Cole McConathy II, Justin Scott, receivers Ny Carr and Joshisa “Jojo” Trader, and tight end Elija Lofton, to name a few.
And they all – like their teammates – will look to build on Miami’s season-opening victory when they face a FAMU team that has already opened the season with two wins and is coming off a 2023 season in which the Rattlers won both the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game and the Celebration Bowl, which annually crowns the national HBCU champion.
“They’re excited to come home and play at home. We want to make Hard Rock an intimidating place to play. We want to make Hard Rock a real home-court advantage. We want to make our families, our community, our fan base, we want to make everybody proud, and these guys feel equipped to do that. They feel prepared and ready to do it,” Cristobal said. “And they know they’re playing against a team that’s had a fantastic season. I think they’ve won 13 in a row, are defending HBCU National Championship champions (and) more than a handful of players have been or will be invited to the Senior Bowl. …
“I mean, they’re a lot of problems, they’re a wide-ranging team, they’ve got a quarterback with a lot of experience and a lot of South Florida players on the team. They’ve got a really good football team and of course (head coach) James Colzie is a guy I respect a lot, a local guy. … He’s not only a first-class coach, he’s a first-class person and he’s going to prepare his team for the game. We’re going to be prepared for the game.”
Among the playmakers the Hurricanes (1-0) will have to keep in check on Saturday is quarterback Daniel Richardson, who was named HBCU Player of the Week for the second consecutive year after throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the Rattlers’ 22-18 win over South Carolina State last week.
Koby Gross also delivered impressive numbers in this victory with six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, as did running back Levontai Summersett with eleven carries for 62 yards.
And while quite a few Hurricanes – including Ward, Restrepo, Martinez and Powell – had big performances against Florida, it was the way the Hurricanes responded to adversity in that game that Cristobal believes will make the difference for Miami this season.
