No. 7 Miami, the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC and a legitimate national championship contender, is kicking off its season on the road in a conference opener. These Hurricanes have massive expectations after winning 23 games over the last two seasons and making a run all the way to the national championship game in 2025. But they’re rolling into Stanford Stadium to face a Cardinal squad that already has a game under its belt and a brand-new starting quarterback who lit it up in Week 0.
Miami’s Swagger Is Back, And Mensah Is Ready to Prove It
Mario Cristobal has totally proved his supporters right, getting Miami back on top of the mountain. They’ve crushed it on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, and now that talent has totally gelled, “The U” has absolutely regained its swagger. Expectations for 2026 are higher than they’ve been for most of the ACC era. Leading the charge is quarterback Darian Mensah. This dude transferred in after leading Duke on a surprise run to the ACC Championship just last year, and now he’s the league’s preseason Player of the Year. He’s got some serious weapons too, with Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr. both back after successful seasons, plus former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate making the portal jump with him. Miami is expected to be playing for that ACC Championship in December, and Mensah is the key.
Stanford’s New Era Started With a Bang
While Miami is just getting started, Stanford already checked off a lot of boxes in its Week 0 win. They got their first W under new coach Tavita Pritchard, who’s an alum hoping to unlock a return to greatness for the Cardinal. But the real story? New starting quarterback Davis Warren, who transferred in from Michigan. In his debut, Warren absolutely balled out, completing 22-of-34 passes for 310 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Seriously, zero picks! He had the second-best yards-per-attempt of any Week 0 quarterback at 9.1, only trailing Jayden Maiava. And get this: he spread the ball around to eight different pass catchers who all had multiple targets. His confidence has to be through the roof.
Tonight, Darian Mensah and the Hurricanes hit the road for their season opener against Pritchard’s Cardinal. This isn’t just another game for Miami, it’s the first step in living up to those sky-high expectations. But Stanford, with Warren feeling good after his huge debut, is definitely looking to spoil the party at 9 p.m. ET on ACC Network. You can stream it live on Fubo. It’s gonna be a must-watch clash between a championship contender and a team that just found its new leader.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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