Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium
The Miami Hurricanes are a college football powerhouse with five national championships and nine conference titles to their name. The Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division member has played in over 40 bowl games, highlighted by six high-profile Orange Bowl wins. After Mark Richt's 2018 retirement, former Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz took over as head coach starting with the 2019 season. Diaz lasted three seasons, when he was replaced by Mario Cristobal at the end of 2021. The Hurricanes play at Hard Rock Stadium, which is also home turf for the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
Miami Hurricanes Football History
Founded in 1926, the Miami Hurricanes were independent for much of their existence, save for a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association stint between 1929 and 1941, until the team joined the Big East in 1991. Since 2004, Miami has been a part of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes' roster of famous players includes dozens of future NFL stars and Pro Football Hall of Famers, including quarterback Jim Kelly, wide receiver Michael Irvin, center Jim Otto, linebacker Ray Lewis and defensive tackles Warren Sapp and Cortez Kennedy. Miami also has two Heisman Trophy winners, quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and Gino Torretta in 1992. Several of Miami's winning head coaches, including Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, have gone on to NFL careers.
The Hurricanes have multiple longtime rivalries, including with intra-division opponent Virginia Tech and in-state foes the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles. The latter rivalry, which dates back to 1951, has been particularly fierce since the ‘80s, as the two teams have taken turns spoiling each other's championship aspirations. During seasons when all three Florida teams play against one another, the squad with the most wins takes home the Florida Cup.
The Hurricanes have also played several of college football's greatest games. On New Year's Day 1984, Miami cemented its first national championship by defeating the heavily favored Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl. The team locked down their second national title in 1987, with an undefeated season that culminated in the Hurricanes dominating the powerful Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl. And in November 1991, Miami eked out a win over Florida State in a game soon dubbed Wide Right I, due to the Seminoles' kicker missing a game-winning field goal. With the win, the Hurricanes not only ended Florida State's title hopes — they also eventually earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, where they shut out the Cornhuskers, and ranked first in that year's final Associated Press rankings.
