With its Week 6 win over Florida State, Miami is now 4-0 against in-state opponents in the 2025 college football season. According to head coach Mario Cristobal, that makes the Hurricanes the unofficial “state champions” of The Sunshine State.
After beating Notre Dame in Week 1, Miami has gone on to defeat Bethune-Cookman, USF, Florida, and Florida State. The Hurricanes do not face UCF this season, the only other Power Four school from Florida, but Cristobal believes their record speaks for itself.
“That's our fourth straight game against an opponent from the state of Florida,” Cristobal said after the win, via ESPN. “That's important to us, being state champions.”
Miami led Florida State 28-3 entering the fourth quarter before allowing 19 unanswered points, but still held on for a 28-22 victory.
The Hurricanes have beaten their four in-state rivals by an average of 26 points, including two ranked wins over USF and Florida State, both of which entered their matchups ranked No. 18 nationally.
With that statement win, Miami improved to 5-0 and officially moved ahead of Oregon in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Released on October 5, the new rankings have Miami sitting at No. 2 in the country, trailing only Ohio State, after earning 21 first-place votes.
Oregon dropped to No. 3 despite remaining unbeaten, while Ole Miss and Texas A&M rounded out the top five.
Miami’s climb up the rankings comes on the back of stellar quarterback play from Carson Beck. The Georgia transfer has revived his career in Coral Gables, throwing for 1,213 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just three interceptions through five games.
His poise has helped the Hurricanes control tempo and finish drives, something that plagued them in previous seasons.
Receiver CJ Daniels also had a breakout performance in the win over Florida State, catching five passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Daniels paid tribute to late LSU wideout Kyren Lacy with “LLK2” written on his eye black, honoring his former teammate who passed away earlier this year. His second score, followed by a mock of the Seminoles’ war chant, quickly went viral.
Miami now owns three wins over ranked opponents and the best resume in college football through six weeks.
With ACC play ramping up and momentum building, the Hurricanes are proving that Mario Cristobal’s rebuild is no longer a promise.
