The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators will have the eyes of the nation on them this weekend in South Florida. The in-state rivals will meet on Saturday night at 7:30 pm ET at Hard Rock Stadium in a game that’s crucial to both teams for very different reasons.

The Hurricanes have been off to a hot start in 2025, knocking off Notre Dame and South Florida – both of whom were ranked at the time – in the first three weeks. Meanwhile, the Gators are looking to right the ship after a disastrous 1-2 start that saw them lose 18-16 at home to those same USF Bulls. A true gauntlet awaits them in SEC play, so picking up a win here would be crucial for Billy Napier to have a chance to save his job.

I caught up with A to Z Sports’ Florida Gators beat writer Tyler Forness to get his perspective on the matchup.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida Gators preview

What do you think has been DJ Lagway’s biggest problem? What’s the primary reason he has had the tough start that he has? 

The biggest issue is the lack of reps and growth over the offseason. He was 6-1 as a starter during his true freshman season, but he needed the offseason to grow and develop. He didn’t get that due to injury, and his mistakes to start the year can be directly traced to the lack of reps. He didn’t throw during all of spring practice and was limited in the first half of fall camp.

You can see the athleticism and arm talent is still there, but his decision making with coverages has been rough. Teams are playing him with two-high shells, and it’s been a tough adjustment. He will straighten things out, but it’s frustrating that this stuff is happening in live games rather than in the offseason where he could have adjusted.

A major strength of Miami’s roster is the defensive line.  Do you think Florida has the horses to protect Lagway enough to win this game with Rueben Bain, Jr. and Akheem Mesidor coming off the edges? 

There is no doubt about it: Miami’s pass rush is excellent, and making sure that they don’t have the opportunity to pin their ears back and get after Lagway. It’s going to be really important, and why the Gators need to get the run game going early and often with Jadan Baugh.

If they don’t, left tackle Austin Barber is good enough to handle anyone thrown at him. Bryce Lovett and Caden Jones have been splitting time at right tackle, but it’s the one major weak spot on the offensive line. If you want to get after Lagway, that’s where you’ll want to attack.

Tell us about Florida’s offensive weapons.  The Canes’ secondary appears vastly improved from a terrible 2024 season.  If one player has a breakout game and is a difference maker out of the pass catchers, who would that be? 

Going into the year, the wide receivers looked to be a major strength of this team, especially after spring practice saw the emergence of true freshman Dallas Wilson, who set spring game records with 10 receptions and 195 yards through the air. Unfortunately, Wilson suffered an injury in fall camp and has yet to play a game. Tre Wilson and J. Michael Sturdivant were two talented, experienced options, but they haven’t done a whole lot yet. True freshman Vernell Brown III looks like the next explosive playmaker to come out of Gainesville, and he’s been really good in his first three games.

However, Billy Napier’s play calling hasn’t helped matters. He continues to prioritize using the same boring scheme that is incredibly easy to figure out on the give me downs. It’s a tough situation because there is a ton of talent, but the offense is its own worst enemy.

How does Florida’s defense slow down what’s been a balanced, physical, and highly effective Miami offense in 2025? 

This is a really balanced and talented unit. Over the last two years, Napier has played a lot of young players, which has given this defense more experience than another one would have with their youth. Myles Graham has been a really good player for the Gators and is only a true sophomore, and the defensive line rotation has been impactful, albeit with Caleb Banks and LJ McCray out with injuries.

Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has been excellent in crafting the defense to be both aggressive, yet smart. Teams have to earn every yard they get, and Miami will be no different. Getting pressure either with four or using creative blitzes, and staying patient is going to be key to controlling the Hurricanes’ offense.

Final score prediction

This is a really interesting game to pick. The Gators have a very good defense and should have beaten LSU. The reason they lost was solely on Lagway throwing five interceptions, as they resulted in the 10 points that the Tigers won by. This is going to be a motivated Gators team with a defense that can stop the Hurricanes offense, but the atrocious play calling by Napier is going to prevent the Gators from finally getting that big road win.

Hurricanes 23, Gators 17

Florida Gators News

Final score predictions for Florida vs. Miami: Will this be DJ Lagway’s resurgence or Carson Beck beating the Gators once again?

All of our experts agree this will be a close game

Craig Smith