Five Answers -Miami Hurricane Notes- Week One
LEGENDARY. With only three days to go until the Coach Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricane era descends upon us, what are the latest questions that need answered. Now that the OBB five questions segment is retired for the season, (Insert annoying Toast voice) it is go time.
1.How Packed is the Stadium Going to be?
The Miami Hurricanes have “distributed” over 50,000 tickets with 35,000 of those being season tickets sold. The knock on the Hurricane fan base is that it is a transient bunch. The reality is, Miami is an event driven town and something needs to provide the spark for many to sit in the stands. Football GM Alonzo Highsmith labeled it a “challenge” to fill the seats. Will Mario Cristobal’s arrival be enough to give week one the home field advantage? With 6000 more season tickets sold than a year ago, we think it does.
2..Are Wide Receivers Still Dropping Balls?
This group has undoubtedly been a furious focal point coming out of camp. The short answer is, they are improving. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke at least publicly said so. Game day will be the ultimate litmus test. Even against a sub division opponent a little green man’s wise words reign supreme. “Do or do not, there is no try.” If boo birds come out at all (they shouldn’t) this will be the reason why.

Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke
3. Who is Starting at Left Tackle?
Zion Nelson is back at practice. That is a very good thing. Bethune-Cookman is the quintessential shallow end of the pool so that helps too. You do not have to throw Nelson into the deep end vs a quality opponent and a potential first round defensive end week one. We expect to see John Campbell start at the left tackle spot but Zion healthy is a very good thing for the Hurricanes. Coach Cristobal played coy when asked how many reps would Nelson get. Coach speak is the common dialect no matter where you go this time of year.
Zion Nelson sighting is good news always pic.twitter.com/uDaBjWxZKT
— Susan Miller Degnan (@smillerdegnan) August 30, 2022
4. Where is Ruben Bain Going to School?
The Miami Central star had three sacks vs. some small school on the west coast of Florida. The Rockets upset powerhouse IMG 20-14 mainly due in part to Bain’s relentless motor and sack mastery. Bain has not been shy stating that he will go out of town if he so chooses. This elite prospect plays with a chip on his shoulder bigger than Vice Wilfork’s belly. Checking in with the OBB Recruiting Director in the Discord chat, confidence is still high for the Hurricanes. Buckle up, Alabama will not just take one on the chin. Expect an all out brawl for Bain.
Rueben Bain picking up right where he left off. pic.twitter.com/gpxL1Z6AUS
— GO ‘CANES! (@83_87_89_91_01) August 27, 2022
5. Was Toast Serious about 8-4?
My cohort in crime was dead serious. The Hurricanes have decades of mediocrity displaying themselves on the program like a well established rust. The toasty one had us losing to Virginia, FSU, Clemson and Texas A&M. Understandably, in two of those contests, this Miami Hurricane team will likely be underdogs. But make no mistake about it, 8-4 would be a massive disappointment even for those in the building. Pressure for Mario in year one is actually higher than it seems but no going back now. Era one of the Mario regime is here.