Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State Seminoles FAQ: What to know about the matchup

The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes (7-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) return from their bye week to face the Louisville Cardinals (1-6, 1-5 ACC) on Saturday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Hard Rock Stadium.

Here is what you need to know about the matchup.

How can I watch the Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State Seminoles game?

The Hurricanes’ home game against FSU will be televised on ESPN. It is also available on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

Who is favored in the Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida State game?

As of Friday morning, the Hurricanes are listed as a 21-point home favorite against the Cardinals, according to Odds Shark. The over/under is 54.5 points.

What is the history between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles?

Saturday will be the 69th all-time meeting between Miami and Florida State. The Hurricanes are 35-33 in the series, but lost each of the past three meetings.

What were the expectations for the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles entering the season?

The Hurricanes were voted to finish third in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Seminoles were voted to win the ACC.

How have the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles done so far this season?

The Hurricanes swept through their nonconference schedule with a 41-17 road win at the Florida Gators followed with a 56-9 blowout win against Florida A&M, 62-0 shutout of Ball State at home and 50-15 win over USF on the road. Miami followed with a pair of come-from-behind victories — 38-34 win over Virginia Tech and 39-38 over Cal — to start ACC play and then held off a Louisville comeback for a 52-45 win to remain perfect.

The Seminoles have been arguably one of the biggest disappointments in college football this season. Ranked No. 10 to begin the season, they started the year 0-3 with losses to Georgia Tech in Ireland (24-21), Boston College (28-13) and Memphis (20-12) before finally beating Cal 14-9. They have since lost to SMU (42-16), Clemson (29-13) and Duke (23-16)

Who are some Miami Hurricanes players to watch?

▪ Quarterback Cam Ward: Here’s the obligatory update on UM’s Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback: He enters Saturday leading the country in passing yards (2,538), passing yards per game (362.6) and passing touchdowns (24) while ranking third in yards per passing attempt (10.3).

▪ The run game: Going to group all of Miami’s running backs into one this week after their group effort against Louisville. The Hurricanes ran for a season-high 219 yards against the Cardinals, with Damien Martinez (12 carries, 89 yards) and Mark Fletcher (13 carries, 73 yards) leading the way.

▪ Defensive back Zaquan Patterson: The Hurricanes’ secondary has struggled the past two games and defensive coordinator Lance Guidry intimated that Patterson, a true freshman, could get more playing time to mix things up.

Who are some Florida State Seminoles players to watch?

▪ Defensive lineman Patrick Payton: The redshirt junior and Miami native leads FSU with eight tackles for loss and four sacks. He is one of the main forces on a defensive line that was supposed to be one of the best in the league but overall has been a middle-of-the-pack group in the conference.

▪ Wide receiver Ja’Khi Douglas: The redshirt senior has been one of the rare bright spots in the FSU offense. He leads the team with 22 catches, 354 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

▪ Punter Alex Mastromanno: The redshirt senior ranks second nationally in yards per punt (49.43). Of his 35 punts, 19 have gone for at least 50 yards while 13 have landed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.