Florida Atlantic @ Miami (FL) preview

With expectations on the rise, Miami looks to begin its season in impressive fashion when Florida Atlantic visits on Friday night. Al Golden, starting his third season as the Hurricanes’ coach, admitted this week that he has “a lot of concerns” about his team, even though Miami is the preseason favorite to win the ACC Coastal Division. Those concerns do not include senior quarterback Stephen Morris, who is coming off a terrific 2012 season.

Morris passed for 3,345 yards last year – the fifth-highest single-season total in Hurricanes history. In his final four games, Morris completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,131 yards with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. In addition to Morris, Florida Atlantic will have its hands full with Duke Johnson, Miami’s electrifying running back who racked up 2,060 all-purpose yards as a freshman last season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Miami -32

ABOUT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (2012: 3-9, 2-6 Sun Belt): The Owls are now in Conference USA after spending the previous eight seasons in the Sun Belt. Coach Carl Pelini expects to play “two … possibly three” quarterbacks against Miami, including likely starter Jaquez Johnson, a sophomore transfer from East Mississippi Community College. Each quarterback certainly will target William Dukes, who led the team with 63 catches and 979 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2012.

ABOUT MIAMI (2012: 7-5, 5-3 ACC): While Miami returns one of the nation’s top quarterback-running back combinations in Morris and Johnson, the Hurricanes’ defense is a major question mark. Miami allowed 366 points and 5,837 yards last season – both figures the worst in school history – and that’s with the team declining to play in the ACC title game and a bowl game due to self-imposed sanctions. And in case you’re counting, the Hurricanes have not won eight games in a season since 2009, have not won a bowl game since 2006 and have never won the ACC championship.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Florida Atlantic is 1-25 all-time against teams from BCS conferences.

2. Miami’s returning offensive linemen have a combined 93 career starts.

3. This is the first ever meeting between the Hurricanes and Owls.

PREDICTION: Miami 52, Florida Atlantic 10