Introducing a 12-part series in which we rank NC State’s 2021 strength of schedule from the easiest opponent (No. 12) to the most challenging (No. 1).
Checking in at No. 3 is Miami, the Wolfpack’s seventh opponent this fall.
The Pack is scheduled to face the Hurricanes in Coral Gables on Saturday, Oct. 23 at a time to be announced.
Head Coach: Manny Diaz (3rd season) — 14-10 (.583)
2020 Record: 8-3
2020 Results:
UAB — W, 31-14
at Louisville — W, 47-34
Florida State — W, 52-10
at Clemson — L, 42-17
Pittsburgh — W, 31-19
Virginia — W, 19-14
at NC State — W, 44-41
at Virginia Tech — W, 25-24
at Duke — W, 48-0
North Carolina — L, 62-26
Cheez-It Bowl
Oklahoma State — L, 37-34
Recruiting Rankings
2017 — 11th
2018 — 6th
2019 — 35th
2020 — 13th
2021 — 10th
2020 Season Review
Is Miami back? That is the question that has become the annual tradition for the Hurricanes to face every fall.
After the 2020 season, the answer is... maybe?
Miami finished last season ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press (AP) Poll with an 8-3 overall record, the program's best campaign since 2017.
But there wasn't a lot of meat behind the Hurricanes' record. The U's 44-41 road victory against NC State — which required all four quarters to beat the Wolfpack, which had to start a back-up quarterback after being throttled by archrival UNC two weeks prior — was likely the best win of the season.
Miami's lone win against a ranked opponent was in week two in a 47-34 road victory over then-ranked No. 18 Louisville, but the Cardinals ultimately finished 4-7 last year. The Canes also defeated Virginia Tech on the road by one point.
The Hurricanes, however, went winless against teams that finished the season ranked higher. Miami was simply outclassed in the regular season in lopsided losses to Clemson (42-17) and UNC (62-26).
The U did have a strong showing against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl, particularly considering it lost starting quarterback D'Eriq King for the game with four minutes remaining in the first half, but it ultimately fell short to the Cowboys 37-34.
Did You Know?
•NC State is 5-10-1 all-time against Miami. The Wolfpack lost the last meeting in a 45-42 at home last season.
•Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren is 0-2 against the Hurricanes during his eight seasons in Raleigh. The Pack's last win against The U was in 2008 under former head coach Tom O'Brien.
•Miami head coach Manny Diaz spent six seasons at NC State early in his coaching career. The former Wolfpack assistant was brought on as a graduate assistant in 2000-2001 under former head coach Chuck Amato. Diaz was later promoted to linebackers coach in 2002-2003. He spent his last two seasons in Raleigh as a safeties coach and special teams coordinator from 2004-2005.
2021 Preview
Miami returns nearly all of its production from last fall and could make the case that it will be the most experienced roster in the ACC in 2021.
The Hurricanes rank third among FBS teams in terms of overall returning production this season according to ESPN's Bill Connelly's SP+ metric. The Canes rank No. 1 in returning offensive production and 12th in returning production on defense.
King is the most important returning piece as the team's starting quarterback. He's the consensus pick to be the league's second-best signal caller this season behind North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell.
The former Houston transfer was one of two quarterbacks in the ACC to throw for over 2,500 yards and run for over 500 yards last season. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,686 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for an additional 538 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
Miami needed a Heisman-like performance from King to sneak away with a three-point victory over NC State last year. He had a career performance, throwing for a season-high 430 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for 105 yards on 15 carries.
On top of his season-high passing performance, it was the only game in which the dual-threat quarterback ran for over 100 yards.
Running back Cam'Ron Harris is back after leading the Hurricanes in rushing yards last fall. The 5-10, 210-pounder ran for 643 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns in 11 starts. He was also active in the passing game, catching 18 balls for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Senior wide receiver Mike Harley was Miami's top pass catcher in 2020 and will be back this fall. He reeled in a team-high 57 receptions for 799 yards and seven touchdowns. Against NC State, he caught a game-high eight receptions for 153 yards and two scores.
The Hurricanes will have the most turnover on the defensive line, where it lost three players in the 2021 NFL Draft, two of which were picked in the first round.
But The U will return its top tackler from last season, redshirt junior safety Bubba Bolden. Bolden had 74 tackles in 2020, including 6.5 for loss, four forced fumbles, three pass breakups, one interception and one sack.
Why No. 4 In The Countdown?
NC State has three opponents on its schedule that are clearly in the highest tier of difficulty, each of which are consensus preseason top 25 teams: Miami, North Carolina and Clemson. More on the other two later this week.
For now, Miami is the lowest-ranked of that trio, even though it returns the most production of all three this fall. That alone puts Miami in the preseason top 25, but it comes with an asterisk that the Canes' record may not have been as strong as it appeared last season.
Miami's best win in 2020 was likely the three-point road victory over unranked NC State, and even that required a career performance from King in a shootout against last year's Wolfpack back-up quarterback Bailey Hockman.
The Hurricanes are the one team of the three toughest opponents on the Pack's schedule that NC State will have to face on the road, which should be noted. But the Wolfpack arguably should have won last year's meeting, and it will be seeking revenge when it heads down to Coral Gables in November.
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