Former NFL players fight to play in college again
UNLV head football coach Dan Mullen discusses the transfer portal and NIL rules impacting college sports. Mullen weighs in on the destabilizing effects of recent court rulings on the NCAA and previews the UNLV Rebels’ highly anticipated season opener against Memphis.
Can you believe we are already here? Friday of Week 1 of College Football. Do you even know what is on the horizon for us? Tonight, there are a handful of games, after we had a decent slate yesterday. Tomorrow, a full day of the gridiron commences. Then, the NFL comes next week, and we are on the verge of having football every week until basically February. I. Can’t. Wait.
The Miami Hurricanes come into this game as the seventh-ranked team in the nation and are coming off of their best season in years. They came this close to upsetting Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship, before losing 27-21. The team did have some questionable losses, which have been their downfall over the past few seasons. They lost to Louisville at home in a game that was very bad for Carson Beck. They also lost on the road to SMU. However, they were outstanding in the playoffs.
Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. (Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)
This year will face some challenges, of course. They no longer have Beck under center, so that’s going to be an adjustment at the very least. The team has Darian Mensah coming from Duke, where he threw 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions with almost 4,000 passing yards. That’s impressive work. He seems to be mostly a pocket passer and doesn’t rely on his legs to extend plays, so the offensive line will need to give him time, especially early as he builds rapport with his team.
Stanford already has a game under its belt and has a bit of an advantage over the Hurricanes because the Cardinal is used to game speed. That doesn’t always mean anything, but it is at least worth noting and considering. The Cardinal beat the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors last week, but that game was significantly closer than you would’ve expected given the final score. Stanford won 37-27, but this was after blowing a 16-point lead. They were down four with about 3:12 before scoring a touchdown and returning a fumble for another score.
Stanford Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren gestures during the fourth quarter against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Overall, the team looked pretty good outside half of the fourth quarter. New quarterback Davis Warren was 22-for-34 with 310 yards and one touchdown. I think what I liked most about his game is that there were nine different receivers hauling in passes. Micah Ford, their running back, racked up 100 yards on 25 carries, which isn’t overly efficient, but still pretty solid. His three touchdowns were a positive look.
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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In tonight’s game, Stanford will certainly face a tougher defense than what they saw against Hawaii. Going across the country is never easy for a team, and the Hurricanes will not be an exception here, but talent should win out. However, asking the Hurricanes, who have a very different roster than last year, to win this game by 25+ points is a fairly tall task. There are only eight returning starters for the Hurricanes. I expect this to be a bit slower of a start, plus having a game under their belt should give Stanford a bit of help. I’ll take the points.
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