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2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 8: Florida State

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2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 8: Florida State


One of the biggest rivalries in the ACC comes ahead once again on Oct 26, 2024. It is close to Halloween which means its spooky hours for one of the programs between the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes.

This rivalry has been going back and forth over the past number of years but recently the Seminoles have been getting the best of the Canes. They have won the previous three matchups between the teams and gone 6-4 in the last ten. This game will be one of the biggest games in the ACC during this season with the expectations that Florida State will still have a similar season as last year.

Going undefeated is a great accomplishment and winning the ACC championship with a third-string quarterback will be remembered for ages, however, a bad taste in the Seminole’s mouth for being snubbed out of the 2023 College Football Playoffs will have the team returning with more hunger than before. While most of their talented defensive and offensive players were drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, Florida State has regrouped and recalibrated. Here is a look at the 2024 Florida State Seminoles.

Last season the Seminoles were the No. 1 scoring offense in the ACC and that was even with the injury to quarterback Jordan Travis. Now he has been drafted, new QB DJ Uiagalelei, the former Clemson star who transferred to Oregon State for a year, will not take the reigns. With the return to the ACC, the quarterback will have some questions about his game and leading this team back to a No. 1 scoring offensive when he has a career completion percentage of 59 percent.

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Other players with most of the production in the offense have also been drafted into the NFL as well. Wide receiver Keon Coleman (No. 33 overall, Buffalo Bills), Trey Benson (No. 66 overall, Arizona Cardinals), and Johnny Wilson (No. 185 overall, Philadelphia Eagles) generated most of the offensive production last season. This season will be one of question marks around who will make up for that production.

Hakeem Williams will have major involvement as a wide receiver now that the production of the Seminoles top guys needs to be replaced. Ja’Khi Douglas averaged over 17 yards per catch last season, and transfer Malik Benson comes in from Alabama to try and kickstart his career with a fresh opportunity.

Even with Benson leaving the team will still have talent at the running back rosters with senior Lawrence Toafili who averaged 6.7 yards a carry and finished with 463 yards on the season.

The offensive line looks to be better on paper with a majority returning to the line and new additions with Richie Leonard (Florida) and TJ Ferguson (Alabama) being brought in from the transfer portal.

The defense for the Seminoles last season was stout with NFL talent. Jared Verse (No. 19 overall, Los Angeles Rams), Braden Fiske (No. 39 overall, Los Angeles Rams), safety Renardo Green (No. 64 overall, San Francisco 49ers), and defensive back Jarrian Jones ( No. 96 overall, Jacksonville Jaguars) each had a massive impact on what was one of the best defense in the country. Even with those losses, the defense will still be one of the best in the country.

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Patrick Payton will be returning after battling alongside Verse on the line. He finished his season with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles. With him is also Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr. lining up next to him.

Last season they had one of the best passing defenses in the country and their top corners are still on the roster for next season. Fentrell Cypress broke up eight passes last season while also making 40 tackles. These stats are outstanding but something that also has to be noted is that teams will try to stay away from him. Even with that, Azareye’h Thomas is on the other side with two more pass deflections in ten.

DJ Lundy will likely be the top linebacker in the room and with the addition of Shawn Murphy transferring in from Alabama, the linebacker room has had a complete turnover. Lundy is the only senior in the room with the rest of the linebackers being redshirt sophomores or younger. It is a young room but with that brings a lot of opportunity.

While there were several turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, there will still be many key pieces that will return to lead the team.

These back-to-back games for the Hurricanes against Lousiville and Florida State will be the most difficult stretch on the team schedule. They will follow this game and head to Durham to face the Duke Blue Devils in the week following. This could be the point in their season where the Canes will have an understanding of what needs to be done to finish out the season strong They could be undefeated or they could have one or three losses at this point,

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The each team, this will be a massive game to see where the ACC standing will line up going forward. These two teams will be battling it out for who will be in the ACC championship game as well as a spot or two in the College Football Playoffs. For each team, a win will be a great on their resume. At this point in the season, each team will know what they will likely be competing for. For Miami, it will be a bowl win and for the Seminoles, it will be a chance to rewrite the wrong that left Florida State out of the playoffs last season.

Date: October 28

Time: TBA

TV: TBA

Location: Hard Rock Stadium

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Series: Miami leads 35-33 against Florida State

Last Matchup: The Seminoles defeated the Hurricane in a close matchup 27-20 on Nov 11, 2024. This was one of the many times freshman Emory Williams started and played a decent game before suffering a season-ending injury. Jacolby Geroge had a monster game catching two touchdowns on 153 yards in the loss.

Miami Hurricanes 2024 Football Schedule

August 31            at Florida

September 7      Florida A&M

September 14    Ball State

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September 21    at USF

September 27    Virginia Tech

October 5            at California

October 12         Bye Week

October 19         at Louisville

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October 26         Florida State

November 2       Duke

November 9       at Georgia Tech

November 16     Bye Week

November 23    Wake Forest

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November 30     at Syracuse



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Miami, FL

Max Verstappen: Red Bull Miami updates have “almost halved” gap to F1 frontrunners

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Max Verstappen: Red Bull Miami updates have “almost halved” gap to F1 frontrunners


Max Verstappen believes that Red Bull’s wealth of upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix have so far “almost halved” the gap to the leaders, but still sees weaknesses in this year’s RB22 to work on.

Red Bull caught the eye with its own interpretation of the “Macarena” rear wing; when the active aero system is turned on for straight mode, the wing rotates around 180 degrees. Although Ferrari was first seen in testing with the device, Red Bull was adamant that it had its own version in development long before it was ever seen in the flesh. 

The team also has new sidepods, increasing their width from side-to-side to incorporate a waterslide-like ramp along the top surface to offer more direction to the airflow passing over the top. 

To satisfy the reprofiled sidepods, the engine cover and the floor have been reworked. Furthermore, the exhaust also appears to have a flap at the exit port to work in a similar way to Ferrari’s exhaust winglet seen earlier this season.

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Giving his first verdict of the updated RB22, Verstappen felt that the car was “more together”; he took it to fifth on the grid for the Miami sprint race, just under 0.6s off Lando Norris’ pole time. By comparison, Verstappen missed the Q3 cut-off in Suzuka, having been 1.2s slower than Kimi Antonelli in Q2.

“It feels more together. Of course, there are still things that we are working on. But it’s been a really positive step for us. Last few races we were over a second behind. I would say we have almost halved that gap now,” Verstappen said.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

“So that’s positive. We’re still very weak in the first sector, which is mainly high speed. So we know that we need to work on that.

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“But, yeah, the rest seemed all a bit more together. So a bit happier with that. At least it seems like we have cleared a little bit the midfield.

“It feels a bit more normal. It’s still not where I want it to be, obviously. But it’s at least allowing me to trust it a bit more. And I can basically take a bit more lap time out of it.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Sky Germany that the car’s new fittings were “in the right direction”, and that both drivers had agreed that the RB22 was now more consistent.

Although many of the updates had been targeted at aero load, Red Bull’s notes in the usual FIA technical document circulated to media stated that increasing flow stability was also key to its developments.


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“It’s been a very intense five-week period. We know we had quite a lot of issues to get to the bottom of and I think that’s what the guys have done,” Mekies said.

“We knew coming here, especially after having run in Silverstone, [that] we had not solved everything. But pretty much we had the confirmation that we are going to the right direction. 

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: James Sutton / Formula 1 / Formula Motorsport Ltd via Getty Images

“It’s a closest gap to pole that we ever had this year. So, you know, don’t get me wrong. The competition is extremely strong. Everybody is progressing. 

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“But also from the drivers comments from Max, for me, that it’s it’s something a bit more consistent, so definitely the direction of travel is better.”

Although Hadjar was also pleased to have a more competitive car, he was nonetheless puzzled by his one-second gap to Verstappen after sprint qualifying and could offer no explanation to the deficit.

“I got through SQ3, which is a start. But then to be a second off, I don’t know why.
I’ve never been more than a tenth off so far this year when it mattered,” Hadjar said. “So, yeah, I don’t know what’s going on.”

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Exclusive | Inside Alix Earle and ex Braxton Berrios’ reunion at star-studded Miami Grand Prix party

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Exclusive | Inside Alix Earle and ex Braxton Berrios’ reunion at star-studded Miami Grand Prix party


Exes Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios attended the same star-studded party ahead of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.

The TikTok star and NFL wide receiver were spotted interacting at the posh Sports Illustrated x Authentic Brands Group fête at The Surf Club Restaurant on Thursday night.

“The vibes were super friendly,” a spy told Page Six, adding, “They spoke briefly, but both of them were just doing their own thing.”

Alix Earle attended Sports Illustrated’s Race Weekend Kickoff at The Surf Club Restaurant on Wednesday, as seen here. Getty Images
Braxton Berrios (seen here in an old photo with Earle) also attended the party, which was sponsored by Authentic Brands Group. Instagram/@alix_earle

We’re told Earle, sporting a red minidress, was seen snapping photos with friends before settling into a corner booth with pals, including Authentic Brands Group CEO Jamie Salter.

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Berrios, for his part, stayed low-key in an all-black ensemble and was overheard telling a friend that he was down to “do a lap.”

At the end of the evening, Earle was seen chatting with fellow influencer Xandra Pohl. The two social media stars were long-rumored to have had a falling out, though our source tells us they were getting along great and even walked out of the party together.

“The vibes were super friendly,” a spy told Page Six of Earle (seen here at the party) and the football player. Getty Images
The duo (seen here in a selfie) confirmed their breakup in December 2025. braxtonberrios/Instagram

Elsewhere at the soirée, Kevin Hart was spotted pouring himself a glass of his own tequila brand, Gran Coramino, while vibing at his VIP table. Behind the velvet ropes and a group of several burly bodyguards, Hart was joined by singer Mario and Draymond Green.

“He was taking photos with fans and being so sweet with everyone,” the source said of the comedian.

Bethenny Frankel was also in tow with her new boyfriend, Shane L. Campbell.

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The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum and the investment banker were seen being affectionate and staying close as they weaved through the bustling private affair.

Shaun White arrived at the event later in the evening and posted up by the bar, schmoozing with influencer Hannah Bronfman.

Serena Williams enjoyed the restaurant’s outdoor patio area as she gabbed with her entourage under a festive balloon display.

Earle was also seen hanging out with fellow influencer Xandra Pohl (seen here at the party). Getty Images
Bethenny Frankel (seen here at the party with Pohl) was also there with her new boyfriend (not pictured here). Getty Images

Earle, 25, and Berrios, 30, who started dating in early 2023, confirmed their breakup in December 2025.

In February, she opened up about how it was difficult running into her ex at the Palm Tree Music Festival, sharing in a TikTok, “I was really emotional the first night.”

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“We were, like, in the same place, but we didn’t say ‘hi’ to each other, just ’cause I didn’t want to, like, go up and annoy him, I don’t know.”

Judging from their most recent interaction, it’s clear they are now in a place where they can be cordial with one another.

Kevin Hart was spotted at his VIP table drinking his tequila brand. Getty Images
The comedian partied with Draymond Green (seen above) and Mario. Getty Images

Following their split, Earle has since sparked dating rumors with Tom Brady, who was notably not at the party.

However, a source tells Page Six that she and the retired quarterback, 48, are just having “fun.”

Berrios, for his part, was spotted with model Hollie Ford at the Bird Streets Club in Los Angeles last month.

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This Miami food truck was just named Florida’s top independent restaurant

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This Miami food truck was just named Florida’s top independent restaurant


Apparently, one of the best restaurants in America is parked next to a post office in the Design District.

Taste of R Cuisine (better known to burger obsessives as TRC Burger) has officially been ranked the highest-rated independent restaurant in Florida and the second-highest-rated indie restaurant in the entire country, according to a new Yelp-based study from business lender OnDeck.

The Miami food truck landed at No. 2 nationally with a perfect 5.0 Yelp rating based on 55 reviews, trailing only Los Angeles sushi spot Sonmari, which edged into the top slot with 60 reviews.

To compile the rankings, OnDeck looked at data from nearly 90,000 independently owned restaurants across the U.S., pulling from Yelp’s highest-reviewed and recommended eateries before narrowing the list down to top-rated local spots. Restaurants with fewer than 50 reviews were excluded and ties were broken by review count. Which is all how a humble Miami food truck wound up beating out thousands of restaurants nationwide.

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Parked at 95 NE 40th Street in the Design District, Taste of R Cuisine has quietly built a cult following since it launched in 2019. The truck specializes in gourmet burgers, chicken sandwiches, steak plates and house-made lemonades, with everything cooked fresh to order using non-GMO produce and handmade buns.

Its self-described philosophy is simple: fresh ingredients, handcrafted food and nothing frozen. According to the business, the burgers use 100% Angus beef alongside house-made pickles and signature sauces. Reviewers are particularly obsessed with the Everything Burger, truffle fries and lemonades. One Yelp user called it “one of the best burgers in Miami,” while another described the truck as delivering “Michelin-star quality food.”

The truck’s setup is refreshingly unfussy for a place now sitting near the top of a national restaurant ranking. There’s no dramatic tasting menu, no months-long reservation list and no stuffy dining room. Just picnic tables, burgers and an insanely high number of five-star reviews—not bad for a place in a parking lot.



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