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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
As Hurricanes prepare for 2025 season, look for offensive line to ‘set the tone'
Francis Mauigoa understands what's expected of him and the rest of the Miami Hurricanes' offensive line. They're the veterans of this team. They're the most established unit on a team that is looking to take yet another step forward this season. 'The O-line, we like to set the tone for the whole team,' Mauigoa said last week at the Atlantic Coast Conference's Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. 'We like to set the standard. [Offensive line] coach [Alex] Mirabal always pounds on us every day to set the standard for the team, and we're the type of guys that go out there and try to dominate everybody.' That's the standard that has to be set if Miami wants to build on its 10-win season in 2024, the first time UM has won double-digit games since 2017. Coach Mario Cristobal always harps that the game begins in the trenches, and the Hurricanes have done their part through recruiting and development to make sure that their offensive line is among the best in the country. That should be the case this season. In addition to Mauigoa at right tackle, the Hurricanes return three other starters from last season in left tackle Markel Bell (who filled in early when Jalen Rivers was hurt and continued getting playing time when Rivers returned), left guard Matt McCoy and right guard Anez Cooper. Miami also added veteran center James Brockermeyer through the transfer portal. Combined, the Hurricanes' projected starting offensive line has a combined 85 starts. 'Any time you have an offensive line that can perform at a high level, you're going to have a chance to win a lot of games,' Cristobal said, 'and we feel like we are going to be able to field an offensive line that could play eight to 10 guys, and maybe even more, of winning football. We're going to find out during camp. We cross train everybody so everybody's getting reps on the other side as well. We have multiple guys taking reps at center, but we're big and we're physical. Our strength room numbers have been off the charts. It's a hungry, driven group and they know that we are led by the trenches.' And inside that group, Mauigoa is expected to lead the charge individually. The right tackle has been named a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Athlon (first team), Lindy's Sports (second team) and Phil Steele (third team). According to Pro Football Focus, Mauigoa was the only tackle at the Football Bowl Subdivision level last season with two or fewer knockdowns allowed on 500-plus pass-blocking snaps. He made all-around strides in his game, allowing just one sack last year compared to five as a freshman and allowing fewer quarterback pressures (19 in 2024 compared to 23 in 2023). Mauigoa also committed just five penalties in 2024 compared to nine his freshman season. 'We strive to get better every year,' Mauigoa said. 'Every offseason, we work to get better at something. We practice hard every time that we get a chance to. We're just trying to be the best that we can be. The stats don't even matter to us. It's being able to be out there and being able to be the best you can be, not only as a player but as a character as well.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Popular analytics model projects Colorado football win total for 2025 season
In just a few days, we will be into August, which means the 2025 season is right around the corner. As we prepare for the 2025 season, power ratings and projection models take center stage. We have gone in-depth with ESPN's SP+ and FPI, but there are also other projection models worth mentioning. One of those is analytics guru Parker Fleming (@statsowar on X), who recently released his model's projected win totals for every Football Bowl Subdivision team. Colorado's projected win total, according to the model, is 6.1, which aligns with most predictions, as well as our own. The Buffaloes' win mark sits at No. 11 in the Big 12 behind Arizona State (8.5), Kansas State (8.3), Utah (7.7), Baylor (7.5), Iowa State (7.4), Kansas (6.9), BYU (6.9), Cincinnati (6.6), Houston (6.6) and TCU (6.3). Colorado faces seven of those teams listed above, showing the difficulty of their 2025 schedule. ESPN's FPI projected the Buffs to win 6.5, aligning closely with Fleming's model. Our Buffaloes Wire record prediction had Colorado going 6-6, with wins over Georgia Tech, Delaware, Houston, Wyoming, Iowa State and Arizona, and losses to BYU, TCU, Utah, West Virginia, Arizona State, and Kansas State. Colorado appears to have six solid win opportunities on their schedule, making bowl eligibility seem like the floor for 2025. However, the abundance of top-flight opponents makes winning 7-9 games a challenging task. Deion Sanders and the Buffs begin their 2025 season at home against Georgia Tech on August 29. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Popular analytics guru projects Wisconsin football win total for 2025 season
The calendar is just days away from reading 'August,' which means it's time for final preparation before the 2025 college football season. One notable milestone in that preparation is Big Ten media days, which are currently taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and player representatives quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., cornerback Ricardo Hallman and center Jake Renfro all spoke on Wednesday. Here is further coverage of their comments. Another important stage of the season countdown is updates to various power ratings and projection models. One leader in that regard is Parker Fleming (@statsowar on X), who released his model's projected win totals for every Football Bowl Subdivision team on Monday. Wisconsin's projected win total: 5.2. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's Big Ten schedule includes games against Ohio State (10.1 projected wins), Oregon (10), Indiana (8.6), Michigan (8.4), Illinois (7.6), Washington (7.3), Iowa (7.2) and Minnesota (6.2). Of course, each team's schedule heavily weighs into their projected final record. But in Fleming's model, eight of Wisconsin's nine Big Ten opponents are projected bowl teams, with three potentially representing the conference in the College Football Playoff. Wisconsin's projection of 5.2 wins falls in line with the consensus. ESPN's Football Power Index projects 5.6 wins for the Badgers, while most sportsbooks hold their line at 5 1/2. We at Badgers Wire are a bit more optimistic -- we picked a 6-6 record for Luke Fickell's team with wins over Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee, Maryland, Iowa, Washington and Indiana, and losses to Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois and Minnesota. College football's current structure creates a significant discrepancy between five and six wins. If Fleming's projection comes true, Wisconsin would miss a bowl game for the second straight season and risk falling even further in the Big Ten pecking order. 6-6 finish to the regular season, meanwhile, would represent a step in the right direction and build tangible momentum entering 2026. The Badgers begin their quest for a return trip to the postseason with a Week 1 matchup against Miami (OH). Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
NBC Sports
15-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Report: Sun Belt approves move to lure Louisiana Tech from Conference USA
NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference has formally approved a proposal to extend a membership invitation to Louisiana Tech, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Sun Belt has not announced the membership offer, and Louisiana Tech has not announced its decision to accept it and leave Conference USA. The person said it is not clear how soon the Bulldogs will join the Sun Belt, but that it could be as early as the 2026 football season if the university is able to negotiate a departure from Conference USA at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Another person familiar with the situation said Louisiana Tech had notified Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod of its intent to move to the Sun Belt. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because MacLeod had not yet commented publicly on the matter. The Sun Belt has been exploring the possibility of adding a team since Texas State announced in late June that it would be leaving for the Pac-12. The addition of Louisiana Tech would restore Sun Belt football to a 14-team league and also place Tech in same league as several current, former or new regional rivals, including Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Southern Mississippi, and South Alabama. 'The @SunBelt conference just got even more interesting!' Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote in a social media post. 'Congratulations, @LATech. Looking forward to some great in state rivalries going forward!' Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech's move would mark the 10th departure from Conference USA since 2022 — a list that includes Southern Mississippi, Texas-San Antonio, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Rice, North Texas, Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Alabama-Birmingham leaving the league. Of those, Southern Miss, Old Dominion and Marshall also moved to the Sun Belt. Louisiana Tech, was part of the Sun Belt as a non-football member from 1991-2001. The Bulldogs were an independent Football Bowl Subdivision program before all of its teams joined the WAC in 2002. Louisiana Tech moved to Conference USA in 2013.
Fox Sports
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Sun Belt approves move to lure Louisiana Tech from Conference USA, AP source says
Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Sun Belt Conference has formally approved a proposal to extend a membership invitation to Louisiana Tech, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday because the Sun Belt has not announced the membership offer, and Louisiana Tech has not announced its decision to accept it and leave Conference USA. The person said it is not clear how soon the Bulldogs will join the Sun Belt, but that it could be as early as the 2026 football season if the university is able to negotiate a departure from Conference USA at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Another person familiar with the situation said Louisiana Tech had notified Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod of its intent to move to the Sun Belt. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because MacLeod had not yet commented publicly on the matter, which was first reported by ESPN. The Sun Belt has been exploring the possibility of adding a team since Texas State announced in late June that it would be leaving for the Pac-12. The addition of Louisiana Tech would restore Sun Belt football to a 14-team league and also place Tech in same league as several current, former or new regional rivals, including Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Southern Mississippi, and South Alabama. 'The @SunBelt conference just got even more interesting!" Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote in a social media post. 'Congratulations, @LATech. Looking forward to some great in state rivalries going forward!' Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech's move would mark the 10th departure from Conference USA since 2022 — a list that includes Southern Mississippi, Texas-San Antonio, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Rice, North Texas, Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Alabama-Birmingham leaving the league. Of those, Southern Miss, Old Dominion and Marshall also moved to the Sun Belt. Louisiana Tech, was part of the Sun Belt as a non-football member from 1991-2001. The Bulldogs were an independent Football Bowl Subdivision program before all of its teams joined the WAC in 2002. Louisiana Tech moved to Conference USA in 2013. ___ AP college football: recommended Item 1 of 3 in this topic
