After a tug-of-war in the first half, No. 8 Miami (4-0) pulled away in the second half and notched a 50-15 win over upstart USF (2-2), which has proven its mettle in closely fought games against both UM and Alabama. The Hurricanes are 6-1 all-time against the Bulls.

Fueled by three total rushing touchdowns by Damien Martinez, including two in the second half, and another stellar performance from quarterback Cam Ward, No. 8 Miami pulled away from USF and left Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium with a 50-15 road win.

After years of false starts and false hope ended in Miami mediocrity, it’s time to take the No. 8 Hurricanes seriously. Their 50-15 win over USF at Raymond James Stadium looked like validation that these ’Canes are the ACC favorites and contenders for the College Football Playoff — not merely to make the 12-team field but to have a shot at making a run.

USF faces the Miami Hurricanes at home and has a chance to pull off a season-defining upset. Why it matters: USF has only three wins against top-10 teams in its football program's history. Adding a fourth against No.