Welcome to the first weekend of Hurricanes football! While the biggest goal on the minds of the football players will be handling their business on the field, the biggest goal of the student body will be the game and... tailgating. Even though upperclassmen and the frats are prepared for the tailgate, the freshman will be waiting for their first memorable tailgate experience.

While history repeating itself is not always a good thing, in this case, it’s exactly what we’re looking for. The past three games between the Hurricanes and Wildcats have been decided by an average of 35 points.

2011: Bethune-Cookman got on the board first, and Miami didn’t score until the second quarter. However, once we got on the board, the offense started rolling. A long touchdown pass started it off, and (Current Houston Texans) running back Lamar Miller kept the momentum going rolling with two touchdowns and 100 yards rushing. After the Hurricanes scored 21 unanswered points, the Wildcats scored a touchdown to make the score 21-14. However, that was the closest they would get. A forced fumble by the Wildcats deep in their own territory took the life out of them and gave more life to the Hurricane crowd. From that point on, it was smooth sailing, as we went on a 24-0 run to win the game by a score of 45-14.

2012: The Wildcats came back for more the next year. Once again, Bethune-Cookman jumped out to a 7-0 lead. But, after that, (Current Cleveland Browns) running back Duke Johnson took over. He got started with an exhilarating 95-yard kick return touchdown that made the crowd’s decibels soar. Duke Johnson later added to his stat line with two more rushing touchdowns. The game was not as close the previous year’s, as Miami held the Wildcats to a field goal after their first score, and won the game by a score of 38-10.

2015: The most recent encounter between these two teams was the Hurricane’s most impressive. Miami never allowed the Wildcats to get close thanks to two current NFL rookies. Even though (Current Carolina Panthers) cornerback Corn Elder's electric punt return touchdown was called back, the crowd was still sparked. (Current Detroit Lions) Quarterback Brad Kaaya threw for two touchdowns and took the life out of the Wildcats early. The Hurricanes won 45-0.

And now, here we are in 2017. Hopefully, this upcoming encounter will resemble the past three, and Miami will win in convincing fashion. Maybe we’ll even get to see another punt return touchdown! So, everybody come tailgate and get ready for an entertaining introduction to our new Hurricanes football team. Let's start this season off the right way and make SunLife roar!