Live updates: USF Bulls 9, No. 8 Miami Hurricanes 7, first quarter

Can the Miami Hurricanes cap their non-conference schedule with a perfect record?

That will come down to how No. 8 Miami (3-0) does on Saturday night against the USF Bulls (2-1).

Kickoff from Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium is slated for 7 p.m., with the game televised on ESPN.

Follow along throughout the game for score updates, thoughts, commentary and analysis.

An odd interception, a trickery touchdown

Well, that was a series of unfortunate events for the Hurricanes.

First, Jacolby George couldn’t hold onto a third-down pass from Cam Ward, with the ball popping out of his hands and into the arms of USF’s Brent Austin for an interception

Couple that with a UM personal foul on Mark Fletcher and USF got a short field.

Three plays later, USF scored on some trickery, with wide receiver Sean Atkins completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Byrum Brown on a double pass.

Miami then blocked the ensuing PAT but is down 9-7 with 6:52 left in the first quarter.

6:52 left in the first quarter.

UM holds USF to field goal on first defensive drive

USF reached Miami territory on its opening drive but the Hurricanes defense stepped up late to hold the Bulls to a 58-yard field goal by Nico Gramatica.

The Hurricanes are still up 7-3 with 8:28 left in the first quarter.

Hurricanes open scoring

Miami, aided by a pair of big third-down conversions and four USF penalties, marched 75 yards down the field on its opening drive, with running back Damien Martinez capping it with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

Martinez also had a 14-yard catch-and-run on a third down midway through the drive.

The Bulls were called for offsides, defensive holding, unnecessary roughness and pass interference on the drive — the final penalty of which put Miami at the 2-yard line before Martinez ran in for his second touchdown of the season.

Miami leads 7-0 with 11:30 left in the first quarter.

Injury updates

Based on pregame warmups, right guard Anez Cooper will play on Saturday against USF, while left tackle Jalen Rivers and defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. will not for a third consecutive week.

Read the full story here.

Season recap

▪ Miami 41, Florida 17: Cam Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Fletcher added two scores on the ground, the defense held its own despite one of its top players exiting the game early with injury, and the No. 19 Hurricanes made quick work of the Florida Gators with a season-opening win at Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to kick off a critical Year 3 under Mario Cristobal.

▪ Miami 56, Florida A&M 9: That one went as expected. Cam Ward threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth before turning the game over to the second-string offense midway through the third quarter. The defense held the Rattlers to just three field goals.

▪ Miami 62, Ball State 0: The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes had to wait through nearly two-and-a-half hours of lightning delays before kicking off their home game against Ball State on Saturday.

Once the game finally began, they wasted little time asserting their dominance, as was expected in this non-conference matchup.

The final score from a soggy Hard Rock Stadium: Hurricanes 62, Ball State 0.

It’s the most points Miami has scored in a shutout of a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in program history.

▪ Miami at South Florida (tonight)

▪ Miami vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.)

▪ Miami at California (Oct. 5, time TBD)

▪ Miami at Louisville (Oct. 19, time TBD)

▪ Miami vs. Florida State (Oct. 26, time TBD)

▪ Miami vs. Duke (Nov. 2, time TBD)

▪ Miami at Georgia Tech (Nov. 9, time TBD)

▪ Miami vs. Wake Forest (Nov. 23, time TBD)

▪ Miami at Syracuse (Nov. 30, time TBD)

Pregame Hurricanes reading

Need to catch up before kickoff? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past few days.

▪ No. 8 Hurricanes just ‘want to get better’ as strong start continues. Next up: The USF Bulls

▪ Miami Hurricanes tight ends, a ‘dynamic group,’ putting up results early

▪ Four USF Bulls with Miami ties ahead of this week’s matchup with the Hurricanes

▪ Evaluator feedback on Cam Ward and where he has taken another leap

▪ Hurricanes embracing challenge of facing USF’s ‘true dual-threat quarterback’ Byrum Brown

▪ Cam Ward’s drive for Miami Hurricanes success extends beyond what he does on the field

▪ Hurricanes’ offensive line has held up amid injuries — and appears to be getting healthy