(WSVN) - In another eventful week of football across Florida, the Miami Dolphins are floundering after starting 0-3 and losing their best offensive tool while the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes and No. 8 Florida Gators look to keep rolling in their upcoming ABC Miami matchups.
Many across the Dolphins organization recognized that this season was going to be a painful rebuilding year. Running back De’Von Achane suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in their 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday that dropped them to 0-3 has made it much worse.
It happened as Achane attempted to make a cut between two Chiefs defenders during an 11-yard run on their opening drive.
The star was able to walk off the field of his own accord but that did little good in softening the blow that followed.
An ESPN report later said Achane is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
“My heart breaks for the guy, you know, you talk about him as a great player. Growth from him as a person, I think all his teammates felt it and I felt it. I’m not only gonna miss him being around all the time on the field, I’m gonna miss him being around,” said Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley.
On top of being one of the Dolphins’ most electrifying offensive weapons, he was planned to be a major part of the organization’s rebuilding efforts.
He was fresh off a year where he established himself as one of the NFL’s most dangerous running backs.
His absence makes the Fins’ search for their first win of the season significantly harder. Through three weeks, the team has failed to score more than 13 points in any of their competitions.
While the Dolphins woes continue, the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes and No. 8 Florida Gators have seen tremendous success, with both sitting at 4-0 to start their seasons.
The Canes recently climbed to the fourth-ranked team in the nation. But their upcoming trip to Death Valley for a battle with the 3-1 Clemson Tigers in South Carolina presents their toughest challenge yet.
“You do want guys to gain experience ’cause that’s the best thing for a football team, is to develop guys, give them a chance to play and see what they can do under the lights, I think we got that,” said Canes head coach Mario Cristobal.
The Tigers, an Atlantic Coast Conference rival, have managed to rattle off three consecutive wins after a brutal 51-10 blowout loss to the LSU Tigers to start the season. Now they’re hoping to knock the Canes off their perfect pedestal.
The Gators’ early season success can be summarized as weeks of high-scoring affairs.
In their undefeated start, they’ve averaged 53.5 points per contest, including a signature 52-28 win over the former No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels.
That win jettisoned the Gators into becoming the eighth-ranked team in the country, its highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021.
Gators running back Jadan Baugh has played a substantial role in making that happen, rushing for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns through four games.
That electric start has rocketed Baugh’s name into early Heisman Trophy conversations.
“We prepare so much and we prepare hard. Coach [Jon Sumrall] is not gonna let us ride our high horse each and every week. If we slacking off at any point, coach is gonna tell us by ourselves and they want to get us to understand there’s a lot more to go,” said Baugh.
The Gators will travel to Memorial Stadium for an SEC showdown with the No. 25 Missouri Tigers.
You can catch both of those college matchups on ABC Miami Channel 18. Florida at Missouri kicks off at 3:30 p.m. while Miami at Clemson starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The Dolphins will be available on WSVN Channel 7 when they try to notch their first win of the season against the Minnesota Vikings at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
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