USC QB Miller Moss enters transfer portal after losing starting job to Jayden Maiava

The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Nat'l Assembly votes to downgrade AI-generated 'textbooks' to 'educational materials'Reminder to Join Olin Corporation's Investor Day on December 12, 2024Invesco QQQ ( NASDAQ:QQQ – Get Free Report ) dropped 1.7% on Friday . The company traded as low as $518.04 and last traded at $520.37. Approximately 10,405,127 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 37,058,051 shares. The stock had previously closed at $529.60. Invesco QQQ Stock Down 1.3 % The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $510.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $488.64. Invesco QQQ Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.8347 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 23rd. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco QQQ About Invesco QQQ ( Get Free Report ) PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 is a unit investment trust that issues securities called Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock. The Trust’s investment objective is to provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index. The Trust provides investors with the opportunity to purchase units of beneficial interest in the Trust representing proportionate undivided interests in the portfolio of securities held by the Trust, which consists of substantially all of the securities, in substantially the same weighting, as the component securities of the Nasdaq-100 Index. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Invesco QQQ Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco QQQ and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .