Junior Donovan Varner, perhaps more than anyone else, will know what to expect from Miami Saturday.
It's true that wide receiver is a Miami native and played against Hurricanes like cornerback Brandon Harris in high school. Additionally, Varner also holds an academic edge over Miami—he has been studying them all year.
While taking a sports history class, Varner said Tuesday that he chose to write about the glory days of "The U," teams known for their winning ways and at-times outlandish celebrations.
He said he's learned much about the school that he loved as a kid—including their sizable contributions to the college football rulebook.
"90 percent of the rulebook is written because of them," he said with a laugh.
Varner said that Miami brought an increase of "swagger" to football, changing it forever. And, of course, they made the game even more physical.
"You're looking for a lot more crack back blocks and hits and things like that," Varner said. "When you get tackled, they're going to push down on you a little bit and push off you to help themselves up.
"And there's a lot of trash talking... But I'm used to it and looking forward to it."
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