Golden's third season at Miami saw more improvement from the previous two. The Hurricanes got off to a 7–0 start, including a win over rival Florida, and were ranked as high as #7 in the AP Poll. Their first loss came to eventual National Champion Florida State, which started a 3-game losing streak for Miami. The Hurricanes ended the regular season at 9-3 (5-3 ACC), good for 2nd place in the Coastal Division. Golden's team was invited to the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, which the Canes lost 36–9 at the hands of future ACC foe Louisville.