Courtesy of Miami Athletics:
After opening the season more than 2,500 miles from home, the Hurricanes made it clear in the days leading up to their home opener: they couldn’t wait to get back to South Florida to play in front of their family, their friends, and their fans.
And once the ball was kicked off on Thursday night, the seventh-ranked Hurricanes wasted little time putting on a show in front for those who made their way to Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami was efficient on offense and scored on all seven of its first-half possessions. The defense, meanwhile, put together another dominant showing and in the end, the Hurricanes notched a 77-7 win over Florida A&M.
The Hurricanes tied a school record with their 77 points, matching their efforts against Savannah State in both 2013 and 2018.
And with the victory, the Hurricanes have now won 20 straight home openers and have won eight straight games against FCS opponents by at least 40 points. That’s the longest such active streak among FBS programs.
Quarterback Darian Mensah – who earned a trio of national honors after Miami’s 45-6 win at Stanford last week, including a Davey O’Brien Great 8 nod – picked up right where he left off against the Cardinal, completing 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards with three touchdowns.
Wide Receiver Malachi Toney, named the AP National Player of the Week after his record-setting performance at Stanford, continued his hot start to the season with a team-high four catches for 96 yards with a touchdown and running back Mark Fletcher had seven carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami outgained Florida A&M 856-107 and held the Rattlers to just 37 yards on the ground, continuing a trend of defensive dominance against the run.
The Hurricanes entered Thursday’s game having held opponents to an average of just 87.9 rushing yards per game at Hard Rock Stadium since the start of the 2023 season and after facing the Rattlers, that number will just continue to drop.
While FAMU may have struggled with its running game, the Hurricanes did not.
It was Fletcher who put Miami on the board first, scoring on a 46-yard run that capped a 3-play, 59-yard scoring drive on the Hurricanes’ first possession.
Fletcher would add another touchdown – a 1-yard run – later in the first quarter to push Miami’s lead to 21-0 after Jake Weinberg’s extra point.
Fellow running backs Girard Pringle Jr. and Javian Mallory also scored in the win, with Mallory – one of several freshmen who logged significant minutes Thursday – notching the first touchdown of his Miami career on 11-yard run in the second quarter. Mallory added another touchdown – on a 52-yard run – in the third quarter.
Mensah and fellow quarterbacks Luke Nickel and Dereon Coleman combined for 426 passing yards and six touchdowns and delivered the ball to 16 different pass catchers.
On the other side of the ball, JJ Dunnigan led the Hurricanes with a team-high five tackles, while Armondo Blount posted four stops. Both Marquise Lightfoot and Herbert Scroggins III collected sacks.
After opening the season more than 2,500 miles from home, the Hurricanes made it clear in the days leading up to their home opener: they couldn’t wait to get back to South Florida to play in front of their family, their friends, and their fans.
And once the ball was kicked off on Thursday night, the seventh-ranked Hurricanes wasted little time putting on a show in front for those who made their way to Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami was efficient on offense and scored on all seven of its first-half possessions. The defense, meanwhile, put together another dominant showing and in the end, the Hurricanes notched a 77-7 win over Florida A&M.
The Hurricanes tied a school record with their 77 points, matching their efforts against Savannah State in both 2013 and 2018.
And with the victory, the Hurricanes have now won 20 straight home openers and have won eight straight games against FCS opponents by at least 40 points. That’s the longest such active streak among FBS programs.
Quarterback Darian Mensah – who earned a trio of national honors after Miami’s 45-6 win at Stanford last week, including a Davey O’Brien Great 8 nod – picked up right where he left off against the Cardinal, completing 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards with three touchdowns.
Wide Receiver Malachi Toney, named the AP National Player of the Week after his record-setting performance at Stanford, continued his hot start to the season with a team-high four catches for 96 yards with a touchdown and running back Mark Fletcher had seven carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami outgained Florida A&M 856-107 and held the Rattlers to just 37 yards on the ground, continuing a trend of defensive dominance against the run.
The Hurricanes entered Thursday’s game having held opponents to an average of just 87.9 rushing yards per game at Hard Rock Stadium since the start of the 2023 season and after facing the Rattlers, that number will just continue to drop.
While FAMU may have struggled with its running game, the Hurricanes did not.
It was Fletcher who put Miami on the board first, scoring on a 46-yard run that capped a 3-play, 59-yard scoring drive on the Hurricanes’ first possession.
Fletcher would add another touchdown – a 1-yard run – later in the first quarter to push Miami’s lead to 21-0 after Jake Weinberg’s extra point.
Fellow running backs Girard Pringle Jr. and Javian Mallory also scored in the win, with Mallory – one of several freshmen who logged significant minutes Thursday – notching the first touchdown of his Miami career on 11-yard run in the second quarter. Mallory added another touchdown – on a 52-yard run – in the third quarter.
Mensah and fellow quarterbacks Luke Nickel and Dereon Coleman combined for 426 passing yards and six touchdowns and delivered the ball to 16 different pass catchers.
On the other side of the ball, JJ Dunnigan led the Hurricanes with a team-high five tackles, while Armondo Blount posted four stops. Both Marquise Lightfoot and Herbert Scroggins III collected sacks.
