Malachi Toney’s breakout against Stanford did more than give Miami a big win. It knocked a long-standing Hurricanes mark out of the books, and with it, pushed former Bengals receiver Eddie Brown one step further into school history.
Toney piled up 234 receiving yards in the win, setting Miami’s standard for receiving yards in a game. Brown had owned the record for more than 40 years after going for 220 yards against Boston College.
Brown’s name still carries serious weight in Cincinnati, where he spent seven seasons after the Bengals made him the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year right away and later played a major role in the team’s run to Super Bowl 23 in 1989 with Boomer Esiason at quarterback. That season, Brown finished with 53 catches, 1,273 yards, nine touchdowns, and 24 yards per reception.
For context, Alec Pierce led the NFL in 2024 and 2025 with 22.3 and 21.3 yards per reception, respectively.
Brown’s Bengals résumé still stacks up among the best in franchise history. He ranks seventh all-time in receiving yards, touchdowns, yards per game, and single-game receiving yards, and he sits second in yards per target among receivers with at least 100 catches. Over his entire seven-year career in Cincinnati, he posted 363 receptions, 6,134 yards, and 41 touchdowns.
He did try to return in 1993 after a neck injury in training camp cost him the 1992 season, but he never played again.
Long before he became a Bengals standout, Brown was already a Miami star. In 1983, he helped the Hurricanes beat Nebraska for a National Championship in one of the biggest upsets in a national title game. That year, he averaged 21.3 yards per reception.
Brown also set Miami’s receiving-yards record against Boston College in 1984, though that game is remembered for another reason. It is what the kids call "Hail Flutie."
His final season at Miami in 1984 was a productive one as well, with 59 receptions, 1,14 yards, and nine touchdowns. He averaged 92.8 yards per game that season.
Toney has been drawing attention for years, and the buzz only got louder once he became a high school legend in Miami. The freshman wasted no time backing up that reputation, finishing with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and ten touchdowns.
His 109 receptions led college football last season. He also added 23 rushing attempts for 113 yards and one rushing TD.
Before Toney’s college career is over, there’s a sense he could keep rewriting the Miami record book. And now, with Brown’s mark finally gone, he’s already taken one more step into Hurricanes lore.
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