No. 7 Miami had the fireworks ready for Homecoming, and the biggest burst came from a true freshman.
Javian Mallory ripped through Duke for three touchdowns and 150 scrimmage yards on 13 touches, finishing off Miami’s 36-25 win at Hard Rock Stadium with a 39-yard score on second-and-5 and more than four minutes left. That run put the game out of reach and capped the kind of afternoon that can change a young player’s standing in a hurry.
“I think he’s obviously an extremely talented kid,” Cooper Barkate said after the game. “I think coming into this year he was not expecting the role that he’s serving, and I think he’s making the most of his opportunities.”
Mallory’s final touchdown came after Miami’s defense finally came up with its first interception since Oct. 17.
Duke quarterback Walker Eget tried to work to his right for Brody Keefe, but Miami defensive back Xavier Lucas tracked it cleanly and made the pick. Mario Cristobal pointed to Lucas’ value after the game, especially with Miami dealing with absences in the secondary.
“To see him [Lucas] advance is great,” Cristobal said after the game. “The absence of OJ [Frederique], the absence of Jaboree [Antonie], the absence of [Zechariah] Poyser, he’s invaluable.”
Miami’s offense leaned on Mallory, but Duke’s Nate Sheppard kept the Blue Devils hanging around. The sophomore running back piled up 30 touches for 240 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, accounting for 70% of Duke’s total offense. Barkate, who played with Sheppard at Duke last year, made it clear Miami knew exactly who the danger was.
“He’s a helluva player,” Barkate, who played with Sheppard at Duke last year, said. “I told Coach Hetherman if you stop him you can stop the whole team.”
The game tightened in the fourth quarter before Miami created separation. With the Hurricanes up 22-17 and nine minutes left, former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah hit former Duke wide receiver Barkate for a 28-yard catch-and-run on second-and-14. That set up Mallory’s second touchdown of the day, a three-yard punch in that pushed Miami ahead by two scores with eight minutes remaining.
Mensah and Barkate looked right at home against the school they helped lead to an ACC Championship and Sun Bowl victory last season. Together at Duke, they combined for 72 catches, 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns. On Saturday, they picked up right where they left off.
“I still have a lot of friends on the team,” Barkate said when asked about playing against his former team. “It was good to see them. Definitely a lot better beating them.
Barkate finished with eight catches for 134 yards, and 109 of those yards came after the catch. Mensah was sharp throughout, completing 30 of 41 passes for 382 yards and a touchdown. He also admitted the matchup carried a different feeling.
“If I’m being honest, it definitely did feel different,” Mensah said. “I couldn’t stop smiling for some reason when I first stepped down the field just because I have a lot of love left for the guys on the other side of the ball.”
Miami’s offense didn’t start with much rhythm, much like it did in the 31-24 loss to Notre Dame. The Hurricanes opened with back-to-back punts, then settled in and scored on seven straight possessions to close the game.
The third quarter brought one of the day’s most explosive plays. On second-and-5 from Miami’s 37, Mensah found Mallory behind the line of scrimmage, and the freshman turned it into a 63-yard touchdown after slipping through traffic and shaking off defenders.
“Pre-snap, I told myself don’t get tackled,” Mallory said. “I told myself, if I was able to get that play again, I had to take it home.”
Miami kept rolling even with Malachi Toney out for a second straight game and Mark Fletcher Jr. leaving with an injury midway through the contest. Cristobal leaned on the depth chart, and the Hurricanes answered with 532 total yards and 11 plays of more than 15 yards against a Duke defense that had been allowing 13 points per game.
Fletcher still made his mark before exiting. On second-and-goal from the Duke 4, he powered in for his 36th career rushing touchdown and gave Miami a 10-3 lead.
That score moved him past Stephen McGuire for the most rushing touchdowns in program history. Against North Carolina, Fletcher had already passed McGuire for the most total touchdowns by a Miami player.
The win also put Miami in position to clinch its second-ever trip to the ACC Championship Game as early as Saturday night, if North Carolina beats Louisville. Cristobal wasn’t looking that far ahead.
“I’ll focus on 1-0.”
Miami, now 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the ACC, returns home next Saturday to face Virginia Tech in the second game of its three-game homestand to finish the regular season. Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is to be announced.
In Other News...
Miami Quarterback Plans May Be Changing In A Big Way
Miamis quarterback approach may be entering a different phase after years of leaning on the transfer portal to stabilize the position. Mario Cristobal has indicated the Hurricanes are looking more toward quarterbacks they have recruited and developed themselves, a pivot that fits a broader push to build the offense with long-term continuity rather than year-to-year fixes.
The current depth chart already reflects that direction, with redshirt freshman Luke Nickel and freshman Dereon Coleman in the mix behind the starter. Add in five-star recruit Israel Abrams expected to arrive in the upcoming signing period, and the Hurricanes suddenly have a path that looks less dependent on the transfer market, especially with the elite veteran options there not looking as appealing as they once did. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Win Exposed A Problem Hurricanes Fans Can't Ignore
Miami kept rolling with a 36-25 win over Duke at Hard Rock Stadium, moving to 9-1 overall and staying unbeaten in ACC play. Javian Mallory powered the offense with 71 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Cooper Barkate added 134 receiving yards, and Darian Mensah was sharp through the air, throwing for 382 yards without an interception.
Even with the result in hand, the game exposed an issue Hurricanes fans have seen too often: the defense had trouble creating pressure and never really solved Duke's Nate Sheppard, who piled up 240 yards of total offense. Miami also hurt itself with 10 penalties, the kind of sloppiness that can be brushed aside in November if the wins keep coming, but becomes a much bigger concern once the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Found A Dangerous New Offensive Gear
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What stood out beyond the scoring binge was how complete the performance looked. Miami shot 34-of-70 from the field, piled up 27 assists and forced 10 steals, all while controlling the glass and turning the game into a showcase for pace and ball movement. For a team ranked No. 17, it was the kind of night that suggests this offense may have found a gear that can travel well once the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]