No. 7 Miami didn’t just beat Florida A&M on Saturday - it put on an offensive show that will live in the program record book.
The Hurricanes rolled to a 77-7 win in Miami Gardens, finishing with 11 touchdowns to tie a program scoring record and piling up 856 total yards, the most in school history. Nine different Miami players crossed the goal line in a game that was essentially over before the first quarter ended.
Mark Fletcher Jr. set the tone immediately. The senior running back needed just six carries to stack up 93 yards and two touchdowns before the opening quarter was halfway over, then finished with 105 yards on seven attempts. Those scores pushed him up the Hurricanes’ all-time lists, moving him to fifth in rushing touchdowns and sixth in rushing yards.
Miami spread the wealth early and often. In the first half alone, six different Canes scored: Fletcher opened the barrage, Josh Moore hauled in a 55-yard touchdown on Darian Mensah’s first pass attempt, Fletcher found the end zone again, Malachi Toney won a matchup with a FAMU defender twice for Miami’s fourth score, Girard Pringle Jr. added another, Cooper Barkate finished in the back of the end zone, and freshman Javion Mallory notched the first touchdown of his career.
The second half turned into a showcase for the next wave of Miami talent. Mallory had already flashed before halftime, and once the Canes had seen enough from Fletcher, CharMar Brown, and Pringle, the freshman took over. He ended up with 10 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Backup quarterback Luke Nicke also made the most of his snaps. He connected on the first deep touchdown of his Miami career and wound up throwing three touchdown passes while going a perfect 8-for-8 for 188 yards. Dereon Coleman added 30 passing yards and 25 rushing yards.
Miami’s defense matched the offense’s pace by suffocating Florida A&M from start to finish. The Rattlers were held to 105 total yards, went just 1-for-14 on third down, and never crossed midfield. Florida A&M’s only points came on a strip-and-fumble return in the shortened 10-minute fourth quarter.
After the rout, Miami gets the weekend off before turning to another conference test. The Hurricanes are set to face Wake Forest on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Miami Secondary Suddenly Faces A Bigger Xavier Lucas Concern
Miamis secondary had already been leaning on youth, and the home opener only sharpened that reality. Xavier Lucas, who started in Week 1, did not play against Florida A&M, and the program offered no injury details for the absence. With the Hurricanes dealing with multiple injuries and absences in the back end, underclassmen like Bryce Fitzgerald and freshman JJ Dunnigan have been pushed into bigger roles sooner than planned.
Mario Cristobal has pointed to the groups versatility as a way to absorb those hits, but the situation also underscores how quickly depth can be tested in the secondary. Miami has spent plenty of time talking about recruiting and development as the foundation for surviving stretches like this, and Lucas status adds another layer of concern for a defense already asking younger players to hold more responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Still Havent Forgotten The One Florida A&M Shocker
Before Florida A&M and Miami met again in the late 2000s, the series had already built up a long memory for Hurricanes fans, and most of it was not especially kind to the underdog. The two programs first tangled in 1979 and then again over the years in matchups that usually followed the same familiar script: Miami controlling the game, leaning on its talent and depth, and coming away with another win. By the time the teams played through the 2009 meeting, the Hurricanes had turned the series into one of those old nonconference histories that can be retold almost by habit.
Still, the reason this one lingers is that not every chapter fit the pattern, and Miami followers have never entirely let go of the one result that broke through the routine. Even with the Hurricanes holding the clear edge across the series, the trip through those games from 1979 to 2009 shows why certain opponents stick in the memory longer than the record alone would suggest. For Miami, the larger story is dominance, but for fans, it is the shock that kept one Florida A&M afternoon from blending into the rest. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Secondary Injuries Just Forced A Defensive Shuffle Fans Need To Watch
Miami was forced to improvise in the secondary against Florida A&M, and the adjustment offered a clear look at how thin the Hurricanes have become at cornerback. Bryce Fitzgerald slid over from safety to cornerback, while true freshman JJ Dunnigan was pressed into a starting role at safety, a reminder that this defense is already having to lean on flexibility early in the season.
The injury list at cornerback is what created the shuffle in the first place, with OJ Frederique, Xavier Lucas and Ja'Boree Antoine all sidelined. Some of those players are expected back later in the season, but for now Miami has to keep finding workable combinations on the back end, and the way it handles that stretch will be worth monitoring once the schedule gets heavier. [Read more 🡒]