No. 4 Miami had the kind of night that can make a team look complete on the scoreboard and unfinished everywhere else.
The Hurricanes rolled past Clemson 40-13 in a primetime ABC matchup, and they did it with both sides of the ball firing. But the real headline kept circling back to the same place: the injuries are piling up.
Miami went into the game already thin, and the damage only got worse. Malachi Toney was hurt.
The offensive line was banged up. The defense was forced to start safeties at corner, and then lost Marquise Lightfoot in the first half.
Even so, the Hurricanes kept stacking possession after possession, answering Clemson with statement drive after statement drive.
The defensive front set the tone. Lightfoot got to the quarterback before leaving, and then Damon Wilson, Ahmad Moten, and Justin Scott took over from there. That trio helped shut down the Tigers’ ground game, holding Clemson to 29 rushing yards while combining for six sacks and making life miserable for freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds.
Reynolds still had moments. With Miami missing its top four corners, the freshman found openings and put together one of the best games of his young career.
He repeatedly found the right spots to attack the depleted secondary and kept Clemson from fading quietly. But the Hurricanes kept answering, and the biggest plays came when Miami needed them most.
One of those swings came on an Ahmad Moten punch-out on Reynolds, a turnover that Miami turned into points. Later, freshman JJ Dunnigan delivered the knockout with a pick-six that sealed the Tigers’ fate.
On offense, Miami leaned into the run once Darian Mensah settled into a night that was his roughest of the season. He was solid enough, but he missed throws and nearly had two passes picked off in the red zone.
The Hurricanes didn’t need him to be spectacular. They needed balance, yards after the catch, and a run game that could close the door.
That’s exactly what they got. Miami finished with 192 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Mark Fletcher Jr. returned after missing the Central Michigan game and handled 16 carries for 77 yards, scoring two of those touchdowns. The Hurricanes also kept feeding freshman Javion Mallory and used Mensah’s legs to help finish the job.
Mensah ended the night 18-for-26 for 227 yards and two total touchdowns, but the bigger picture was impossible to miss: Miami is winning while juggling injuries all over the roster.
The bye week comes at a good time. Miami will use it to try to get healthier before heading back home to face Florida State.
In Other News...
Miami Looked Like A Title Contender But One Concern Is Growing
Miamis win over Clemson did a lot more than add another quality result to the rsum. The Hurricanes backed it up with a defense that held Clemson to 13 points and just one touchdown, while the offense found enough explosive plays to keep control of the game. Cooper Barkate delivered the kind of breakout performance that can change the feel of a season, highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown catch, and Darian Mensah added scoring through both the air and on the ground.
The problem for Miami was everything that happened around the win. The Hurricanes were dealing with multiple injuries by the end of the game, including to key offensive linemen and cornerbacks, and while some players were able to return after leaving, the list of in-game issues kept growing. For a team that just looked every bit like a title contender, the concern now is less about whether Miami can beat top competition and more about how long it can keep doing it with so many bodies being asked to hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Gave The ACC No Real Case Against No. 1
Miamis win over Clemson did more than add another eye-catching result to the ledger. It gave the Hurricanes a weekend built on both style and substance, the kind of showing that tends to linger in the ACC pecking order. With Miami stacking up as the leagues benchmark in scoring and defense, the argument around the top spot is starting to look less like a debate and more like an acknowledgment of what has already happened on the field.
Around the conference, a few teams flashed enough to keep the race interesting, from Pitt and Duke to SMU and Louisville, while others like Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson continue sorting out where they really fit. But Miamis combination of a statement win and season-long consistency leaves the ACC with a familiar problem: if the No. 1 team keeps handling its biggest tests, there may not be much left to argue about. The next stretch will show whether anyone can make that case anyway. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Strengthened Its Title Case While A New Concern Emerged
No. 4 Miami kept rolling with a 41-13 win over Clemson, a result that pushed the Hurricanes to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in ACC play and added another convincing piece to their title case. Mario Cristobal had plenty to like afterward, especially the way his team handled the games physical toll and the steadiness up front, where the offensive line helped set the tone while Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate and Mark Fletcher Jr. all played key roles in the victory.
The larger concern for Miami came from the injury side of the ledger, because the win was not spotless even if the performance was. Cristobal pointed to the groups resilience after multiple injuries during the game, and as the Hurricanes keep building momentum, the bigger question now is how much of that depth will be tested before the seasons biggest stretch arrives. [Read more 🡒]