The scoreboard in Miami’s 77-7 win over Florida A&M said plenty on its own, but the box score told the louder story. The Hurricanes didn’t just win big. They rewrote their own record book, racking up 856 yards and 41 first downs while scoring on every possession until the third and fourth teams finally took over.
That kind of night usually means a lot of players walk away with something to show for it, and Miami had no shortage of them. It also opened the door for a few storylines that mattered well beyond the final margin, including a reshuffling at cornerback before kickoff and some movement in the backfield as the Hurricanes kept feeding fresh legs.
The biggest headline belonged to the offense, which was relentless from the start. Miami put up 77 points, 430 rushing yards and 426 passing yards, all of it adding up to new single-game program marks.
The first unit was perfect on the night, finishing 7-for-7 on touchdown drives. Mario Cristobal and Shannon Dawson will have plenty to coach up, because that’s how they’re wired, but there wasn’t much to nitpick in a performance this complete.
Darian Mensah was sharp in the role everyone expected him to own, completing 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns in almost a half of work. The bigger spotlight, though, landed on Nickel after a shakier Week 1 against Stanford.
This time, he answered in a major way: 8-for-8, 144 yards, three touchdowns, no incompletions. His best throw was a gorgeous 47-yard touchdown to Somourian Wingo, the kind of ball that stands out even in a blowout.
Javian Mallory also made the most of his chance. With Jordan Lyle unavailable as he continues to deal with the fallout from his off-field legal issues, Mallory got more work and turned it into 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. That kind of production is going to force attention going forward, and it would be a surprise if his role doesn’t grow after this.
Miami also spread the ball and the carries around almost everywhere. Seven different running backs got touches, and 16 different receivers caught at least one pass.
For the younger players who are expected to matter later, it was a valuable night to stack reps. For the veterans who don’t often get many chances, it was a clean opportunity to contribute.
Not everyone left feeling better about where they stand. Girard Pringle’s early-season start has been slow, and it stayed that way here.
He finished with 17 yards on four carries before leaving with an ankle injury, though it didn’t appear to be serious. That followed a Week 1 line of six carries for nine yards against Stanford.
Pringle was supposed to take advantage of Lyle’s absence, but he hasn’t done that yet, and Mallory may be moving ahead of him. He did, however, finish with an excellent move to score a touchdown.
The other loss came late and was mostly a footnote, but it broke up what had been a penalty-free night. Freshman offensive lineman Canon Pickett was flagged for a false start with 3:35 left, right after Mike Corey had pointed out that Miami had not been penalized. The Hurricanes then picked up another penalty on the drive, a holding call on their final offensive play.
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 🡒]