No. 7 Miami wasted no time turning Thursday night into a record book session, piling up a school-best 856 yards and matching the program mark for points in a game during a 77-7 rout of Florida A&M.
The Hurricanes reached the end zone so often that the game itself got trimmed. With Miami already up 77-0, the teams agreed to cut the fourth quarter from 15 minutes to 10. Even with the shortened finish, the Hurricanes still set another school standard with 42 first downs.
Darian Mensah and Luke Nickel each threw three touchdown passes as Miami improved to 2-0. Mensah was sharp from the start, going 14 of 15 for 252 yards and three first-half scores. Through two games as a Hurricane, he has gone 41 of 45 for 653 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Pretty ridiculous," Mensah said when asked about a Miami offense that has scored 122 points in the season's first two games. “It's just a testament to the guys up front.”
Miami’s scoring barrage came in waves. The Hurricanes found the end zone on 11 of their first 12 possessions, with the lone exception being a one-play drive to kneel out the clock at the end of the first half. They also spread the ball everywhere, with 16 players catching at least one pass - the first time an FBS team has done that since Penn State had 17 against Ohio in 2022.
Javian Mallory and Mark Fletcher Jr. each ran for two touchdowns, while Malachi Toney was one of six Miami receivers to haul in a touchdown pass. Toney finished with four catches for 96 yards.
Florida A&M, now 1-2, managed its only touchdown on a 72-yard fumble return by Caleb McKenzie with 6:40 left. The Rattlers finished with 107 yards and averaged just 2.3 yards per snap.
“We're just working on doing our job,” Miami defensive lineman Armando Blount said.
Coach Mario Cristobal said he liked what he saw from his team after Miami opened the season with a 45-6 win at Stanford. The victory was Cristobal’s 99th career win.
“We did a lot,” Cristobal said. “Certainly, just wanted to see our guys play fast and free and improve.
That was the most important thing; (going) 1-0 is always the goal, but in college football every single week you better get better. In some respects, I think we did that tonight.”
The matchup also carried a financial note for Florida A&M, which received $760,000 for the game, including $40,000 to bring its famed “Marching 100” band to Hard Rock Stadium. The band, which has performed there many times - including during Prince's Super Bowl halftime show in 2007 - played throughout the night and at halftime.
Mensah and Nickel also joined a notable bit of company. They became the first power-conference teammates to throw three touchdown passes apiece in the same game since Patrick Mahomes and Nic Shimonek did it for Texas Tech against Kansas in 2016.
Miami has now won 20 straight home openers.
In Other News...
Miami Just Landed A Real Shot In A Five-Star Recruiting Fight
Five-star forward CJ Rosser has lined up a full round of official visits, and Miami is firmly in the middle of a crowded recruiting race that will stretch from early September into late October. The Hurricanes are one of seven schools the highly regarded prospect plans to see, along with North Carolina, NC State, Arkansas, Kentucky, USC and Louisville, giving Miami a real chance to make its pitch in person as the process starts to take shape.
Rossers itinerary begins at North Carolina from September 11-13, then moves through the rest of the group over the following weeks, so the Hurricanes will have to make the most of their window whenever their turn comes. With his background in high-level high school and international play, he already has the kind of profile that makes every visit matter, and Miamis shot here feels legitimate because this fight is still in the stage where presentation, fit and feel can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Just Got An Intriguing Early Look At Freshman WR
Saturdays lopsided win over Florida A&M gave Miami fans a brief but enticing glimpse of what Somourian Wingo might eventually bring to the offense. The true freshman wide receiver made the most of his chances, finishing with two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the 77-7 rout, a debut that offered just enough to hint at why he arrived on campus with so much buzz.
Mario Cristobal came away impressed and said the staff plans to expand Wingos role, which is the part that will matter most as Miami keeps sorting out its receiver rotation. Wingo was a highly ranked recruit who drew interest from several major programs before choosing the Hurricanes, and early signs like this only sharpen the curiosity about how quickly he can become a real factor. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Big Offseason Gamble Already Looks Very Different
Darian Mensahs move to Miami was always going to be one of the more watched offseason swings in the sport, and the first two weeks have only sharpened the attention around it. After transferring to the Hurricanes for the 2026 season amid a legal dispute with Duke over NIL agreements, Mensah has stepped in and looked every bit like the quarterback Miami hoped it was getting, completing 41 of 45 passes for 653 yards and eight touchdowns.
The backdrop to all of it is what made the deal so unusual in the first place. Mensahs transfer came with reported high NIL valuations and a settlement that cleared the way for him to play at Miami, turning a roster move into a national talking point long before he took a snap. For the Hurricanes, the on-field returns have arrived quickly, but the bigger story remains the business side that made this gamble possible. [Read more 🡒]