Miami spent Saturday looking every bit like the No. 1 team in the country, then spent Sunday tightening its grip on that spot.
The Hurricanes rolled past Pittsburgh 52-23 to move to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play, and the win showed up exactly where it mattered most in the AP Top 25. Miami picked up 59 of 70 first-place votes, jumped its total to 1,735 points and stayed at No. 1 for the second straight week.
Ohio State moved into No. 2 with 10 first-place votes, while Georgia, Indiana and Notre Dame followed. Utah climbed to No. 6 and collected the final first-place vote.
The top of the poll shifted behind Miami as BYU dropped from No. 2 to No. 8 after its 39-31 double-overtime loss to UCF. The Cougars had been undefeated before that defeat, which came after their win over Notre Dame. With BYU now out of the unbeaten mix, Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only undefeated FBS teams left.
Miami’s win over Pitt was driven by a huge night from Malachi Toney, who turned in one of the sharpest individual performances the program has seen in a while. He caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns, breaking the school record of 13 receptions that he had set against Pitt last season.
Toney also went past 2,000 career receiving yards, reaching 2,163 in his second season. On the year, he has 66 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns, with five games of 100-plus receiving yards already in the books.
Quarterback Mensah was just as efficient. He completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 2,151 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and one interception through seven games.
Mark Fletcher Jr. also kept moving up Miami’s record lists, scoring the 33rd rushing touchdown of his career to move into second place in program history. He needs three more to pass Stephen McGuire for the school record.
After the game, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi was blunt about what his team ran into: "We ran into a buzz saw. That's a good football team. They're the No. 1 team in the country and it's no joke."
Miami’s next challenge comes against North Carolina, which dropped to 4-3 after a 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse.
Two other ACC teams stayed in the rankings. Wake Forest moved up three spots to No. 14, and SMU rose four places to No. 19 after a 59-20 win over California. Virginia Tech also picked up one vote after its 20-16 victory at Clemson.
The weekend also brought a full slate of updates around the program. In NFL Week 7, Al-Quadin Muhammad had a sack and forced a fumble in Tampa Bay’s 43-13 win over Carolina, with his strip-sack of Bryce Young leading to Calijah Kancey’s 32-yard fumble return touchdown.
Keionte Scott added six tackles and a pass defended, while Rueben Bain Jr. had one assisted tackle. Kamren Kinchens posted five tackles and a pass defended in the Rams’ 35-21 win over Las Vegas.
Tyrique Stevenson finished with four tackles and a pass defended in Chicago’s 30-24 win over New England. Cam Ward went 20 of 31 for 181 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in Tennessee’s 27-24 loss to Cleveland.
Andy Borregales made his lone field-goal try from 47 yards and hit all three extra points on Thursday night. Calais Campbell had two tackles in Baltimore’s 35-13 loss to Cincinnati.
There were injury notes, too. The Jets placed linebacker Kiko Mauigoa on injured reserve Saturday after he aggravated a quadriceps injury against New England the week before. Carolina outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips missed Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay with a hamstring injury he aggravated in the Panthers’ Week 6 win over Philadelphia.
Back at home, Miami’s basketball program also made noise. No.
14 Miami beat No. 24 Vanderbilt 109-96 in Friday night’s exhibition as it heads into its second season under HC Jai Lucas.
Acaden Lewis led the way with 23 points, 10 assists and three steals, while freshman Caleb Gaskins added 20 points, including four three-pointers. Shelton Henderson chipped in 17 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Seven Hurricanes finished in double figures, with Dante Allen scoring 11 and Somto Cyril, Robert Miller III and Brent Bland each adding 10.
Miami women’s basketball is also on the move, coming off a 93-41 exhibition win over Lynn University on October 18 ahead of its November 2 opener. Freshman Jess-Mine Zodia posted 23 points and 10 rebounds, Anna Liepina scored 18, and sophomore Soma Okolo added 15.
On the volleyball court, Miami split its weekend with Notre Dame and No. 3 Louisville, beating Notre Dame 3-1 on Friday before falling by the same score to Louisville on Sunday. The Hurricanes are 9-10 overall and 7-3 in ACC play, which puts them fifth in the conference.
Miami soccer stayed above .500 in league play after a 0-0 draw with Boston College on Friday night. The Hurricanes outshot the Eagles 15-5 and held a 14-2 edge in corner kicks, and they now sit at 9-3-3 overall and 3-2-2 in conference play.
The women’s swimming and diving team swept through a busy Dual-A-Pool-Ooza weekend, beating Liberty 119-86 on Friday before topping FIU 134-69 and Vanderbilt 158-42 on Saturday.
Miami women’s golf has wrapped up its fall schedule and won’t compete again until January. The Hurricanes finished seventh at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational on October 18, shooting 25-over-par over three rounds, and Bella Dovhey delivered the team’s standout individual moment with a hole-in-one in the final round.
In Other News...
Ahmmon Richards Just Flagged Miami's Biggest Concern Vs UNC
Former Hurricanes receiver Ahmmon Richards took a close look at what North Carolina has shown on film and pointed to a familiar kind of matchup problem for Miami. In games against Notre Dame and Syracuse, he noted a defense that can get aggressive about leaning on weaker defenders, which makes the details of coverage and positioning matter even more for the Hurricanes as they prepare for the Tar Heels.
Richards also laid out the kind of discipline Miami will need from its secondary, stressing the value of defensive backs staying in phase and attacking the football instead of reacting late. He went even further by mentioning red-zone fixes like the two-invert, along with the need to stay sharp on special teams coverage and against the run, giving a clear picture of where Miami's biggest concern could surface if the game turns into a stress test. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Backfield Crunch Is Putting Pressure On Girard Pringle Jr
Girard Pringle Jr. has spent much of the 2026 season waiting his turn in a Miami backfield that has stayed crowded with options. The sophomore running back has seen limited playing time behind senior Mark Fletcher Jr., freshman Javian Mallory and Jordan Lyle, a trio that has handled most of the workload as the Hurricanes have leaned on depth at the position.
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has made it clear Pringle Jr. has the talent to be part of the rotation, but the challenge is finding enough touches for him to show it. For Miami, it is a good problem to have in one sense, yet it also means a player with real ability is still searching for the kind of opening that can turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
No. 1 Miami Walks Into The Test Bill Belichick Wanted
Miami heads to Chapel Hill as the No. 1 team in the country, carrying an undefeated record into a matchup that suddenly feels like more than a routine road trip. North Carolina has its own reasons to believe this one matters, with a chance to land a signature win and give the Tar Heels a jolt against the sports top-ranked team. Mario Cristobal has stressed the challenge in front of his group, while Bill Belichick has pointed to the kinds of strengths and problem spots that usually decide these high-profile games.
What makes this intriguing is the collision of styles and expectations around two programs at very different points right now. Miami has to protect what it has built without letting the moment grow bigger than the assignment, while North Carolina gets a home stage and a coach who knows how to turn a single game into a test of discipline and execution. For the Hurricanes, the ranking brings attention, but the bigger question is whether they can keep playing like the team everyone is chasing. [Read more 🡒]