Miami’s biggest offensive question heading into Saturday night is the health of Malachi Toney.
The Hurricanes’ star wide receiver is dealing with an ankle injury, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, and his availability for the matchup with No. 11 Notre Dame is up in the air. Thamel said, “His status for Saturday’s game against Notre Dame is uncertain,” and added, “Toney is expected to press and attempt to play given the magnitude of the game.”
Toney picked up the injury during Wednesday’s practice, just days before Miami heads to South Bend for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on NBC. The timing is especially tough for a player in the middle of a Heisman-caliber sophomore season.
Through eight games, Toney has piled up 1,027 receiving yards, which ranks third, along with 73 catches, second, and 13 touchdowns, tied for second. That touchdown total also matched Leonard Hankerson’s 2010 mark for the most by a Hurricane receiver in a single season.
He’s also closing in on program records. Toney is 19 catches, 611 yards and four touchdown receptions short of setting Miami’s all-time marks in those categories.
If he can’t go, Miami will have to adjust on the fly against Notre Dame. That could mean leaning harder on the ground game or spreading the ball around more in the passing attack.
One name to watch is Duke transfer Cooper Barkate, who arrived at UM with quarterback Darian Mensah. Barkate posted 1,106 receiving yards last season, good for second in the ACC, and helped lead the Blue Devils to wins in the ACC Championship Game and the Sun Bowl.
Daylyn Upshaw should also see a bigger role if Toney is sidelined. The sophomore has 22 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Freshmen Somourian Wingo and Vance Spafford are other options in the mix. Both have seen action in the rotation this year, and Spafford filled in for Toney on multiple plays against FSU, where he also caught a pass.
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Notre Dame's Miami Test Suddenly Centers On One Huge Uncertainty
Miamis buildup to Notre Dame has taken on a little extra uncertainty with Malachi Toney working through an ankle injury. The issue is not believed to be serious, and the expectation is that he will try to play, but his availability has become one of the most closely watched details heading into the matchup.
Toney has been a central part of Miamis offense all season, averaging 128.4 yards per game with 13 touchdowns in eight games. For Notre Dame, that makes his status worth tracking right up to kickoff, because even a limited version of him changes the way Miami can attack. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A Massive Question Before Notre Dame
Miamis buildup to Notre Dame took an unexpected turn this week when Malachi Toney went down with an ankle injury in practice and remains under evaluation for the matchup. The receiver has been a key part of the Hurricanes offense, and his status now hangs over a game that was already drawing plenty of attention because of the stakes and the spotlight on Miamis attack.
The ripple effects have already shown up beyond the injury report, with Toneys Heisman Trophy odds slipping as other contenders moved up. More importantly for the game itself, Miami may have to adjust its offensive plan if he cannot go, and that would put even more pressure on quarterback Darian Mensah to carry the load against Notre Dame. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Got A CFP Reality Check Before Miami
The first College Football Playoff rankings have already given Notre Dame a sharper read on where it stands, and it is not quite the same picture the AP Top 25 has painted. The committees initial release showed a clear gap between perception and playoff positioning, with the SEC stacking the board and even some teams landing higher in the CFP pecking order than they do in the weekly poll. For the Irish, the message was straightforward: style points only go so far when the rsum is still missing the kind of signature win the committee tends to reward.
Hunter Yurachek said the challenge of ranking teams gets complicated in a season like this, and Notre Dame is feeling that reality heading into Miami. The Irish remain very much in the conversation, but the early playoff math suggests they have work to do if they want to climb, especially with the committee weighing more than record and reputation. For a team trying to build momentum in November, the rankings serve as both a warning and a reminder that the biggest tests still matter most. [Read more 🡒]