Miami Gardens, FL. – Following an emotionally charged victory and a shortened week of preparation, the Miami Hurricanes returned to Hard Rock Stadium and delivered a strong performance.
The fifth-ranked Hurricanes demonstrated exceptional efficiency on offense, stoutness on defense, and maintained control of the game from start to finish, defeating Bethune-Cookman 45-3 in front of a crowd of 60,617.
Miami improved to 2-0 on the season, while Bethune-Cookman dropped to 0-2.
The Hurricanes accumulated 543 yards of offense, averaging 8.4 yards per play, and scored on all five of their red zone opportunities. Quarterback Carson Beck completed 22 of 24 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. He achieved his first 15 consecutive completions, setting a school record for consecutive passes completed in a single game; Vinny Testaverde’s previous record was 14 straight against Oklahoma in 1986.
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Both of Beck’s touchdown passes were to wide receiver CJ Daniels, who caught five passes for 73 yards. Wide receiver Malachi Toney led Miami with six receptions for 80 yards. Running back Mark Fletcher carried the ball 11 times for 86 yards and scored twice, with additional rushing touchdowns from teammates Marty Brown and Girard Pringle.
“No doubt, and that was a focus right – focus on us and us getting better, and you know, if you really focus on the routine plays turning into highlight plays. And if you get off of that, and you’re trying to make a play instead of doing your job, that’s when things go sideways,” Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal said. “And actually, their big plays were the result of us trying to make a play instead of doing our job, so when we came out clean for the most part, and you still have to play your guys, you know, you got to come to these games full throttle and our guys did a good job while they were in there, and they granted us the opportunity for the other guys to play as well. So, we got the best of both worlds out there.”
Miami’s defense limited Bethune-Cookman to 191 total yards, allowing just 3.8 yards per play. The defense registered 10 tackles for loss, led by safety Keionte Scott with three TFLs. Defensive end Reuben Bain contributed three tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Linebacker Kellen Wiley led all players with five tackles.
Bethune-Cookman quarterback Timmy McClain completed 13 of 15 passes for 86 yards, while cornerback Gabe White led the Wildcats with nine tackles.
The game commenced with Miami’s defense forcing what appeared to be a quick three-and-out, but a targeting penalty on linebacker Wesley Bissainthe awarded Bethune-Cookman an automatic first down. The Wildcats punted four plays later, and Miami started from its own 10-yard line.
Beck promptly moved the team downfield, completing three passes for 33 yards before Fletcher broke off a 17-yard run to the Bethune-Cookman 40. On the subsequent play, Beck threw deep to Daniels, who made a 40-yard touchdown reception, giving Miami an early 7-0 lead.
“Thankful for the defensive scheme and all the guys around me. Everybody is doing their part,” Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott said. “This defense is very special when everyone is doing their 1 through 11. Everyone is doing their 1 through 11 and it shows on the field.”
Bethune-Cookman was unable to sustain drives and punted back to Miami. Fletcher carried the ball five times during a nine-play, 74-yard scoring drive, finishing with a 16-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0. By the end of the first quarter, Fletcher had 78 rushing yards, and Beck had completed all seven pass attempts.
Following another three-and-out, Miami executed a 68-yard drive with contributions from Beck and a balanced running game, culminating in a two-yard rush from Brown to make the score 21-0.
Bethune-Cookman’s offense moved into Miami territory for the first time during the ensuing drive, but a sack by Bain on third down forced the Wildcats to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Juan Dominguez, cutting the deficit to 21-3 with 3:08 remaining in the first half.
Miami responded with an 11-play, 71-yard drive, with Beck’s only incompletion coming late in the sequence. Beck completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Daniels, extending the lead to 28-3 at halftime.
In the second half, Miami opened with a drive that Fletcher finished with a one-yard touchdown plunge, concluding a nine-play, 75-yard series. Beck completed four of five passes during this drive.
Bethune-Cookman’s next drive into Miami territory was halted by a sack and fumble recovery by Chase Smith. Backup quarterback Emory Williams then led the Hurricanes on a drive to Bethune-Cookman’s 32-yard line, but a fourth-down pass was incomplete.
Williams later connected with wide receiver Ny Carr and tight end Brock Schott to advance into Wildcats’ territory. Girard Pringle then ran 30 yards for a touchdown, increasing Miami’s lead to 42-3.
Bethune-Cookman’s backup quarterback, Cam Ransom, led a late offensive rally to Miami’s six-yard line but was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Bryce Fitzgerald. The Hurricanes responded with a 13-play drive ending in a 31-yard field goal by Bert Auburn, securing the final score.
Miami will next host USF at home on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The Bulls recently defeated No. 13 Florida 18-16 in Gainesville.
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