Takeaways from Miami’s 36-14 romping of rival Florida State

Sophomore runningback Mark Fletcher Jr. celebrates his touchdown in Miami's win against FSU on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium. - Photo Credit via Emily Rice

In front of a sold-out crowd of 66,200 at Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Hurricanes sent a message to a national audience, toying with their rival Florida State to the tune of a 36-14 victory.

While it was not always pretty, the ‘Canes showed their dominance from the start with a seven play, 67 yard drive that resulted in a touchdown for running back Mark Fletcher Jr. in less than two and a half minutes.

Florida State’s offense was unable to muster much momentum which resulted in a quarterback change after two drives. Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn struggled and was pulled in favor of true freshman Luke Kromenhoek who played for the majority of the game. Kromenhoek was a surprising catalyst for the Seminoles, as he garnered 71 yards rushing which easily made him the rushing leader on the night.

On the contrary, Miami’s rushing attack was ferocious and persistent during the rivalry affair, with Damien Martinez netting 148 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns and Mark Fletcher Jr. having 71 yards of his own with the same carry count.

It was an especially emotional night for the team as they rallied around the aforementioned Fletcher, who tragically lost his father this past week yet rallied to score a touchdown to contribute to the ‘Canes efforts.

Speaking about Fletcher, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal said, “That he was a guy that you trust with your life because he does everything the right way, regardless of situation and circumstance.”

“He’s just an elite, unique, off-the-charts human being. He’s just made of the right stuff, and that’s a credit to his parents. He was raised a certain way. That guy is as resilient as it gets.”

College football in Florida runs through Coral Gables

On a massive night for Miami’s recruiting efforts, recruits from the classes of 2025 and 2026 witnessed Miami win a game that was never really a question against their biggest in-state rival. Not only did Miami handle Florida State with ease, but they physically beat down their other traditional powerhouse rival in the state, the Florida Gators, 41-17 to open the season. Cristobal noted in his postgame presser how recruits “can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the other programs [in the state].” Florida State had lofty playoff expectations coming into their 2024 campaign, but now have a record of 1-7 and they will not even be playing in a bowl game. Florida has been mired in turmoil since the beginning of the season, with questions surrounding the future of head coach Billy Napier. And the newcomer to the power conferences, UCF, has lost five straight games and is freefalling down the Big 12 standings. Miami has won the Florida Cup this year and clearly has the brightest future of any college football program in the state, which could loom large in the minds of in-state recruits who have previously drifted towards Florida and FSU in past recruiting cycles.

Miami’s backfield talent is an undeniable, constant force

Coming into the season, there was great anticipation for what Damien Martinez could bring to Miami’s offense. However, his start to the season was slower than expected. He seemingly broke out with three touchdowns against South Florida, and has now begun to show the player he truly is after a vicious touchdown run against Louisville and nearly 150 yards against FSU. Mark Fletcher Jr. has also been a great complement to Martinez’s physical running style, scoring two touchdowns over the past three games. Even Ajay Allen has been getting involved for the Hurricanes, most notably in the Louisville game where he became the workhorse on a drive where he finished with a bruising touchdown run. Miami must continue to lean on their run game as they close out their regular season and enter postseason play because it has balanced their offensive attack and made them tougher to defend overall.

Self-inflicted errors have continually plagued the ‘Canes

In spite of the rivalry win which should be celebrated, Miami did not always make it easy on themselves throughout the game. Early on, a quarterback sneak by Kromenhoek was seemingly bottled up on a short fourth down, but Miami inexplicably let him escape for a massive 40 yard gain that set up an eventual Seminole touchdown. Additionally, early in the fourth quarter, defensive lineman Tyler Baron committed an inexplicable roughing the passer penalty which extended Florida State’s possession when Miami had a chance to put them away. Although it may not have mattered for this game specifically, the Hurricanes must do a better job of eliminating the mistakes, especially as games against excellent competition loom on the postseason radar.