The No.5 Miami Hurricanes showed out for an electric 49-12 win over the No.18 USF Bulls, and didn’t waste any time on offense as they put up seven touchdowns on the day.
Every aspect of the ’Canes gameplan came out firing as Miami solidified their top-five ranking and turned towards a prime-time matchup against Florida in week 4.
The true freshman Joshua Moore gave the Canes momentum
After a five minute opening drive, Carson Beck completed an 8 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Joshua Moore to open the scoring for Miami.
And after forcing a punt from the USF offense, Miami drove down the field once again.
With three minutes to go in the first quarter, Beck hit Moore for another touchdown – this time a 39 yard.
On two catches as a true freshman, Moore led the team to a 14-0 start over USF. This momentum shut down the Bulls early on, which allowed the ’Canes to continue their winning streak, despite USF’s strong defense coming into the game.
Moore threatened to get his first collegiate touchdown last week versus Bethune-Cookman, and his development could prove crucial in the Hurricane wide receiver room.
“He’s gifted beyond measure,” Cristobal said. “Josh really shined tonight.”
Miami has it all this year
So far, Miami looks strong on both sides of the ball.
Beck may seem like he’s the star of the show but with support from his receiver’s CJ Daniels, Malachi Toney, and Moore, alongside an unwavering defensive, this team is looking like they can take on anyone.
Miami’s offense has barely dropped off from last year’s record breaking group and on the defensive side, the team has come a long way from last season. Last year, quarterback Cam Ward was individually a standout player and asset for the team. He had offensive players like Xavier Restreppo and Jacolby George to back him up, but overall, Ward’s performance helped elevate the team’s outcomes.
This year, not only does Miami have a notable quarterback, but also a strong offensive and a defensive team to back him up. In the first half, Miami’s defense held USF to just 18 rushing yards, which would’ve been a much higher number last year, regardless of the outcome. Adding the defense into the mix only pushes Miami into a more dominant spot and reassures that they can beat higher ranked teams without wavering.
Weather delay, no problem
Just because the ’Canes came off strong in the first quarter doesn’t mean the Bulls, who posed as a strong defense coming into the game, couldn’t have come back out in the second as a united front.
Just before the inclement weather delay, USF closed the game to 14-6 after a pair of field goals.
But right after coming back onto the field after an almost two hour delay, the Hurricanes asserted their dominance with another pair of touchdowns.
Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 38 yard run for a touchdown and a Beck rushing touchdown brought the ’Canes to 28-6.
Following the win, UM head coach Mario Cristobal wanted to make it clear that this team isn’t here for the rankings, accolades, or “noise,” stressing that Miami didn’t want to be a part of USF’s upcoming narrative.
“We just want to get better, we’ve got a really awesome group of dudes that really just don’t care about anything outside of Miami,” said Cristobal.