Through more than a month of competition, Miami athletics is working its way through conference play, searching for a big October as seasons roll on.
As hurricane season hits its peak, so do the Canes. Here’s who is trending up and down as September closes and October begins
Stock Up 📈
Darian Mensah, Football, QB
Four games in, Mensah’s completing 88.7 percent of his passes (94 of 106) for 1,211 yards, 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Against Central Michigan, the redshirt junior became the first Miami player in 30 seasons to throw three touchdown passes and run for another in a single half. His touchdown pace matches former Miami quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward, who finished the season with 39.
This isn’t just a good stretch. Mensah’s forcing the Heisman conversation to include a Miami quarterback again.
Malachi Toney, Football, WR
Toney is becoming the player Mensah looks for when it matters.
Six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown against Central Michigan earned him ACC Wide Receiver of the Week, and the rapport between him and Mensah is becoming the engine of this offense.
If Miami’s passing game is legitimate against real competition, Toney’s the reason why.
Miami football as a whole
Being 4-0 and ranked fourth in the country isn’t news anymore. It’s expected.
What’s actually trending for Miami is how the team has done it: blowout scores, a quarterback playing near-flawless football and zero drama.
The doubt now isn’t about this team’s ceiling. It’s about whether it’s actually been tested yet, which is exactly why Miami’s trip to Clemson on Oct. 3 matters so much.
Stock Down 📉
Miami Football’s schedule so far
Stanford, FAMU, Wake Forest, Central Michigan.
That’s not a murderers’ row, and it’s fair to ask how much of Mensah’s stat line and Miami’s blowout scores are a product of facing overmatched teams. Clemson on the road is the first real answer to that question, and until Miami wins it, the “the Hurricanes are for real” chatter should probably come with an asterisk.
Miami volleyball
The Canes split their two-match set with Florida State, losing a five-setter before answering with a sweep. Good for the confidence, sure, but it doesn’t change the fact that Miami sits at 3-8 overall and 1-1 in ACC play.
One conference win against a rival is a nice moment, but it’s going to need more to turn this season around.
Women’s soccer’s second-half letdowns
Miami led Clemson 2-1 at halftime and lost 3-2.
That’s now a team sitting at 2-2 in conference play after being in position to be better than that. A team that can’t protect a lead against a program it’s supposed to be even with has a real problem, and it’s worth watching whether this becomes a pattern.
October will provide a much clearer picture of where Miami’s fall sports stand. Football faces its first major test at Clemson before a bye week and an in-state rivalry match with the Seminoles.
Volleyball and women’s soccer look to build on conference play and avoid letting early-season struggles define their seasons.