Injuries pile up on Miami following 33-20 win over Wake Forest
Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Mario Cristobal announced on Monday that running back CharMar “Marty” Brown and wide receiver Joshua Moore suffered injuries against Wake Forest and will miss the rest of the season.
“He’s gonna be out for the rest of the season, and then some other guys that are gonna be out,” Cristobal said about Brown. “Josh Moore, unfortunately sustained an upper [body injury] … will be out for the rest of the season.”
Brown went down in the second quarter during Friday’s 33-20 win against Wake Forest. The North Dakota State transfer was tackled at the one-yard line in the midst of a 32-yard run. Following the run, Brown was helped off the field and then was carted into the locker room.
With Brown out, expect true freshman Javian Mallory to pick up some slack along with speedy sophomore Girard Pringle Jr. and junior running back Jordan Lyle, who is returning following an August arrest.
Moore played into the fourth quarter, however was ruled out with an upper body injury. The receiver had gotten off to a strong start to his sophomore campaign, with seven grabs on the year for 107 yards and two scores, good for the team’s second-leading receiver behind Malachi Toney.
With Moore out, expect Toney and transfers Cooper Bakrate and Vandrevious Jacobs to garner even more targets. Freshmen Somourian Wingo and Vance Spafford may also be in line for more work.
Along with Moore and Brown’s season-ending injuries, linebacker Ezekial Marcellin Jr. suffered a lower body injury
“He’ll be out for a few weeks, and it’s a shame because he was playing high-level football,” Cristobal said. “We’re now sharing reps with the ones and was gonna play an even more significant role. Really, really good player. The rest, I’ll know more in the next couple of days.”
Toney, Mark Fletcher Jr., Ahmad Moten Sr., and others all suffered injuries during Friday’s game against Wake Forest as well. Their status for Saturday against Central Michigan is uncertain.
“We got beat up pretty good,” Cristobal said on WQAM’s The Jose Rose Show Monday morning. “We’ve had some injuries, some contact-type stuff that has put a couple more guys out that we didn’t even expect.”
Miami falls to six in AP Poll following 33-20 win over Wake Forest
The Miami Hurricanes took down the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Week 3, improving their record to 3-0, but still falling down one spot in the AP Top-25 Poll from fifth to six.
The Canes bested the Deacons handily, however, the concession of two late touchdowns made the final score 33-20, a closer mark than most predicted.
Miami’s stars of the game were the usual suspects, mainly the standout duo of quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney.
Mensah set the ACC record for consecutive completions with 24, as his first miss didn’t occur until deep into the third quarter. He would finish with 220 yards and three touchdowns. Toney, on the other hand, hauled in 12 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. He would go down with an injury in the second half, helping to stall the Hurricane offense, but all signs point to him being good to go in Week 4.
Miami’s defense was the one area that showed some weakness against Wake. Dealing with injuries to three different defensive backs, the Hurricanes were picked apart by quarterback Gio Lopez, who threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. His success against the Canes is the biggest blemish on their record thus far.
The close score coupled with Ole Miss’s victory over LSU helped catapult the Rebels over the Hurricanes in the AP Poll.
However, Miami is still undefeated and rolling, and they don’t seem to be slowing down. Its next game is at home against Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Miami soccer bounces back vs N.C. State in Raleigh, winning 2-1
The Miami Hurricanes defeated the N.C. State Wolfpack 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in Raleigh thanks to two goals from freshman Madelynn Sadusky.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes when defender Sam Marella intercepted a pass and deflected the ball over the defense to Madelynn Sadusky, who was left one-on-one with the goalkeeper. After a few dribbles, Sadusky fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box to give Miami a 1-0 lead.
Eight minutes later, N.C. State found the equalizer. Yuna Aoki scored after a scramble inside the box, putting the ball into the net from five yards out.
After that goal, Miami and N.C. State remained tied 1-1 heading into halftime.
The Wolfpack piled on the pressure in the second half, but Hurricanes goalkeeper Atlee Olofson made three key saves to keep the match tied.
In the 80th minute, N.C. State’s goalkeeper Riley Pickels made an error that gave the Hurricanes possession near midfield. Sadusky fired a one-touch shot from just inside the halfway line that beat the N.C. State goalkeeper for her second goal of the afternoon, giving Miami a 2-1 lead.
The Hurricanes defense held on for the final 10 minutes, and Miami earned a hard-fought road victory.
Despite being outshot 14-7 and trailing 5-4 in shots on target, Miami secured the victory. N.C. State also held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Olofson finished with four saves for the Hurricanes.
With the win, Miami (7-2-1, 2-0-1 ACC) earns its second conference win of the season. N.C. State (8-1-2, 1-1-1 ACC) loses its first game of the season.
Miami will look to build on the victory Thursday, Sept. 24, when the Canes return home to host Clemson at Cobb Field for their fourth ACC match of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be aired on ACCNX.
Takeaways from No. 6 Miami’s 33-20 victory over Wake Forest
The Miami Hurricanes took down the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Friday night, besting them 33-20 following a record-setting performance from quarterback Darian Mensah.
With its third-consecutive win to start the season, Miami is red-hot, but still has some issues that need to be addressed before its marquee matchup against No. 3 Notre Dame on Nov. 7. Here’s what we learned from Friday night’s game.
Darian Mensah should be the Heisman frontrunner
In his first two games, the star transfer threw more touchdowns than incompletions. Against the Demon Deacons, the same pattern held true.
Mensah picked apart Wake’s defense with unparalleled accuracy and decision making, connecting on his first 24 passes, setting the ACC record for most consecutive completions.
His first miss didn’t occur until well into the third quarter, helping him to a night completing 30 of 34 throws with three touchdowns and 220 yards in the air.
Through three games, Mensah has 873 yards, zero interceptions, and is tied for second in the country in passing touchdowns with 11. His efficiency has also been elite, posting a 229.1 passer rating, good for third in the country.
His strong start to the year and record-setting numbers have him in pole position for the Heisman trophy three weeks into the year.
The defensive backfield needs some improvement
Dealing with injuries to corners O.J. Frederique, Xavier Lucas, and Ja’Boree Antoine, Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lucas sought out Miami’s weakened secondary, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite its early lead, Miami allowed the Demon Deacons to garner 13 second-half points and move the ball up and down the field with relative ease.
But when push came to shove, the Canes stood strong, and held up with four-straight defensive stops to end the game, including the team’s first takeaway of the season on Ethan O’Connor’s game-sealing interception.
With Miami’s top defensive backs out for the foreseeable future, it poses a weakness that defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman will have to address sooner rather than later.
Malachi Toney is Miami’s most dynamic player on either side of the ball
The sophomore wide out once again had a huge night against the Demon Deacons.
Toney exploded for 12 grabs, 114 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season. He’s currently second in the nation in yards and receptions and fourth in touchdowns.
On offense, you can tell when the Hurricanes need a play, he is the guy — Toney simply has a knack for finding the ball whenever he is needed most.
After potentially injuring himself snagging a six-yard catch from Mensah, the star wideout spent the second half coming on the field only on third down. His presence was visibly missed, as the Canes offense that totaled 303 yards in the first half put up just 75 in the last two quarters.
His impact and importance to this Miami team cannot be overstated. The Hurricanes are not the same team when he is not on the field.
If he keeps up this pace, he’ll be right in the Heisman Trophy running with his quarterback counterpart.
Miami closes Canes Classic with a three-set sweep against Tulsa
The Miami Hurricanes secured their second win of the 2026-2027 season Saturday against Tulsa at the Freeman Indoor Stadium at the Knights Sports Complex.
Closing out the Canes Classic, Miami swept the Golden Hurricanes in three sets, improving to 2-7 overall.
UM set the tone early in the first set with a 3-0 lead, including two aces from redshirt junior Ariana Rodriguez.
The teams traded early points, but consistent scoring from freshman outside hitter Ruth Martinez with five aces and five consecutive points, helped Miami pull away.
The Hurricanes closed the set on an 11-6 run to defeat Tulsa 25-15.
Miami opened the second set with a 4-1 run, highlighted by kills from sophomore Sonja Danilovic and Martinez. Tulsa kept the score close early, but with back-to-back kills from sophomore outside hitter Asia Harvey, Miami maintained its lead.
After trading points, the Hurricanes extended their advantage to 18-9. Tulsa responded with a seven point run but was unable to take the lead as Miami closed the set 25-20.
After Tulsa tied the score at four in the third set, Miami went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-4 lead. Tulsa chipped away at the deficit, but Miami maintained control and closed the set 25-15 to complete the sweep.
Martinez led Miami’s offense with 10 kills, five aces and three blocks. Her five aces placed her in the Miami program record book for the second consecutive match, tying her for eighth in program history for aces in a three-set match. Freshman Denitsa Angelova also recorded a career-high 10 kills and added three blocks.
Rodriguez recorded 29 assists and four aces. Combined with nine additional aces from Miami players, the Canes finished with 13 aces as a team. The total ranks fourth in program history for aces in a three-set match.
The Hurricanes will travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Dozens of missing children found during Operation Statewide Shield in Miami
Forty-one missing children were found in the Miami area during Operation Statewide Shield.
Operation Statewide Shield, carried out by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement , occurred from Aug. 17-21. It was the first statewide child recovery initiative and the largest operation of its kind in state history.
The children ranged in age from 2 months to 17 years old. According to reports, many children experienced various levels of abuse, neglect and exposure to criminal activity.
“Many of these kids have been victimized by those who prey on the most vulnerable,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Thanks to the outstanding work of FDLE, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and our state and local partners, these children are now safe and receiving the care they deserve. Florida will continue leading the recovery of missing children, hunting down every predator, and prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law.”
Law enforcement agencies arrested three individuals, including one wanted for lewd acts with a minor, battery on a victim between 12 and 16 years old and interference with child custody.
Uthmeier stressed that prosecutors will be pursuing the maximum sentence available by law, including the death penalty where applicable.
Suboperations also took place across Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers. Law enforcement recovered 163 missing children across the state.
“Operation Statewide Shield demonstrates the power of collaboration and the unwavering commitment shared by all participating agencies and organizations to achieve a singular mission: find our kids and bring them home,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting HELP to 233733.
This is a developing story.
Injury-plagued Hurricanes hold on to beat Wake Forest 33-20
Coming off two wins with a combined scoreline of 122-13, the No. 5 ranked Miami Hurricanes were flying high against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Up 31-7 midway through the third quarter, Darian Mensah was chasing history, and the Canes looked set to coast to 3-0 on the year.
Fast forward a quarter, and Miami’s back was against the wall as Wake Forest threatened to get within one score of the Hurricanes.
On third down at Miami’s 22-yard line, Wake quarterback Gio Lopez dropped back into the pocket, looking for Jack Foley. Ethan O’Connor read the route, jumping in front of Foley and intercepting Lopez to secure a 33-20 victory over the Demon Deacons despite a second half performance highlighted by injuries.
“Even though it got sloppy at the end, we did play complementary football,” Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal said. “When you go on the road, and you’re playing in the conference, you gotta find a way to win.”
Miami’s offense displayed its star power in the first half, with highlight performances from Mensah, Malachi Toney, and Mark Fletcher Jr.
The Hurricanes (3-0, 2-0 ACC) struck first with a 14-play, 92-yard drive that ate up the opening seven minutes, ending on a nine-yard touchdown grab from sophomore wideout Joshua Moore.
Wake (2-1, 0-1 ACC) responded right away with an 11-play drive of its own, tying the score at seven through one quarter.
Miami entered with a weakened secondary, with cornerbacks OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas out with injury. The Demon Deacons exposed this early, and continued to hammer away at the Miami secondary throughout.
“We didn’t perform to our standards,” Cristobal said.
The Hurricanes offense couldn’t be stopped in the first half, though, firing off four-consecutive scores pushing the total to 24-7, with credits going to Elija Lofton with a 21-yard receiving touchdown, Fletcher with a one-yard rushing touchdown, and a Jake Weinberg 27-yard field goal to close the half.
Mensah and the offense didn’t slow down on its first drive of the third quarter, finishing an eight-play, 56-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown catch from Toney. Through six offensive drives, Mensah was pitching a perfect game.
Miami’s quarterback continued his red-hot start to the season, completing each of his first 24 pass attempts — setting a program and conference record, but two shy of the FBS single game consecutive completion record.
The Duke transfer finished the night completing 30 of his 34 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah’s season completion percentage sits at 89.9% and currently has thrown more touchdowns (11) than incompletions (eight).
Despite the electric three quarters for Miami, multiple players faced in-game injuries. Toney, Fletcher, Brown and Ahmad Moten Sr. all exited the game at different points with their status uncertain moving forward.
With momentum beginning to slow for the Canes, the tide swung in the Deacons favor following a roughing the passer call on Damon Wilson II, which erased a fumble recovery for Miami.
And as the injuries piled up, Wake took the gifted possession and struck quickly — two-consecutive touchdowns to Foley and Carlos Hernandez, putting the Demon Deacons within 11 with 14 minutes left to play.
The offense that put up 303 yards in the first half tallied just 75 yards in the last 30 minutes.
Following Toney’s touchdown, the Canes offense did not score again, punting four-consecutive times and missing on a 54-yard field goal attempt from Weinberg.
“We weren’t as efficient on first and second down and that put us in third-and-long,” Mensah said. “I’ve got to be better.”
Despite impressive pressure from the defensive line, Lopez threw for 312 yards. His two main targets, Foley and Hernandez, totaled for just under 200 receiving yards, both with touchdowns in the end of the third into the beginning of the fourth quarter.
But, the Demon Deacons offense was ultimately quelled by a penalty-induced safety in favor of the Canes, putting Miami up 33-20 — a scoreline which held for the remainder of the affair.
As Miami’s offense sputtered with a pair of punts, Wake Forest quickly drove down the field, only to fail both fourth-down conversions on each possession.
Even so, the final dagger came from O’Connor after Miami failed a questionable field goal attempt from 54 yards.
With Friday’s win, Cristobal became the 18th active head coach to reach 100 career victories.
However, celebrations will be short-lived as Miami turns the page to Central Michigan at home on Sept. 26, possibly facing more injuries to an already-depleted depth chart.
Miami wins first match of the season, taking down LSU in four sets
The Miami Hurricanes broke their seven game losing streak with a win over the LSU Tigers Thursday night, winning in four sets at the Freeman Indoor Stadium in Coral Gables.
Miami was in the midst of a horrid 0-7 start to the season, which included six straight sweeps, and were looking to make their first win of the season.
LSU also came into the match off a slow start, only recording one Power Four win through seven games.
As both sides aimed to turn around their season, the first set started off competitive.
Asia Harvey had a block in the first few moments, followed by Logan Wiley and Ariana Rodriguez.
The fans were cheering from the sidelines as the score remained level at 14-14 within the first seven minutes of the game, but the Canes pulled away and won the first set 25-20.
The second set started off with the Canes’ first kill by Ruth Martinez and an assist from Ariana Rodriguez.
Martinez had an impressive night, shining with 26 kills and six blocks throughout the game.
Miami was leading at the beginning, until LSU scored two points with a kill by Jessica Jones, followed by a block from Lauren Brooker.
UM took a timeout before the end of the second set, followed by a kill by Harvey as the Canes won the second set 25-19.
The third set didn’t start well for the Canes, and they were struggling to stop the Tigers’ defense.
Martinez and Wiley had kills back-to-back, but the Tigers took over most of the third set.
LSU hitter Sanaa Donaie had a kill assisted by Lauren Brooker and gave the Tigers the lead at 15-11. LSU maintained control of the ball for most of the 3rd set, and there was a timeout taken by both teams. Miami challenged the play before the end of the 3rd set, but LSU was granted the score and won the third set 25-12. This was the Canes’ worst performance of the night.
The 4th set started great for the Canes, with Martinez again getting a kill, followed by Rodriguez, and the crowd went wild. The energy from the Canes fans was at its highest.
The Canes were leading 11-5 within the first few moments of the 4th set, making it UM’s’ best lead gap in this game. LSU challenged the play, but after the review, Miami was granted the last kill.
There was an attack error by LSU middle blocker Jessica Jones, where Miami challenged the play, and Miami got an extra point. LSU took a timeout, but Miami continued to crush the Tigers and won the 4th set 25-20 to claim its first win of the season.
The Canes will remain at home, hosting Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Miami soccer falls to No. 13 Virginia in Charlottesville
Miami soccer falls to No. 13 Virginia in Charlottesville
The Miami Hurricanes fell 3-0 to No. 13 Virginia on Thursday night in Charlottesville, ending Miami’s one-month unbeaten streak.
The Cavaliers, under 27th-year head coach Steve Swanson, controlled the game from the opening kickoff. Virginia recorded 19 shots and nine shots on target compared to the Hurricanes three shots and two shots on target. The Cavaliers also recorded six corner kicks to Miami’s one.
The Hurricanes held their own throughout the first half with solid, disciplined defense while Atlee Olofson recorded four saves within the first 25 minutes to keep the game scoreless.
Miami generated two shots on goal in the 28th and 35th minute of the game, with both Kambryl Armstrong and Carolina Hood forcing saves from Virginia’s goalkeeper Victoria Safradin.
Virginia eventually broke through in the 41st minute when Sarah Flammia played a pass up the middle for Aniyah Collier, who took a touch with her right foot before firing a powerful shot from just inside the 18-yard box to open the scoring.
Virginia took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
In the 62nd minute, Addison Halpern cut inside and doubled Virginia’s lead with a goal from 25 yards out, assisted by Faith Broering.
Any hopes of a comeback for the Hurricanes ended in the 67th minute when Armstrong received a red card following a challenge on Virginia defender Kathryn Kelly.
In the 81st minute, Halpern scored her second goal to give Virginia a 3-0 lead. Sophia Bradley found Halpern in space before placing her shot into the left side of the goal to put the game out of reach and secure the home victory for the Cavaliers.
Olofson finished with six saves on the night for the Hurricanes.
With the loss, Miami (6-2-1, 1-0-1 ACC) ends its three-game winning streak and drops its first game in conference play as Virginia (5-1-2, 1-0-1 ACC) claims its first conference victory.
Miami will look to bounce back Sunday, Sept. 20, when the Canes travel to Raleigh, N.C. to face NC State in their third ACC match of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be aired on ACCNX.
Hurricane Huddle (9/9 – 9/16): Football soars as Volleyball’s winless streak continues
From 70-point wins in football to consecutive losses in volleyball, Hurricane athletics experienced both the highs and lows of early season competition this past week.
Here’s the latest edition of the Hurricane Huddle (9/9 – 9/16):
Sept. 9 – Hurricanes Volleyball Falls Short to the Gators
Miami Volleyball traveled to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Gators in the ACC-SEC Challenge “Showdown at the Net” at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Despite the added intensity for a rivalry matchup, the Hurricanes dropped all three sets to the Gators.
Asia Harvey led Miami offensively with 11 kills. Denitsa Angelova and Adrianna Bridges both recorded three blocks.
Sept 10. – Hurricanes Dominate FAMU 77-7
Miami’s first home appearance since falling short in the CFP championship game did not disappoint, as they rolled past FAMU 77-7.
The Hurricanes set a new school record with 856 total yards and an ACC record with 42 first downs. The victory marked Miami’s 20th straight home-opening win.
Darian Mensah completed 14 of 15 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Malachi Toney led offensively with a team-high with four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Mark Fletcher Jr. had seven carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Sept. 11 – Hurricanes Volleyball Faces Defeat by the Gophers
Miami Volleyball continued its road trip, heading up north for the Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Maturi Pavilion.
But UM’s struggles continued as they dropped all three sets to the Gophers.
Freshman Ruth Martinez led Miami offensively with 10 kills. Ariana Rodriguez recorded 21 assists. Gabby Arroyo led the Canes with 12 digs.
Sept. 11 – Hurricanes Soccer Defeats SMU 2-1 in ACC Opener
Miami started ACC play off strong with a 2-1 over SMU at Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Fla.
Freshman Vivien Muchuruza scored both goals in the second half for the Hurricanes. Goalkeeper Atlee Olofson played all 90 minutes, recording one save and an assist.
Miami improved to 6-1-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC play. The Canes will hit the road to take on Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 17 looking to continue their strong start.
Sept. 12 – Hurricanes Volleyball Falls to St. Thomas in Three Sets
Miami took its seventh loss in seven games, falling to St. Thomas in three sets in the final game of the Diet Coke Classic.
While the Hurricanes held a lead in the first two sets, their defense could not stop the Tommies, who
Harvey led Miami offensively with nine kills. Rodriguez recorded 14 assists, while Billie Reiter added five more. Arroyo finished with 14 digs. Sonja Danilovic led the team with four blocks.
Miami ends its three-game road trip and looks for their first win against LSU in the Canes Classic on Sept. 17.
UPCOMING:
Sept. 17 – Hurricanes Volleyball Host LSU in Canes Classic
Miami returns home to host the Canes Classic, where it will face LSU on Sept. 17.
The Tigers enter the matchup with a 4-3 record after back-to-back sweeps against Charlotte and Southeastern Louisiana. LSU libero Kiley Brooks was recently named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 14.
The Hurricanes enter this matchup 0-7 looking for its first win of the season with first serve scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.
Sept. 17 – Hurricanes Soccer Heads to Virginia For Ranked ACC Matchup
Miami looks to continue its strong start facing No. 10 Virginia. The Hurricanes are coming into Charlottesville with a 6-1-1 record and a 2-1 ACC win over SMU.
The Cavaliers are 4-1-2 and are coming off their first loss of the season against No. 3 Wake Forest.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Sept. 18 – Hurricanes Take Momentum on the Road Against Wake Forest
Miami travels to Winston-Salem, N.C., to take on Wake Forest on Sept. 18.
The No. 5 Hurricanes are coming off a dominant 77-7 win over FAMU and have outscored their first two opponents by 109 points.
Miami’s defense will face a challenge without both starting cornerbacks, OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas.
Wake Forest enters this matchup 2-0 after a 38-36 double-overtime win over Purdue.
Both teams feature transfer quarterbacks: Miami is led by Darian Mensah, who previously played at Duke, while Wake Forest is led by Gio Lopez, who previously played at North Carolina.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.
Sept. 18 – Hurricanes Cross Country Heads to Tallahassee for FSU Pre-Regional
Miami’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams travel to Tallahassee, Florida on Sept. 18 to compete in the FSU Pre-Regional.
Both teams recently placed fifth overall at the Florida Intercollegiate Invitational.
Senior Maddie Scheier led the women, placing second in the 5K. Freshman John Templeton led the men placing ninth.
The FSU Pre-Regional will help Miami prepare for its return to Tallahassee for the NCAA South Region Championship on Nov. 13.
The first race is set for 7:40 a.m. EST.
