Miami Back on Track After Dominant Win Against Stanford

The Hurricanes rebounded from last week’s 24-21 loss to Louisville with a statement 42-7 victory over the Stanford Cardinal (3-5, 2-3) on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC with the win, in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

It’s said that it’s not how you start but how you finish. Those words rang true in the Canes vs. Cardinal matchup.

Miami took the opening kickoff and drove 50 yards in nine plays before missing a field goal. Stanford began its opening drive on its own 26-yard line and marched 74 yards in nine plays, capping it with a 32-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead. That was the start.

From there, Stanford’s offense stalled. The Cardinal went three-and-out or punted on nearly every possession that followed, managing only 70 yards and no points over their final nine drives. Miami’s defense forced two interceptions — one by Wesley Bissainthe and another by Xavier Lucas — and allowed just four first downs the rest of the night.

Miami’s evening told the opposite story.

The Hurricanes opened with a missed field goal, a punt, and a turnover on downs before igniting on offense with six touchdowns on their final seven drives. Carson Beck connected with CJ Daniels for a five-yard touchdown pass with 1:15 left in the first half to tie the game 7-7.

Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. powered the offense in the third quarter with three rushing touchdowns — a one-yard score to make it 14-7, a three-yard run to extend the lead to 21-7, and a seven-yard burst with 32 seconds left in the quarter for a 28-7 advantage.

In the final quarter, Jordan Lyle scored on a 17-yard run to push the lead to 35-7 before Girard Pringle Jr.’s three-yard touchdown with 26 seconds remaining sealed the 42-7 final.

After the game, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said, “The level of communication, physicality, and level of play, along with some plays on special teams, allowed us to take momentum of that game. It was the simplicity of communication — getting lined up and doing your job. It was the same plays executed at a higher level.”

Cristobal added, “You have to be patient. There are a lot of schemes that we showed. In my opinion, as the game goes on, you should get better if you trust your offensive linemen and running backs.”

On Nov. 1, the No. 10-ranked Miami Hurricanes will play their first game outside Florida when they travel to Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs (5-3, 3-1).

Cristobal said of the road matchup, “These are all business trips, and it relates to your mindset, preparation, and your ability to block out all distractions. Make sure you execute at the highest level. When you go on the road, you pack your toughness, your physicality, your execution, your brotherhood, and your resilience — and you put it all on display when it’s game time.”

The Miami-SMU game will be broadcast at noon on ESPN.

That’s it for now. Be well, all — and Go Canes!