No. 1 Miami routs Pitt 52-23 as Malachi Toney sets a school record with 16 catches

Top-ranked Miami left little doubt on Saturday afternoon. Malachi Toney caught a school-record 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns, Darian Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four scores, and the Hurricanes beat Pitt 52-23 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Miami improved to 7-0 and 5-0 in the ACC. Pitt fell to 5-3 and 2-3 and has now lost three straight games.

The win came with an audience: dozens of members of Miami’s 2001 national championship team were on hand for the 25th anniversary of that title, and the current Hurricanes wore throwback uniforms in the same style, according to the Associated Press.

How Miami pulled away

Miami scored on seven of its first eight possessions, six touchdowns and a field goal, the AP reported. The Hurricanes converted 10 of their first 12 third-down chances and finished 10 of 15 on third down, and they scored on all seven of their trips inside the Pitt 20.

After a Jake Weinberg field goal and Toney’s first touchdown, a 19-yarder on third-and-11, Miami led 10-0 after one quarter. The second quarter broke the game open: Javian Mallory ran in from 16 yards, Toney took a short pass 53 yards for a score, and a Pitt fumble with 1:44 left in the half set up Mensah’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Mueller for a 31-7 halftime lead.

Malachi Toney’s record day

Toney’s 16 catches broke Miami’s single-game record of 13, a mark first set by Mike Harley against Duke in 2021 and then matched by Toney himself against Pitt last season, according to the AP.

Toney’s three touchdowns covered 19, 53 and 11 yards. He also returned two punts for 28 yards.

Darian Mensah and the Miami Hurricanes offense

Mensah did not throw an interception and spread the ball to nine different receivers. On the ground, Mallory carried seven times for 47 yards and two touchdowns, and Mark Fletcher Jr. added a 2-yard score early in the third quarter. That was the 33rd rushing touchdown of Fletcher’s career, moving him into second place on Miami’s all-time list, the AP reported.

Pitt’s bright spots

Pitt moved the ball at times. Holden Geriner, who got the start at quarterback, completed 18 of 32 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. Cataurus Hicks, a Miami native, caught five passes for 149 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Damon Ferguson Jr. scored on a 5-yard run in the second. Backup Corey Dailey hit Cam Sapp for a 49-yard touchdown in the final minute, and Jimmy Scott’s fourth-quarter safety added two points.

But the Panthers were stopped on both of their fourth-down tries, including a fourth-and-goal pass from the 5 that ended at the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

What it means

Miami entered the day No. 1, and the AP noted the win should keep the Hurricanes on top when the new AP poll comes out on Sunday. That would end a three-week run in which the No. 1 team lost: Texas fell to Oklahoma, and Georgia then lost to Auburn. Miami is now 43-6 as the nation’s top-ranked team, while Pitt is 0-14-1 all-time against No. 1, per the AP.

For Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes, an unbeaten conference record keeps them in control in the ACC race. Pitt hosts Georgia Tech next Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 at Acrisure Stadium.

FAQ