Canes Stomp Gators in Season Opener
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was packed. It was hot. It was humid.
But by the fourth quarter it was also this:
Quiet.
And when you can reduce the venerable Swamp on a season-opening Saturday to the decibel level of a church service on Sunday you deserve to take a bow.
The Miami Hurricanes defeated the Florida Gators 41-17 Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium before a crowd of 90,544. The 19th-ranked Canes improved to 1-0, while Florida fell to 0-1.
It was a thoroughly dominant performance from start to finish. The Canes racked up 529 total yards, while limiting Florida to just 261. Miami held a nine-minute edge in time of possession and converted all five red zone opportunities.
Quarterback Cam Ward dazzled with his arms, his legs and his poise, completing 26 of 35 passes to 10 different receivers for 385 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo caught 7 of those passes for 112 and one score, while tight end Elijah Arroyo had four grabs for 89 yards.
Running back Damien Martinez rushed for 65 yards, while fellow back Mark Fletcher, Jr. scored two rushing touchdowns. Safety Jaden Harris paced the Canes with seven tackles and one interception, while linebacker Francisco Mauigoa had six tackles and a sack. Miami’s defense totaled three sacks and eight tackles for loss and held Florida to just 1 of 9 on third down.
Running back Montrell Johnson, Jr. rushed for 106 yards on 11 carries for the Gators. Quarterback Graham Mertz threw for 91 yards and one interception before being replaced in the fourth quarter.
“Certainly when you play an opponent of that caliber, playing against the SEC in their home stadium and getting a convincing win like that is great,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “But the most important thing we talked about in there was that for the first time in a long time Miami’s had the chance to play a big-time game to start the season and now we’ve got to show that we can handle that success.
“We’re in steps. We’re in stages. But today was a really, really big step and I’m just beyond proud of those guys — their resilience, their toughness, their work ethic. They did it all.”
The Gators received the opening kickoff and picked up a first down before linebacker Wesley Bissainthe stuffed wide receiver Eugene Wilson for a three-yard loss to force a punt. The Canes took over at their 16-yard line. And Ward went to work.
He rushed for 12 yards to move the chains to the UM 40 before firing a 13-yard strike to Restrepo. On the next snap Ward eluded the rush and scrambled 24 yards and the Canes were in the red zone.
Florida’s defense appeared to hold but on 3rd and 10 defensive end Justus Boone was flagged for roughing the passer. Two plays later, Ward threw a nine-yard scoring toss to tight end Cam McCormick and Miami had a 7-0 lead.
Mertz completed a 19-yard to wide receiver Elijhah Badger to get the Gators past midfield. But again it was Bissainthe on third down, stopping Johnson short of the sticks to force another UF punt. Jeremy Crenshaw pinned the Canes down at their two-yard line.
Ward completed a nine-yard pass to Arroyo to give Miami some breathing room. But two plays later, Ward rolled left looking for wide receiver Jacolby George down the field and was picked off by cornerback Shemar James at the Miami 33. Mertz picked up a first down with his legs, but UM’s defense held and Trey Smack kicked a 41-yard field goal to cut the Canes’ lead to four points with 19 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Martinez picked up 24 yards on two carries before Ward connected with Restrepo on consecutive snaps for 29 yards and a first down at the Gators 22. A 12-yard completion to wide receiver Isaiah Horton gave Miami a first and goal at the 10 but Florida’s defense stopped Martinez on third down. Andy Borregales booted a 23-yard field goal to restore UM’s seven-point lead.
Johnson picked up 13 yards on Florida’s next snap to jump-start the drive before cornerback Darryl Porter, Jr. was called for pass interference. On 3rd and 5 at the Miami 42, defensive end Ahmad Moten stopped running back Treyaun Webb for no gain. The Gators went for it and Mertz threw incomplete for tight end Arlis Boardingham. Miami took over on downs.
Safety DJ Douglas hit Ward late on the first snap, drawing a roughing penalty. Two plays later Ward threw a dart down the field to Horton for 40 yards. The Canes again had first and goal at the 10-yard line. On second and goal, wide receiver Sam Brown, Jr. delivered a crushing block for Fletcher, who scored on a 10-yard run and Miami had a 17-3 lead.
The teams exchanged three-and-outs before the Gators got the ball back at their 29. On the first snap Johnson raced around the left end for 71 yards and Florida cut the Canes’ lead to 17-10.
Martinez moved the chains after the two-minute timeout before Ward found Arroyo down the field for 29 yards to the UF 24. Two plays later, Ward fired a 24-yard strike in stride to Restrepo, who glided into the end zone to cap an eight-play, 75-yard march. Mauigoa sacked Mertz on the last play of the half and the Canes headed into the locker room with a two-touchdown lead.
Ward completed 16 of 20 passes in the first half for 173 yards. The Gators had just 145 total yards, nearly half of them on Johnson’s long touchdown run.
Miami got the ball to open the second half and on 3rd and 3, Ward hit Restrepo for a 40-yard catch-spin-and-run to the UF 29. On the next snap Ward dumped it off in the flat to Fletcher, who raced 22 yards to the seven-yard line. Two plays later, Fletcher dove over the goal line and the Canes had a 31-10 lead.
The Gators went into hurry-up mode, but a bad snap pushed them back to a 3rd and 13 at their own 35. Harris and defensive end Elijah Alston combined on a sack to force another punt.
Ward connected with Arroyo on a 23-yard pass before dropping a dime to Horton for 27 yards to convert a third and long. Then on 3rd and 11 from the UF 23, Ward rolled left to avoid the rush and threw a laser to in the back of the end zone to George. It capped a nine-play, 86-yard touchdown march and Miami’s lead was 28 points.
On Florida’s next possession, Mertz hit Badger for 12 yards to convert a 4th and 8 and the Gators eventually moved to the Canes 24. But on 2nd and 11, safety Meesh Powell picked off Mertz near the goal line and raced 67 yards to the Florida 28. Borregales missed a 45-yard field goal, and the Gators got the ball back.
DJ Lagway entered at quarterback for UF, but defensive end Tyler Baron stuffed him for a four-yard loss and the Gators went three-and-out. Miami couldn’t move the chains on its next possession and Lagway led the Gators on their most sustained drive of the day. He picked up a third down with a 16-yard scramble to the Canes’ five-yard line. Two plays later Webb scored from a yard out to cut the lead to 38-17.
Florida tried an onside kick, but tight end Riley Williams recovered at the Gators 45. Two plays later Ward connected with Arroyo again for 29 yards. The drive stalled but Borregales kicked a 25-yard field goal for the game’s final points. Harris picked off Lagway on a tipped ball by defensive tackle Simeon Barrow on Florida’s final drive.
The Canes now lead the series 30-27 after their first win in Gainesville since 2002.
Miami next welcomes Florida A&M for its home opener next Saturday, September 7. Kickoff is 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Mario Cristobal meets with the media after Miami's season-opening win at Florida.
