MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Each week this season, we’ll take a look at the game that was for the Hurricanes.

Here are some key storylines, numbers of note, and quotes from Miami’s 52-23 win over ACC foe Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.

With the win, the Hurricanes improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play. They remain atop the ACC standings and are currently ranked No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, fell to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

The Recap

On Saturday afternoon, the Hurricanes took the field as the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in more than two decades.

They did so with most of Miami’s 2001 national championship team in attendance, the group reunited to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of that incredible season.

And the current Hurricanes gave their predecessors plenty of reasons to cheer.

Sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney delivered another record-breaking performance. Quarterback Darian Mensah, the nation’s leader in completion percentage, was impressive again. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. continued his climb in the record book and the Hurricanes jumped to a 17-0 lead and never looked back in what was ultimately another dominant win over another conference opponent.

Miami opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal from Jake Weinberg on its opening drive and followed that with a 19-yard scoring pass from Mensah to Toney, the first of three times the duo would connect on touchdowns. And freshman Javian Mallory scored on a 16-yard run before the Panthers would get on the board.

The Hurricanes defense opened the game forcing four straight three-and-out situations for the Pittsburgh offense, which finally got on the board midway late in the second quarter when Damon Ferguson Jr. scored on a 5-yard run, but Miami pushed its lead further with a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes of the first half.

The first came when Mensah and Toney connected again, this time on a 53-yard scoring play, and the second came after Miami’s defense forced a Pittsburgh turnover and the Hurricanes capitalized on the short field when Mensah found freshman tight end Gavin Mueller in the end zone for a 3-yard score.

That sequence sent the Hurricanes into the half with a 31-7 lead.

In the second half, Miami added touchdowns from Fletcher, another from Mallory and another from Toney.

Fletcher’s score – a 2-yard run in the third quarter – was the 33^rd of his Hurricanes career.

The senior running back is now second on Miami’s career all-time rushing touchdowns list and needs just three more scores to move into first on that list.

“A lot of really good stuff and then a lot of stuff to clean up … I mean, we could talk about a few things, but [I’d] rather just jump on the tape,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “The locker room, I think, acknowledges that, acknowledges that it’s a good win, a strong win against a good football team, albeit they were obviously missing a quarterback and a running back, but that’s what we get at this time of year. So, some stuff to clean up and some stuff to move on from.”

Toney finished the day with 16 catches for 194 yards with three touchdowns and set a new Miami record for catches in a single game, besting the mark of 13 he set last season against Pittsburgh, while Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards with four touchdowns.

Numbers to Know

2,163 – Career receiving yards for sophomore Malachi Toney, who passed the 2,000-yard mark in Saturday’s win. Toney has notched more than 100 receiving yards in five of Miami’s seven games this year, with his season-high (234) coming against Stanford in the opener.

69 – Rushing yards allowed by the Miami defense on Saturday. That helped the Hurricanes regain their status as the nation’s top defense against the run. Miami’s defense also held the Panthers to 4 of 12 on third-down opportunities and did not allow Pittsburgh to convert on either of its two fourth-down chances.

49.0 – Average number of points scored by the Hurricanes in their seven wins his season. That ranks tops in the nation among FBS programs.

22 – Touchdown passes on the season for quarterback Darian Mensah. That ranks second among all FBS quarterbacks. Mensah’s 204.55 passer rating and 81.4 completion percentage lead all FBS signal callers.

2 – Punts on Saturday by Miami’s Dylan Joyce. Joyce averaged 49.5 yards on those two punts, while the Hurricanes were 7 of 7 on their red-zone scoring chances with six touchdowns and a field goal.

Quotable

“They inspired so many future Hurricanes that ended up coming here to the University of Miami. Glad to be able to honor them as well, with a victory. They mean a lot to our guys. I think the best thing that’s been happening with our program is within the community and the University of Miami alum community is that we’ve built some really, strong equity. So now those guys, [and] the people in our community are becoming our best advocates, which in turn helps the entire organization become more galvanized.”

– Head coach Mario Cristobal, on Miami winning with the 2001 national championship team in attendance

“We’re just hungry. I think that the guys on last year’s team had a sour taste in their mouth from the way it ended last year, and so I kind of feel that energy. There’s always stuff you can improve [on], week in and week out, so we’re just focused on getting better every week.”

– Quarterback Darian Mensah, on Miami’s maturity and how the Hurricanes are able to drown out distractions

“It feels amazing. It teaches me how to be a young adult, knowing that I’ve got to do right, make [the] right moves and make wise choices and decisions because the influence I have on the youth is incredible. I can post one thing [online], and a thousand other kids will pos the same thing. So, it just helps me become a young adult, knowing that I’ve got to post better and just be a better man.”

– Wide receiver Malachi Toney, on being an example to young football players in South Florida

“That all goes back to swarming to the ball. I wouldn’t be able to recover that fumble if I’m not swarming to the ball. So, just always running to the ball, no matter the outcome of the play because any moment, you know, the ball could pop out.”

– Defensive lineman Justin Scott, on his fumble recovery

“He’s the truth. He’s a good player. He’s a good brother. He’s a good leader on and off the field. He’s a good person to be around. He’s a dog.”

– Tight end Elija Lofton on wide receiver Malachi Toney

Up Next

After a brief two-game homestand at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes will be back on the road this week, heading to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina.

The Tar Heels, coached by NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick, are 4-3 on the season and are coming off a 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse.

That loss snapped a two-game win streak that saw North Carolina notch conference wins over then No. 25 Pittsburgh and rival Duke.

But against Syracuse, the Orange were able to convert on a 2-point conversion in overtime to escape Chapel Hill with the win.

North Carolina’s Billy Edwards Jr. completed 27 of 44 passes and threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver Jordan Shipp had eight catches for 102 yards.

Miami and North Carolina have met 27 times, with the Tar Heels holding a 16-11 lead in the all-time series. The Hurricanes will head to Chapel Hill looking to snap a five-game losing streak to North Carolina and earn their first win at Kenan Stadium since 2017.