MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Pitt knew where Malachi Toney was. The Panthers tried doubling him. They tried putting a defender underneath him with help over the top.
None of it kept Miami’s sophomore receiver from deciding the game.
Toney caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, powering the Hurricanes to a 52–23 victory over Pittsburgh. Darian Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns without an interception as Miami improved to 7–0 overall and 5–0 in ACC play.
“We double covered him at times and still couldn’t cover him,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Ran some out routes and got us on third down. They made plays.”
Miami converted 10 of 15 third downs, scored on all seven red-zone possessions and finished with 506 yards of offense. Pittsburgh fell to 5–3 overall and 2–3 in the conference.
For Mensah, Toney’s ability to deliver when Miami needed a first down reflected the work that came before kickoff.
“It’s not surprising. The dude works his butt off day in and day out, so come Saturday he’s super prepared,” Mensah said. “We had a great third down plan this week, and I think we did a good job executing.”
That preparation showed during a decisive stretch late in the first half.
Pitt had cut Miami’s lead to 17–7 on Damon Ferguson Jr.’s 5-yard touchdown run. On the Hurricanes’ next possession, a sack left them facing third-and-18 from their own 31. Mensah found Toney for 21 yards to keep the drive alive. Following a false-start penalty, the pair connected again, this time for a 53-yard touchdown that restored Miami’s cushion with 1:50 remaining.
The Hurricanes were not finished.
Freshman JJ Dunnigan forced a fumble on Pitt’s next offensive snap, and defensive lineman Justin Scott recovered at the Panthers’ 33. Mensah turned the short field into another touchdown, finding Gavin Mueller for a 3-yard score with 39 seconds left.
In little more than a minute, Miami transformed a 10-point lead into a 31–7 halftime advantage.
“That all goes back to swarming to the ball,” Scott said. “You know, I wouldn’t be able to recover that fumble if I’m not swarming to the ball.”
The sequence capped a first half in which Miami’s defense had already given the offense repeated opportunities. The Hurricanes forced four consecutive three-and-outs to open the game, establishing control of field position while Pitt struggled to sustain a possession.
“We just had a very good plan to contain them, got a lot of checks in,” linebacker Chase Smith said.
Jake Weinberg opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal. Toney followed with a 19-yard touchdown reception, and Javian Mallory added a 16-yard scoring run early in the second quarter to put Miami ahead 17–0.
Miami continued producing after halftime. Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run made it 38–7. Pitt answered with Holden Geriner’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Cataurus Hicks, but Mallory scored again from 2 yards out to extend the Hurricanes’ lead to 45–14.
Toney completed his three-touchdown afternoon with an 11-yard reception early in the fourth quarter, pushing Miami’s total to 52 points.
“He has the trust of the entire organization, certainly the quarterback,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “He does an unbelievable job of creating separation.”
Cristobal’s assessment ended with a stronger endorsement: “There’s not a guy in the country that’s more dependable than Malachi Toney.”
Mallory finished with 47 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Fletcher added 41 rushing yards and a score. Vandrevius Jacobs caught three passes for 50 yards, while Cooper Barkate had three receptions for 32 yards.
Asked what clicked for the offense, tight end Elija Lofton pointed to execution and confidence in the system.
“Just being true to ourselves, going out there, doing our best, going 1-0 every play, executing the play that Coach Dawson called and going out there having fun,” Lofton said.
The victory came with members of Miami’s 2001 national championship team back around the program. Toney said Andre Johnson encouraged him to keep being himself, while Mensah described the former players’ presence as motivating.
For Cristobal, honoring that team with a win added meaning to the afternoon. The performance still left him with corrections to demand.
Miami committed 10 penalties for 77 yards. Pitt produced several explosive passing plays, with Hicks finishing with five receptions for 149 yards and Geriner throwing for 268 yards. A fourth-quarter safety and Corey Dailey’s late 49-yard touchdown pass to Cam Sapp narrowed the final margin after Miami had built a 38-point lead.
Cristobal praised the fast start but challenged the reserves to finish more effectively.
“We certainly have to finish off games better if we are going to give guys opportunities to play to close out the game,” he said.
The Hurricanes nevertheless controlled the afternoon, holding the ball for 36:20 and winning the turnover battle. Dunnigan recorded five tackles, a sack and the forced fumble, while Scott’s recovery helped Miami put the game out of reach before halftime.
Pitt had plans for Toney. Miami had the execution to beat them.
Recent Comments