GAINESVILLE - The Miami Hurricanes are on their way back. This can be said emphatically, as their high focus and poise on offense and defense were on full display in their 41-17 season-opening win over the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday (Aug. 31).
Miami outgained Florida by a total yards margin of 529-261 and handed the SEC school its worst home-opening loss in program history. With the win, Miami is now 1-0 and is poised to improve on its current No. 19 national ranking in the Associated Press poll. Meanwhile, Florida drops to 0-1 after this ended at "The Swamp."
It started with the game’s first possession when the Canes' front seven swarmed the Gator's offense with their athleticism. They forced a three-and-out and opened up an opportunity for their offense. Senior quarterback Cam Ward (25-of-34 passing, 350 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception) began by leading a spirited drive that resulted in multiple first downs and a score.
One impact play was a wide-open pass that Ward threw to senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who made a tough leaping catch in the middle of the field for a first down. A few plays later, Ward found ninth-year senior tight end Cam McCormick for a relatively open nine-yard touchdown pass at the 6:48 mark. Ward’s poise and patience helped Miami score on an 11-play drive that ended with the score and an extra point by kicker Andres Borregales for a 7-0 lead.
Miami’s defense would hold Florida to a 41-yard field goal made by kicker Trey Smack with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. They overcame an interception that Ward threw at Miami’s 33-yard line with 2:25 left, and the first quarter ended with Miami up 7-3 over Florida. As for the second quarter, it was mainly about Miami in more ways than one.
Borregales would extend the Canes' lead to 10-3 on the strength of a 23-yard field goal with 9:53 left in the half. This was made possible by four pass completions from Ward, who led a nine-play, 70-yard drive highlighted by completions for first downs to Restrepo and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Horton.
After the Canes defense stopped the Gators offense in its tracks on the next possession, it was the offense’s time to shine again. This time, it was a 30-yard pass combination from Ward to Horton, followed by a 10-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Mark Fletcher Jr. that helped extend the Canes lead to 17-3 at the 6:41 mark.
After the score, both teams had their drives that ended in punts. But the Gators got themselves back in the game, as Montrell Johnson Jr. went off to the races for a 71-yard touchdown run that would help cut the Canes to 17-10 at the 3:21 mark.
The Gators' momentum did not last long, as Ward got back to work and engineered an eight-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 24-yard touchdown pass to Restrepo (7 receptions, 112 yards) with 45 seconds left. An extra point by Borregales put Miami up 24-10 over Florida, as the 14-point scoring margin held up at halftime.
Ward found nine different Hurricanes for at least one reception in the first half, as he completed 16 of 20 passes for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. And on the defensive side of the ball, 14 Hurricanes recorded at least one tackle.
Linebackers Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe led the team with three tackles each. At the beginning of the third quarter, Miami did not let up on offense, as it marched down the field for six plays that covered 75 yards. Ward completed three key passes on the drive to Restrepo (40-yarder to the Florida 29-yard line), Fletcher Jr. (22-yarder to the Florida 7-yard line), and fifth-yard redshirt junior wide receiver Samuel Brown (6-yarder to the Florida 1-yard line).
The next play was a one-yard touchdown run from Fletcher Jr., who went over the pile to help Miami extend its lead to 31-10 over Florida at the 12:25 mark. The Canes' defense fed off the offensive score as the unit allowed just one Gators first down on the next drive. The drive ended on a combined third-down sack on Gators quarterback Graham Mertz by Jaden Harris and Elijah Alston.
After Florida punted the ball to Miami, it was a nine-play, 86-yard drive that featured three big pass completions from Ward. It started with a 23-yarder to tight end Elijah Arroyo (from the Canes 14-yard line to 37-yard line), continued with a 27-yarder to Horton (from the Gators 49- yard line to the 22-yard line), and ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jacolby George.
With an extra point by Borregales, Miami’s lead over Florida was extended to 38-10 at the 6:33 mark. Later in the third frame, Miami’s defense would bend but not break. An 11-play, 51-drive for Florida ended with an interception thrown by Mertz and caught by redshirt senior defensive back Meesh Powell, who took the pigskin and ran it 67 yards to the Florida 28-yard line with 24 seconds left, and the third quarter ended with Miami keeping its 38-10 lead over Florida. After Borregales missed a 45-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, Florida changed quarterbacks.
Mertz finished the day with 11-of-20 passing for 91 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway entered the game to mark his collegiate debut. The fourth quarter saw one scoring drive for Florida, which may have found its new quarterback in Lagway as he led a 9-play, 58-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Treyaun Webb with 7:14 left.
A 26-yard field goal by Borregales later in the fourth would extend the lead to 41-17. And to close it all out, Harris would pick off a Lagway pass with 2:50 left to seal the Miami’s 24- point margin of victory.
Miami will host Florida A&M next Saturday, while Florida hosts Samford.
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