MIAMI GARDENS – The scoring came early and often for the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes in their 45-3 home victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.
“It was a pretty solid job by our guys coming out handling business,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said in a press conference with media members on Saturday night (Sept. 6). “Really efficient by the offense scoring on every drive.”
It began with a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Beck to wide receiver CJ Daniels. An extra point by kicker Carter Davis gave Miami a 7-0 lead with 9:16 left in the first quarter.
The Hurricanes defense did not allow much to the Wildcats and gave the offense another chance to score.
After a nine-play, 74-yard drive that lasted more than four minutes, Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. ran the ball for 16 yards to the end zone. A second extra point by Davis extended Miami’s lead to 14-0 with 2:34 left in the first frame.
The 14-point margin would hold until the second quarter, when an eight-play, 68-yard drive resulted in a 2-yard touchdown run from running back CharMar Marty Brown. A third extra point by Davis gave Miami a 21-0 lead at the 9:55 mark.
Bethune-Cookman (0-2) had the ball for a good part of the second quarter, as it used up almost seven minutes of the clock to engineer an 11-play, 60-yard drive that resulted in a 32-yard field goal from Juan Dominguez. This special teams score cut Miami’s lead to 21-3 with 3:08 left.
To end the first half, Beck found Daniels for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left.
“The biggest goal for me is to make plays for the quarterback,” Daniels said. “Wherever you put me, my job is to hold it in and make his job easier. I just tell Carson (Beck) to put it around me. I’m a playmaker, and I just want to make his job as easy as possible.”
After Beck’s scoring pass to Daniels, a new kicker came in as Bert Auburn connected on a successful extra point to make it 28-3 in favor of the Hurricanes.
By halftime, Miami (2-0) outgained Bethune-Cookman in total yardage, 313-98.
Beck set a single game record for Miami in the first half by completing 15 consecutive passes against Bethune-Cookman. This broke a longstanding record by Vinny Testaverde, when he completed 14 consecutive passes against Oklahoma in 1986.
Beck played one more possession early in the third quarter and finished the game with 22 pass completions in 24 attempts for 267 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He spoke on how offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson set him and his teammates up for success.
“I think Coach Dawson does a really good job of just mixing up offensive looks and cycling calls, and not just cycling calls, but getting us in really good calls against what the defense is doing against us,” Beck said. “And for me, I just do what the defense tells me. You have to react. You have to make the throw. You have to read the defense. That is the fun of the game. It is reacting to the defense.”
The only score of the third quarter came at the 10:39 mark, when Fletcher (11 carries, 86 yards, two touchdowns) reached the end zone on a 1-yard run. An Auburn extra point extended Miami’s lead to 35-3 over Bethune Cookman.
Early in the fourth quarter, Miami reached the end zone for the last time on a 30-yard touchdown run from running back Girard Pringle Jr., who spoke with media members about his breakthrough moment.
“It was a blessing,” Pringle said. “I couldn’t thank my O-line enough. I couldn’t thank Coach Cristobal enough for letting me get the chance to play tonight. It was a blessing to be able to do that.”
After Pringle’s score, Miami sent out William Rocha as the third kicker to connect on an extra point for a 42-3 lead with 13:52 left.
The game’s final score was made possible by a 31-yard field goal from Auburn at the 2:00 mark.
Miami’s offense gained 543 total yards and had 31 first downs, while its defense limited Bethune Cookman to 191 total yards and 14 first downs.
For the second consecutive game, Miami did not commit a turnover, which is a testament to its commitment in taking care of the ball. Meanwhile, the Miami defense forced two turnovers – a fumble recovery by defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. in the third quarter and an interception in the end zone caught by safety Bryce Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter.
Cristobal spoke on Fitzgerald’s defensive play and how he is coming along.
“He’s got a tremendous knack for being around the football,” Cristobal said. “His cover skills are excellent. He’s a great tackler. He’s not a little guy. He’s a big guy. He’s 6’1” plus, and he’s close to 200 pounds, so he’s a guy that he’s learned our systems, picked them up really well, and actually a couple different positions. And so, you’re going to see him in more than one.”
Next up for Miami is a matchup at home on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. against USF (2-0). The Bulls are have beat two ranked opponents to begin the season, including an 18-16 win over No. 13 Florida.