No. 9 Miami Returns to the Win Column After Dominant Second Half Over Stanford
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Walking into the locker room at halftime tied 7-7, No. 9 Miami had a choice to make. Layover and all the work they did at the start of the season go to waste, or play like the team that was once the No. 2 team in the country.
They were confused, consistently hurting themselves with penitiles and holding themselves back from fully taking over. Stanford had traveled over 3000 miles to get to South Florida, and they were game for a matchup.
The first half was one for major concern with a chorus of boos from the semi-filled 62,392 announced attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, inconsistent play from quarterback Carson Beck, and questionable play calling from offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.
But once the Hurricanes scored in the last minute of the second half, something clicked. And in the second half, they came out and dominated on both sides of the ball.
“That was huge for us," Carson Beck said. "Again, in those rainy conditions, where it's just tough nose football, and they're kind of playing back, trying to create kind of a net where it's tough to get explosive plays, and you kind of just got to ground it down, play quick game and get quick screens and things of that sort.
"To be able to get a touchdown there at the end was honestly huge. And our defense played amazing in the first half, to be able to keep it so close. And then ultimately, you know, coming out of half, we were able to kind of turn it up a little bit, start rolling. That was big for the momentum, and just kind of get our feet set.”
A sigh of relief over the Miami Hurricanes as they stomp the Stanford Cardinal in the second half en route to a 42-7 victory.
"I like the way our guys stuck with it," Mario Cristobal said after the game. "On the offensive side of the ball, started off a bit sluggishly and maintained composure, and stayed in it. Defensive did a phenomenal job. After the first drive shutting down the opponent, and giving us an oppurtinity to get back into it and close the first half with a scoring drive that built some momentum.
"Great defense and great special teams. We just started clicking. We started playing some Miami Hurricanes football."
It started on the defensive end. After giving up four first downs in the first drive, the Hurricanes only gave up three total for the rest of the game. The Hurricanes adjusted and gave the Canes life every time.
“We were just focused on executing our game plan, having short-term memory, and moving on to the next play," Xavier Lucas said. "We can’t change the past, but we just locked in and played our game.”
With the defensive advantage, it gifted the offense two turnovers that allowed great field position, turning into points. Beck recovered well from his four-interception Freaky Friday against Louisville, delivering the ball and returning to a game manager position for the Canes.
Beck finished the night 21-28 for 189 yards and a touchdown catch with CJ Daniels mossing a defender for his sixth touchdown catch of the season.
CJ DANIELS JUST THE MOSS'D EM
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) October 26, 2025
TOUCHDOWN CANES!!! pic.twitter.com/B8xvHog3T2
What also showed back up was the running game for the Canes. The Hurricanes had five total rushing touchdowns, led by junior Mark Fletcher Jr., who was used all over the field for one of his best games of his career.
“We work hard every day, so it's good to put it on display," Fletcher said. "We just had to continue to execute. And that's what we did.”
Fletcher finished the game with 23 touches for 106 yards and three touchdowns. This was his first three-touchdown rushing game of his career and his sixth multi-touchdown game.
Let's also not forget that Malachi Toney is a Godsend for this Miami Hurricanes offense. He is a monster.
The Hurricanes will now be back on the road in a difficult environment against a potent SMU team on Nov. 1.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.