Mark Fletcher Jr. sparked a ground-game explosion while Darian Mensah and Luke Nickel delivered aerial masterclasses to fuel the Miami Hurricanes’ relentless offensive assault at Hard Rock Stadium.
HARD ROCK STADIUM – The No. 7 Miami Hurricanes (2-0, ACC 1-0) destroyed the Florida A&M Rattlers (1-2) 77-7 in their home opener on Thursday night; tying a program record for the most points scored in a single game, and here are four takeaways following a 856-total-yard team performance:
Pounding the Ground
In the Hurricanes’ first drive, star running back and senior Mark Fletcher Jr. made big plays on the ground. On his third rushing attempt, he carved out a 46-yard touchdown.
Fletcher Jr. and the rest of the Hurricanes’ backfield cast were efficient in running the ball. It was a significant improvement compared to last Friday’s 45-6 win over Stanford.
Fletcher Jr. finished with 105 yards on seven rushing attempts and two touchdowns. The rest of the backfield supporting cast (CharMar “Marty” Brown, Javion Mallory, and Girard Pringle Jr.) combined for 184 yards on 17 rushing attempts. Mallory (two) and Pringle Jr. (one) each scored a touchdown.
There is No Place Like (A New) Home
Darian Mensah wasted little time making a strong first impression in front of “The U” fanbase. On the second drive, he connected with sophomore wide receiver Joshua Moore for a 55-yard touchdown on his first passing attempt of the game. Mensah played in just the first half as the game was well out of reach.
The 21-year-old completed 14 of 15 passes (93.3 percent) and threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah finished with a 300.5 quarterback rating.
Defensive Masterclass
The Hurricanes’ defense didn’t allow the Rattler’s offense to catch any sort of rhythm, whether it was through the air or on the ground. The unit allowed just 107 total yards. Starting Rattlers quarterback Dustin Fletcher completed just seven of 15 passes (46.7 percent) and threw for 34 yards.
A big key to the game was third downs. The Rattlers only had one conversion on 14 attempts. The offense never came close to the red zone.
The Hurricanes were without a few key secondary players, including Xavier Lucas, Romanas “OJ” Frederique Jr., and Dylan Day. As a result, freshman JJ Dunnigan received his first collegiate starting nod at safety. Bryce Fitzgerald moved to cornerback on the opposite side of Damari Brown, who received his first starting nod of the season.
A Future Quarterback Preview
The third quarter became the Luke Nickel display for what the future may hold. He completed eight of eight passes (100 percent) and threw for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Nickel finished with a 375 quarterback rating.
Freshman Dereon Coleman got playing time, primarily in the fourth quarter. He completed five of six passes (83.3 percent) and threw for 30 yards.
Up Next
The Hurricanes will travel to North Carolina for another ACC showdown, this time against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons next Friday, televised on ESPN and kicking off at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
