Will Pitt's Defense Contain Miami Hurricanes' Malachi Toney From Igniting?

MIAMI, Fla. – At this point, it’s nearly impossible to miss on star wide receiver Malachi Toney when facing the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes, but is there any legitimate formula to slow him down?

The only sign this season the 19-year-old was remotely disrupted was against Clemson, when junior cornerback Ashton Hampton was primarily lined up in coverage. Toney caught just five passes while finishing with 59 total yards. The Hurricanes still left Death Valley (Memorial Stadium) with a 41-13 win.

Quarterback Darian Mensah doesn’t just rely on Toney to make big plays. He has a plethora of options, such as Cooper Barkate, Daylyn Upshaw, and Elija Lofton; meanwhile, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory are ready to control the ground game from the backfield.

Toney is a sensational talent, arguably among college football’s elite, alongside Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Last season, he led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns – receiving (10), rushing (one), passing (two). Toney is a versatile playmaker who can be impactful all over the field.

However, as the Hurricanes host Pitt this weekend, Panthers senior cornerback Raion Strader believes they have the right game plan to cause havoc.

“I think we have a great scheme for [Toney],” he said. “We believe in ourselves and really confident on the defensive side. We’re going to bring it to him.”

The 21-year-old will likely be the primary option to line up against Toney. Strader is listed at 6-0, 190 pounds, and currently has a 76.5 Pro Football Focus grade this season. He has a 49.1 passer rating allowed, plus three passes broken up and three interceptions.

Regardless of what defensive packages Pitt presents to attack Toney, the Liberty City (Fla.) native hardly gets rattled. He doesn’t have the reputation of complaining or giving up on plays when the targets aren’t coming. Toney finds other ways to impact winning, including blocking defenders to create space on the field for others to operate.

Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has the depth to have Mensah look in different directions. Even on slow production, Toney is still going to get opportunities to make plays. He hasn’t logged a drop since entering college football last season. In the Hurricanes’ 43-35 double-overtime win over the Florida State Seminoles last Saturday, Toney caught a 30-yard pass in the first quarter over two defenders.

It’s easy to believe that stopping the star receiver will disrupt the rest of the offense.

The Hurricanes can find different sources of offensive firepower; however, Toney is rarely completely silenced in a game.

Kickoff is scheduled at 12:00 p.m. E.T. at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday and will be televised on ESPN.

More Miami Hurricanes News:

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- "Javian Mallory Boosted UM's Run Game as Mark Fletcher Jr. Went Down"