No. 10 Hurricanes fall in overtime to SMU, and their season goals are in jeopardy
The Miami Hurricanes at various points Saturday afternoon put themselves in harm’s way.
For most of the day, the Hurricanes were the superior team on the field.
Those self-inflicted mistakes cost the Hurricanes a much-needed win.
The 10th-ranked Hurricanes lost 26-20 in overtime to the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium — all but guaranteeing they’ll miss the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game and putting their path to the 12-team College Football Playoff in extreme jeopardy.
TJ Harden scored a 1-yard touchdown in overtime to seal SMU’s win. Carson Beck threw an interception on Miami’s overtime drive. The sold-out crowd stormed the field after the win.
Miami falls to 6-2 and 2-2 in ACC play. SMU improves to 6-3 and 4-1 in ACC play.
“Obviously, to lose a game like that in that fashion, it’s hard,” Beck said. “We work really hard, and this team comes and works every single day. And we’re so connected, and it’s a brotherhood. And it’s really tough to lose like that.”
SMU tied the game on a final drive of regulation that, like so much of the game before it, came with an avoidable mistake for Miami.
SMU, which was pinned to its 10-yard line with 2:10 left to play and Miami up 20-17, had fourth and 9 from its 48-yard line and Hurricanes edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot appeared to have the game-sealing sack on the play. However, Miami called timeout before the play and Lightfoot subsequently was called for unnecessary roughness, which extended the drive and allowed SMU’s Sam Knelter to hit a game-tying 38-yard field goal with 25 seconds left to force overtime.
It’s a brutal loss for Miami, especially with how one-sided so much of the game was against the Mustangs.
At halftime, Miami led SMU in total yards 227-121, total rushing yards 70 to minus-6 and time of possession 20:08 to 9:52.
But the Hurricanes only went to the locker room up 10-7. Why?
- Miami was called for eight penalties in the opening half, many of which stunted drives. This included two in a span of three plays — offensive pass interference on Malachi Toney and holding on Francis Mauigoa — in the second quarter when a second-and-8 from the SMU 23 into a third-and-33 and an eventual punt. UM ultimately committed 12 total penalties in the game.
- Joshisa Trader, who made his first start and opened scoring with a 36-yard touchdown in the first quarter, bobbled a pass down the right sideline that ultimately landed in the hands of SMU safety Ahmaad Moses and gave SMU great field position. The Mustangs scored their only points of the half one play later on a 28-yard pass from Kevin Jennings to Yamir Knight.
- An Elija Lofton drop on third and goal after a long Malachi Toney punt return in the final minute set Miami up inside the SMU 10- forced the Hurricanes to settle for a short Carter Davis field goal.
“When you make that many mistakes — and they are flat-out mistakes — it’s on everybody in the organization — myself, every coach, every player,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said. “When you make that many mistakes as an organization, you allow yourself to be put in a position where you can get beat. And that’s what happened.”
The teams then traded scores down the stretch.
SMU opened the second half with a nine-play, 79-yard touchdown drive capped by a 3-yard rush from Jennings that put the Mustangs up 14-10. UM appeared to have forced a turnover on the opening play of that drive — with cornerback Xavier Lucas strip-sacking Jennings and Rueben Bain Jr. recovering — but officials overturned the initial ruling and said Jennings threw an incomplete pass.
Miami responded on its next drive by going 75 yards on seven plays, with Beck finding tight end Alex Bauman for a 4-yard touchdown to put Miami back up 17-14 with 9:06 left in the third quarter. Beck completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
The teams then exchanged field goals — Keltner hitting from 43 yards with seven seconds left in the third quarter to tie the game at 17-17, Davis from 45 yards with 9:34 left to put Miami up 20-17 — before SMU tied the game two drives later to force overtime.
Miami played the game without three starters in cornerback OJ Frederique Jr., wide receiver CJ Daniels and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr.
The trio of Trader, Toney and Keelan Marion caught 19 passes for 228 yards and Trader’s touchdown.
The Hurricanes return home to play Syracuse next Saturday. SMU travels to play Boston College.
This story was originally published November 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM.
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