No. 15 Miami Hurricanes dominate NC State to keep playoff hopes alive
If the Miami Hurricanes want a chance at making the College Football Playoff, at proving to the 12-person committee that they are worthy of a spot in the 12-team postseason field, they are going to need more games like the one they had Saturday down the stretch.
The 15th-ranked Hurricanes easily took care of the NC State Wolfpack with a 41-7 win at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami improves to 8-2 (4-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play) and went 7-1 in its eight-game home slate. NC State falls to 5-5 (2-4 ACC).
Will it be enough to sway the committee as Miami tries to maneuver through a logjam of two-loss teams vying for at-large bids into the postseason? We’ll have to wait until Tuesday when the latest rankings are released to know for sure.
But if nothing else, Saturday was arguably the most complete game the Hurricanes have played all season — a good sign considering the CFP selection committee has stressed the need for Miami to be more consistent down the stretch as it builds its resume.
“Very much a game where it was complementary,” coach Mario Cristobal said, “both sides showing up where they need to.”
Just how balanced was everything?
The Hurricanes scored on six of nine drives with the starters in the game and had 581 yards of total offense. The defense did not allow NC State to enter Miami territory until there was 5:26 left in the game and the Hurricanes had their reserves on the field. NC State scored its only points of the game on that drive on a 10-yard CJ Bailey touchdown run with 2:18 left to play.
Quarterback Carson Beck completed 21 of 27 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns before being relieved for backup Emory Williams with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Nine players caught passes from Beck, with Keelan Marion having a team-leading seven catches and 96 yards and Malachi Toney hauling in two touchdown catches.
Freshman running back Girard Pringle Jr., making his first career start for Miami, had career highs with 17 carries and 116 yards.
And the defense held NC State to just 149 yards — 75 of which came on that garbage-time touchdown drive. Miami had five tackles for loss, five pass breakups and a pair of Jakobe Thomas interceptions.
A dominant effort from start to finish.
And doing so without a slew of key players. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. missed a second consecutive game. Cornerback OJ Frederique missed his third. Nickel cornerback Keionte Scott missed his first, although Cristobal said his injury is “serious.” And wide receiver CJ Daniels, while healthy and active, did not play for a third consecutive game.
“They’re big-time players and they’re big-time leaders,” Cristobal said. “It goes back to the energy they brought into the building on Monday. They just were a very determined group to put together their best week of preparation and then bring it to life.”
That they did.
The Hurricanes jumped out to a 24-0 lead at halftime on a Carter Davis field goal, a Thomas 60-yard pick-six, a CharMar “Marty” Brown 1-yard touchdown run and a Toney 14-yard touchdown catch.
It was Miami’s largest halftime lead in ACC play since Sept. 25, 2020, when the Hurricanes were up 38-3 on FSU on their way to an eventual 52-10 win.
Toney, Miami’s freshman phenom, also threw a 44-yard pass to sophomore receiver Joshisa “JoJo” Trader on the drive that ended in Brown’s touchdown run.
The defense held NC State to just 82 yards of offense on seven first-half drives. Five of those ended in punts. The other two ended in interceptions by Thomas.
Thomas is the sixth Hurricanes player since 2000 to have a game with multiple interceptions and a pick-six.
The others:
- Kam Kinchens Nov. 12, 2022 at Georgia Tech
- Sean Taylor on Oct. 11, 2003 at Florida State
- Maurice Sikes on Sept. 7, 2002 at Florida
- Phillip Buchanon on Nov. 11, 2000 against Pittsburgh
- Ed Reed on Nov. 4, 2000, against Virginia Tech
Miami then added scores from an Elija Lofton 29-yard touchdown catch, Davis 38-yard field goal and Toney 15-yard touchdown catch.
Miami needs to keep winning for any of this conversation to keep happening. The Hurricanes close their regular-season schedule with consecutive road games at Virginia Tech on Nov. 22 and Pittsburgh on Nov. 29.
The Hurricanes also still most likely need help to get to the playoffs, whether that’s via an at-large spot or trying to get an automatic bid as the ACC champion.
But Miami’s focus ever since sustaining its second loss of the season was to worry about what they can control and let everything else play out how it may.
The Hurricanes did that on Saturday.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 6:57 PM.
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