Miami Hurricanes’ Mark Fletcher Jr., Malachi Toney hit milestones in Cotton Bowl
Within a span of four plays, two of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes’ key playmakers hit key career milestones on Wednesday during UM’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.
Junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards while true freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season.
Fletcher got to 2,000 career rushing yards on a 13-yard rush early on Miami’s third drive of the game. Fletcher capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch from Carson Beck to give Miami a 7-0 lead with 13:31 left in the second quarter.
Fletcher is the 11th player in Hurricanes history with at least 2,000 career rushing yards. The group he joins: Duke Johnson (3,519 yards, 2012-14 seasons), Ottis Anderson (3,331 yards, 1975-78 seasons), Edgerrin James (2,960 yards, 1996-98 seasons), Clinton Portis (2,523 yards, 1999-2001 seasons), Graig Cooper (2,383 yards, 2007-10 seasons), Danyell Ferguson (2,214 yards, 1992 and 1994-96 seasons), Javarris James (2,162 yards, 2006-09 seasons), Joe Yearby (2,119 yards (2,119 yards, 2014-16 seasons) and Willis McGahee (2,067 yards, 2001-02 seasons).
Fletcher’s 24 career rushing touchdowns entering Wednesday are 10th most in UM history.
He finished with a game-high 90 rushing yards on 19 carries and also had two catches for 25 yards and the touchdown.
Toney, who entered the game with 89 catches for 992 yards, hit the 1,000-yard mark on a 4-yard catch on Miami’s third drive of the game late in the first quarter — four plays after Fletcher’s run that got him to his milestone.
He is just the seventh player in UM history — and only freshman — to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He joins a group that includes Charleston Rambo (1,172 yards, 2021 season), Allen Hurns (1,162 yards, 2013 season), Leonard Hankerson (1,156 yards, 2010 season), Xavier Restrepo (1,127 yards, 2024 season; and 1,092 yards, 2023 season), Eddie Brown (1,114 yards, 1984 season) and Andre Johnson (1,092 yards, 2002 season).
Toney already holds the school record for catches in a season after besting Restrepo’s mark of 85 catches from his 2023 season. His eight receiving touchdowns entering Saturday were one shy of a five-way tie for eighth most in a season in school history.
Toney finished with five catches for 16 yards.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 8:17 PM.
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