The Miami Hurricanes secured a decisive 38-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers in their regular season finale on Saturday. The game, held in Pittsburgh, saw the Hurricanes, ranked No. 13, overcome an early deficit to score 35 unanswered points against No. 24 Pitt.
With this win, Miami improved its overall record to 10-2 and 6-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play. This marks the first time since the 2002-03 seasons that Miami has achieved back-to-back years with double-digit wins. The Panthers fell to 8-4 overall and matched Miami’s conference record at 6-2. The final spots for next week’s ACC Championship Game remain undecided as other games are still pending.
Wide receiver Malachi Toney played a significant role in the victory, recording 13 receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. He also threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Elijah Lofton and rushed for 30 yards. Toney set a new school record for receiving yards by a freshman with 970 yards, surpassing Ahmmon Richards’ previous mark.
Quarterback Carson Beck completed 23 of his 29 passes for 267 yards, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Running back Girard Pringle led the team with ten carries for 82 yards while Mark Fletcher contributed another rushing touchdown. The Hurricanes totaled 416 offensive yards and had a notable advantage in first downs, leading Pitt by a margin of 29 to 11.
On defense, Miami limited Pittsburgh to just 229 total yards, including only 30 rushing yards. Defensive end Rueben Bain and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten each recorded one-and-a-half sacks. Safety Zechariah Poyser made five tackles and one tackle for loss, while linebacker Wesley Bissainthe led the team with six tackles.
For Pitt, quarterback Mason Heintschel finished with 22 completions on 32 attempts for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Wide receiver Raphael Williams caught five passes for a total of 66 yards, while linebacker Kyle Louis made twelve tackles.
The game began with strong defensive efforts from both teams before Miami took an early lead through a field goal by Carter Davis. Pitt responded with their only touchdown early in the second quarter but was unable to score again as Miami’s offense gained momentum.
After regaining the lead through Toney’s touchdown pass to Lofton, Miami extended its advantage throughout the second half with additional scores from Beck’s passing and Fletcher’s rushing efforts. The Hurricanes’ defense continued to stifle Pitt’s offense in key moments of the game.
Miami will now await further results to determine if they secure a spot in next weekend’s ACC Championship Game.
