The Miami Hurricanes went on the road in primetime, and boy, did they put up a dominating effort in their biggest test of the season thus far, throttling Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers 41-13.
Darian Mensah completed 18 of 27 attempts for 227 yards with a touchdown. Mark Fletcher, Jr. led a 192-yard ground attack with 16 carries for 77 yards and two scores. Cooper Barkate led all pass catchers with five grabs for 98 yards and a touchdown. Damon Wilson II was the star on defense with 2.5 sacks and RELENTLESS
pressure on Clemson QB Tait Reynolds.
The game started perfectly for Miami. After forcing a Clemson punt, on their second play of the ensuing drive, Mensah found Barkate on a screen, and Barkate took off through a tunnel of Hurricane blockers and on to the end zone untouched 61 yards for a very fast 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game. Miami forced another punt, and the teams traded field goals to make the score 10-3 in the second quarter.
Mensah reminded everyone that he absolutely can run. He broke free up the middle and scrambled 32 yards before the ball was knocked out a couple of yards short of the goal line and rolled into the end zone. Mensah fell on it for a 17-3 lead. That lead SHOULD have swelled to 24-3, but a 58-yard Malachi Toney touchdown was called back for what appeared to be a nonexistent illegal shift. Clemson added a short field goal right before the half to make the midway marker 17-6.
The teams opened the second half with turnovers on downs. Ashton Hampton blanketed Toney on fourth down, and the Hurricanes stonewalled the Clemson ballcarrier in the red zone on fourth and 1 on the following drive.
The Hurricanes pushed the lead to 24-6 on the ensuing 15-play, 78-yard death march that took almost eight minutes off the clock. Fletcher trotted in untouched from the two-yard line to top it off, and Miami fans could breathe a bit.
Miami settled for a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Clemson finally broke through with a 75-yard drive in just two minutes to bring the score to 27-13 and open the door a crack. Miami kicked it shut with an ensuing 62-yard drive powered by a personal foul on the kickoff when Chris Wheatley-Humphrey was tackled well after the whistle. Fletcher leapt way over the top to send the diehards headed to the exits at 34-13. JJ Dunnigan picked of Reynolds in the last two minutes and returned it 39 yards for the game’s final points.
Up next for Miami: a much-needed bye week before hosting Florida State on Oct. 17.
