Miami Gardens, Fla. — Miami closed its regular-season home slate with a statement on Saturday — and now the Hurricanes wait to see if the College Football Playoff committee sends them back to their own field in January.
Carson Beck threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Malachi Toney, as No. 16 Miami routed N.C. State 41–7 to strengthen its postseason résumé.
Beck finished 21 of 27 and completed his last 13 throws, giving Miami (8–2, 4–2 ACC) its fifth win by 25+ points this year — the most in a single season since the 2002 Hurricanes produced six such blowouts.
“Just turn on the film,” defensive lineman Ahkeem Mesidor said. “Look at what we’re doing.”
Defense Sets the Tone
Jakobe Thomas intercepted two passes in the opening quarter, returning one for a touchdown, to put Miami firmly in control early.
Running back Girard Pringle Jr. added impact on offense, rushing for 116 yards — surpassing his season total through the first four games by one yard.
Miami led 41–0 before clearing the bench in the fourth quarter during a celebratory Senior Day.
The Hurricanes outgained the Wolfpack 581–149. N.C. State entered the weekend averaging 454 yards per game in league play, second-best in the ACC.
Outside of a one-play kneeldown before halftime, eight of the Wolfpack’s first 10 possessions ended with a punt or interception.
“Our punter was our highlight,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “That’s never good. Offense and defense weren’t good enough.”
Wolfpack Avoid Shutout Late
Quarterback CJ Bailey went 17-for-30 for 120 yards and scored N.C. State’s lone touchdown with 2:18 remaining, stopping the program’s shutout-free streak from ending at 143 games.
The last time the Wolfpack were blanked: Oct. 4, 2014.
Playoff Hopes Still Alive
Miami was ranked 15th by the CFP committee this week — the highest of any ACC team — and expects to climb after Saturday’s win.
“There’s a way you play, and it speaks loudly,” head coach Mario Cristobal said.
Hard Rock Stadium will host both the Orange Bowl (Jan. 1) and the CFP National Championship (Jan. 19). The Hurricanes hope they’ve done enough to return.
Attendance Milestone
Miami’s home schedule wrapped with a program record:
- 510,673 tickets distributed across eight games
- 63,834 average attendance, second-highest in school history
- Only 2002 averaged more (69,539)
The Takeaway
N.C. State:
The Wolfpack have allowed 36+ points in four straight games, something that hadn’t happened since 2013.
Miami:
A dominant finish at home keeps playoff hopes alive — and the Hurricanes’ résumé may only get stronger.
What’s Next:
N.C. State: hosts Florida State on Friday
Miami: visits Virginia Tech on Nov. 22
