3 big observations from Miami's dominant win over USF

Miami left little doubt in a 49-12 rout of No. 18 South Florida on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in a result that sent the Hurricanes up from No. 5 to No. 4 in the AP Poll.

1. The offense and Carson Beck is primed for another dominant year

Carson Beck accounted for four touchdowns, freshman Joshua Moore caught two first-quarter scores, and the Hurricanes led 28-6 at halftime before cruising to 3-0. It was Miami's largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent since 2001, and it came against a USF team that started the season with wins over Boise State and Florida.

Beck's command of the passing game set the tone as he went 23 of 28 for 340 yards and three touchdowns with 12.1 yards per attempt, then added a 2-yard rushing score late in the second quarter. Moore gave Miami early separation with TD grabs of 8 and 39 yards in the first quarter. Miami finished 25 of 30 through the air for 371 yards and averaged 8.5 yards per play overall.

Beck had a couple interceptions but at this point in the season it appears as though he has returned to his 2023 form. And if things continue to move forward this way — Miami fans won't want to hear this — OC Shannon Dawson is going to get head coaching interest. With Ward going No. 1 overall, Beck reviving his draft stock, and Miami not missing a beat despite losing their top-six pass catchers, it would be inevitable that he gets looks from other programs once the season ends. Dawson has even already been connected to the Virginia Tech opening.

2. The running back room is deep and the trenches are impressive

The run game and line play were crucial in the win against Notre Dame and it showed up again against USF. Miami rushed for 205 yards on 38 carries (5.4 per carry) against the Bulls. Mark Fletcher Jr. led with 16 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns, including a 38-yard burst midway through the second quarter.

Girard Pringle Jr. added a short score, and Beck’s keeper capped another drive. Miami controlled the ball for just over 36 minutes and converted seven of 11 third downs. CharMar Brown has been as advertised with 31 carries for 126 yards and two scores on the season. The offensive line has also kept the QB's upright with only 4 sacks through three games.

3. The defensive overhaul has worked... so far

Miami’s front seven strangled USF's rushing attack and put them behind the sticks all game. The Bulls finished with 40 rushing yards on 27 attempts (1.5 per carry) and quarterback Byrum Brown was held to 13 rushes for 2 yards. Booker Pickett recorded a sack and USF managed one touchdown, which came in the fourth quarter. Safety Bryce Fitzgerald's second-quarter interception also set up a short-field touchdown that stretched the lead to 28-6 (that was his second INT on the year).

Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. have led the way and they deserve a mention here as well before going any further. Bain came in at No. 8 in On3's Heisman poll after week 3 and leads the team in tackles this season with 15. Mesidor has a team-leading two sacks and also has 13 tackles.

Now, with the dominance acknowledged, things seem to have changed on the defensive end but most fans/media members will want to see more to finally put the concern to bed. While it's not the same unit by any stretch of the imagination, some might chalk up the first three games as performances that should have happened.

Notre Dame QB CJ Carr had his first start on the road and was understandably rattled, Bethune-Cookman was outmatched, and USF did not have the players to compete in the trenches. For these reasons some might need to see more. But, in the same logic, ND put up 40 on Texas A&M (albeit off a bye and at home) and USF still came into the game with two ranked wins — something that seems to be forgotten after the big loss. So, in essence, there is two ways to look at it and at the end of the day, the defense will have the opportunity to continue the dominance that was so badly needed last season.