3 massive takeaways in Miami's win over Syracuse and renewed quest for CFP

Some wins feel routine, and this one felt exactly like that for the Hurricanes. Miami handled Syracuse 38-10 at Hard Rock, got creative on offense, and put seven sacks on the board. The Canes record moved to 7-2 and 3-2 in the ACC, keeping the door cracked for a potential ACC Championship game appearance, and dare I say, a chance to make the CFP. Let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the win on Saturday.

1. A creative offense made an appearance, hopefully it is here to stay

Miami's offensive creativity changed the game and needs to continue through the rest of the year. The Hurricanes punted on their first four drives, then scored on four straight possessions to close the half and open the third quarter. The spark came from a trick-play touchdown — receiver Malachi Toney floated a 14-yard pass to Carson Beck — and was paired with pick-six from Keionte Scott 23 seconds later.

Miami kept the pageantry going after the break with a 61-yard strike from Beck to Keelan Marion and a goal-line gadget that flipped a backward pass to right tackle Francis Mauigoa for a three-yard rushing score. That is two touchdowns born from design and helped the offense close out on redzone opportunities. For all of the chatter about the offense not being creative, the doubters were silenced for at least one week.

2. The WR's and general offensive depth answer the call

The wideouts stepped up with the depth chart thin, and the freshmen chipped in. Miami played without several starters, including running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver C.J. Daniels, yet the passing game pulled through. Beck finished 18-for-24 for 247 yards and crossed 10,000 career passing yards. Marion led all receivers with 116 yards, including the 61-yard touchdown that broke it open. Toney threw the game's first touchdown on the trick play. Girard Pringle Jr., also a freshman, logged steady carries and scored on a 19-yard run as Miami pulled away. That is exactly what a battered roster needs in November, and it made a difference is shutting down Syracuse.

3. This is why you do not give up on the season

Going into the day, Miami needed a lot of chaos to happen to give themselves a chance moving forward. They got just that.

Miami lost this game at Syracuse last year and watched the title path fade. This time the Canes handled business and moved into a cluster of teams with one conference loss or two, with NC State coming to Miami Gardens next.

Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pitt, SMU and Duke each hold one ACC loss, and Louisville now has two losses. Miami will have to focus on winning out, that's step one or none of this matters. But the Louisville and Virginia losses open the door for a crazy ending to the season.

Honorable Mention

Honorable mention belongs to a defense that smothered Syracuse. Miami registered seven sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown, and kept the Orange out of the end zone until the final minute. Syracuse's starting quarterback finished with 85 passing yards and two interceptions. That is a strong response one week after a letdown, and something that we have come to expect from this unit.