4 big winners and 2 losers from Miami's blowout win over Florida A&M

The Miami Hurricanes were expected to pile up big numbers against Florida A&M, and they did not disappoint, beating the Rattlers, 77-7. Miami scored on all seven of its first-half possessions before the starting unit gave way to the backups. 

There was some bad news to begin the night as starting corrnerback Xavier Lucas was ruled out and will miss several weeks, putting the Hurricanes down both of their Week 1 starting corners. But it was a chance for a lot of young players to show how far they've come in a short time. 

Here are the big winners and losers from Miami's Week 2 blowout win over Florida A&M:

Winner: The offense smashes the record books.

77 points. 856 yards. 41 first downs. All new records for Miami single-game offensive production. The Hurricanes scored every possession until the 3rd and 4th teams got into the game. It was a near perfect balance too, with the Hurricanes gaining 430 rushing yards and 426 passing yards. 

The starting unit went 7-for-7 on drives that ended in touchdowns. Mario Cristobal and Shannon Dawson will surely find a few things to pick at because they want perfection, but this was a heck of a night.

Winner: Luke Nickel gets some much-needed confidence

We expected Darian Mensah to be great, and he was, going 14-for-15 for 252 yards and three touchdowns in nearly a half of work. But all eyes were on Nickel, who had a bit of a shaky outing in Week 1 against Stanford. Well, Nickel bounced back in a big way and didn't let the ball touch the ground, completing all eight passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Nickel showed great touch and accuracy, especially on a beautiful 47-yard touchdown to Somourian Wingo.

Winner: Javian Mallory puts his hat in the ring

With Jordan Lyle unavailable as he continues to deal with the fallout from his off-field legal issues, Mallory was able to take advantage of the extra reps and rushed for a game-high 142 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Mallory's usage moving forward is something to keep an eye on. It would be a surprise if Mallory didn't receive an uptick in his playing time.

Winner: Almost everyone got on the stat sheet

One of the mantras of Miami football is to stay ready because you never know when your number will be called. Well, everyone's number was called in Week 2. Seven different running backs received carries and 16 different receivers caught at least one pass. For some of the young players that are expected to be a big part of the future, it was a good night to get a bunch of reps. For some of the older players that don't get to see the field as often, it was a chance to be rewarded. 

Loser: Girard Pringle has gotten off to a slow start

Pringle's early-season struggles continue. He had just 17 yards on four carries before he was removed from the game with an ankle injury. The injury didn't appear to be too serious, but it was enough to end his night. This is coming off of a six-carry, nine-yard performance in Week 1 against Stanford.

Pringle was expected to capitalize on Lyle's absence, but he hasn't done that, and now you have to wonder if Mallory is going to pass him on the depth chart. On the bright side, he did make an excellent move to score a touchdown.

Loser: Late penalty ends a perfect game.

Blame Mike Corey, the play-by-play broadcaster, for jinxing what was a penalty-free game for the Hurricanes until freshman offensive lineman Canon Pickett committed a false start with 3:35 remaining in the game. Corey had just mentioned that the Hurricanes were without a penalty before the infraction happened. Unfortunately, Miami had another penalty on the drive, a holding call on their final offensive play. It happens. 

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