Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney can bring an opposing coach to tears, and while Pat Narduzzi didn't cry in his postgame press conference, he couldn't deny what he saw from the Miami Hurricanes in their 52-23 win over the Pitt Panthers. This was a straight-up domination, with the Canes reminding Narduzzi who owns the ACC.
It was a historic day for Toney on his own, as he broke his own single-game record with 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah was the man that conducted the orchestra, throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns. It was all enough for Narduzzi to wave the white flag. Was this a humbling experience for him at Hard Rock Stadium? It sure felt that way...
Pat Narduzzi on Miami:
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) October 24, 2026
"We ran into a buzzsaw ... They're the number one team in the country. They're no joke. They're averaging 45 points a game and they're number 1, number 2, number 3 in just about every damn category. I don't know if I've faced a team [like that]."#Pitt
It takes a big man to admit he's been defeated and, after spending a week speaking out of turn about the Hurricanes, Narduzzi finally conceded. Maybe he'll move on from the feud with Mario Cristobal that he only seemed to acknowledge.
Whether he does or doesn't, there was no amount of talking that was going to save the Panthers from what Mensah and Toney had cooked up. The offense couldn't be stopped, and the fans in the stands were loving every minute of it. As for Narduzzi? Yeah, not so much.
Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney are on pace for a historic Miami offense
Mensah looked a little off last week against Florida State, but he found his groove early against the Panthers, and put his foot on the gas immediately. For the season, Mensah has completed 81.4% of his passes (166-of-204) for 2,151 yards and 22 touchdowns with just one interception. These are numbers that firmly have him in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Toney has already solidified himself as one of the top five wide receivers to ever play at Miami, and he could very well be the best when it's all said and done. Statistically, he's on pace to demolish all Hurricane receiving records and put them so far out of reach for another player. And he'll do it in less than three seasons, which is wild to even think about.
The connection between the two players is reaching legendary status, and Todd McShay's comparison is to what Mac Jones and Devonta Smith did for the 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide team that eventually won the CFP Championship.
This is getting ridiculous.
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) October 24, 2026
Through 7 games in 2020:
DeVonta Smith: 65 catches, 903 yards, 10 TD
Mac Jones: 77.1%, 18 TD/3 INT
Miami, still in Game 7:
Malachi Toney: 65 catches, 941 yards, 10 TD
Darian Mensah: 82.0%, 21 TD/1 INT
There's also the more ambitious connection that Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree had in 2007 with Texas Tech. Crabtree had almost 2,000 yards receiving in Mike Leach's pass-happy offense. Miami won't throw with that amount of frequency, but the efficiency has to be noted.
As long as both players stay healthy, the next five games and the expected postseason run in the CFP will give them the opportunity to set a standard between quarterback and wide receiver that's rarely seen in college, and has never been seen before at Miami.
Together, Mensah and Toney have been nearly unstoppable and, on Saturday afternoon, Narduzzi found that out first hand. It was all pretty great to see for Miami fans, too.
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