Miami's postgame message after a 42-7 win over Stanford was equal parts relief and resolve: survive a sluggish start, lean into the defense and run game, and play to the standard of Miami football.
HC Mario Cristobal
Head coach Mario Cristobal called himself "proud" of a team that "stuck with it after starting on the offensive side a little bit sluggishly," crediting a late first-half touchdown for flipping momentum before Miami "started clicking and playing more like Miami Hurricane football."
Cristobal's larger theme was about standards after a frustrating loss the previous week. "The standard is nothing but your absolute best in absolutely everything we do," he said, adding that trust and staying "on schedule" were non-negotiables in avoiding a second straight stumble.
Stanford drove 74 yards for an early score and the game sat 7-7 at halftime, but Miami then ripped off 35 unanswered, including a 21-0 third quarter keyed by Mark Fletcher Jr.'s three rushing touchdowns. Fletcher finished with 106 yards on 23 carries while the defense choked off everything after the opening drive.
'We came out with great defense, great special teams," Cristobal said. "At some point... the play calls, along with the executioN... eventually it will give way and that's what happened in the run game."
QB Carson Beck
Quarterback Carson Beck framed the end-of-half drive that tied it as the turning point. After a slow half, Beck said, "to be able to get a touchdown there at the end was honestly huge." The Hurricanes "turned it up" from there, with Beck finishing 21-of-28 for 189 yards and a score.
RB Mark Fletcher
Fletcher, who has emerged as Miami's four-minute and red-zone hammer, kept the focus on execution saying, "We work hard every day, so it's good to put it on display."
The defense and other contributors
Defensively, the identity showed up again. After conceding that opening march, Miami allowed 144 total yards the rest of the way and produced two interceptions, one by senior linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (returned 32 yards) and another by sophomore corner Xavier Lucas.
"We just had to calm down and everybody go out there and do their job," Bissainthe said. Lucas echoed the point: "short-term memory" and playing the next snap.
Senior receiver Tony Johnson (team-high 69 yards) said he's "ready" for whatever is asked: "It's not really about me, it's more about the team." On a night when Miami's defense and special teams dictated field position, steady contributions in the receiver rotation and a deep stable of backs (five different Hurricanes scored rushing TDs) kept Stanford on its heels.
Miami exits Week 9 at 6-1 with a road trip to SMU next.