Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney set the standard for the Hurricanes in the second half of a 42-7 win over Stanford on Saturday night. Speaking to ESPN sideline reporter Quint Kessenich after the game, Toney discussed the Miami standard and that the Hurricanes had to bounce back from the loss to Louisville last week.
Toney had five receptions for 52 yards, one carry for 13 yards and two punt returns for 73 yards. The punt returns put Miami on the Stanford side of the field. The first punt return went for 31 yards to the Stanford 40-yard line to set up a Miami touchdown to give the Hurricanes a lead.
Toney had no drops against Stanford and 42 out of his 52 receiving yards were after the catch. All five of Toney's receptions went for a first down versus Stanford. Both punt returns should have set up scores. The second Toney punt return was to the Stanford 30.
Stanford subsequently held Miami to one set of downs. Miami went nine yards on four plays. Stanford stopped Miami running back Mark Fletcher on fourth and one at the Cardinal 21-yard line. Miami led 14-7 at the time. The Hurricanes were fortunate that the fourth-down stop was not a seminal play on Saturday.
Malachi Toney postgame interview pic.twitter.com/w1O6FeTe4L
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) October 26, 2025
"Give me a hole and I'll do the rest and they did that...That was the standard. University of Miami football. We had to bounce back from last week. Coming into the game, we knew we had to punch first. That's what coach Cristobal was stressing all weekend. Play the standard of football, get back on the grind. "Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney
The inability to convert on fourth and one did not live up to Miami's standards. Miami did not punch first, as Toney stated. Miami allowed a TD on the opening drive for the second consecutive game. Stanford had a 12-play, 74-yard drive in 5:23 to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Miami allowed 70 yards on 10 Stanford drives after the game-opening TD. The Hurricanes ran 19 times for 63 yards in the first half for 3.6 yards per carry. Stanford had 13 carries for 63 yards to average 4.8 YPC in the first half. Winning the line of scrimmage is critical for what Mario Cristobal wants to accomplish.
Miami ran 25 times for 130 yards and five rushing TDs in the second half. Mark Fletcher ran 23 times for 103 yards and the first three Miami TDs. Fletcher had 12 carries for 64 yards and his three TDs in the second half. Miami dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half.
The third quarter was decisive. Miami outgained Stanford 97 to -1 in the third quarter. That does not include the 72 yards Toney had in punt returns. Toney finished with 137 all-purpose yards and has eclipsed the century mark in rushing, receiving and returns combined in three consecutive games.