Skip to main content
Canes Warning
Fansided

Mario Cristobal immediately silences any Mark Fletcher Jr. worries after beating Duke

Thankfully, it looks like the star Miami RB is going to be just fine.
ByBraulio Perez
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Nov 14, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) runs with the football against Duke Blue Devils safety Dashawn Stone (8) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Nov 14, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) runs with the football against Duke Blue Devils safety Dashawn Stone (8) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite taking down Duke, and dominating the action for most of the second half, there was a ton of worry surrounding the status of stud running back Mark Fletcher Jr. The veteran running back looked sharp early on in the 36-25 Miami win, but he missed a large chunk of the action due to a lower-body injury.

After rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown, Fletcher went down and was not able to get back on the field for head man Mario Cristobal. It opened the door for Javian Mallory to have a 71-yard, two-touchdown showing on the ground, but Fletcher's injury had people talking. Luckily, Fletcher is going to be just fine.

Right after the final whistle, Cristobal met with the media. He did not waste any time in letting everyone know that while Fletcher is a little banged up right now, this is nothing serious. On top of that, Cristobal added that he expects Fletcher to be good to go to take on Virginia Tech in Week 12. Boom.

Miami has luckily avoided a serious Mark Fletcher Jr. injury in the win against Duke

College Football Bracket Challenge

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

While Fletcher may be a bit bummed he was not able to close things out with his teammates, he can still smile knowing that he'll forever be in the Coral Gables record books. With his first-half score, it gave Fletcher 36 for the season. That is the new top mark in Miami history for rushing touchdowns. It gave The U a 10-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

Hey, the day could have been worse for him. With Malachi Toney dealing with his serious ankle injury, which should have him back for the start of the College Football Playoff, the last thing the Canes need is to start piling up more issues with standout players.

In some other good news, Cristobal added that safety Zechariah Poyse should be back for the Virginia Tech matchup as well. The sooner Miami can get close to full health on both sides of the ball, the better. With Fletcher in particular, he's going to be expected to keep being the bell-cow back this fall, but it's good to know that Mallory can step up like this when needed, too.

In addition to his two rushing TDs, Mallory added another one through the air. Him and Fletcher can keep forming a strong 1-2 punch with only two regular season games left on the schedule. Then, let us hope more of the same will be on the way when the CFP gets here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Miami Hurricanes Football