Miami improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC by holding off Florida State 43-35 in double overtime on Saturday night, and the Hurricanes begin the week as the nation's top-ranked team for the first time since the 2002 season.
The rivalry victory was far from the most complete performance Miami has produced this fall, yet it arrived on a Saturday that produced an extraordinary amount of upheaval at the top of the sport. Losses by five of the previous top seven teams created an opening that allowed the Hurricanes to move into the No. 1 spot in both major polls ahead of Saturday's home game against Pitt.
Miami claims No. 1 ranking
Injury situation after the Florida State game
Miami dealt with multiple injury scares against Florida State, although two of the most significant players who left the field were able to return and contribute in meaningful ways.
Wide receiver Malachi Toney spent a short period in the medical tent with an apparent lower-leg issue before coming back onto the field. He finished with 11 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns, then caught the go-ahead score in the second overtime and threw the subsequent two-point conversion to Cooper Barkate that proved decisive.
Defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald also left the game earlier with an injury, returned later, and ultimately sealed the outcome by intercepting the final play of the second overtime.
Safety Zechariah Poyser was ejected in the first quarter after being called for targeting. Under the NCAA's targeting rules in place for the 2026 season, a player who is disqualified for his first targeting offense of the year remains eligible for the following game no matter when the penalty occurs. A second targeting offense in the same season would result in the player missing the first half of the next game.
Top 25 rankings
Miami moved up from No. 3 to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 after receiving 40 of 70 first-place votes and accumulating 1,697 points. The ranking is the program's first time sitting atop the AP poll since the 2002 season before the national championship game against Ohio State.
BYU climbed from No. 8 to No. 2 following its 28-24 victory over Notre Dame, while Ohio State occupies No. 3 after defeating previously unbeaten Indiana. Notre Dame dropped to No. 4 and Georgia fell from No. 1 to No. 5 after losing 27-24 at home to Auburn. Indiana sits at No. 6, with Ole Miss, Texas Tech, UCLA and Utah completing the top 10.
The weekend marked the first time in the 90-year history of the AP poll that five of the top seven teams lost on the same Saturday. Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama and Texas were all defeated, while Miami escaped its own close call against Florida State.
Inside the ACC, Wake Forest moved up to No. 17 after a 41-7 win over California, and SMU moved to No. 23 following a 23-13 victory against Virginia.
College Football Playoff expansion talks continue
Miami's rise to No. 1 coincides with ongoing discussions that could substantially reshape the College Football Playoff. The CFP and ESPN have reached a handshake agreement on the framework for a 24-team field beginning with the 2027 season. The model under consideration would award automatic bids to the four Power Four conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, with the remaining 19 spots filled by at-large selections.
Under the framework, the top eight seeds would receive first-round byes and host their opening playoff game in the second round. Seeds 9 through 16 would host first-round games against seeds 17 through 24. The first two rounds would be played on campus sites, while the quarterfinals and semifinals would shift to the major bowls.
ESPN is reported to be prepared to pay an average of roughly $345 million more per year over six years for the expanded field, which would add 12 playoff games. The proposal is also connected to the elimination of Power Four conference championship games.
Next game for Miami
No. 1 Miami hosts Pitt at noon Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, with the game scheduled for ESPN. The Panthers are 5-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play, but their season has shifted considerably over the past two weeks. Pitt opened 5-0 before starting quarterback Mason Heintschel suffered a season-ending torn ACL, and since then the Panthers have lost 21-17 at home to North Carolina and 27-21 at Boston College.
True freshman Corey Dailey made his first career start against Boston College and completed 11 of 25 passes for 193 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Miami defeated Pitt 38-7 in Pittsburgh last season.
ProCanes in NFL Week 6
Several former Hurricanes produced notable performances across the NFL on Sunday, including a pair of rookies who reached career milestones.
- Cam Ward secured his first victory of the season as Tennessee erased a 13-0 halftime deficit to defeat Indianapolis 26-20. Ward completed 11 of 22 passes for 102 yards with one touchdown and one interception, connecting with rookie Carnell Tate on an 8-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Through six games, he has thrown for 998 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
- Rueben Bain Jr. recorded the first sack of his NFL career during Tampa Bay's 26-19 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, bringing down Aaron Rodgers for an 8-yard loss late in the second quarter. The Buccaneers finished with five sacks after failing to record one in their previous two games.
- Keionte Scott also made his presence felt against Pittsburgh as the rookie finished with a team-high eight tackles and recorded his first NFL sack, likewise taking Rodgers down for an 8-yard loss. Bain and Scott became the first pair of Buccaneers rookies to each record a sack in the same game since 2015.
- Greg Rousseau finished with one assisted tackle and two passes defended as Buffalo defeated Las Vegas 33-30 to improve to 5-1.
- Andy Borregales converted both field-goal attempts in New England's 26-19 victory over the Jets, with a long of 32 yards. He was 2-for-3 on extra points.
- Francis Mauigoa continued to start for the Giants in their 34-27 loss to New Orleans. The rookie has started every game he has played this season and had played every offensive snap through New York’s first five games.
Around the program
- Volleyball produced one of its strongest results of the season Friday by reverse-sweeping No. 5 SMU in Dallas. Miami dropped the first two sets before winning the next three, with Ruth Martinez posting a career-high 29 kills, and Ariana Rodriguez finishing with 54 assists and three aces. Rodriguez's ace on the final point established the Miami career record. The six-match winning streak ended Sunday with a 3-0 loss at No. 2 Pitt. The Hurricanes are 8-9 overall and 6-2 in ACC play and host Notre Dame on Friday.
- Soccer improved to 9-3-2 with a 3-1 victory over Iona. Carlie Wysocki scored her first goal of the season, and Cisel Akgul and Kambryl Armstrong added second-half scores. Freshman goalkeeper Avarie Gonzalez made four saves in her first career start, and Miami hosts Boston College on Friday for Senior Night.
- Women's basketball overwhelmed Lynn 93-41 in Sunday's exhibition matchup. Freshman Jess-Mine Zodia finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Anna Liepina scored 18 and Soma Okolo added 15 points. The regular season opens Nov. 2 against Florida Atlantic.
- Men's basketball was selected fourth in the ACC preseason poll behind Duke, Virginia and Louisville, with Shelton Henderson earning Preseason All-ACC First Team recognition and Malik Reneau being named to the second team. The Hurricanes host Vanderbilt in an exhibition on Friday before opening the regular season against Florida on Nov. 2.
- Women's golf closed its fall schedule by finishing seventh at the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational. Bella Dovhey recorded a hole-in-one in Sunday's final round, and Ashleen Kaur led the Hurricanes individually by tying for 18th at 4-over. Miami entered the event ranked No. 7 nationally.
- Cross country competed in its final meet before the ACC Championships at Princeton. The women finished 14th and the men finished 15th. Madeline Scheier placed 14th individually in the women's 6K, while freshman John Templeton led the Miami men for a fourth consecutive meet. The ACC Championships are scheduled for Oct. 30 at Virginia Tech.
- Diving saw sophomore Matteo Santoro win the 1-meter springboard against Florida with a score of 374.18 and finish second in the 3-meter. Valerio Mosca placed third in the 1-meter in his Miami debut and the Hurricanes return home Friday for the Dual-A-Pool-Ooza against FIU, Vanderbilt and Liberty.
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