Miami climbed to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, its highest ranking since 2017, after a 26–7 win over Florida that showcased one of the nation's stingiest defenses (Oh, how far the Hurricanes have come). Ohio State stayed No. 1 and Penn State slipped to No. 3 while LSU went to No. 4.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨 https://t.co/zcxbXhWcsk pic.twitter.com/BoOS0dm3SG
— On3 (@On3sports) September 21, 2025
Florida finished with 141 total yards and just seven first downs against the Miami defense in Week 4. The Gators were 0-for-13 on third down and punted seven times, struggling to generate any vertical game against a front that produced four sacks. Miami controlled the game and ran 76 plays to Florida's 52, and also held the ball for 36:30.
Running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. (116 yards, one touchdown) and CharMar Brown (80 rushing yards, two scores) carried the load while the defense did the rest. Quarterback Carson Beck went 17 of 30 for 160 yards with one interception, and Miami finished 4-for-4 in the red zone. Florida’s best sequence came on an 80-yard, third-quarter touchdown drive, but Miami answered with two fourth-quarter rushing scores to put it away.
Miami is 4–0 with two wins over ranked opponents and nine straight home victories since the start of 2024. The defense has traveled week to week, and the run game has given the Hurricanes enough balance to ride out any lulls. The AP poll finally came around to rewarding how they have looked. Penn State hasn't been challenged yet this year and LSU's win over Clemson continues to look worse with every passing week.
After the domination against USF there was some buzz about Miami being higher in the rankings. Now, after dominating Florida — even with the Gators season in shambles — Miami is truly getting the respect they have earned this season.