The Miami Hurricanes pulled away from their in-state rival Florida Gators tonight at Hard Rock Stadium, 26-7. The first drive looked great. After that, the Canes struggled mightily on offense. I was texting with an FSU buddy of mine, and I told him I was confident Miami would score a fourth-quarter touchdown, so they just had to stay ahead. That fourth-down stop was huge. Whew. I need a breather and just maybe one more beer.

Let’s get to the three stars of the game.

The “bad TNT cop or lawyer duo show” kept it up tonight against the rival Gators. They lived in the backfield in the first half. Then after losing some momentum in the third quarter, they turned it back up for the fourth quarter and closed out the game. Bain’s stat line: 7 total tackles, 4 solo, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks. Akheem Mesidor: 4 total tackles, 3 solo, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks. These guys do so much beyond the numbers: taking on double teams, playing the run in the correct lanes, getting outside and tackling running backs. I absolutely love these dudes. They are a huge reason why the Canes are 4-0.

The North Dakota State transfer played his best game in a Canes uniform tonight. Let’s get that impressive stats out of the way: 18 rushes, 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. In an off-night for Carson Beck, Brown led Miami in receiving with 4 receptions for 53 yards. Some of those grabs were huge. Brown ran hard, converted third downs, protected the football, and blocked great for his running mate Mark Fletcher Jr. Oh, and he was denied a long touchdown run because the refs blew the play dead. That whistle was iffy at best. CharMar “Marty” Brown has been one of the most impactful transfers and best overall players for the Canes so far this season.

As well as the defense played tonight, I have to go with big Fletch for the third star. He set the tone on the opening drive that put Miami up 7-0. His refusal to go to the ground has to be demoralizing for the defense. Mark’s stats for tonight: 24 rushes, 116 yards and a touchdown. As good as he was tonight, I think Mark’s best games of the season are ahead of him. He is running hard and either makes defenders miss in the open field, or just runs them over. I’m fine either way. Mark Fletcher Jr. is a true Cane and I’m glad he’s able to play on such a good team alongside some of his fellow 2023 recruits.

Mohamed Toure – The stud linebacker led Miami in tackles today with 10. He also had a well-timed fourth-quarter sack and a huge hit for a tackle earlier in the game. I love the way Toure is playing so far this season.

Jakobe Thomas – He was all over the place again for the Canes. Thomas had 5 total tackles, 2 solo, 1 sack, and 1.5 TFL, which led the team. The guy is fast, fearless, and can tackle.

Elija Lofton – He had his best performance of the young season tonight, with 4 receptions for 43 yards. 100% of Canes fans hope tonight was a preview of what Lofton can do in the passing game moving forward.

Who were your three stars of the game? Let us know in the comments below.