Mario Cristobal called it “a big-time win,” and the box score backed him up.
Carson Beck delivered his sharpest outing yet as the Miami transfer went 20-of-27 for 241 yards and four touchdowns, steering the Hurricanes past rival Florida State 28-22 to open ACC play with authority.
“Being state champions means something,” Cristobal said. “Four straight Florida opponents, that’s important to us. We took control of the game early in the second half and found a way to get it done.”
Beck’s connection with freshman Malachi Toney electrified the night. Toney hauled in seven catches for 107 yards and two scores, while CJ Daniels matched him with five grabs for 78 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47-yard strike off a flea-flicker that swung momentum Miami’s way.
Mario Cristobal declares The Miami Hurricanes STATE CHAMPS! pic.twitter.com/RCe2iyAx4W
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) October 5, 2025
“He was on fire,” Cristobal said of his quarterback. “Everything about him screams winner.”
Toney, the breakout freshman, earned rare public praise from his coach. “He’s the best freshman,” Cristobal joked, before turning serious. “If everybody did what Malachi does, their performance levels would go through the roof. It means the world to him, and his teammates mean the world to him.”
Though Miami managed just 97 yards rushing on 32 attempts, the physical tone Cristobal preaches showed up in crunch time. “Collapsing the pocket, slamming down the run game, just a tremendous effort by the defense,” he said. “It’s about the Canes, about a group of young men who’ve bought into violent, physical football between the lines.”
And for Cristobal, this rivalry win was about more than numbers. “There was a time in football that will never be matched again,” he said. “But we’re not going back to the ’80s and ’90s, we’re taking the brotherhood of those teams and pushing Miami football forward.”
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