The Miami Hurricanes opened the 2026 college football season in just about the best way possible: a 45-6 rout of Stanford on the road Friday night. Miami scored touchdowns on its first two drives and took a commanding 28-6 lead into halftime. After another 14-point third quarter, Mario Cristobal pulled his starters and let the backups cruise to a nearly 40-point win.
But the biggest takeaway from the game was the electric connection between star transfer quarterback Darian Mensah and sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney. Mensah, in his first game as a Hurricane, was nearly perfect, going 27 of 30 for 401 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions. Toney finished with a staggering 234 yards and three touchdowns on 12 catches.
In doing so, Toney shattered the school's single-game receiving yards record, surpassing the 220-yard mark set by Eddie Brown in 1984, and tied the program record for receiving touchdowns in a game. "It means a lot, knowing how many greats played at this university," Toney said afterward of breaking the records. More news: Bill Belichick’s Son Faces Alarming Allegations in Bombshell UNC Investigation More news: Paul Finebaum Hints Belichick Could Be Out at UNC Amid Ongoing Investigation Mensah arrived at Miami after a breakout season at Duke, reportedly on an NIL deal worth around $10 million, making him the highest-paid player in college football.
He showed exactly why Cristobal made that investment on Friday night. Toney, for his part, is coming off a historic freshman season in which he hauled in 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, numbers that ranked among the best in the FBS and helped fuel Miami's run to the national championship game. Miami enters 2026 among the favorites to win it all, alongside blue-blood programs like Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, and Texas.
Stanford isn't in that tier, but for a dominant, record-setting road win in Week 1, Miami couldn't have scripted it much better. Up next, the Hurricanes host Florida A&M on Thursday, Sept. 10, before an away game against Wake Forest on Friday, Sept. 18. More news: NCAA Makes Final Decision on Punishment for Cincinnati Over Brendan Sorsby
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