Miami Hurricanes Defeat USF Bulls In Weather-Delayed Top 25 Matchup

Let’s be honest, sometimes a rivalry game feels less like a clash of titans and more like a varsity team taking on the JV squad for a “character-building” scrimmage. Saturday night in Miami Gardens was one of those times. The No. 5 Miami Hurricanes didn’t just beat the No. 18 South Florida Bulls; they took them out behind the woodshed for a lesson in big-boy football, cruising to a 49-12 victory that felt decided long before the final whistle.

The final score tells a story, but it doesn’t quite capture the sheer dominance. This was the Miami Hurricanes’ most lopsided win over a ranked opponent since their 2001 national championship season. Remember that team? Yeah, it felt a little like that.

Beck and Fletcher: A Dynamic Duo Emerges

Any questions about how this Miami offense would look after losing so much talent to the NFL were answered emphatically. Carson Beck, looking less like a replacement and more like the next big thing, was surgical. The guy completed 23 of 28 passes for a cool 340 yards and three touchdowns. He even tucked it and ran for another score, just for kicks. It was the kind of performance that makes NFL scouts start drooling and opposing defensive coordinators lose sleep.

And then there’s Mark “The Bulldozer” Fletcher Jr. The man ran with the kind of anger usually reserved for someone who just found a parking ticket on their windshield. Fletcher churned out 120 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first 100-yard game since 2023. Every time USF thought they might have a sliver of hope, Fletcher was there to slam the door, leaving a trail of exhausted defenders in his wake.

A Storm Couldn’t Stop The Miami Hurricanes

Not even “Mother Nature” could slow down the Miami Hurricanes. A lightning delay halted the game for a staggering one hour and forty minutes. You’d think that would kill momentum, right? Wrong. Miami came out of the break like they were shot out of a cannon, immediately orchestrating a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. It was a statement: This team is different. They’re focused, they’re hungry, and they don’t care about a little rain.

The defense was just as relentless. They held USF’s up-tempo offense to a single touchdown and made their star quarterback, Byrum Brown, look utterly human. The Bulls managed a measly 20 rushing yards from their leading rusher. The ‘Canes defensive front lived in the USF backfield, turning what was supposed to be a high-powered attack into a sputtering engine that couldn’t get out of first gear.

This wasn’t just a win; it was a beatdown. A message sent to the rest of the country, and especially to their next opponent, the Florida Gators. The Miami Hurricanes are for real, and they look like they’re just getting started.