Film Review: Miami Hurricanes 52 – Central Michigan Chippewas 3
· Yahoo Sports
The Miami Hurricanes (4-0) suffocated the Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2) 52-3 in Miami’s final cupcake game of the 2026 season. The Canyonero Keys to Victory main theme vs. CMU was to just play bully ball and smother the Chips. Miami played a balanced game with 34 passes and 34 runshing attempts.
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The three keys to victory for Miami were:
1- Flores is the focus. QB Angel Flores was held to eight yards on three rushing attempts while CMU played three different QB’s vs. the ‘Canes. He was ineffective vs. Miami and that’s what the Hurricanes had to do in order to hold CMU without a TD.
2- Clean up the OL play. Miami allowed two sacks and five TFL’s but rushed for over 200 yards on 5.9 yards per carry including sack yardage. BenCongdon came in at left guard and looked battle ready.
3- Get other WR’s involved. Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw both scored, while DreJacobs got involved. But MalachiToney is fine, folks. He only averaged 20 yards per catch with a TD reception.
The Doppler
Miami finished 7-of-10 on money downs as an offense, and allowed CMU to convert 6-of-14 tries while on defense. 70% is awesome, but allowing CMU anywhere near 50% is ‘meh.’
The Hurricanes won the turnover battle with three takeaways vs. CMU. The ‘Canes picked off and forced a fumble on QB JadynGlasser.
Miami lost the penalty yardage game after being flagged 13 times for 107 yards. CMU was flagged only six time for 36 yards.
Somourian Wingo looks like a viable KR/PR candidate with 22 yards per KR and a 42 yard PR. Anything to get Toney off of punt return unless Miami desperately needs a huge play. JakeWeinberg went 1-for-1 on FG’s and 6-for-6 on PAT’s.
The Miami Offense
Darian Mensah was on fire averaging 12.5 yards per pass attempt with three touchdowns and again, no interceptions. Mensah also had a rushing touchdown and looked healthy moving around on scrambles.
Mensah and Luke Nickel were able to connect with 12 different receivers with seven hitting double-digit yards per catch marks. Toney, Barkate, and Upshaw caught the TD passes from Mensah.
On the ground, Mark Fletcher Jr. sat out for precautionary reasons vs. CMU. A RB by committee approach was used and Girard Pringle and Javion Mallory battled for “RB2” with Marty Brown out. Pringle and Mallory averaged 5.4 and 6.0 yards per carry, respectively; and Mallory found the end zone.
Chris Wheatley-Humphrey looked like the next best option after those two, with JordanLyle struggling through 2.7 yards per carry. CWH averaged 9.5 yards per carry and scored one TD.
Above– Space creates time. Mensah decides to half roll but his RB thinks it’s full roll. That allows a free runner. Mallory tries to block back on the pass rusher but Mensah decides to finish the rollout too late. It’s a bad sack for Miami as Mensah gets whacked, but it’s on Mensah.
Above- Max Buchanan does NOT in fact makes this block. And that player makes the stop. Miami needs to work on blocking in space with Okunlola, McCoy and Buchanan.
Above– Lofton with his head on the inside like it should be on a kick out block. Ben Congdon pulling and wrapping up to the 2nd level. Ben Congdon had a great game. It’s still just the G6 but it’s an improvement.
Above– Dawson called Mesh over and over again and it worked. Here it’s the out route option with mesh inside. Upshaw runs such a solid out that the DB is looking entirely the wrong way.
Above– Congdon pulled, wrapped, and blocked the MDM. Miami has struggled in just picking up the first hat that shows vs. the ‘perfect’ hat that shows. Wabi sabi, y’all.
Above– Another ex. of Lofton pulling and getting his head on the right side, even if I want a little more shoulder there for a cut off. Condgdon dominating the combo and taking it over while Okunlola works to the LB. Look at that friggin bubble there.
Above– Chest and eyes back to the ball. No hip turn or basket here. The right way to ensure the catch.
Above– Lofton doing a fantastic job out in space blocking without holding. Congdon comes flying in to help once the RB works past the blocks from 9 and Barkate.
Above– Strong hands with eyes, hips, chest back to the ball. The best WR in CFB.
Above– This one isn’t on Lyle. Okunlola completely misses his block and Lyle should have the edge but doesn’t because of it which causes Lofton’s guy to come free, too.
Above– Why Mesh in the red zone? It draws four defenders down leaving Barkate 1-on-1 on the post. TD Miami.
The Miami Defense
The ‘Canes defense faced three Chips QB’s and held the trio to 5.3 yards per pass attempt with one INT. The CMU passers found 11 different receivers, but only two averaged double-digit yards per catch marks.
The CMU rushing attack is their strength but Miami’s defense smothered them most of the night. CMU averaged 0.8, yes, 0.8 yards per carry including four sacks and eight TFL’s.
Marquis Lightfoot dominated for Miami once again. The elite edge rusher logged two sacks and 2.5 TFL’s Omar Thornton picked up one sack and two TFL’s from his flex-DB position. Justin Scott and Armondo Blount both picked up one TFL.
Above– The first three clips are all from the same play. It’s power read. The read got cloudly for CMU with the overhang (Thornton here) also outside. Now the Q is taken by the DE and the RB is taken by the overhang. So what gives?
Above– Poyser has this tendency to over run the play and throw himself at the ball carrier. Here his head is across vs. behind the play, his eyes are down, and he leaves his feet.
Above– Tacklers have to learn to come to balance and shoot eyes to thighs with their head behind the play while grabbing the back of the ball carrier’s thighs.
Above– Angles. This is a practiced art and Miami needs to work on their angles in space and the open field.
Above– If you’re running under and getting beat by CMU, just wait for Clemson, Pitt, ND, etc.
Above– Here’s the Justin Scott dominance we’ve been waiting for. He just grabs his guy and rides him into the TFL. Very Rueben Bain Jr.‘esque.
Above– Another look at power read with the DE and overhang in the backfield. The Q pulls and runs into Lightfoot of all people. I’d try to avoid that fella if I was a QB.
Above– Poyser is going to catch a lot of flack for winding up on the ground this much. He was so lost in his coverage that when he turned to find the ball he fell over.
Above– Another hole in coverage. Three defenders near it but no one truly covering.
The Wrap
The cupcake games are done. Expect more Wake Forest type games than CMU or Stanford. Miami won’t get a Stanford again until Thanksgiving weekend vs. Boston College. Up next: Clemson, primetime, Death Valley. We’ll get to the Clemson Tigers on Thursday’s Film Forecast. For now, enjoy the win and seeing guys like Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah walking off healthy.