ACC DN Video: Mark Walton 44-Yard TD Run | QB Malik Rosier
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The Miami Hurricanes exploded for 42 second half points to defeat Toledo, 52-30, in their first game in 21 days.
The Canes (2-0), who had one game cancelled and another postponed due to Hurricane Irma, returned to action before 49,361 fans at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. Miami entered the game looking to slow the Rockets' offense and did so early, taking a 10-0 lead before Toledo ripped off 16 straight points in the second quarter to head into the intermission up, 16-10.
But Miami got back on track in the third quarter, retaking the lead on a 12-yard touchdown run by sophomore Travis Homer. The Canes entered the red zone one play earlier, when quarterback Malik Rosier fired a 19-yard pass to Mike Harley to put the Canes on the Toledo 12 yard line before Homer sprinted to the end zone for his first career score that put Miami up, 17-16, with 5:36 to go in the quarter.
Braxton Berrios hauled in a Rosier pass and sprinted 55 yards to the Toledo 10-yard line for a career-long reception. One player later, Miami's quarterback found Dayall Harris for his first career touchdown that extended the Hurricanes' lead, 24-16. Rosier, who completed 27 of 36 passes for 333 yards and threw for a career-high tying three touchdowns and an interception, has thrown multiple touchdowns in each of his three career starts. The redshirt junior also ran for a touchdown, contributing on four of Miami's six touchdowns on the afternoon.
The Hurricanes defense had one of its biggest plays of the day late in the third quarter, when junior defensive back Sheldrick Redwine recovered a Woodside fumble and returned it seven yards to the Toledo 21 yard line.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Miami pushed the Hurricanes back to the Toledo 36, but Miami responded with a 17-yard rush by Walton and a 19-yard touchdown reception by Berrios to put the Canes up, 31-16. Berrios finished the game with five catches for a career-best 105 yards and a score, recording the first 100-yard receiving game of his career.
Christopher Herndon IV hauled in his first touchdown of the season, a two-yard score on a swing pass to the left that put Miami up, 38-16. The senior tight end set a career-high with a team-leading eight catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Toledo scored its first points of the second half when Woodside connected with receiver Diontae Johnson for a six-yard touchdown, but the Rockets' attempt at a two-point conversion was thwarted when Miami stopped running back Art Thompkins just short of the goal line.
Safety Jordan Williams picked off Rosier at the Miami 43 and returned the ball to the Miami eight yard line, putting the Rockets in prime position to score again and they did just that. Woodside connected with Johnson in the end zone for the second time. Woodside also found Johnson on the two-point conversion attempt to cut Miami's lead to eight, 38-30, with 7:37 remaining in the game.
Rosier would redeem himself for the interception, completing three passes for 40 yards before scampering 23 yards for a touchdown on the next drive that gave Miami a 45-30 lead with 6:01 left in the game.
Homer sealed Miami's victory with a 15-yard touchdown run, his second of the day, with 2:30 left in the game. The sophomore finished the day with 32 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
While it was Miami's offense that got hot in the second half, Toledo's attack threatened early. The Rockets' high-powered offense was on display on their opening drive, picking up a pair of first downs and moving into Miami territory. But the Hurricane defense stepped up, as RJ McIntosh's sack on 3rdand 8 from the Miami 46 pushed the Rockets back eight yards and forced a Toledo punt.
Miami carried the momentum from the defensive stop into its opening drive, as the Hurricanes get on the scoreboard quickly when junior Mark Walton rushed for a 44-yard touchdown to cap an 85-yard, five play scoring drive. The touchdown was Walton's 28th career score in as many games at Miami.
The second drive was just as explosive for Miami, as Mark Walton ripped off a career-long 82 yard run to spark a six-play scoring drive that was capped by a 19-yard Michael Badgley field goal that put the Canes up, 10-0. The 82-yard run also put Walton over 100 yards for the eighth time in his career, moving him into a tie with Frank Gore for the eighth-most 100-yard rushing games in school history.
Walton had 137 yards and a touchdown on six carries before leaving the game with an injury in the middle of the second quarter, but the junior returned with 1:36 remaining in the third quarter and finished the game with a career-high 204 rushing yards and one touchdown on 11 carries. Walton recorded the seventh 200-yard rushing game in Miami history and first since Duke Johnson ran for 249 yards at Virginia Tech in 2014. His 204 yards tie him for sixth in a single game in Miami history with Willis McGahee, who ran for 204 yards at Florida in 2002.
But Toledo would bounce back, putting up 16 unanswered points to close out the second quarter. Jameson Vest hit a pair of field goals and Logan Woodside found Jon'Vea Johnson for a 37-yard touchdown that gave the Rockets a three-point lead, 13-10. Vest converted a 32-yard attempt in an untimed down to send Toledo into the locker room leading, 16-10.
Defensively, Miami had a pair of sophomores lead the team with seven tackles. Defenisve lineman Joe Jackson had seven solo stops, while five of defensive back Malek Young's tackles were solo. Young also had 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
Senior defensive lineman Trent Harris had his second career game with two sacks, matching his career-high from Miami's 35-21 victory at Georgia Tech a year ago. McIntosh and Chad Thomas also had sacks for the Hurricanes, while Miami combined for 9.0 tackles for loss against Toledo.
Miami is back in action next Friday, traveling to Duke for its first road trip of the 2017 season. The matchup between the Hurricanes and Blue Devils will be broadcast on ESPN at 7 p.m., ET.