MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Darian Mensah passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran for another score as No. 6 Miami capped an unbeaten September by topping Central Michigan 52-3 on Saturday night.
Malachi Toney caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Miami (4-0), and all four of Mensah’s touchdowns came in the second quarter. Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw also caught scoring passes from Mensah, who completed 23-of-27 throws.
Even with only four incompletions, Mensah’s completion percentage for the season dipped. It’s now 88.7%, down slightly from the 89.9% clip he had entering Saturday.
Mensah — whose scoring run capped a 97-yard TD drive late in the second quarter for a 35-3 halftime lead — has 14 touchdown throws, 12 incompletions and zero interceptions this season.
Offensive lineman Jamal Meriweather was credited with a touchdown after falling on a fumble for Miami, which is unbeaten entering October for the fourth consecutive season. Javian Mallory and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey each ran for scores for the Hurricanes, who paid tribute to their 1991 national championship team in a halftime ceremony.
Jadyn Glasser completed 13-of-15 passes off the bench for 88 yards for Central Michigan (2-2).
Miami was without top running back Mark Fletcher Jr., out with an upper body injury.
The takeaway
Central Michigan: Give the Chippewas credit — they were the first team to lead Miami this season. A pair of penalties and a sack thwarted Miami’s first drive, and Central Michigan answered with an 11-play series capped by Caden VanHuis’ 49-yard field goal for a 3-0 edge.
Miami: The real tests await. Miami has eight games left in the regular season, seven against Atlantic Coast Conference foes — the other a November 7 game at Notre Dame that could have massive College Football Playoff implications.
Strange series
In a four-minute span of the third quarter, Miami reached the end zone four times. Only one counted.
Damon Wilson II’s 63-yard fumble return touchdown came off the board when Miami’s Marquise Lightfoot — who forced the takeaway — was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the turnover. Toney had a 12-yard scoring catch (a one-handed grab) nullified when he was called for offensive pass interference, and Jordan Lyle’s score off a direct snap didn’t count because referee Garrett Dickerson was still explaining a flag from the previous play.
Lyle fumbled the ball on the next play, but Meriweather fell on it near the back of the end zone.
Up next
Central Michigan: Hosts Akron on October 3.
Miami: Visits Clemson on October 3.