When a team dominates in every phase of the game like Miami did against South Florida, it can be hard to single out individual performances. The Hurricanes looked like a well-oiled machine, with both veterans and young stars stepping up under the lights. Carson Beck orchestrated the offense with precision, the running game bulldozed its way through the Bulls’ front, and the defense stifled a dual-threat quarterback who had given others fits.
But as much as this was a complete team win, there were still a handful of players who stood out above the rest. These are the difference-makers who not only delivered in the moment but also showcased why Miami is building toward something special this season. Here are the five Hurricanes who earned top honors from Saturday’s demolition of USF.
Joshua Moore
The true freshman had an awesome camp and after a couple games with some drops exploded against the Bulls. Moore had three receptions including two of them that went for touchdowns int he first quarter for 61 yards. He was Miami’s highest graded player according to PFF with a 927 score. Miami’s freshman class has been phenomenal for the Canes this year.
Carson Beck
Beck had another Heisman worthy performance. Sur ehe did throw two picks ( one before the half where ehe tied to make a play) but overall he was fantastic. Beck threw for 340 yards including three touchdowns passes and one rushing touchdown. He is making his case and shooting up the national boards as the leader or co- leader for the Heisman this year.
Rueben Bain
Arguably the most dominant player in the nation, Bain had another monster performance for the Canes. Led the defense with an 87.4 PFF grade and was abusing the Bulls OL the entire night. Finished with 6 tackles one TFL and one pass deflection. At the pace he is going he will become a Heisman candidate with a legit chance to win it and lock in his spot as a top 3 pick in the draft.
Bryce Fitzgerald
Another day, another interception by Bryce Fitzgerald. The young safety has sat potential and continues to make big time plays on the field. Miami’s safeties are a strength and Fitzgerald is playing like a junior/senior and making the most of his snaps. Expect his snaps to continue to increase and for Miami to have the best safety since Jaquan Johnson.
Mark Fletcher
Fletcher had a monster game and is getting better by the second. He rushed for 120 yards on 16 carries at 7.5 yards a pop and scored two touchdowns for Miami. Already on the season Fletcher has 272 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Extrapolated over a 12 game season we are looking at a 1,000 yard 16 touchdown season without counting Miami playing in the ACC championship or playoff. With the 12 game cutoff alone those numbers would surpass Damien Martinez last year and would be the best season for a running back sin 2016 Mark Walton. And the may just be scratching the surface. Walton is ready to breakout into a superstar level back which could make this offense beyond scary.
Honorable mentions: Miami continues to have amazing performances from it’s wide receiver corps. Malachi Toney was fantastic once again with six receptions for 66 yards while Keelan Marion had six receptions for 81 yards. Miami’s offense was humming as both portal and recruits were producing big for Carson Beck.
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