Hurricanes Cruise By the Cardinal in Week One of the 2026 Season
Any questions about the 2026 Miami Hurricanes were answered in their first game of the season against the Stanford Cardinal. In this Week One matchup, the Hurricanes showcased the buzzsaw of a roster they have as they made a statement in a dominant 45-6 victory. Miami’s quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney balled out, and Toney made school history by surpassing ‘Downtown’ Eddie Brown's 1984 record of 220 receiving yards in a single game, finishing with 233. On Thursday, September 10th, the Hurricanes will head home for the first time to face the Florida A&M Rattlers, while on the 19th, Stanford will play the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Mensah & Toney’s Heisman Cases Grew
If they weren’t in the early Heisman conversation early on, that certainly all changed for Mensah and Toney. In his debut with the Hurricanes, the 21-year-old quarterback went 27 for 30 with 400 passing yards and five touchdowns. Safe to say that’s an absolutely marvelous debut for the former Tulane and Duke QB. For Toney, he recorded 12 receptions for 233 receiving yards and three touchdowns. After his second touchdown of the game, the 18-year-old receiver was already making Heisman Trophy celebrations. If this is the trend when it comes to Miami playing any opponent, watch out, as this team can take you down in a multitude of ways. While it’s only been one game, the showcase by both Miami’s QB and top wide receiver proved to be the difference-maker, and it could be that way going forward throughout the rest of the season.
Stanford Fought Hard but Was No Match
After their Week Zero win against Hawaii, Stanford looks to make the strides to become a better team week in and week out. While they only scored six points in the loss to Miami, they still showed resilience and tried to make the most of any situations they had. Quarterback Davis Warren looked great, but some decisions really cost the Cardinal any real opportunity against the Hurricanes. Warren finished with 214 passing yards, and while he didn’t score any touchdowns, the 24-year-old can take this loss to Miami as a learning lesson for the weeks ahead.
