The fourth-ranked Miami Hurricanes walked into Death Valley Saturday night and made a major statement, dominating the Clemson Tigers 41-13 in a key ACC showdown.
Miami wasted little time taking control. After Clemson went three-and-out on its opening possession, Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Cooper Barkate for a 61-yard touchdown to give Miami an early 7-0 advantage. The Hurricanes eventually carried a 17-6 lead into halftime.
Mensah finished the night completing 18 of 27 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring on a 34-yard run. Mark Fletcher Jr. added 77 yards rushing and two touchdowns as Miami’s offense continued to put pressure on the Clemson defense.
But the story of the night may have been the Miami defense. The Hurricanes recorded six sacks and nine tackles for loss, constantly putting pressure on Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds. Five of those sacks came in the first half.
Clemson managed to move the football through the air, with Reynolds completing 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards. Bryant Wesco Jr. caught nine passes for a career-high 152 yards, but the Tigers struggled to turn those yards into points. Their only touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Gideon Davidson scored from two yards out.
Miami put the finishing touches on the victory late when JJ Dunnigan intercepted Reynolds and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown, producing the final 41-13 margin.
The victory keeps Miami unbeaten at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in ACC play, putting the Hurricanes alone atop the conference standings. Clemson falls to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. Miami also earned its first victory at Clemson since 2010.
Both teams have an open date this weekend. Clemson returns to action October 17 at home against Charleston Southern, while Miami will host rival Florida State.
Clemson has a bye this week before hosting Charleston Southern on October 17th, you can listen to the that game starting with the Tigertailgate Show at 9am on Kool 102.7 with kickoff set for 12 noon.
