Final: No. 19 Miami Hurricanes 41, Florida Gators 17

Just about everything went right for the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday during a start to the college football season where things have not gone right for other top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Cam Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Fletcher added two scores on the ground, the defense held its own despite one of its top players exiting the game early with injury, and the No. 19 Hurricanes made quick work of the Florida Gators with a 41-17 season-opening win at Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to kick off a critical Year 3 under Mario Cristobal.

Read the full instant recap here.

UF gets a touchdown back

UF gets one back midway through the fourth quarter on a DJ Lagway-led drive. 9 plays, 58 yards.

Hurricanes still up 38-17 with 7:14 left to play.

Miami’s first interception: Meesh Powell

The Hurricanes stymied one of the Gators’ better drives of the game when Mishael “Meesh” Powell intercepted a Graham Mertz pass and returned it 67 yards to the UF 28 yard line.

And after he was tackled, Powell hopped up and did the Gator Chomp.

Cam Ward. That is all.

Cam Ward added yet another highlight to his performance on Saturday when he evaded pressure, rolled to his left and fired a dart to Jacolby George in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

That’s three touchdown passes for Ward, who has 319 passing yards so far.

It’s 38-10 Miami over Florida with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

Two touchdowns for Mark Fletcher

Mark Fletcher capped Miami’s opening drive of the second half with a 1-yard touchdown run — his second of the game — to extend the Hurricanes’ lead to 31-10 with 12:25 left in the third quarter.

Fletcher also caught a 22-yard pass from Cam Ward on the drive.

But the highlight of the 6-play drive was Xavier Restrepo’s 40-yard catch-and-run. He’s now at seven catches for 112 yards — his seventh career 100-yard game.

Ward-to-Restrepo connection on point

Xavier Restrepo so far has been Cam Ward’s favorite target. His latest catch: A 24-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left in the first half after he split UF defensive backs Ja’Keen Jackson and Asa Turner.

Restrepo in the first half caught six passes for 72 yards and the touchdown.

Miami took a 24-10 lead into halftime.

Florida cuts into Miami’s lead

Montrell Johnson Jr. gave UF its first big play of the game — a 71-yard touchdown run down the left sideline to cut Miami’s lead to 17-10 with 3:21 left in the first half.

It’s a two-score lead now for Miami

Running back Mark Fletcher, who spent all offseason rehabbing a Lisfranc injury sustained in the Pinstripe Bowl to cap the 2023 season, scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown off the left end to give the Hurricanes a 17-3 lead with 6:41 left in the first half.

Damien Martinez, the Oregon State transfer, is expected to be Miami’s workhorse at running back this season, but if both he and Fletcher can stay healthy, they can be a brutal one-two punch for opponents to face.

Miami tacks on a field goal

A nine-play, 70-yard drive that started on the final play of the first quarter ended with Andres Borregales hitting a 23-yard field goal.

Miami is now up 10-3 with 9:53 left in the second quarter.

First-quarter stats

Total yards: Miami 93, Florida 57

Rushing yards: Miami 59, Florida 15

Passing yards: Miami 34, Florida 42

Third down conversions: Miami 0/0, Florida 0/3

Time of possession: Miami 7:57, Florida 7:03

Big stop by the defense

After Florida started with a short field following Cam Ward’s interception, the UM defense held Florida to just 10 yards and forced the Gators to settle for a 41-yard field goal.

The Hurricanes still lead 7-3 with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.

Ward’s second drive: An interception

After Miami’s defense got a second consecutive stop, UM’s second offensive drive was short lived. Cam Ward’s second attempt at a cross-body throw, attempting to hit Xavier Restrepo, was intercepted by UF linebacker Shemar James.

Canes score first, Ward big on opening drive

Miami quickly yet methodically drove down the field on its opening drive, capping an 11-play, 84-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cam Ward to ninth-year tight end Cam McCormick.

Ward on the drive completed 3 of 4 passes for 24 yards — including a 13-yard pass to Xavier Restrepo during which he rolled to his left, threw across his body and Restrepo leapt backward to haul in the catch — and had two carries for 36 yards.

An early stop for the defense

UM gets the stop on its opening defensive drive after four plays. A swarm of defenders (led by Wesley Bissainthe) with a tackle for loss on third down to force the punt.

Ray Ray Joseph on the punt return. Canes starting their first drive at their 16-yard line.

College Gameday: UM-UF game ‘has the most at stake for Week 1’

There are a lot of marquee matchups around college football this weekend.

But the consensus was clear on College GameDay: None might have a bigger impact on a team’s long-term trajectory than the No. 19 Miami Hurricanes’ season opener against the Florida Gators in Gainesville.

“Whoever wins, tons of momentum,” ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on the College GameDay set. “Whoever loses, oh my gosh, you talk about trying to build a team back up, it could be devastating. So I think this game has the most at stake for Week 1.”

Read the full story here.

Pregame Hurricanes reading

Need to catch up before kickoff? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past few days.

▪ Miami Hurricanes say they have ‘had enough’ with mediocrity. Time to prove it vs. UF

▪ The biggest question with Miami Hurricanes roster. And UM personnel notes

▪ Veteran QBs — ‘gunslinger’ Cam Ward and ‘gamer’ Graham Mertz — at forefront of UM-UF opener

▪ Francisco Mauigoa, Hurricanes’ ‘calm in the storm,’ ready for final impact season with Miami

▪ How Hurricanes are fixing late-game time management. And Cristobal talks helmet communication

▪ Miami’s Cristobal talks relationship with UF’s Napier ahead of season-opening matchup