STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Darian Mensah threw five touchdown passes in his Miami debut, Malachi Toney set a school-record with 234 yards receiving and the seventh-ranked Hurricanes opened their season with an 45-6 victory over Stanford on Friday night.
Mensah and Toney connected on touchdown passes on the first two drives of the game for Miami (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) and then again on a 47-yarder in the third quarter that set the school record. Eddie Brown had 220 yards receiving in 1984 against Boston College in what was known as the “Hail Flutie” game.
Mensah transferred to Miami from Duke this offseason and took little time to show the impact he could have on the Hurricanes by throwing a 48-yard pass to Toney on his first snap to set the tone against Stanford (1-1, 0-1).
Mensah capped that drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Toney and the two connected on a 2-yard score on the next possession with Toney punctuating both TDs with a Heisman pose for the Hurricanes fans in that corner of the stadium.
Mensah added another touchdown pass to Daylyn Upshaw in the second quarter, a 34-yarder to Cooper Barkate in the third and the deep strike to Toney. He finished 27 for 30 for 401 yards, setting records for the most yards and TDs in a debut for Miami.
Mensah led all power conference quarterbacks last season with 3,973 yards passing last season and now is teamed with one of the most dynamic receivers in Toney, who had 109 catches for 1,211 yards last season as a freshman when he helped Miami reach the College Football Playoff title game.
NO. 10 OKLAHOMA 51, UTEP 0
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — John Mateer threw three touchdown passes, Isaiah Sategna returned a punt 88 yards for a score and Oklahoma overpowered UTEP in the season opener for both teams.
The Sooners scored on their first eight possessions and limited UTEP to 198 yards.
Mateer looked sharp, completing 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards before being pulled late in the third quarter. He threw scoring passes of 40 yards to Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers, 34 yards to Sategna and 48 yards to Virginia transfer Trell Harris.
Oklahoma drove 76 yards for a score on its first possession then forced a punt that was returned for a touchdown by Sategna to make it 14-0 midway through the first quarter. It was the first punt return for a score by OU since the 2023 season opener.
The Sooners led 27-0 at halftime, then the defense went to work. Peyton Bowen forced a fumble that was recovered by Taylor Wein on UTEP first possession of the the third quarter. Two plays later, Mateer connected with Sategna to make it 34-0.
NO. 14 SOUTHERN CAL 39, FRESNO STATE 0
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jayden Maiava passed for 349 yards and threw two of his three touchdown passes to freshman Trent Mosley, and Southern California rolled to a victory over Fresno State.
Tanook Hines also had a TD reception, and freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt had six catches for 102 yards as the Trojans (2-0) followed up their Week 0 win over San Jose State by comprehensively dominating the Bulldogs (0-1).
USC’s defense gave an impressive effort under new coordinator Gary Patterson, allowing just 116 yards — a paltry 49 through three quarters — while recording two safeties and forcing two turnovers.
Maiava went 23 of 25 while playing just one series after halftime. Mosley, his new favorite target after a 118-yard debut last week, caught a 68-yard TD pass early and added a 10-yard scoring catch shortly before halftime, finishing with four catches for 104 yards.
Jayden Mandal passed for 77 yards in his second career start for the Bulldogs, who last beat USC in 1992. Fresno State couldn’t compete in its first game against a ranked opponent under head coach Matt Entz, the former USC assistant who took over the Bulldogs last season.
Hines’ TD catch capped USC’s opening drive, and Mosley romped to his long TD after getting wide open down the middle. USC’s defense added its first safety when a blitzing Kennedy Urlacher got to Mandal.
After Mosley’s second TD catch, Urlacher forced a fumble by Mandal. Waymond Jordan rushed for a TD and a 30-0 halftime lead.
