Cristobal praises defense, running game in gritty win over Gators to keep Canes undefeated

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal spoke to reporters after his team’s 26-7 win over Florida on Saturday night, praising a defense that held the Gators to 141 total yards and 0-for-13 on third down.

CharMar “Marty” Brown and Mark Fletcher Jr. combined for 249 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Miami’s defense delivered one of its most complete performances of the season.

“The locker room was really fired up. This game means a lot to us. It means a lot to our alumni,” Cristobal said during his postgame interview on Saturday. “The part that really sticks out for me on the defense, which I didn’t even realize until after, was 0 for 13 on third down. I’ve never been part of an organization that’s held a team to that particular statistic.”

Miami (4-0) carried a 13-0 lead into halftime after a field goal from Carter Davis and Brown’s first touchdown.

The Hurricanes’ defense smothered Florida early, limiting the Gators to just 32 yards and one first down in the opening half.

Florida (1-3) showed signs of life in the third quarter behind quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh, who capped a drive with a short touchdown run to make it 13-7. A Cormani McClain interception briefly shifted momentum, but Miami’s defense responded with a sack by linebacker Mohamed Toure to stall the Gators.

Brown, who was ruled down by contact on a would-be touchdown run in the first half, broke through again in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard rushing touchdown that reignited the Hurricanes’ sideline. Fletcher added the finishing touch with a 1-yard plunge in the final minutes.

Cristobal said he was grateful for the challenge from Florida and hopes that one day the Gators will be able to play against the Hurricanes annually.

“Well, I mean, we don’t get to play these guys (Florida) again,” Cristobal said. “This game should be on the schedule every year. It’s a shame that it’s not, so we wanted to make sure we took advantage of the opportunity.”

Cristobal also credited Miami’s scout team for its role in preparing the starters and backups during the week.

“They’re a special group. They need to be recognized and far more than anybody, the scout team needs to be recognized,” Cristobal said. “Those guys get after it, and the reward is celebrating with your teammates.”

Quarterback Carson Beck, who finished 17 of 30 for 160 yards with one interception, praised his teammates for responding when the game tightened.

“Yeah, absolutely, I mean that’s a great team win right there,” Beck said. “Our defense played out of their mind, honestly. Our O-line physically imposed their will on their defense. In the face of adversity we showed what our team looked like. We really haven’t faced much adversity this year, but tonight was really the first time, and our team banded together.”

Brown said finding the end zone after the earlier call was overturned gave the Hurricanes a lift.

“Yeah, it felt great,” Brown said. “We came out slow second half and tried to get something going, and to finally get something going on that last drive there, that touchdown meant a lot and it boosted us throughout the rest of the game.”

Miami will now shift its focus to Tallahassee, where it will face undefeated No. 7 Florida State (4-0) on Oct. 4 at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

Florida will return home to host No. 8 Texas the same day.

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