The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes continued their perfect season with a thrilling 52-45 victory over Louisville in a high-scoring shootout on Saturday. Both offenses exploded, but Miami’s edged out Louisville’s thanks to a balanced attack and key plays down the stretch.
Miami racked up 538 total yards, averaging 7.5 yards per play, as quarterback Cam Ward put up 319 passing yards and four touchdowns, bolstering his Heisman candidacy. Wide receivers Sam Brown and Xavier Restrepo both crossed the 100-yard mark, with Brown hauling in 125 yards and a touchdown on just four catches. Restrepo added 101 yards on seven receptions. Running back Damien Martinez sealed the win late, shaking off defenders for a 30-yard touchdown, capping off his 89-yard performance.
The Hurricanes’ defense was led by Simeon Barrow, who contributed six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Daryl Porter also chipped in nine tackles as Miami limited Louisville to just 3-of-12 on third-down conversions, though the Cardinals converted all three of their fourth-down attempts.
Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough kept the Cardinals in the game, completing 31-of-51 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target, JaCorey Brooks, notched six receptions for 107 yards and two scores, including a game-tying touchdown in the third quarter.
Miami jumped out to an early lead with a 55-yard field goal by Andy Borregales, but Louisville quickly responded with a 43-yard touchdown run from Isaac Brooks. The Hurricanes regained momentum with two big touchdown passes from Ward, first to Jacolby George and then to Sam Brown, to take a 17-7 lead.
The Cardinals fought back, cutting the lead to 17-14 with a touchdown pass to tight end Mark Redman. A forced fumble by Barrow led to another Miami score, giving the Hurricanes a 24-14 advantage. Louisville added a late field goal before halftime, trailing 24-17.
After the break, Miami extended their lead with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, but Louisville struck back with a 100-yard kickoff return by Caullin Lacy. Moments later, a Miami fumble set up a Brooks touchdown, tying the game at 31-31.
Ward led Miami on another scoring drive, hitting Restrepo for a 63-yard bomb and finding Isaiah Horton for a short touchdown to go up 38-31. Louisville answered with a touchdown of their own, tying the game at 38-38 early in the fourth quarter.
Miami responded with a quick strike, as Brown broke free for a 59-yard catch-and-run, setting up a two-yard score by Ajay Allen to take a 45-38 lead. Martinez then put the game away with a powerful 30-yard touchdown run, pushing Miami ahead by two scores. Louisville scored a late touchdown, but Miami recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.
The win moves Miami to 7-0 on the season. Next up, they host in-state rival Florida State, who is reeling at 1-6 after last year’s ACC championship. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST on ESPN.