In a rivalry that may not be renewed for years, No. 4 Miami made sure it left with the last word. The Hurricanes leaned on a suffocating defense and timely rushing scores from Mark Fletcher Jr. and Marty Brown to beat Florida 26-7 on Saturday night, moving to 4-0 on the season and extending their control in the all-time series.
Brown powered into the end zone twice, capping the Hurricanes’ opening drive with a 2-yard run and sealing the win late with a 1-yard plunge that made it 19-7 with just over four minutes remaining. Fletcher added 116 yards on the ground and a short touchdown in the final two minutes, ensuring Miami claimed its ninth win over Florida in the last 11 meetings.
For the Gators, the frustration was historic. Florida (1-3) was outgained 344-141, converted zero third downs (0 for 13, the worst FBS mark since 2022), and managed just 61 passing yards from freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway, who finished 12 of 23. Their lone bright spot was Jadan Baugh’s 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, which trimmed the deficit to 13-7 and extended Florida’s NCAA-record scoring streak to 465 games dating back to 1988.
The Hurricanes nearly blew the game open earlier. On a fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, Brown appeared to break free for what would have been a 48-yard touchdown run and a commanding 19-0 lead. Officials, however, ruled his forward progress had been stopped, erasing the score. Florida capitalized on the momentum swing with its lone touchdown drive, but Miami’s defense stiffened immediately, forcing a turnover on downs to begin the fourth quarter and never letting the Gators close the gap.
Carson Beck, steady if unspectacular, went 17 of 30 for 160 yards with one interception. Still, the win marked his third against Florida as a starting quarterback—joining fellow Georgia alums Jake Fromm and Aaron Murray as the only QBs in the past quarter-century to defeat the Gators three times.
The night underscored the vastly different trajectories of the programs. Miami extended its home winning streak to 10 games dating back to last season and strengthened its College Football Playoff résumé. Florida, meanwhile, fell to its worst start since 1986, and embattled coach Billy Napier dropped to 20-22 in his tenure.
The loss will sting even longer given the uncertain future of the rivalry. With no scheduled games and the SEC’s pending nine-game league format, a Miami-Florida matchup may not happen again outside a postseason clash. That leaves the Hurricanes with bragging rights for the foreseeable future.
Florida: Hosts No. 5 Texas on Oct. 4 in Gainesville. Miami: Travels to Tallahassee for a showdown with rival No. 7 Florida State on Oct. 4.
