No. 9 Miami did exactly what a top-10 team should do after a loss: respond. Tied 7-7 at the half, the Hurricanes dominated the final two quarters to bury Stanford 42-7 at Hard Rock Stadium, riding a relentless defense, a downhill run game and clean quarterback play. Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 106 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as Miami outgained the Cardinal 404-144 and owned the ball for 36:42. These are the three biggest takeaways from the dominant win.
1. The defense is this team's identity — and it's one of the nation's best
After conceding a 74-yard opening drive, Miami slammed the door: Stanford finished with eight first downs, 2.