Miami Hurricanes Run Over NC State 27-13

Facing one of the best run defenses in the country, the Miami Hurricanes running game got going in the second half on their way to a 27-13 win over North Carolina State in Raleigh.

The Hurricanes had a sluggish first half and were tied 3-3 at the break. They ran for 22 yards on 15 carries in the first half. The Miami ground game and particularly Mark Walton got going after halftime. Walton ran for 107 yards on 17 carries in the second half. He finished the game with 120 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns.

Walton now has six 100 yard games this season, all of them in victories. Brad Kayaa kept the offense respectful in the first half throwing for 164 yards. One of the drives ended in a Michael Badgley missed field goal.

Ahmmon Richards had seven receptions for 96 yards before the break and finished with a career-high nine catches for 117 yards. Richards broke Michael Irvin’s Miami freshman record of 840 receiving yards and now has 849 yards on the season. Walton also had a milestone, going over 1000 yards on the season and now has 1,005 rushing yards in 2016.

Miami took the opening kickoff in the second half and went 75 yards in three plays to open a 10-3 lead. Walton had a 19-yard reception on the first play of the second half, the Wolfpack was called for roughing the passer on the play. That tacked on another 15 yards. Walton burst through the NC State line and went 30 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the drive and gave the Hurricanes a lead they would never relinquish.

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On the Wolfpack’s ensuing drive, Miami had arguably the most important play of the game. NC State drove to the Miami 11 yard line. On third and eight, NC State Quarterback Ryan Finley threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Malek Young.

The Hurricanes went 64 yards in eight plays on the ensuing drive to push the lead to 17-3. A one yard Walton touchdown run was set up by a Kaaya to Stacy Coley 51 yard pass to the two-yard line. Coley finished the game with two receptions for 54 yards. David Njoku added six catches for 72.

NC State took the ensuing drive and went 80 yards on seven plays capped by a Matt Dayes three-yard run on fourth and goal to cut the lead to 17-10. After the teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, Walton effectively put the game away with a 24-yard touchdown run with 2:06 left.

Wolfpack mistakes had a big impact on the game. In addition to the end zone INT thrown by Finley, the Wolfpack had a penalty that brought back a fourth-quarter TD run by Dayes and Bra’Lon Cherry muffed a punt that Miami recovered at the NC State 16 yard line that set up a Badgley Field goal.

The biggest mistake was when cornerback Jack Tocho was called for pass interference on third down with 2:56 left that gave Miami a first down and set up Walton’s clinching touchdown run. All of the mistakes came in the second half.

The Hurricanes return home to the Rock on Saturday to face Duke in their first game since last year’s Miracle in Durham. Kickoff is at 3:30 on ESPN2 and WQAM.