MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Darian Mensah was almost perfect, again. And No. 6 Miami got through September with a perfect record, again.
Mensah passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran for another score as Miami capped an unbeaten September by topping Central Michigan 52-3 on Saturday night.
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Malachi Toney caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Miami (4-0), and all four of Mensah's touchdowns came in the second quarter. Cooper Barkate and Daylyn Upshaw also caught scoring passes from Mensah, who completed 23 of 27 throws.
“He spread the ball around pretty good, he extended plays, great pocket presence, protected pretty well,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “A couple times when it got sticky, he found a way.”
Even with only four incompletions, Mensah's completion percentage for the season dipped. It's now 88.7%, down slightly from the 89.9% clip he had entering Saturday.
Mensah — whose 5-yard scoring run capped a 97-yard TD drive late in the second quarter for a 35-3 halftime lead — has 14 touchdown throws, 12 incompletions and zero interceptions this season.
“We've come a long way and we've shown some good things,” Mensah said. “But like Cristobal always says, we've got a long way to go.”
Offensive lineman Jamal Meriweather was credited with a touchdown after falling on a fumble for Miami, which is unbeaten entering October for the fourth consecutive season. Javian Mallory and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey each ran for scores for the Hurricanes, who paid tribute to their 1991 national championship team in a halftime ceremony.
Jadyn Glasser completed 13 of 15 passes off the bench for 88 yards for Central Michigan (2-2).
Miami was without top running back Mark Fletcher Jr., out with an upper body injury. Cristobal indicated that he should be available next week at Clemson.
Central Michigan: Give the Chippewas credit — they were the first team to lead Miami this season. A pair of penalties and a sack thwarted Miami's first drive, and Central Michigan answered with an 11-play series capped by Caden VanHuis' 49-yard field goal for a 3-0 edge.
Miami: The real tests await. Miami has eight games left in the regular season, seven against Atlantic Coast Conference foes — the other a Nov. 7 game at Notre Dame that could have massive College Football Playoff implications.
In a four-minute span of the third quarter, Miami reached the end zone four times. Only one counted.
Damon Wilson II's 63-yard fumble return touchdown came off the board when Miami's Marquise Lightfoot — who forced the takeaway — was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the turnover. Toney had a 12-yard scoring catch (a one-handed grab) nullified when he was called for offensive pass interference, and Jordan Lyle's score off a direct snap didn't count because referee Garrett Dickerson was still explaining a flag from the previous play.
Lyle fumbled the ball on the next play, but Meriweather fell on it near the back of the end zone.
Central Michigan: Hosts Akron on Oct. 3.
Miami: Visits Clemson on Oct. 3.
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