MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A state championship isn’t what Miami was looking for this season. That said, it provided something for Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal to enjoy.

Just for a moment anyway.

Cam Ward passed for 208 yards and caught a touchdown pass, Damien Martinez ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns and No. 6 Miami remained undefeated by beating rival Florida State 36-14 on Saturday night.

Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for a score and Andres Borregales made three field goals to help Miami (8-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) snap a three-game losing streak to the Seminoles (1-7, 1-6).

“It’s critical to go out there and beat this program and go undefeated in the state of Florida,” said Cristobal, whose team improved to 4-0 in state play this season – after beating Florida, Florida A&M, had defeated South Florida and Florida. now the state of Florida. “I think it sends a powerful message. All recruits, both in-state and out-of-state, can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the trajectory of the other programs.”

And with that he hit the music stand for emphasis, the last hit of an evening that dominated Miami.

The Seminoles – who started 13-0 last season and won the ACC – are in for their fifth losing season in the last seven years, the third in five seasons under coach Mike Norvell. Luke Kromenhoek took over as quarterback off the bench and rushed for 71 yards.

“Just a disappointing result in that game,” Norvell said. “The game means so much to this program, to our university, former players and all Seminoles. I apologize for the outcome of that match.”

Fletcher opened the scoring for Miami with a 1-yard run to cap a 67-yard drive — an emotional moment for the sophomore, whose father died this week. He crossed the goal line, took a knee and pointed to the sky in tribute.

Martinez made it 14-0 early in the second quarter with an 18-yard run. Miami didn’t find the end zone again until the 4:32 mark, when tight end Elijah Arroyo connected with Ward — two Texas natives, on a play Miami calls “Texas” — for an 8-yard touchdown pass.

Martinez scored again with 1:51 left, running in from 12 yards out. His 148 yards were the second-most among all Miami rushers in the rivalry series; Stephen McGuire ran for 176 in 1990.

“He’s a very physical, tough guy who’s hard to bring down,” Cristobal said. “You’re not going to arm tackle him.”

The Seminoles focused their hopes on Kromenhoek in the first half. The true freshman’s numbers coming into the game: 3-for-7, good for 19 yards, seven carries for minus-2 yards, all done in his college debut last week against Duke.

He made an immediate impression.

Komenhoek ran 14 yards for a first down on his first carry, somehow spewing loose from a mass of humanity in front of a 42-yard keeper on fourth-and-1 to keep a drive alive, then added a run of Adding 12 yards to the 1 Caziah Holmes came in on fourth down and finished what Kromenhoek started, getting FSU within 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

But the Seminoles didn’t score again until 18 seconds remained, when Brock Glenn found Malik Benson on a five-yard pass. It was only Florida State’s 13th touchdown of the season.

The takeaway
Florida State: The Seminoles remain the only FBS team to score more than 21 points this season. They haven’t scored more than 16 in any of their last nine games in the US; the 21-point effort came in the Ireland opener against Georgia Tech this season.

Miami: WR Xavier Restrepo passed Michael Irvin and Reggie Wayne in the same play. A 13-yard catch in the third quarter lifted Restrepo to 174 catches (passing Wayne for No. 2 on Miami’s career receiving list) and 2,427 yards (where he passed Irvin for No. 3 on Miami’s career list).

Survey implications
The Hurricanes will remain somewhere around No. 6. Miami will remain on pace to top the poll from start to finish for the second time since 2005; it last happened in 2017.

Next
Florida State is home for the first time in nearly a month, hosting North Carolina on Nov. 2. Miami will welcome back former coach Manny Diaz when Duke visits on Nov. 2.

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