Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes at Pittsburgh ... how to watch, start time, game notes & more

13/#13 Miami (9-2, 5-2 ACC) AT 24/#24 Pittsburgh (8-3, 6-1 ACC)

Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025

Time: 12 p.m.

Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Stadium: Acrisure Stadium (65,326)

Series History: Miami leads, 29-12-1 Miami / Miami Gardens: Miami leads, 15-6-1 Pittsburgh: Miami leads, 14-6 Neutral Site: N/A

Last Meeting: Miami lost, 16-42 (Nov. 26, 2022)

Television: ABC Talent: Bob Wischusen (play by play), Louis Riddick (color), Kris Budden (sideline)

Radio: 104.3 WQAM Talent: Joe Zagacki, Don Bailey, Jr., Josh Darrow

Spanish Radio: Radio Libre 790 AM Talent: Alfredo Alvarez, Joe Martinez

MIAMI GAME NOTES

QUICK HITS

• The Miami Hurricanes wrap up their fourth regular season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal with a matchup at Pittsburgh on Nov. 29. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN.

• Miami posted its first 10-win season since 2017 and only its second 10-win season in the last 20 years in 2024. The Hurricanes are looking for back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2002 / 2003.

• The Hurricanes are looking to continue momentum from three straight dominant wins – most recently, a 34-17 thumping at Virginia Tech on Nov. 22.

• The Hurricanes opened 2025 with a thrilling 27-24 win over #6/#6 Notre Dame in their season opener on Aug. 31. Miami has three ranked wins so far this season in games vs. Notre Dame, USF and FSU.

• If some other results end up in Miami’s favor Saturday, the Hurricanes have a chance to play in the 2025 ACC Championship Game with a win at Pitt.

NOTABLE

• #13/#13 Miami wraps up its fourth regular season under head coach Mario Cristobal with a  road matchup against Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on ABC, 104.3 WQAM and Radio Libre 790 AM from the Steel City.

• The Hurricanes entered the season ranked in the top 10 of both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, checking in at No. 10 in both rankings, and rose to as high as No. 2 in both polls entering Week 8. Following its win over Virginia Tech, UM moved to No. 14/15 in the polls. Miami was ranked No. 13 in the third College Football Playoff rankings (Nov. 18).

• Among UM’s top newcomers is QB Carson Beck, who arrived from Georgia via transfer portal. Beck, who missed spring practices while recovering from UCL surgery, has a 33-5 (.868) record as a starting FBS quarterback, the best of any active player (minimum five games).

THE MATCHUP

• #13/#13 Miami wraps up its 2025 regular season schedule with a road trip to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., to face the host #24/#24 Pitt Panthers on Nov. 22. Kickoff is set for noon on ABC.

• The Hurricanes carry a 29-12-1 all-time series lead against the Panthers into Saturday’s regular season finale, including wins in their last two trips to what is now Acrisure Stadium (2019, 2021).

• Mario Cristobal has faced Pitt only one time during his four years as head coach at Miami, falling in 2022, 42-16.

• If Miami wins Saturday, it has a chance to earn a trip to Charlotte and the 2025 ACC Championship with some added help in game results between SMU and Cal, Duke and Wake Forest as well as Virginia Tech and Virginia.

A LOOK BACK: UM DOMINATES IN VT ROAD TRIP

• The Hurricanes toppled Virginia Tech, 34-17, last time out at Lane Stadium on Nov. 22. QB Carson Beck threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns in one of the best outings of his Miami career, finishing 27-for-32 on the day.

• WR Malachi Toney totaled 146 yards on a career-high 12 catches, while WR Keelan Marion finished with 79 yards on six catches. Toney was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week for his outing.

• Among Miami’s top performers was DB Zechariah Poyser, who had a career-high 10 tackles to go along with a crucial fumble recovery and an 8-yard sack. DL Ahmad Moten, Sr., had a career-high three tackles for loss with two sacks, while DL Akheem Mesidor added 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

• Four different Hurricanes caught touchdown passes for the Hurricanes, who are on a three-game winning streak and who have outscored their opponents, 113-34, during that stretch – an average victory margin of 26.3 points.

CANES LEAD ACC IN WIN PERCENTAGE SINCE ‘24

• The Hurricanes are 19-5 since the start of the 2024 season, with none of their five losses over that stretch coming by more than six points. The Hurricanes’ current 23-game streak of not losing a game by more than six points is the second-longest behind Ohio State (26). It’s the longest by Miami since a 40-game stretch from 1999-2002.

• UM’s .791 winning percentage since the start of 2024 is the best in the ACC, ahead of second-place SMU (.760).

STOUT OL ANCHORING OFFENSE THROUGH 2025

• Under the watchful eye of offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, the Miami Hurricanes are one of just 12 teams in all of FBS to start the same five players every game (LT Markel Bell, LG Matt McCoy, C James Brockermeyer, RG Anez Cooper, RT Francis Mauigoa).

• The Hurricanes’ impressive group, named to the Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award for the third straight year, have only 44 negative plays on offense this year, which is the second-lowest in Power-4 and tied for the third-fewest in FBS (Navy), trailing only Cincinnati (43) and San Jose State (43)

• Miami ranks No. 4 in FBS (No. 1 in ACC) in tackles for loss allowed per game (3.27) and No. 7 in FBS and No. 2 in ACC in sacks allowed (0.82). Behind its powerful line, UM ranks No. 5 in FBS in time of possession (33:31).

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT YoY AMONG FBS‘ BEST

• The Hurricanes’ defense was not up to par in 2024, surrendering 25.3 points per game to rank No. 70 in FBS. Under new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, Miami ranks No. 7 in FBS and No. 1 in ACC, allowing 14.5 points per game. Under Hetherman, in his first year as defensive coordinator,  Minnesota was No. 9 in PPG (16.9).

• Miami is one of 10 FBS teams that have improved their scoring defense by over 10 points per game from the 2024 season to the 2025 season (-10.8 per game) and is one of five “power conference” teams to do so.

“BABY JESUS” IS TOP-PERFORMING TRUE FROSH

• WR Malachi Toney has served as the top-performing freshman wide receiver in the country through the first 11 games of his college career. Toney is Miami’s leader in all-purpose yards, catches, receiving & punt return yards.

• Toney has 71 catches – 29 more than the next highest true freshman (Andrew Marsh, Michigan) – and is also 200-plus yards ahead of Brown (844 to 641) for the most receiving yards of any true freshman in FBS. He is responsible for 27.7% of UM’s total receptions this season and has compiled a whopping 1,085 all-purpose yards. 

• Toney, whose nickname is “Baby Jesus,” is considered a Freshman of the Year candidate. The Liberty City native is one of three true freshmen to lead their team in receptions & yards (Marsh and Vernell Brown III of Florida).

MIAMI HAS POSTED THREE AP T-25 WINS SO FAR

• Following their 5-0 start to the season, the Hurricanes were ranked as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press top 25 released on Oct. 5. Now ranked No. 16 in both the coaches poll and in the AP rankings, UM has been included in the top 25 of both polls for the entirety of the season.

• Miami’s No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press top 25 released on Oct. 12 was tied for the highest of any Mario Cristobal-coached team in his career (earlier this year, UM also ranked No. 2); Cristobal’s previous high was No. 3 at Oregon, obtained during Week 4 of the 2021 season (#3/#3). 

• With a No. 5 ranking in the Associated Press poll attained on Sept. 2, the Hurricanes made it back-to-back years to crack the top five of the AP for the first time since a six-season run from 2000-05. Miami was ranked No. 10 in both preseason polls.

• Miami’s resume as as impressive as any team’s in the country through the first seven weeks of the season. The Hurricanes have three AP ranked wins this year, having topped Notre Dame, USF and Florida State through in the first half of the season, all of whom were ranked in the AP poll released on Oct. 5. Prior to 2025, Miami hadn’t had three wins over AP ranked teams in the same season since 2009.

• The Hurricanes opened the 2024 season at No. 19 in the poll and found their name in every top 25 ranking of the season. The Hurricanes reached as high as No. 4 (after improving to 9-0 to start the year) and ended No. 18 in the final poll, its highest final ranking since being ranked No. 13 to end 2017.

• Cristobal’s highest-ranked finish as a head coach came in the final 2019 polls, when Oregon was No. 5/5.

HETHERMAN‘S “E.S.V” DEFENSE WREAKING HAVOC

• Mario Cristobal announced the hiring of Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to the same post in January 2025. Hetherman arrived in Coral Gables after a dominant lone season at Minnesota.

• Hetherman has made a flawless transition through the Hurricanes’ strong season. UM ranks No. 12 in total defense, allowing just 282.2 yards per game so far against an impressive schedule of opponents. Hetherman’s signature acronym, “E.S.V.” – has been on display. The acronym stands for Excitement, Swarm, Violence.

• Miami has allowed 63 “big plays” this season (27 runs of 12-or-more yards, 36 passes of 15-or-more), good for the 14th-best “big play” defensive percentage in all of FBS (9.20%). Miami’s “big play” pass percentage of 10.37% is fourth-best in FBS. UM is one of 26 teams entering Week 14 to allow 15-or-fewer plays of 30-plus yards (14).

• In a measurement of “defensive mayhem” – which charts the percentage of plays where a defense forces the opposition into either a sack, tackle for loss, interception or a fumble that is recovered by the defense – the Hurricanes rank No. 8 in FBS, posting a percentage of 13.43%. UM’s 1.18 points-per-drive average is No. 7 in FBS. 

BAIN, MESIDOR COULD BE FBS‘ TOP EDGE TANDEM

• Miami’s defensive end tandem of Rueben Bain, Jr., and Akheem Mesidor have been the top defensive end tandem in the country through the first 13 weeks of the college football season by most metrics.

• Among 250 defensive ends across Power-4, Bain is the No. 1 overall edge player by Pro Football Focus (93.1), while Mesidor ranks fifth (92.0). Both are considered among the top edge rush prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.

• In PFF’s “run defense” grades among Power-4 players, Bain is fifth (87.4) while Mesidor is second (90.7). Bain is third by PFF in Power-4 “pass rush” (92.3) while Mesidor is ninth (90.6). Bain is fourth in FBS in pressures (56).

FLETCHER CLIMBS RECORD BOOK, RETURNED @VT

• RB Mark Fletcher, Jr. has been a key member of UM’s offensive attack through its impressive season, but did not play vs. Syracuse or NC State. He returned for the Virginia Tech win (Nov. 22), seeing significant action. 

• In his last home game vs. Stanford on Oct. 25, Fletcher had the first three-touchdown game of his career in a win over the Cardinal to go along with the fifth 100-yard game of his career (and third this season).Fletcher has rushed for nine touchdowns this season, matching his amount in 2024. He’s the second UM player this century to have at least nine rushing scores in consecutive seasons, joining Mark Walton (2015-2016).

• Fletcher scored the 14th, 15th and 16th rushing touchdown of his career at Hard Rock Stadium vs. Stanford, moving him into sole possession of second-most touchdowns at the facility by a Hurricane. He trails only Duke Johnson, who had 17 career TDs at Hard Rock Stadium, where Miami moved prior to the 2008 season.  

• Vs. USF, Fletcher had his second 100-yard, multi-TD game of his career against an AP ranked team (Louisville, 2023). Fletcher now has five career 100-yard games – his game USF was his first since 11/18/23 vs. Louisville.

BECK PLAYING HIS BEST FOOTBALL IN NOVEMBER

• For the second straight year, the Miami Hurricanes added one of the top quarterbacks in the country in the January transfer window, signing QB Carson Beck after an eye-popping career at Georgia, where he finished 24-3 as a starting quarterback with the Bulldogs. He threw for 7,912 yards, 58 touchdowns and 20 interceptions at UGA.

• In a win over Syracuse, Beck became one of only two active FBS quarterbacks to crack 10,000 passing yards.

• In a win over No. Virginia Tech on Oct. 22, Beck threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns. The performance was Beck’s 11th career 300-yard game – he is one of just four FBS active QBs to have more than 10 such games.

• Beck currently ranks as the leader among FBS players in career passing yards (10,717), fourth in career passing efficiency (158.45) and fifth in career total offense (11,018).

• Beck broke Miami’s record for consecutive passes completed with 24 in a stretch from Nov. 15-22. In Miami’s win over the Hokies, Beck had his 17th career game with multiple passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. That is the second most among active FBS players behind Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (21).

• He now owns a 33-5 record as a starting quarterback at the FBS level (.868), the best of any active player with more than 15 starts. Beck went 22-for-24 (91.7) against Bethune-Cookman, marking the highest completion rate by any Miami signal caller (min. 20 attempts) over the last 30 seasons.

• Beck, who assumed starting responsibilities at Georgia in 2023 as a fourth-year redshirt sophomore, led the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record and a win in the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl, finishing just shy of a College Football Playoff berth in the four-team field. He was a member of back-to-back national championship teams as a backup.

• In his second year as the team’s starting quarterback in 2024, Beck led Georgia to the College Football Playoff with an 11-2 record. Beck was hurt in the 2024 SEC Championship Game against Texas, which Georgia won, 2219. He finished 2024 with 3,485 yards, a 64.7% completion percentage, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

• Beck underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow after the SEC Championship Game. Though he did not throw during all of spring practice at Miami after enrolling in January while completing his rehab, he was cleared for full participation shortly thereafter and took part in all summer team activity.

TONEY 90 YARDS FROM TYING FRESHMAN MARK

• WR Malachi Toney had recorded at least 40 receiving yards and four receptions in all eight of his career games before the streak was snapped against Syracuse. That was the second longest streak by any ACC player in the last 30 years to begin his FBS career, behind Wake Forest’s Greg Dortch in 2017-18 (13 straight). The school record for receiving yards is held by Ahmmon Richards (934 in 2016). Toney is one of only three true freshmen in the country to lead his team in receiving yards and receptions, and is a strong candidate for the Shaun Alexander Award as the nation’s top freshman in the country. 

BECK ONE OF TWO ACTIVE QBs TO TOP 10K MARK

• QB Carson Beck surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in UM’s win over Syracuse. Of the 63 quarterbacks to reach the 10,000 mark this century for power conference teams, Beck’s completion percentage is among the best.

• Beck’s 69.7 completion percentage on the journey to 10,000 trails only four players from power conferences: Colt McCoy (70.3%), Graham Harrell (69.8%), Will Rogers (69.5%) and Brandon Weeden (69.5%) to place him fifth.

MIAMI NOW HAS THREE RANKED WINS THIS YEAR

• The Hurricanes recorded a third ranked win when they topped #18/#19 Florida State on October 4; the last time Miami featured three ranked wins came in 2009 against No. 18 FSU, No. 14 Georgia Tech and No. 8 Oklahoma 

• Prior to this year, where Miami has knocked off #6/6 Notre Dame and #18/#23 USF in addition to FSU, the last time Miami started a year with a 3-0 mark with at least two ranked wins in those first three games was the 1993 season. UM opened the year with wins over then-No. 20 Boston College, Virginia Tech and then-No. 13 Colorado. 

FOLLOW THE BLUEPRINT: CANES ARE ON THE RISE

• Miami reached a number of notable milestones in 2024, its third season under Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes managed only the second 10-win season in the last 20 years at Miami (2017), finished undefeated at home for the first time since 2002 and ended the season inside the Associated Press Top 20 at No. 18 – only its second finish that high since 2005. UM went from five wins (2022, 5-7) to seven (2023, 7-6) to 10 (2024, 10-3) under Cristobal.

• The Hurricanes had 10 NFL Combine invites and its seven NFL Draft picks ranked sixth-most nationally. The Hurricanes had just one NFL Draft pick in the draft prior to Cristobal taking the helm, in 2022 – and it came in the seventh round (Jon Ford, Green Bay Packers).

• QB Cam Ward, the winner of the Davey O’Brien Award and Manning Award as the nation’s top quarterback, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans – it was the third No. 1 overall pick in program history.

O-LINE NAMED JOE MOORE HONOR ROLL…AGAIN

• For the third straight year, the Miami Hurricanes’ offensive line was selected to the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizing the top performing units in the nation. Miami was one of 24 selected.

BALLHAWK FITZGERALD STEPPING UP AS STARTER

• DB Bryce Fitzgerald recorded an interception for the second straight game against USF on Sept.13, picking off Byrum Brown to end what was the nation’s longest passing streak without an interception (252 straight attempts).

MESIDOR ADDED TO SACK TOTAL AGAINST HOKIES

• A key member of Miami’s defensive line who has been stellar through the first half of the season, veteran edge rusher Akheem Mesidor is second active FBS with 30.0 sacks over the course of his career. Mesidor, who grew up in Ottawa, Canada, spent much of his high school career traveling to the U.S. for recruiting camps and clinics.

• Now in his sixth year, Mesidor spent the first two seasons of his career (2020-21) at West Virginia before transferring to Miami. He is one of just four players with more than 25 career sacks at the FBS level, joining Trey Moore of Texas (30.5), David Bailey of Texas Tech (27.0) and Cashius Howell of Texas A&M (27.0).