Malachi Toney threw a touchdown pass and caught another while amassing 156 scrimmage yards to lead No. 12 Miami to a 38-7 victory over No. 22 Pitt on Saturday afternoon at Pittsburgh.
The Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2 ACC) finished their regular season on a four-game winning streak and kept their hopes of making the College Football Playoff and perhaps the ACC Championship Game as they waited for results of other games on Saturday.
Miami secured back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 2003.
The Panthers (8-4, 6-2 ACC) were eliminated from contention for both the CFP and the ACC title game.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 23 of 29 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The turnover snapped Beck’s streak of 15 consecutive quarters without throwing an interception. He bounced back with a 33-yard touchdown pass to CJ Daniels late in the game.
Beck completed 13 of his passes to Toney, who finished with 126 yards receiving and hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 left in the first half. Miami rushed for 140 yards overall, led by Girard Pringle’s 82 yards on 10 carries.
Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel completed 22 of 32 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Heintschel tossed his lone touchdown pass to Justin Holmes with 14:20 left in the second quarter to give the Panthers their only lead of the game at 7-3.
After Miami drove into Pitt territory, Toney lined up in shotgun, rolled to his right and lobbed a pass to Elijah Lofton from 9 yards out to put the Hurricanes ahead 10-7 with 11:07 left in the second quarter.
The score would kickstart a run of 35 consecutive Miami points.
The Hurricanes’ defense set the tone from the start when Ahmad Moten shot through and sacked Heintschel. Miami finished with four sacks overall and held Pitt to only 30 yards rushing just a week after the Panthers ran for 186 in a win over Georgia Tech.
Moten and Rueben Bain Jr. each finished with 1 1/2 sacks to lead the pass rush. Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Heintschel on Pitt’s final drive with 37 seconds left.
