Darian Mensah and No. 4 Miami remain fixed on the process, even amid hot start

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami quarterback Darian Mensah's uniform was caked with various layers of the Clemson turf, grass-stained and dirt-spattered as proof of him taking some big hits in that game last weekend . And afterward, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal felt a need to check on him.

“How you doing?” Cristobal asked.

“We've got a lot to clean up,” Mensah replied.

Thing is, Mensah wasn't talking about the uniform. And Cristobal was thrilled by that.

Miami is 5-0, is entering a bye week this weekend alone atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings at 3-0 in league play, plus is ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25. The Hurricanes are No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (tied with North Dakota State), No. 2 nationally in scoring offense and have a quarterback in Mensah who is on pace to smash the NCAA's completion percentage record.

But Mensah, Cristobal and anyone else wearing “The U” on game day would likely agree on this point: Miami hasn't done anything yet. Not even a 41-13 win at Clemson — a blowout victory in a place where the home team hardly ever gets blown out — had Mensah losing sight of that. That's why, instead of gazing at his Heisman Trophy-contending stats, Mensah was talking about things like working on ball security this week and ensuring that the Hurricanes minimize their pre-snap mistakes.

“He was upset with himself, and I think that’s a great sign of a quarterback that’s a real competitor,” Cristobal said. “He just wants to get better. Instead of looking for praise after the game, he’s looking for areas to improve upon.”

None of this should suggest the Hurricanes aren't enjoying the moments. Mensah celebrated among teammates in a raucous locker room after the Clemson win, with some of that scene getting captured on social media — including a couple dance moves with Cristobal joining in on the fun.

It just doesn't get in the way of the work, and that's exactly how Cristobal wants his team to operate. There's a cliche at Miami: “1-0” is Cristobal's answer for everything, his shorthand for saying that winning the next game is always what matters most. It was the approach that helped carry the Hurricanes to last season's College Football Playoff national championship game, and has the Hurricanes off to a fast start again this season.

“Man, they love winning. They love winning,” Cristobal said. “And when you work to the levels, the extent of the way that we push ourselves, push each other, the validation comes and we stay process oriented, but results validate things one way or the other. And they love that part. And they know that it’s a short window to enjoy because you’re onto the next one really, really quickly. It’s just the way it is.”

The bye comes at a good time for Miami, which is dealing with a slew of injuries — notably involving the secondary and offensive line. Florida State visits on Oct. 17 for the annual rivalry game between the programs, then a potential first-place showdown with Pitt comes the following week.

But the Hurricanes have stayed unscathed. Wide receiver Malachi Toney leads the ACC with 39 catches for 604 yards. Running backs Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory have combined for eight touchdowns on the ground and 6.5 yards per carry. The defense has allowed four touchdowns in five games — and driving the entire engine is Mensah, who has thrown for 15 touchdowns, zero interceptions and is completing 84.2% of his passes.

Mensah was flirting with the 90% mark before the Clemson game yet remains well ahead of the FBS-level record for completion percentage of 77.4% — set by Alabama's Mac Jones in 2020 and matched by Oregon's Bo Nix in 2023.

”I’m not impressed with myself, to be honest," Mensah said. "I’m really just trying to go 1-0 every week. It’s cool to be 90%, but nobody gives you a trophy for being 90%. So, it doesn’t really mean anything to me.”

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