CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
Another week, another set of Miami Hurricanes records for star wide receiver Malachi Toney.
And this time, senior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. joined in on the fun.
With his 9-yard touchdown catch with 2:33 left that ultimately sealed No. 1 Miami’s 38-35 road win over the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday, Toney tied the school record with 13 receiving touchdowns this season. Leonard Hankerson originally set the mark in the 2010 season.
Oct 31, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) scores a touchdown as North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Peyton Seelmann (10) defends in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meanwhile, Fletcher recorded three touchdowns — catching one and running for two more — to break the school career record for combined rushing and receiving touchdowns and tie the school record for career rushing touchdowns.
Fletcher now has 38 total touchdowns (35 rushing, three receiving). That broke a tie with Stephen McGuire and Edgerrin James (both of whom had 35) for the most in UM history. Fletcher’s 35 rushing touchdowns tie McGuire’s UM career record.
“It’s a blessing,” Fletcher said. “I always wanted to be a Hurricane as a little boy. It’s just a blessing, man. I’m blessed to be here, blessed to be a part of this team. Everybody just does such a great job, just looking out for me. All the support with how hard I had it, with things and adversity I faced, but these people just continue to have my back. … I just love this university. I’m just happy that I could just impact it positively.”
Oct 31, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Miami (FL) Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (1) celebrates with tight end Gavin Mueller (87) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Toney’s game-sealing touchdown was his second of the game. His first — a 2-yard fade from quarterback Darian Mensah — capped a 13-play, 74-yard opening drive. Toney caught all four completed passes on that drive.
Toney finished the game with seven catches for 75 yards and the two touchdowns.
In the process, Toney also became just the second player in school history to have multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons after putting up a school-record 1,211 yards as a freshman last season. He joins Xavier Restrepo, who hit the marks in 2023 (1,092 yards) and 2024 (1,127 yards).
Toney already holds the school records for catches in a game (16, set last week against Pittsburgh), receiving yards in a game (234, set Sept. 4 against Stanford), receiving yards in a season (1,211 in 2025) and receptions in a season (109 in 2025) while being tied for receiving touchdowns in a game (three, done twice this season and matching the mark done five other times in school history).
The sophomore is in the top 10 for career receptions (182, 18 shy of Restrepo’s record of 200), receiving yards (2,238, 606 yards shy of Restrepo’s record of 2,844) and receiving touchdowns (23, three shy of Michael Irvin’s record of 26).
He also has a school record seven games with double-digit catches (no one else has more than three) and is second in career 100-yard receiving games with 10, two shy of Restrepo’s record of 12.
Fletcher, meanwhile, now has 2,813 rushing yards for his UM career, which ranks fifth all-time in school history. He is 148 yards shy of jumping to third place and would need 707 yards by the end of the season to break Duke Johnson’s school record of 3,519 rushing yards.
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.