Malachi Toney injury clouds Miami’s Notre Dame trip
Miami has not disclosed whether its sophomore receiver, who has 73 catches and 13 touchdowns, can play Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7-1 Notre Dame.
Toney catches through eight games
Receiving yards from Miami’s top playmaker
Touchdowns Miami may have to replace
What Happened Miami receiver Malachi Toney suffered an injury that leaves his status for Saturday, Nov. 7, at Notre Dame — and the rest of the season — uncertain, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday, putting the unbeaten, CFP No. 1 Hurricanes’ most productive playmaker in doubt before their biggest remaining regular-season test.
Miami has not announced the nature or severity of the injury, a timetable for Toney’s return or whether he can play against the 7-1 Fighting Irish. The sophomore has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games for an 8-0 Miami team.
The question reaches beyond those totals. Toney had been managing an ankle issue throughout the season, Dan Le Batard said, and Miami’s offense has struggled when he leaves the field. Without him, the Hurricanes must find enough offense to protect an unbeaten season, their ACC position and a top playoff seed.
“This is heartbreaking,” Le Batard said Thursday on his show. “That injury is — I know [Aleksander] Barkov obviously felt bad. But I don't know why it is that this seems like it feels worse. I don't know whether it's college football. I don't know whether it's this rivalry. I don't know whether it's about waiting 20 years for Miami to actually be back and to be a consensus No.1. And then, Malachi Tony goes down, and everyone here in Miami received that news the same way.”
“every time there's a got to have it down, he's looking at No. 1, and No.1 makes the play.”
Dan Le BatardWhy This One Matters Toney’s production has made him the centerpiece of Miami’s passing game. He opened the season with 12 catches, 234 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford, then had 11 catches for 154 yards and two scores in the Oct. 17 win over Florida State. Against Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, he caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns.
Miami has scored at least 33 points in each of its eight wins, but its past three games included one-score victories over Florida State and North Carolina. The Hurricanes beat North Carolina 38-35 on Oct. 31, their most recent game before the trip to Notre Dame.
Notre Dame enters Saturday at 7-1, with its only loss a 28-24 defeat at BYU on Oct. 17. Miami hosts Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College after Notre Dame, but the immediate issue is whether its offense can operate without the receiver who has supplied 13 touchdowns in eight games.
What Most People Are Missing Le Batard’s account of Toney’s ankle issue makes the injury more than a question of replacing a high-volume receiver. He said Miami’s offense has dropped off sharply during Toney’s absences, and Toney has been quarterback Darian Mensah’s preferred option when the Hurricanes need a conversion.
“And it's gonna be really, really hard,” Le Batard said. “Malachi's been dealing with an ankle all year long. And every time he goes out, Miami's just not bad offensively — Miami's like three-and-out bad. And there have been plenty — the reason why Mensa is in this Heisman campaign is he's been excellent — but every time there's a got to have it down, he's looking at No. 1, and No.1 makes the play.”
Le Batard pointed to third-and-long situations against Clemson and Pittsburgh, when Mensah turned to Toney with drives and games in the balance. That role is the harder part to replace against Notre Dame: not merely the catches and yards, but the trusted target on the downs that force Miami to stay on the field.
What to Watch Next Toney’s availability Saturday is the first answer Miami has not supplied. If he does not play, Miami’s third-down offense will offer the clearest measure of what changed after losing Mensah’s go-to receiver.
For now, the Hurricanes have an injury with no diagnosis or timetable, an unbeaten record and a trip to Notre Dame without knowing whether Toney can take the field.
01 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Will Malachi Toney play at Notre Dame?
Miami has not disclosed the nature or severity of Toney’s injury, a timetable for his return or whether he can play Saturday, Nov. 7. The answer affects Miami’s biggest remaining regular-season test against 7-1 Notre Dame, with an unbeaten record, ACC position and a top playoff seed in play.
Who becomes Darian Mensah’s answer on conversion downs if Toney is out?
Le Batard said Mensah looks to Toney when Miami needs a play, and pointed to third-and-long situations against Clemson and Pittsburgh. Miami’s third-down offense at Notre Dame is the clearest tell: Toney’s replacement must provide more than catches and yards when the Hurricanes need to extend a drive.
02 · The Watch ListWhat to Watch Next
Will Toney take the field?
Miami has not announced whether Toney can play at Notre Dame, nor has it provided a diagnosis, severity or return timetable.
Can Miami convert third-and-long without him?
Le Batard pointed to third-and-long plays against Clemson and Pittsburgh, when Mensah turned to Toney with drives and games in the balance.
Does Miami keep its 33-point floor?
The Hurricanes have scored at least 33 points in all eight wins, but Le Batard said the offense becomes three-and-out bad when Toney leaves the field.