Miami · ACCMiami loses two players for season as injuries mount
Josh Moore and Marty Brown are out, while Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher are day-to-day before Central Michigan and Clemson.
SEP 22, 2026
Wake Forest dropbacks with extra rushers
Pressures against Wake Forest
Missed tackles
01 · The NewsMiami's Injury List Grows
After Miami’s 33–20 win at Wake Forest on Friday, Sept. 18, Josh Moore and Marty Brown were ruled out for the season, while Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher moved to day-to-day status as the 3–0 Hurricanes’ injury list grew before their next major test.
Miami has not identified the injuries, positions or replacements for any of the four players. The team also has not provided return timelines for Toney or Fletcher or said whether more players could miss the Sept. 26 home game against Central Michigan.
The injuries arrive as defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman leans on pressure to cover for an inconsistent four-man rush. Miami sent extra rushers on 60.8% of Wake Forest’s dropbacks and produced 44 pressures, using disguised looks and pressure from different spots to close out the victory.
The defense also missed 15 tackles and had coverage busts as Wake Forest turned a 31–7 deficit into a fourth-quarter fight. That pressure-heavy answer leaves little room for those mistakes while Miami absorbs the personnel losses.
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Miami’s offensive collapse came from poor execution, not conservative play-calling. Central Michigan is the only game between Wake Forest and Clemson, leaving Miami to sort out its personnel questions before the bigger test.
For Hetherman, the task is to keep manufacturing pressure while the Hurricanes try to keep their injuries from reshaping an unbeaten season.
02 · The StakesThe Stakes
Miami’s unbeaten start and playoff path face a threat if the list grows before the Oct. 3 trip to Clemson. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket placed Miami at No. 11, making the loss of two players for the season and the uncertainty around two more a direct hit to that projection.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
Miami opened with 39-point and 70-point wins, then beat Wake Forest by 13 after a 31-7 lead became a fourth-quarter fight. That progression makes the Sept. 26 Central Michigan game more than a place to protect 3-0: It is the Hurricanes’ only game for testing personnel changes before the Oct. 3 trip to Clemson. The defense’s 60.8% blitz rate can manufacture pressure, but it also puts a premium on cleaning up the 15 missed tackles and coverage busts while the staff determines what the season-ending absences remove.
04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Who replaces Josh Moore and Marty Brown?
Miami has not identified either player’s position, so even the part of the depth chart affected remains undisclosed. The Sept. 26 depth chart and snap distribution against Central Michigan should provide the first public answer. That answer carries directly into the Oct. 3 Clemson trip, with Miami already relying on pressure packages while trying to reduce missed tackles and coverage busts.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Miami keep generating pressure?
The tell is whether the Hurricanes continue to create pressure after sending extra rushers on 60.8% of Wake Forest’s dropbacks and producing 44 pressures.
Do the defensive mistakes continue?
Watch for missed tackles and coverage busts after Miami missed 15 tackles as Wake Forest turned a 31–7 deficit into a fourth-quarter fight.