MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. _ Entering the second game of the season, the goals for Miami were simple.
Play well. Avoid a slow start against an upset-minded South Florida foe. And improve to 2-0.
It took a little longer than 25th-ranked Hurricanes likely would have wanted, but in a game that seemed to echo their last meeting against Florida Atlantic, they eventually did.
After a sluggish start, the Hurricanes eventually found their footing and ultimately picked up a 38-10 win over the Owls that was anything but pretty, but keeps Miami unbeaten in the young Mark Richt Era.
Entering Saturday's game, many of the Hurricanes said they wanted to avoid a repeat of last year's matchup against FAU, one in which players admitted some of them may have underestimated the Owls and thus, found themselves needing a serious second-half effort to get out of Boca Raton with a win.
But in another development that mirrored the 2015 matchup, running back Mark Walton had his say.
The junior, who last season rushed for three touchdowns in Miami's 44-2 win over the Owls, rushed for a career-high 155 yards and had four touchdowns to help the Hurricanes clinch the win on this night.
He became the first Hurricane to score four rushing touchdowns in a single game since Tyrone Moss did the same against North Carolina in 2005. The last Hurricane to notch four touchdowns total, whether by pass or rush, was Mike James, who did it in 2012.
Walton's two-touchdown, 54-yard performance in the first half was one of the few early bright spots for Miami on a night when both the offensive line and quarterback Brad Kaaya struggled early.
The Owls pressured Miami's highly-touted signal caller in the first half, forcing him into two uncharacteristic interceptions. No team has managed that against Kaaya since Georgia Tech did it in a 28-17 win over Miami in 2014. And while FAU didn't get the upset, the Owls made their presence felt.
FAU (1-1) held the Hurricanes to just 18 rushing yards in the first quarter and blocked a Michael Badgley field goal attempt to keep Miami scoreless until Walton scored on a 7-yard run with 7:53 left in the half.
But Miami's defense _ a unit depleted by injuries and dismissals _ did its job too, with Michael Pinckney showing that, yet again, Miami's trio of young linebackers has the potential to be a special group.
Pinckney notched a career-high seven tackles and had a sack in the first half, while safety Rayshawn Jenkins _ making his 24th start _ had four sacks and was in on another sack of FAU quarterback Jason Driskel.
Still, late in the first half, after Andrew Soroh snagged Kaaya's second interception, the Owls managed their first points on a 38-yard field goal from Greg Joseph, cutting Miami's lead to 7-3.
The Hurricanes (2-0) then answered with their first truly effective drive of the night, one that went 75 yards on eight plays and ended when Walton scored on a 3-yard run that was set up by his 29-yard run one play earlier. That allowed the Hurricanes to take a 14-3 lead into the half and while FAU managed a 38-yard touchdown run by Greg Howell late in the third quarter to cut Miami's lead to 24-10, the Hurricanes pulled away late, thanks again to Walton.
Walton had both a 16-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard touchdown run in the second half. Kaaya, meanwhile, put together a more efficient performance late, finishing 17 of 31 for 191 yards. Hurricanes running back Joe Yearby also had a 100-yard performance, finishing with 20 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown.
FAU's Driskel was 18 of 36 for 167 yards, while Howell finished with a team-high 75 rushing yards for the Owls, who will travel to Kansas State next week.
The Hurricanes now turn their focus to a plucky Appalachian State team that gave No. 17 Tennessee a scare last week before the Volunteers clinched a 20-13 overtime win on a fumble in the end zone.
