Mario Cristobal assesses team's first half effort vs. Bethune Cookman

The Miami Hurricanes were steamrolling the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at halftime by a score of 42-10, but heading into the locker room, their new head coach Mario Cristobal was not pleased with some of the lapses on defense.

“We’re doing what we’re supposed to, but we’re also having too many lapses. Overall, the level of intensity and level of physicality is getting better as the game goes on. We have to have a better second half,” Cristobal said via Manny Navaro of the Athletic.

Hurricanes’ running back Henry Parrish, Jr. scored his second touchdown of the first half to put the ‘Canes up 21-3 with 12:06 remaining in the second quarter. Parrish and Thaddius Franklin, Jr. combined for over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns between them in the first half. Miami linebacker Gilbert Frierson also returned a pick-six 31-yards for a touchdown, putting the ‘Canes up 28-3 in the second quarter. Bethune Cookman countered with a beautiful screen pass for a touchdown, to cut the Miami lead to 28-10 with 6:34 remaining in the first half.

The Hurricanes have thoroughly dominated for much of Saturday’s contest, but the Wildcats have had some exciting flashes on the offensive end. Before he joined the Hurricanes, Mario Cristobal was the head coach at Oregon from 2018-2021. He has extensive ties to the Miami area.

Cristobal wasted little time in pulling in the nation’s top talent

When he initially came to Miami, Mario Cristobal wasted little time in pulling in some of the nation’s top talent, including tight end Jaleel Skinner and running back TreVonte’ Citizen. Skinner, a true freshman at Miami, flipped his commitment from the Alabama Crimson Tide to the ‘Canes late in the recruiting process. He was the No. 4 ranked tight end in America in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings. Citizen was ranked as the No. 5 running back in America in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings.