The Miami Hurricanes’ second-half blowout over USF reinforced my opinion that they belong in the second tier of my rankings — as playoff contenders but maybe not good enough to vie for a national title. That’s reflected on my latest Associated Press top 25 ballot.

Fueled by three total rushing touchdowns by Damien Martinez, including two in the second half, and another stellar performance from quarterback Cam Ward, No. 8 Miami pulled away from USF and left Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium with a 50-15 road win.

TAMPA – Miami’s Cam Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns while becoming the 13th player in NCAA history to top 15,000 career passing yards to help the eighth-ranked Hurricanes rout South Florida 50-15 on Saturday night.

The No. 8 Miami Hurricanes continued their torrid start to the season with a 50-15 blowout of the USF Bulls on Saturday at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium to improve to 4-0 on the season.

The Miami Hurricanes closed out their non-conference schedule with yet another dominant win, this time a 50-15 road victory at USF on Saturday.

The Miami Hurricanes continued their climb in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll on Sunday after beating South Florida on the road. Miami climbed one spot from No. 8 to No. 7 following Saturday’s victory.